The Future Barcode, POS Jewelry Labels, Retailers Going Mobile, Tips to Avoid Coupon Fraud, Small Retail Outdoor Signage
Welcome 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.
In the beginning of February we featured a POS review of a new web based point of sale software called Cashier Live. This week the company’s announcement of the launch of their web based Pharmacy POS is our first roundup feature. The next feature is the announcement of NewLeads new and innovative “show order system” also known as SOS. Our third featured article is an easy to follow report tutorial created by TechRepublic for QuickBook Point of Sale users. The last two articles that are featured in this weeks roundup have to do with small retailers using social media. You’ll see that the numbers prove this is a marketing technique your small business needs to be using and what social media site is most successful for small retail businesses.
It’s no secret that any small retailers lack the amount of funding that’s needed to advertise to a large audience. The internet has essentially changed that fact and our first article in the weekly roundup will prove that small business owners can reach a huge audience with a very low budget. The second feature in this weeks roundup is a press release that will prove to be very helpful in learning how to analyze your point of sale data with an easy “How To” guide. We have presented you with many articles on NFC mobile POS payments and this week is no exception. Our third article gives a good insight into NFC payments with a small retailer example. The last two articles in this weeks roundup are press releases about point of sale software companies teaming up with other industry companies to provide you with a better experience using your POS software. So if you’re a Retail Pro or Cam Commerce customer you will want to read on to learn the new features available for your small retail establishment.
We start the roundup this week with a very simple but informative article that lays out a few questions small retailers need to ask when deciding on a POS for their restaurant. The second feature in the roundup is again a short article but I considered it important since it could save many small business owners money on credit card processing fees. Then we focus on an exciting upcoming event at the digital signage expo which is being considered the future of advertising. The fourth article this week is closest to my heart. It shows that local small retailers can still win the battle over online stores by providing physical products. The last article was chosen for the roundup due to the unusual perspective of customer feedback that caught my attention immediately. After reading the article it makes sense what the author is saying so it’s important for you to acknowledge.
One of the easiest ways to run your small retail business is to know your point of sale. That means everything form software, hardware, applications, troubleshooting and more. Being knowledgeable and having the right resources will help you maintain the level of efficiency you need to have with your point of sale system. This weeks first featured article actually came from a press release but that it would be an excellent point of sale resource similar to our Wizard of POS site. Our second article focuses on a mobile point of sale application that was tested by a small businesses owner and comes highly recommended. As we roll into our third article you will read about Radiants Systems new employee theft deterrent application. The last two articles in this weeks roundup reflect on your small retail online presence, tips for your business blog and how online pricing should be handled.