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Point of Sale Software: Big Strides

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phone-voicemail-20090608It’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted the weekly roundup. Well I’m back and will be keeping you up to date with the latest point of sale and retail news for the Holidays.

This week is all about mobile, whether it’s implementing the newest POS mobile hardware, the latest app or wooing your customers mobile is the new way to go. Old Navy has started using iPod based POS systems just in time for the busy Holiday rush. Discover has also joined the ranks of mobile technology and started offering their first contactless point of sale payment devices.

The third article featured in our roundup this week is the integration of mobile and digital signage for the new age future customer, giving them all the information they need to make an informed decision about a product. We then go into a new directory that allows mobile users to find brick and mortar retailers in their local area including their current inventory. We end the round up this week with 10 retailers that show you how mobile and retail integration should be done.

1. Gap testing Apple’s point-of-sale system at Old Navy stores – Apple has now partnered with Old Navy to run a pilot program testing the use of mobile point of sale equipment before bringing it to the mainstream market. The POS hardware has a special backing on the iPod Touch to allow for the swiping of credit cards and signature can be obtained with a stylus pen or a finger!

2. Discover Begins Rollout of Contactless Devices to Consumers – The major credit card company will begin to roll out it’s Discover ZIP, a contactless credit card and stickers to allow for lighting fast speed at the point of sale checkout. Customers will begin seeing their new payment options arriving in the mail any day now and it’s sure to be a hit during the busy shopping season.

3. A two-way integration of digital signage and mobile – This might sound foreign to you but EnQii and Kombi have joined to bring a great integration between digital signage and mobile technology. The digital signage will include a QR code, which are “quick response” matrix 2-D codes that contain data, like text, images or website URLs.

“Forever, brick-and-mortar loyalty has meant consumer loyal to brick-and-mortar; it has never had to mean brick-and-mortar loyal to consumer,” he said. “If brick-and-mortar is going to have a future, they need to solve that problem, and we’re giving them a mechanism by which they can do that.”

4. Goodzer Includes Small Retailers in Local Real-Time Product Search– Another mobile way to engage with your customers. Goodzer has launched their shopping search engine in a limited market to test the results. Currently it picks up the inventory availability of 15,000 New York City brick-and-mortar retailers, both large and small. It’s available on the web and iPhone with plans to expand to Droid and the iPad. Customers have your entire inventory at their fingertips before they enter your retail store.

5. 10 retailers show what can be done with mobile – Mobile commerce is a rapidly approaching technology that’s here to stay. This great article gives you examples of how 10 retailers are using mobile to reach their customers and expand sales. Companies such as Walgreens, ShopNBC, and the Catholic Company. Read on to see what you should be doing in the mobile market.

New Mobile POS Application, Mobile Point of Sale Coupons, Small Retail Management Tools, Save Money and Build Customer Loyalty, Tell Customers about Publicity

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iStock_000005301458XSmallMobile is the new technology whether it’s in the small retail sector or every day life. This weeks roundup features a new mobile point of sale application that will run on a blackberry as well as a new mobile POS coupon application. We then turn the attentions to saving money to help with your small business succeed. Including free tools and tips on controlling costs in a small retail environment. After that we will end with ways to focus on your customers which is the single most important element to keeping your retail shop alive.

1. CHARGE Anywhere Releases New Mobile Payment Application for BlackBerry Smartphones – Mobile POS is something that I embrace to a full extent and I feel every small retailer should be using. The convenience to the customer will bring in higher sales and retain loyalty. Consider the scenario of setting up a small vendor booth at your local hometown festival. If you’re able to use a mobile point of sale for customer to pay with a credit card it’s almost guaranteed that they would spend more than having to use cash. Plus it’s so rare that you see this type of payment system outside a normal brick and mortar business that the customer will remember you and pass the word.

2. MoLo Rewards: Making Mobile Coupons a Reality – Molo Reward has introduced a new mobile coupon application that allows customers to receive coupons on their mobile phones and redeem them at a point of sale. Although this is a new concept that many large corporations are starting to implement I believe this technology will catch on quickly. The ease of use for the consumer will be phenomenal and in today’s economy any savings is a good one. There will be a certain cost to small retails in order to start accepting mobile coupons due to the fact that you will have to have a reader installed at the POS. This would however be a great investment that could increase sales and retain customers.

3. Google Docs Templates for Small Business – Google offers free use of it’s document feature for anyone that signs up for an account. Many businesses use them to share documents among other departments or easy access form home. They also have a small business friendly template gallery that’s FREE to use including business plans, basic invoices and DYI business card maker. This is something any small retailer should take advantage of, why pay when you can do it for free.

4. Reduce Costs And Build Customer Loyalty – John Nicola, senior VP of merchant sales at First Data offers some wonderful tips on how to lower your small retail business costs and grow customer loyalty. The tips include advice on upgrading your current POS, contactless payments, paperless payroll options and growing profits through customer loyalty.

5. Let Your Customers Know About Your Publicity – The Retail Specialty Expert offers up some amazing advice on publicity. If you’re running a special promotion to bring in new customers you should find a way to let your existing customers know. This builds credibility and reminds your current customers why they love shopping with you. There are four ways listed that will help you let people know about in store promotions and not just new customers but loyal returning ones too.

Mobile Visa Payments, New Customer Loyalty Program, Marketing Ideas, Economic Recovery, Trends for Convenience Stores

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POS and retail newsThe weekly round up of POS and retail news features informative information from the top stories of the week.  Learn about the launch of Visa’s new venture and Martiz Real-Time Rewards programs. You will  also find some tips for retailers to make it through the current economic slow down.

1. Visa Makes NFC Payment Commercially Available – This was the big news of the week being discussed by businesses across the web. Visa has implemented the first commercial mobile payment service for point of sale transactions. Although the service is only available in Malaysia it’s a start to a great new concept.

Perspective customers simply flash their NFC-enabled Nokia in front of a contactless reader and the goods are paid for. Visa has also teamed up with mobile operators Maxix and Maybank to take this venture further. There are currently 1,800 shops accepting this type of payment, but I have a feeling the trend will pick up.

2. Maritz, Welcome Real-Time Announce POS Based Marketing and Loyalty Program – The new partnership between Welcome Real-Time and Martiz has resulted in the launch of a new customer loyalty program in the U.S. and Canada.

The Martiz Real-Time Rewards will allow customers to receive special targeted offers, earn points through a retailer program and delivers behavior driven marketing incentives. All offers are printed on the customers receipt through the existing point of sale system so there is no additional hardware to purchase.

3. Free or Low-Cost Marketing Ideas – In today’s economy we are all looking for a low cost solution to everything that we do. This is a great article about some low cost or even free marketing tips. We all know the more you market the more your sales will increase.

Learn tips on email marketing, hosting store events and working with other stores to cross promote therefore increasing the sales for your retail business. It’s all about using the resources you have available and making your customers happy to receive a free item or a discount.

4. Get Your Business Ready Now for Tomorrow’s Recovery – This is a great article about the current economic situation and what you should do as a retailer or small business owner to not get left in the dust.

Rieva Lesonsky talks about how retailers have cut their staff and inventory due to lack of money. She points out that this can backfire when it comes to your customers.

I’ve been in too many stores lately where I was disappointed with the lack of stock on the shelves and vowed to find other places to shop. Or I’ve been greeted with long lines in stores with not enough personnel to handle the currently lightened customer load.

Think twice next time you have to make a budget cut, maybe you could do it in an area that won’t effect your customers’ experience.

5. Top Technology Trends for Convenience Store Retailing – The article is based on a webinars hosted by Convenience Store News highlighting the results of its 2009 technology study. It states spending trends, technology trends, and employee issues.
The main focus of the article is the ability to get real-time information. This helps a business improve across many lines without having to jump through hoops to get information.

“What we’ve noticed for a lot of retailers, that attitude—which we consider a ‘legacy attitude’—is diminishing. It’s now about the employee and the customer,” Kilcourse said

The Retail Mastery System

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It’s a fact that over 90% of small businesses fail due to lack of knowledge or skill to run their businesses effectively. The Retail Mastery System provides you with the information you need to make your business successful. The system was developed by Bob and Susan Negen, which have over 35 years combined retail experience. The information, contained in 11 separate units will give you tools and tactics for sales, staffing, financial, inventory and much more. View great videos by Bob and learn more about the great benefits by clicking here to visit the website.
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