Mobile Coupons

POS Thermal Printers, Mobile Coupon Solution, Small Retail Branding Tips, American Made Small Business Success

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POS and Small Retail NewsThe first two features in this weeks roundup are announcements from two major point of sale hardware brands introducing their POS thermal printers. We are featuring both announcements due to the wide range of differences, one caters to high-volume point of sale applications and one is a new low cost solution. The third article this week is an interesting concept on how to deal with the popularity of mobile coupons without having to spend a fortune to upgrade your current POS system. Small retail branding is an important part of building customer relationships and it’s essential to competing with large retail establishments. Our fourth feature this week is a short article giving retailers a few tips on what not to do while building your brand. We saved the best for last…featuring a truly inspiring story of a brick and mortar small retailer that’s promoting American Made products.

1. Epson Announces Low-Cost Thermal Pos Printer – Epsom a trusted brand in electronics has announced the introduction of their low cost thermal point of sale printer. In today’s economy, low cost with quality is the key to a customers heart even a business customer. Epson boats

“ReadyPrint offers an ideal low-volume, cost-effective solution along with fast and easy integration and software included to speed application programming.”

2. Thermal Receipt Printer suits high-volume POS applications – Created for the hospitality and retail industry the RP-B10 direct thermal printer delivers exceptional performance for high volume POS applications. This effective point of sale hardware solution is manufactured by Seiko Industries, a globally recognized leader in thermal printing technology.

3. Cards Touted for Redeeming Mobile Coupons – If you’re a small retailer that did not see mobile coupons in your near future, read on. One idea being considered is for mobile coupons to be loaded onto one card that the customer uses at the point of sale to redeem their offer. This eliminates the need to upgrade POS systems and barcode scanners in order to accept mobile coupons.

4. What Does Your Brand Stand For? – When competing with big box retailers this is a question you should be asking yourself every day. What your small retail brand stands for influences numerous decisions a customer might make about your business. The authors goes into a few tips and steers you clear what what you shouldn’t be doing when trying to establish your brand.

5. ‘American-made’ is about quality, not cost – This article is about a small business owner that is a true patron of the United States. He has opened a store that sells only American Made products, right down to the items that are displayed throughout the store, everything is made in America. The prices may be a bit higher than the local WalMart but the words “Made in America” say it all.

The Future Barcode, POS Jewelry Labels, Retailers Going Mobile, Tips to Avoid Coupon Fraud, Small Retail Outdoor Signage

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POS and Small Retail NewsWelcome to another week of our point of sale and small retailer news roundup where we feature five interesting articles from the previous week. This week our first article might take some time to implement but the idea of having one standard barcode for all applications seems like a good one with the introduction of various types of mobile and online coupons, discounts and loyalty programs. The second article is a short but sweet announcement from our sponsor MerchantOS for their customers. We then feature an article that shows the actual number of retailers that are adopting to mobile customers and why they are doing so. Our fourth feature is an important one for any small retailer that advertises online coupons and how to avoid fraud. We end our roundup this week on a positive note showing that the outdoor signs outside your small business are still working.

1. Branding Campaign 2D-Image Barcode Could Do It All – The global trade group GS1 is pushing to create an industry standard barcode that would combine linear barcodes, 2D barcodes, mobile commerce and other barcode symbols into one 2D-image barcode. This could take as much as 20 years to implement but think how much easier it would be to have one barcode for every application that could be read at every point of sale system worldwide.

2. We Can Print Jewelry Labels! – MerchantOS has announced to their customers that they are now able to print rat tail labels (2”x1”). This will be a huge convenience for any small retailer that uses their web based POS and need to make small labels for jewelry, electronic or any small item.

3. Retail Industry Is Going Mobile – As new devices become available the retail industry doesn’t have a choice but to keep up with consumer convenience, mobile shopping. The numbers in this article proves that if you’re not considering the move to mobile in the future you may be left behind considering there was an 18% increase of smartphone users in the last quarter of 2009. The articles also states that mobile shopping increased to $1.2 billions dollars in 2009 from $369 million in the previous year of 2008 and is projected to be around $2.4 billion this year. Large retailers are jumping on the bandwagon quickly, Target announced this week that they are rolling out a program to send coupons directly to customers smartphones. As small retailers look for a way to compete they will have to start looking to the future of mobile shopping.

4. Ten Tips for Curtailing Online Coupon Fraud – To compete with bog box companies like Target mentioned above you might consider or already have in place an online coupon program. I like many consumers enjoy the added benefit of being able to grab an online coupon for my local small retailer. An online coupon program is not difficult to incorporate but they are subject easily to fraud. This article will give you ten great tips on how to avoid fraudulent activities with your online coupon program.

5. Outdoor Signs are Still Rabid Advertising Tools – Great news, your outdoor signs advertising your local small business are still working. With the population becoming increasingly busy and always on the go, what a great way to remind them you’re still there than with a large sign displaying your business name or a new sales event. Keep those signs up, keep them simple and if you have a sign advertising a sales event keep it current but let the customer know a few days or a up to a week in advance.

Robotic Stock, Digital Signage, Mobile Coupons, Email Lists, New Full Color POS Printer

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shopping technologyA sign of the times, the technological times. This weeks round up features automated shelf stocking, a way to change your advertising in less than 10 minutes and using your cell phone to redeem coupons. I have also included a couple articles that will help any small retailer with customer service, using email lists to contact customers and the release of a fast full color point of sale printer.

1. Witron system aims to fully automate shelf replenishment – Never frustrate a customer with empty shelves again. Wiltron, a German logistics company has introduced SRS or Shelf Replenishment System. The concept of this system is to let machines replenish your stock from the back side of selves so there is no interference with the customer. Although the design would need to make room for such things as conveyor belts, lifts and sensors you have to admit this is a great idea.

The article states that a system like this would never be able to stock an entire store automatically, which leaves room for the human touch. Keep reading about this interesting concept at Retail Customer Experience by clicking the title of the story.

2. Research: Retail digital signage market to triple by 2013 – The Retail Customer Experience is at it again! Delivering a great article on digital signage and retail business.

Retail digital signage comes in an array of display types and functions. They can be LCD screens or video displays used indoor or outdoor for merchandising, brand communication and special advertising.

“Competition is getting fierce among retail outlets, and they are seeking innovative ways to attract new customers and increase average transaction size and frequency of visits among existing clientele — making digital signage a perfect fit for their needs,” said Sanju Khatri, principal analyst for signage and professional displays at iSuppli.

Not to mention the response time is rapid between the changing of the sign and when the customer actually sees it. You could easily run a 50% off sale in a matter of minutes letting all your potential customers know.

3. Mobile Coupons – This is a great new way for manufacturers and retailers to entice customers by letting them save money without cutting the conventional coupon. Grocer such as Kroger, Randalls and ShopRite are teaming up with companies such as Samplesaint and Cellfire to let customers select and use mobile coupons that interest them.

An estimated nearly 3 billion mobile coupons will be issued at nearly 7 billion dollars in discounts by 2011. What a way to run customer service with an incredible convenience.

4. Study Looks at What Works for Building Email Lists – If you’re a brick and motor small retailer you may not think this article applies to you, BUT it does! Email marketing is essential to building strong relationships with customers which in turn increases sales of any type.

Many large retailers have already implemented this type of advertising and communication. Have you been to a store and they ask for your email address as you are checking out at the point of sale? This is an effective strategy to reach your target customers in a whole new way. A way that is convenient to them and a way you can build a solid trust offering them valuable content about your products or services.

This is a must read for any business that is either familiar or unfamiliar with email marketing. Bring your business to a whole new marketing level that will have your profits soaring.

5. Primera’s Full-Color POS Printer is Now Shipping – Great news for the point of sale industry…Primera has released an incredibly fast POS printer that is compatible with any Windows or Mac that allows USB connectivity. The PX450 is small and compact making it easy to place on a counter top and it can print an average size coupon in less than 5 seconds! Read our review of Primera’s PX450 Full Color Point of Sale Printer.

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