We are all thinking about people keeping their coins on their own devices, but people may use web services too.
If both customer and retailer use MyBitcoin for ex., transaction confirmation could be instantaneous. In the future probably there will be many sites like mybitcoin, and they will have ways to integrate their transfers. Mostly like the banking system, "only" without the central bank.

It seems more likely to me that there will only be one site like mybitcoin. Though not necessarily mybitcoin. Like how there's only one paypal, wikipedia, facebook or google. Little sites shake out until only the most popular one is left.