Category Archives: Point of Sale Software

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It’s the one that everyone talks about

A chat with Retail Pro International, provider of the gold-standard retail management software, on trends, platforms and retail.

By Chris Petersen | Retail Merchandiser

Retail Pro Prism

Before the Internet, multichannel retailing was something known to only a handful of major national retailers, and the channels were limited to primarily brick and mortar and catalog sales. Today, however, consumers have more choices than ever when it comes to how they interact with their favorite retailers. The prevalence of m-commerce and e-commerce purchasing has become commonplace right along with stopping in at their favorite stores.  This new consumer landscape has created some significant challenges, as well as generated numerous new opportunities for retailers.

The new basis for retail interaction with today’s consumers spans all channels for the retailer including, brick-and-mortar stores, catalog sales, a website or even through their smartphones. A retailer is now challenged with providing the same user experience across all channels to provide a seamless experience regardless of where the consumer may be engaged. At the same time, as more retailers court international customers through their online presence, they are exposed to added complexity in terms of international tax structures and fulfillment. Navigating this complexity alone, especially in today’s omni-connected world can be daunting to say the least. Having a partner in the game like leading global provider of retail management software, Retail Pro International(RPI), can make the task much more palpable.

For more than 25 years, RPI has provided retail management software solutions and platforms which cover point of sale, customer engagement, store operations and back-of-store management, and e-commerce, through its Retail Pro® products.  In recent years, Retail Pro International has become an even more important partner to its retail customers as retail strategy complexities started growing in geometric progression. “As businesses evolve in response to market needs and rapidly changing consumer expectations it becomes critical for the retailer to evolve their business, break down operational silos and adapt; that’s where we come in,” said Director of Marketing for RPI, Alexandra Frith.

 

Flexible Solutions

The native adaptability in Retail Pro is the reason Retail Pro International’s software platforms are used in more than 54,000 retail stores in over 95 countries, and the company continues to evolve to address the expansion and needs of retailers as they grow their businesses. Frith says the Retail Pro software is a perfect fit for growing retailers. Whether a retailer is just starting out or has an operation that spans many regions, including expansions as franchises, Retail Pro can address the complex needs the retailer will encounter across their business models.

Director of Product Strategy at RPI, Kevin Connor, says retailers have traditionally been forced to maintain one software platform for each ‘channel’ of their business – one platform for point of sale, one for e-commerce sales, one for mobile sales, etc. The Retail Pro platform, on the other hand, gives the retailer a platform that can support each of the channels with one integrated product suite. Retail Pro offers platforms that are both environment-agnostic and hardware platform-agnostic, allowing one product to create a more efficient management experience for the retailers and a more pleasant and predictable shopping experience for customers.

Frith says another major component of RPI and its expansive Partner service network for their customers is helping them translate trends into actionable retail strategies. For example, she says, last year many of the company’s customers and prospects were abuzz with the idea of omnichannel retailing. The concept surfacing everywhere in the media was the new buzzword then, without much more information about the details. “We found ourselves in many conversations about this new trend. It was almost an exercise in quelling fear because everyone wanted to know that they had the capability, but only a hand-full of retailers knew how it related specifically to their business,” Frith says.

The idea of omnichannel was prevalent in the retail world but had many definitions. For some of its major customers, Retail Pro worked closely with them to develop a concise definition of what omnichannel meant for that retailer. Then taking this plan, they developed a software experience using the Retail Pro platform that erased the borders between channels to create a seamless experience for shoppers that also fit the retailer in the most effective way.

Connor says the company’s flexible approach to retail management software allows the retailer to have the system that serves the needs across all environments. Whether a retailer is enlisting endless-aisle kiosks or embracing mobility to serve the clienteling needs of their customer engagements, they can do so. This is made possible by the company’s commitment to delivering one holistic system that ties together all aspects of retail into one seamless platform.

 

Global Reach

The company’s international DNA serves as a perfect platform for business. Frith stresses the company’s international expertise, saying Retail Pro provides world-class solutions to its customers around the globe, enabling borderless retailing. “That proves to be a huge strength to any retailer who aspires to be international,” she says.

Further highlighting this point, Connor says the majority of domestic retail software is based on the local tax regulations, limiting their applications in other markets. Retail Pro International’s solutions can support all tax structures around the world, he says, making it possible for retailers using Retail Pro to maintain one system for all geographies. “Something that we pride ourselves on, is seeing ourselves as part of the global retail community,” Connor says.

 

Still Growing

The retail community is a unified community. Today, the concept of borderless retail speaks not only to retailing across geographic borders, but also to disappearing borders between online and brick-and-mortar.  Brands want consistency of presence across markets; customers want the completeness of the shopping experience across channels.  Both require ongoing effective innovation. In addition to optimizing experiences, effective innovation also encourages adopting more efficient operations and procedures, positioning retailers to add value in two directions at once by streamlining costs and improving customer loyalty simultaneously.

“What we found was that our retail customers are adapting business models, adding retail channels, acquiring other brands, and otherwise expanding aggressively throughout North America and beyond,” Frith adds.  “We see this evolution as a primary catalyst for retail growth, and brands willing to take leadership in this area will be the most competitive over time.”

 

Posted in the March/April 2015 issue of Retail Merchandiser magazine.

See the original post  here.

by Jennifer Bosavage

As the Move To EMV Nears, Will the Deadline Be Met?

Many retailers have been preparing for the mandatory October migration to EMV payments.  Those chip-embedded payment cards offer improved protection against fraud, and shifts the  liability in the case of fraud from the banks to the retailer. The plan has been on the books for three years, and although some retailers have made headway in preparation, one trade group, the Food Marketing Institute, has asked the credit card companies to move the deadline to next year.

EMV (Europay, MasterCard and Visa) is a global standard for cards with technology needed to authenticate chip-card transactions.

EMV (Europay, MasterCard and Visa) is a global standard for cards with technology needed to authenticate chip-card transactions.

U.S. retailers are late to the EMV party; MasterCard’s risk movement happened on Jan. 1, 2005, for instance. According to EMV Connection, the standard has been implemented in more than 80 countries, with roughly 1.5 billion EMV cards issued globally and 21.9 million POS terminals accepting EMV cards at the end of 2011. In March 2012, Visa, MasterCard and Discover reported EMV migration plans for the United States, and American Express followed in June 2012.

The mandate puts the responsibility for investing in the required new hardware and software in the merchants’ hands, an investment some have been slow to make. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, the letter from Leslie Sarasin, president and chief executive of the trade group noted: “Regardless of how strong the commitment or how many dollars invested, the reality is that the system will not be ready to meet the card networks’ arbitrarily-set mandate for the liability shift in October 2015.”

However, the National Association of Federal Credit Unions is petitioning Congressional leaders to reject the FMI’s request. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. NAFCU President and CEO Dan Berger wrote:

Merchants, retailers and credit unions are all targets of cyberattacks. The difference is that financial institutions have developed and maintain robust internal protections to combat these attacks; they are required by federal law and regulation to protect this information and notify consumers when a breach occurs that will put them at risk. By contrast, merchants and retailers are not covered by any federal laws or regulations that require them to protect the data and notify consumers when data is breached.

The WSJ reported that MasterCard and American Express had no arrangements to change the date, while Visa and Discover did not respond.

However, as the deadline gets closer, more critics are voicing concerns that the standard is being compromised for expediency. CNN Money recently interviewed Mike Cook, Wal-Mart’s assistant treasurer and a senior vice president, who said that the giant retailer would have preferred the standard be chip and PIN, rather than chip and signature, which some retailers are adopting. Some critics think that move is a half-measure, one that would protect against counterfeiting, but not fraud.

CNN Money reported that Cook said during a presentation at the recent Electronic Transaction Association’s Transact conference: “Signature is worthless as a form of authentication. If you look at the Target and Home Depot breaches … not a single PIN debit card needed to be reissued in those breaches. The card number was worthless to the individual thief and fraudsters, because they didn’t know the PIN.”

The next several months will see how Chip and PIN vs. Chip and Sign play out, but it’s clear the public is ready for improved measures. Gallup reports that 69% of Americans report they frequently or occasionally worry about credit card information they used in stores stolen by computer hackers — the most common concern. And, if 2014 is any guide, retailers would be wise to adopt the most aggressive security measures possible, because fraudsters are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

by Ulyana Avetisov

Curated Fashion Retailer Implements Their Omnichannel Customer Engagement Strategy with Retail Pro®

Fashion has always set the course for Lyn Evans’ life and passions. In 1978, she opened her first women’s clothing and accessories boutique, Lyn Evans Potpourri Designs (from here on called Lyn Evans). In 1980, Lyn established her second store in Wellesley, MA, which currently serves as their flagship store and corporate office. Lyn Evans makes it their mission to curate an exceptional shopping experience and to give back to the communities they serve.

The Lyn Evans Lifestyle

Lyn Evans does not take a price-driven approach to retail. Instead, each of Lyn’s seven stores with locations in community-focused North East cities in the U.S. strives to build personal relationships with the customers they serve.

“We get a lot of snowstorms in Massachusetts,” Shotkus told us. “Some of our patrons will travel for two to three months to a warmer part of the country. We don’t want to lose the customer just because we don’t have a store in that location, so we keep up the relationship online.”

One such customer is a poster child for this kind of relationship maintenance. An associate met with her online for a personal shopping appointment. An hour and a half and one happy customer later, the Lyn Evans associate hung up the phone with a $3,000 order.

Lyn Evans takes fashion to the community - and won the Association of Massachusetts Award of Excellence for commitment to community service.

Lyn Evans takes fashion to the community – and won the Association of Massachusetts Award of Excellence for commitment to community service.

“Our goal,” Lyn Evans owner Stan Shotkus said, “is to integrate the stores with the online community, with our website serving as a showroom.”

 

Lyn Evans Gives Back

With customer engagement that far surpasses most consumer expectations, Lyn Evans is building a reputation of being a community-centered business. In 2012, they were awarded the Retailers Association of Massachusetts Award of Excellence for commitment to community service.

One non-profit to which they donated is the National Education for Assistance Dog Services, or NEADS, which works with a nearby prison to train dogs to be service animals for people with special needs. They have also raised money for animal shelters, breast cancer awareness, school projects and scholarship funds, and many other causes and organizations.

Their relationship with the community is the reason their customers are such loyal fans. “People do business with people they like,” Shotkus said. “If we were just price driven, our customers would have no reason to come to us, or to keep coming back. But we’re more than that.”

 

Curating Custom Looks

It is out of these intimate retailer-shopper-community relationships that Lyn Evans stores began shaping the direction for their next stage in retail.

As a boutique, they serve a consistent community of loyal fans, and they always give their shoppers a reason to come back: their collections are updated and refreshed throughout the season, with a local boutique version of Zara-esque turnover for their styles.

But the market does not always cater to a specific community’s fashion ambitions. “Customers would come to us with requests for certain styles or colors that just weren’t available in the marketplace. Sometimes they would just want a longer top or longer sleeves, or a color that wasn’t available with the current color trends,” Shotkus told us. “So that’s how Lyn Evans label was born.” Lyn Evans stores now carry 24 items that they’ve curated specifically for their customers, and there are plans for growth.

 

Lyn Evans' chic Westborough, MA store

Lyn Evans’ chic Westborough, MA store

Defining their Omnichannel Strategy   

Lyn Evans is striving to create a seamless experience for their customers. Every store is suited with iPads that display their company website at all times to allow for cross-selling of items from other stores. If a customer wants a certain style or color that is not available at their location, a store associate will save the sale by helping the customer place the order from the store’s iPad before they go.

They keep track of everything using their Retail Pro retail management software, which manages all of their inventory for all channels. Lyn Evans outfitted their Retail Pro with an e-commerce solution from 24Seven Commerce to administer web orders, and integrated the two to keep real-time tabs on inventory across every location, without data duplication. Other solutions they tested created too many intermediary steps to keep clear inventory on both their brick and mortar and their online channels. 24Seven, as an integration with Retail Pro, significantly simplified their operations.

24Seven’s transparency and level of communication accelerated the implementation process. “It’s a very responsive team,” Stan shared. “We were communicating on a daily and sometimes hourly basis.”

 

Using Analytics to Direct their Strategy 

The company hired a new buyer, who came to them from the shoe and apparel retailer Reebok. She was experienced in complex analytics but needed to learn how to optimize the Retail Pro reports capabilities for their retail business. So Lyn Evans management called their Retail Pro Business Partner, JD Associates, to conduct a half-day training seminar on-site on how to create customized reports with their Retail Pro analytic tools.

The buying team uses custom Retail Pro reports to see exactly what their customers want. Lyn Evans analyzes performance data from the previous year’s collection and guides future buying decisions accordingly. Last year, they purchased 7,000 tops at this point in time. This year, based on data collected from their customers’ purchasing trends, they bought only 3,700, improving inventory flow and turn.

“It’s constantly evolving. You can say, ‘Aha! I’ve found the secret formula for which and how many of each product to buy,’ but you’ve really only discovered it for this point in time.”

Now they are implementing an inventory rebalancing program fueled by Retail Pro analytics. Because they can see exactly what inventory is at which store, they can transfer goods from one location to another to meet customer demand. The customer can order online and pick it up in one of our stores or have it shipped to their home, which is a big part of the Omni channel convenience their customers enjoy.  In addition, a replenishment strategy will be implemented on basic and core products to maintain a good stock position.

Lyn Evans carries all the season's best colors and styles and curates their own by popular demand.

Lyn Evans carries all the season’s best styles and curates their own by popular demand.

Taking the Experience Online

Lyn Evans is also applying this business intelligence for growth in their online store. “In order for the specialty store to survive, we have to change the way we do business.” The challenge is keeping the personalized customer experience consistent between the online store and the brick and mortar stores, but their customers know that a friendly Lyn Evans associate is always just a phone call away.

And they are not limiting their website to be just another avenue for sales. “We are promoting a lifestyle,” Stan explained. Plans for the website include adding a blog with top trends, recipes, and how-to videos, like this video of a Lyn Evans associate showing different ways to tie a scarf.

With these seamless omnichannel operations in place, the Lyn Evans boutiques have achieved a competitive advantage over so many retailers in their industry, creating a smooth and personalized experience for their shoppers through both channels, while staying true to their brand. “We are a small company with only seven stores. We don’t have the resources that the big players do. We had to do this on a budget and in a short time frame, but we have the passion and commitment to take our business to the next level.” And, might we say, they are doing it exceptionally well.

 

 

 

 

by Jennifer Bosavage

Apple Pay Connects With NFL

Today’s most modern payment process — mobile wallets — is quite a departure from your grandfather’s, your mom’s or, quite possibly, your older sibling’s.

In 1879, when the cash register debuted, cash was king, and it would reign unchallenged until 1950, when the first credit card — Diners Club — was established. But there was no fundamental change in payments until 2011, when Google Wallet was introduced. Google Wallet uses near field communication (NFC) to make secure payments quickly and efficiently, by simply tapping the phone on any PayPass-enabled terminal at checkout.

Retailers need to embrace mobile payments.

Retailers need to embrace mobile payments.

Although groundbreaking, Google Wallet did little to move the needle and get shoppers using mobile wallets. That didn’t happen until late last year, when Apple announced Apple Pay. At its announcement, Apple CEO Tim Cook described the credit card payment process as antiquated, calling the magnetic interface “outdated and vulnerable,” and its reliance on security codes insecure:

“We’re totally reliant on the exposed numbers, and the outdated and vulnerable magnetic interface — which by the way is five decades old — and the security codes which all of us know aren’t so secure.”

Apple struck a chord. The new process was so simple and efficient that payments made through Apple Pay accounted for between 0.1% and 1.6% of transactions at five top retailers in the month following the launch of the feature. That’s a heady figure, particularly because Apple Pay is only available on the newest iPhones.

In addition to the simplicity of use, Apple Pay is secure. The technology uses near-field communication (NFC) technology, which lets iPhone 6 and 6 Plus owners pay for goods by holding their phones directly in front of payment terminals. It uses tokenization, authentication by fingerprint (Touch ID) and a secure method that isn’t part of iOS for storing the data. All those factors have made the technology attractive to a variety of businesses, from retailers such as Macy’s to organizations like the National Football League.

The NFL, in fact, showcased Apple Pay at this year’s Super Bowl, while using Retail Pro POS software as the backbone for all transactions. Visa actively incented customers to use the mobile payment technology by offering a $5 discount coupon to anyone who completed an Apple Pay demo. Further, Visa gave $10 to any one who loaded the credit card into their wallets or demonstrated that they already had done so.

It helped, of course, that there was higher than average iPhone 6 penetration on hand at the Super Bowl this year – according to pymnts.com, Visa noted that 35% to 40% of customers in the NFL shop were carrying around Apple’s newest phone. A quarter of the users put a Visa on their phone and took the $10 dollar coupon, though the majority — 75% — were happy simply with the $5 card they got for demoing the service. In the end, roughly 15,000 people came in to try out Apple Pay during the Super Bowl.

Retail Pro has provided the much-needed impetus for the growth in mobile payments with Apple Pay. It has proven that consumers will embrace the technology, provided it is reliable and easy to use. In response to the projected uptick in mobile payment usage, rivals PayPal and Google announced this week efforts to position themselves more competitively. PayPal will purchase Paydiant, a startup that helps companies such as Subway and Capitol One build mobile payments options, and Google unveiled Android Pay, an NFC-based solution that will serve as platform for third-party store and payment apps. If competition is good for business, then the mobile payment arena is doing very well indeed.

 

by Ulyana Avetisov

ASICS Chooses Retail Pro® for Its South East Asian Expansion Strategy

Retail Pro International (RPI), global provider of flexible retail management software, is pleased to announce that ASICS, a popular footwear retail brand, chose a Retail Pro® platform over its previous POS solution for their expansion in South East Asia.

Dubai, UAE March 4, 2015  ASICS Asia Pte Ltd, the SEA regional arm of ASICS Corporation, a leading designer and manufacturer of running shoes, is expanding in South East Asia and needed retail point of sale software that would:

  • Centralize store operations
  • Ensure pricing transparency and supply chain visibility
  • Guarantee the consistency of product availability across the markets.

ASICS chose Retail Pro® for its all-in-one, feature-rich POS software platform, with its easily customizable workflows, security and central control.

“Anima Sana In Corpore Sano, meaning ‘A Sound Mind in a Sound Body,’ is the old Latin phrase from which ASICS is derived and the fundamental platform on which the brand still stands,” said ASICS Group Financial Controller, Maureen Neo. “Retail Pro is clearly a sound product in a sound company with its quality and global presence–over 54,000 stores with impressive clientele in over 95 countries.”

ASICS chooses Retail Pro to centralize its store operations.

ASICS chooses Retail Pro to centralize its store operations.

Retail Pro’s® flexible design, easy setup and fast roll-out capabilities, combined with the local expert team at Integrated Retail, a Retail Pro Business Partner in the region, allowed for a quick implementation. With aggressive roll-out targets and region-wide support requirements, RPI’s proven support network across Asia with accessible locations in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand is critical for ASICS’s retail expansion strategy. Other retail software providers are unable to guarantee the same adoption speed and level of support.

“RPI’s global support network of Business Partners helps our customers tailor Retail Pro to their particular operations, so it’s an exact match for their business needs,” said RPI’s VP for MEA and Asian Markets, Bevin Manian. “As market needs evolve, our customers respond, and local Business Partner experts are there to guide them through the adaptation process, so they aren’t abandoned in their customizations or expansion across channels or geography.”

Retail Pro International and Integrated Retail look forward to many years of supporting ASICS for their continued success in footwear, fitness apparel and accessories retail.

For more information about ASICS, visit www.asics.com

###

About Retail Pro International

Retail Pro International (RPI) is a global leader in retail management software that is recognized world-wide for rich functionality, multi-national capabilities, and unparalleled flexibility. For over 25 years, RPI has innovated retail software solutions to help retailers optimize business operations and have more time to focus on what really matters — cultivating customer engagement and capitalizing on retail’s trends. Retail Pro® is the chosen software platform for omnichannel strategy by serious retailers everywhere. To learn more, visit www.retailpro.com

by Retail Pro

Increase Productivity in 2 Weeks with Retail Pro University Spring Training

Spring is traditionally a time of change, renewal, and growth.  All around us, nature wakes up from the long winter as the days get longer and warmer.  Here in the United States, our baseball teams go into spring training to prepare for baseball season. The spring season is also a time when retailers traditionally launch new product lines. They take advantage of their retail software for analytics and visibility into inventory across channels to clear out the old and make room for the new.

We at Retail Pro want to help you build a strong, winning team for your business with Retail Pro University spring training.  It’s the ideal time to use your POS software to position your business for growth and prepare for action in the face of changes spurred by retail evolution.

No one needs to tell you that employee training on your retail point of sale software is critical for your business.  Investing in training for your employees can yield many benefits, including:

Global businesses had a successful 2012 fiscal year, according to retail reports.

Increase employee productivity in store operations by training them to use your Retail Pro platform’s robust functionality effectively. 

  • Improved employee morale and increased motivation
  • Higher employee satisfaction and a reduction in employee turnover
  • Enhanced company image
  • Increased capacity for new business
  • Increased efficiency in business processes

Your employees are at the heart of your retail management software’s ability to increase efficiency in your store operations and make your business more successful.  At Retail Pro University, we’re here to help you maximize productivity in one of your most valuable resources.  An investment in training is an investment in your organization’s future.

Now is the time to sign your employees up for spring training.  Each month at our Retail Pro headquarters in Folsom, California, we offer live training and certification examinations for your retail POS software.  In our two-week certification course, your employees can learn the foundations of Retail Pro and become certified in any of three specializations:

  • Retail Pro Applications Expert (RPAE)
  • Retail Pro Systems Engineer (RPSE)
  • Retail Pro Reports Professional (RPRP)

Did you miss our February class? There are still a few spots left for March and April.  Instructor-led classes will be held from March 9 through March 20, and from April 13 through April 24.  Learn more about training options for your employees at the Retail Pro University website at https://www.retailpro.com/learning/.

 

by Jennifer Bosavage

Local Gift Shop Continuously Evolves with Retail Pro Analytics, Gives Back to Community

In the historical town of Lexington, Mass., retailers walk a fine line between respecting tradition and embracing modern business practices.CY_WhiteSignLg Crafty Yankee, a fine gift shop located right where “the shot heard round the world”was launched, started using Retail Pro as its retail management solution in 2000, leveraging its robust functionality to transform what originally was a sleepy little business into a vibrant, charitable part of the community. Kathy Fields, owner of Crafty Yankee, has a rich background in retail. She had worked in senior positions at Dillard’s and Federated Department Stores before taking a (very) early retirement in her mid-forties. But her retirement didn’t go quite as planned. Kathy Fields bought Crafty Yankee from its founders in 1994, wanting to take on a business that would free up her time and allow her to give back to those less fortunate.

 

Embracing Modern Business Practices

Shortly after the acquisition, she recognized the need to put in a computer system. Initially, she opened a couple satellite stores and networked computers so she could be away from the store—perhaps enjoy a vacation—and still be in touch remotely. Business was growing but Fields eventually realized she needed to consolidate her business into one location and, to be successful, have a thorough understanding of which merchandise was selling and when it was bought. Knowing those sales trends would give her a concrete understanding of what was going on in her business so she could offer popular products and streamline inventory. CY-SpringStoreFront.Best (1024x683)

 

Using Analytics to Reshape the Store

Crafty Yankee found Retail Pro’s analytical capabilities exceptionally valuable in accomplishing this end. “By having good computer information, I can constantly reshape the store,”said Fields. “We must change with the customer: Patterns, age, tastes.” Retail Pro 9 gave Fields tools to analyze Crafty Yankee’s $1 million business by key segments. The store has been using Retail Pro 9 since 2012 and Fields credits the software with contributing to the store’s consistent, healthy growth despite a stagnant overall economy. Knowing what sells—and what doesn’t—is critical to every retailer and Crafty Yankee has adopted an analytical method with Retail Pro.   No guesswork here: “I like to analyze my business in lots of different segments. It’s important to me to start from the top. Let’s say we had a 20% increase last month. Where did that come from? Jewelry? Glass? Pottery? Once I see the trend in the data, I can break it down by vendor or resources. And I can compare that data to last year’s.”

 

A Technology Update that Made a Difference

None of that could have happened if Crafty Yankee had remained with its original retail management platform, CraftShop, which she started using in 1995. Much of the data was difficult to extract and it required quite a bit of manual work. “What I liked from the beginning with Retail Pro was that they saw what I had with the CraftShop system. It was pretty complicated,”said Fields.  Realizing she needed a more robust system, she started researching other software solutions, finally determining that Retail Pro was the best fit for her needs. “I have thousands of items and people would tell me, ‘You’re going to have to re-enter all that information.’And I said, ‘I don’t think so!’” CY-Interior Scarves

 

Targeted Growth that Enables Philanthropy

The Retail Pro platform, together with Fields’ business acumen, positioned her gift emporium for rapid, targeted growth. “I can learn about my business on any day of the week, as well as a specific date of business. I can compare Mother’s Day, Easter, wedding seasons.” I’m looking across the information in a lot of different ways: Top producers by vendor. Who is downtrending? Who is trending up? Our other system was just not as granular; jewelry for example, can be subcategorized. I can put more criteria in the system, which allows me to analyze each item,”Fields said. “We’ve been so successful because of the good computer information I can analyze. We are able to constantly reshape the store. If I hadn’t changed it, year after year, based on the information I get from the Retail Pro solution, the store would be out of business.” And what about the idea of giving back to the community? Crafty Yankee sells a number of items where most, if not all, of the purchasing price is donated to charity. Sometimes, retirement is overrated.

To learn more about Crafty Yankee, visit http://www.CraftyYankee.com.

To learn more about the Certified Retail Pro Business Partner supporting Crafty Yankee, JD Associates, visit http://www.jdapos.com/

by Ulyana Avetisov

Retail Pro University and Your New Year’s Resolution

January always feels like a fresh start, like turning to a new page in a notebook.  After the rush and bustle of the holidays, it is a time to reflect and set resolutions to help you achieve your business goals.

Did you know that 45% of people make New Year’s resolutions but only 8% of them follow through?  According to a recent study published by the Journal of Clinical Psychology, the top two resolutions (after losing weight and getting in shape) involve getting more organized and making better financial decisions.  47% of survey participants indicated that their resolutions were related to self-improvement and education.

Learn to Get the Most Out of Your Retail Pro with Retail Pro University

At Retail Pro University, we want to help you succeed in the self-improvement and education resolutions you set for your business.

You have probably heard that your Retail Pro is a valuable tool to maximize productivity and enhance the shopper experience. But even the best tool can’t help if you don’t align its capabilities to your needs and strategies.

Retail Pro University’s comprehensive training classes teach you to tap into Retail Pro’s potential, so you can get the most out of your Retail Pro.

 

Retail Pro University’s Flexible Learning Optionsrpi university

Live, in-person classes are held every month at our offices located near Sacramento, California.  In just two weeks, you and your employees can be fully certified in three different programs: the applications expert, the systems engineer, and the reports professional.

We can also bring our training to you with a two-week course held at your office.  Save time and money by training your entire staff at the same time.  Call or email us to find out about custom training solutions.

People who explicitly make New Year’s resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than those who don’t explicitly make resolutions.  If your goals include using your Retail Pro to increase efficiency as you grow your business, let us show you how a Retail Pro education can help you accomplish your resolutions.

Make 2015 the year you invest in being more productive and educated, so you can improve your business operations with a Retail Pro University training.

 

Tell us what you would like to learn this year with Retail Pro University!

 

 

by Jennifer Bosavage

3 Ways To Drive an Extraordinary Customer Experience #NRF

What will retailers focus on in 2015? That’s the big question at the National Retail Federation’s Big Show, taking place this week at the Javitz Center in New York City. For many, the driving force this year will be to provide an extraordinary customer experience, and that means investing in technology. From electronic shelf labels, to fitting rooms to electronic shelf labels, technology will power the evolution in how retailers approach and interact with their customers.

Retail industry leaders are driving changes to enhance the customer experience across their channels.

Retail industry leaders are driving changes to enhance the customer experience across their channels.

Take electronic shelf labels. LG Innotek, introduced customized ESL solutions for various retail outlets at NRF 2015.  Electronic Shelf Labels are just a small part of the burgeoning Internet of Things (IoT) solutions market; LCDs and electronic paper provide shoppers information on product price, sales promotions, etc. The integration of ESL lets retailers manage the price of all the products in a store, and helps in real-time tracking inventory status. Customers can check on product information and easily find the product as the ESL communicates with their smartphones. ESL can also process the order, payment, and delivery on site.

Once a customer has made a selection, the next stop is often the dressing room. MemoMi’s MemoryMirror is a digital mirror that rolls video, 360-degree viewing and social networking into one high-end retail package. The product itself debuted at last year’s Big Show, but it’s here at the 2015 show again, promoting its alliance with Neiman Marcus and its roll out at the luxury store’s Walnut Creek, Calif., outlet. The MemoryMirror is designed for in-store clothes shopping, capturing stills and video of everything the customer tries on. It’s not in the dressing room — that was deemed too creepy — but is located right outside, in a common area. Using simple body gestures, or via a companion mobile app, the mirror can be controlled to see 360-degree back and side views, observe outfits side by side, and change the color of the clothing. For retailers, the MemoryMirror can gather shopper data by measuring and analyzing in-store behavior.

Finally, after the customer has gathered and tried on his or her items, it’s time to check out. Increasingly, retailers are employing new POS systems to ease that friction point. Whether it’s checking out via an app, through an associate with at tablet, their own smartphone or a traditional POS, consumers today are demanding a seamless, easy payment experience.

At NRF 2015, Retail Pro is demonstrating its comprehensive and flexible software that is aimed at helping retailers evolve their omni-channel strategies. Mid-market and global brands alike can create consistent, impactful customer experiences at every touch point with brand-conscious POS and web-based applications accessible across devices: Ease of use combines with insightful data analysis.

Retail Pro International will be showcasing its retail management software at NRF 2015 through January 13, in booth #1503.

 

by Jennifer Bosavage

Apple Pay Gears Up for the Holidays 

Despite only being released not even two months ago, Apple Pay is already the most popular NFC payment platform available. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently told BGR.com that more than 1 million credit cards were activated on Apple Pay in the first three days after it launched — a big accomplishment, especially since only the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in the United States can offer that functionality.

This week, Square announced it would also accept Apple Pay, paving the way for the payment solution to support the small business market. Although critics have suggested that the technology Apple Pay uses, near field communication, is not used widely, it appears consumers are eager to adopt the solution. Therefore, it’s likely we will see a shift in PoS moving to iOS to more and more payment and transaction data going through end user and consumer devices. The holiday shopping season —which officially starts tomorrow — will put Apple Pay to the test.

“This year, the usage will probably be low due to roll out time for merchants and the fact that we see more and more holiday shopping moving online,” said Adam Elt, Bluebook Security on Apple Pay. “This time next year however, we’ll be in a completely different landscape as Apple has made the right strategic moves to make touchless payment via smartphone able to succeed, which means we’ll even see an uptick in those using Android to pay for merchandise.”

While Apple’s implementation of NFC is nearly identical to Google Wallet’s, Apple authenticates using Touch ID while Google uses a PIN, which is less secure. The iPhone stores credit/debit card on the secure part of the SoC while Google stores data on their servers — again, less secure.

“The introduction of tokenization in the Apple Pay process, is a great win for consumer security as well,” added Elt. “This will reduce risks in some areas and help push tokenization utilization forward, though there will still be risk on the end user’s device.”