Category Archives: Management and Operations

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

Easy and Intuitive Is the Way To Win with Mobile Payments

With the introduction of new technologies such as Apple Pay, and its soon-to-debut competitor CurrentC, mobile payments have picked up significant transaction at the point of sale (POS). A recent study from Gartner predicts that mobile commerce revenue in the United States will account for 50% of all digital commerce sales by 2017.

It has been challenging for retailers to get consumers to embrace mobile payments. Prior to Apple Pay’s launch in October, customers were happy to pay with their magnetic striped credit cards, accepted at virtually every retail POS. For many, the idea of moving to a mobile “wallet” was fraught with worry about data security. For example, in July, the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team issued an advisory that more than 1,000 U.S. businesses have been affected by the Backoff malware, which targets point-of-sale (POS) systems used by most retail industries. That’s a lot of worry to go around.Mobile_payment_01

In addition, some consumers had tried mobile payment apps, and were frustrated and disappointed. Even the uber-popular Starbucks system can get hung up on a finicky scanner. So the message from consumers is loud and clear: If it’s not secure and intuitive (i.e., easy), we’re not interested.

Apple Pay may have overcome those hurdles. For now, it is focused on providing secure mobile payment for consumers, in an efficient, simple manner, via Near Field Communications (NFC). It works with credit card companies, rather than around them, as CurrentC does. But, while Apple focuses like a laser beam on transactions, CurrentC incorporates customer information, including loyalty benefits. That could make for a complicated, though more complete, rollout for CurrentC. Meanwhile, Apple does plan to include more features in the months ahead, but has chosen a more integrative approach.

The credit card companies typically charge 2% to 3% of a given transaction to the merchant; CurrentC saves that fee normally imposed by credit card companies from the payment process by circumventing them and using automating clearing house (ACH) payments. However, in an online introduction to Apple Pay, the company said it won’t charge users, merchants or developers for transactions. It’s likely that Apple is collecting a fee for each transaction, but mum’s the word on those details right now.

It is interesting how Apple forged the partnership with the three biggest card networks, Visa Inc., MasterCard Inc. and American Express Co., to process payments. As a former vice president of a large upscale department store explained to us: “Apple’s negotiation and techno-skills won them the distinction of having Visa, MasterCard and American Express recognize Apple Pay as a ‘Card Present’ transaction, which will definitely be a big disrupter in the payment ecosystem. This is especially true if your payment solution doesn’t produce the single-use cryptogram and Token thus relegated to the more expensive ‘Card Not Present’ space.”

But there is that pesky issue of security. Users with Apple Pay installed on their phones have very little to do a locked phone held over the payment terminal wake up with a finger on the TouchID scanner and the transaction is done momentarily. It might take a bit of persuasion to convince Mr. and Mrs. America that their credit card numbers are not floating around in cyberspace.

“I was directly involved in the early deployment of Google Wallet at a large national retailer, and I agree that adoption was impacted by low consumer confidence in the security and the high concern (quite justifiably) that their purchase histories would be sold,” the department store exec said, noting that Apple has publicly stated it doesn’t collect purchase history. So, not only does Apple not know what was bought, it doesn’t know where you bought it or how much you paid for it. “Assuming that is true, which is actually harder to do than you’d think, that would address a big part of consumer fears. From a technology perspective, Apple has combined multiple on-phone and in-network security strategies to deliver one of the most secure payment methods available. That said, most consumers — especially those who already mistrust big banks and big business — don’t really understand the security measures that have been in place for years. Even the Apple faithful have recently lost a little confidence with the recent iCloud exposures.”

Although consumers are becoming more comfortable with the idea of mobile commerce and payments, the average consumer needs reassurance that these systems are safe and secure. It’s one thing for a customer to use mobile payment method at Starbucks for a $4.52 grande caffe latte, and another to use it to buy a $850 48-inch plasma television. A retailer must be prepared for both transactions.

by Retail Pro

The rise of brick-and-mortar among ecommerce specialty brands

Given the ubiquity of digital media, some may be befuddled to learn that a select few online specialty retail companies are setting up physical stores. 

The uninitiated would perceive such a move as somewhat of a step backward, but those familiar with merchandising know how much brick-and-mortar venues contribute to brand development.

People want to purchase specialty products (hunting apparel, running shoes, Olympic lifting items, etc.) from businesses that have a tangible presence in commerce. Basically, physical outlets provide consumers with the chance to validate the quality of particular goods. Depending on whether a business passes such a test, its reputation will be affected significantly. 

A different take on brick-and-mortar
Specialty merchants aren't simply setting up run-of-the-mill stores and hoping everything falls into place. They rely on retail customer intelligence tools to help them deduce what kind of experience people are looking for. When a consumer visits a tangible store, he or she is looking to develop a certain attachment to the items on display. 

According to Street Fight Magazine, that's exactly the type of environment men's apparel brand Bonobos is trying to create. The source noted the brand originally started as an ecommerce venue, but then expanded into the physical space to allow its customers to interact with its products. 

However, Bonobos isn't taking the traditional brick-and-mortar route. While Bonobos' venues allow customers to test fabric and try on clothes, the purchases themselves are processed as ecommerce orders, meaning items are delivered days later. The source maintained this allows Bonobos to sell a wider variety of inventory at a fraction of the price.

The shift to ship-from-store 
Essentially, the specialty men's apparel store is leveraging its new stores as order fulfillment centers. This strategy is similar to the one Macy's has adopted, according to Fortune. Macy's has taken a different route than Bonobos in that it began as a brick-and-mortar chain and is now investing in ecommerce. 

In order to support its online operations, Macy's is leveraging its tangible locations to satisfy purchases made on its websites. In addition, the retailer is allowing its stores to pool inventories to ensure shortages don't occur. 

"The customer is driving innovation," said Macy Chief Omnichannel Officer RB Harrison, as quoted by Fortune. "She or he is increasingly expecting a seamless experience between a digital and in-store environment." 

As far as how omnichannel strategies will progress in the future, it depends on how creative executives are. The more versatile and open-minded they are, the better they'll be able to satisfy consumers with high expectations. 

by Retail Pro

As retailers boost their hiring, attention turns to retaining talented employees

Merchants are gearing up for back-to-school sales and the accompanying fall shopping season in a variety of ways, including stocking their shelves with sought-after merchandise, ramping up their marketing efforts and offering discounts and coupons. Another way in which retailers are preparing for increased sales is by hiring new employees.

According to data from the National Retail Federation (NRF), the retail industry added an approximate total of 37,000 jobs throughout July, Gourmet Retailer reported. This was part of the 162,000 positions created last month, which brought the nation's unemployment rate down to 7.4 percent from June's figure of 7.6 percent. NRF analysts stated that these gains, while not significant, are a step in the right direction as the economy – and the retail sector – continues to recover.

"While unemployment remains stubbornly high, with millions of Americans jobless or underemployed, retailers are adding to their ranks and payrolls," said NRF CEO Matthew Shay.

As merchants hire new workers, they will want to ensure they are doing everything they can to retain their top talent. To do this, Retail Digital suggested that brands offer rewards and recognition not only for staff members' sales efforts, but also for the high levels of customer service they provide. Keeping lines of communication open at all times is another way to retain skilled retail workers, the source explained.

by Retail Pro

As retailers boost their hiring, attention turns to retaining talented employees

Merchants are gearing up for back-to-school sales and the accompanying fall shopping season in a variety of ways, including stocking their shelves with sought-after merchandise, ramping up their marketing efforts and offering discounts and coupons. Another way in which retailers are preparing for increased sales is by hiring new employees.

According to data from the National Retail Federation (NRF), the retail industry added an approximate total of 37,000 jobs throughout July, Gourmet Retailer reported. This was part of the 162,000 positions created last month, which brought the nation's unemployment rate down to 7.4 percent from June's figure of 7.6 percent. NRF analysts stated that these gains, while not significant, are a step in the right direction as the economy – and the retail sector – continues to recover.

"While unemployment remains stubbornly high, with millions of Americans jobless or underemployed, retailers are adding to their ranks and payrolls," said NRF CEO Matthew Shay.

As merchants hire new workers, they will want to ensure they are doing everything they can to retain their top talent. To do this, Retail Digital suggested that brands offer rewards and recognition not only for staff members' sales efforts, but also for the high levels of customer service they provide. Keeping lines of communication open at all times is another way to retain skilled retail workers, the source explained.

by Retail Pro

Canada being eyed as strong market for retail growth

Many nations throughout the world were hit hard during the economic recession of the past few years. However, as conditions continue to improve around the globe, businesses that experienced a downturn are now putting more effort into enhancing their operations. For the retail industry, this means merchants are expanding into new markets, and one such region that is getting more attention from these companies is Canada.

According to CNBC, only just a few short years ago, Canada was considered by global merchants to be too small of a market in which to expand, but now this opinion has drastically changed. The source explained that now, Canada is seen as a particularly strong region for retail growth, as consumers throughout the nation have a limited amount of shopping options. For example, big-name brands such as Target and Wal-Mart have opened storefronts in Canadian cities.

But these kinds of retailers are not the only ones launching new storefronts in the Canadian market, the source stated. Luxury and high-end merchants like Nordstrom and Saks currently have or plan to have locations in cities across the nation to spur growth.

For brands that are expanding into new markets, whether domestic or foreign, having a solid retail management software solution in place ensures that operations remain as streamlined as possible.

by Retail Pro

Brands are focusing more on enhancing in-store customer experience

People are increasingly going online to shop for and buy merchandise, but this doesn't mean that brands are paying any less attention to their physical storefronts. In fact, merchants are now putting more focus into improving their customers' experiences while they visit brick-and-mortar locations.

The National Retail Federation highlighted some of the companies that are giving more attention to in-store experiences, one of which includes Nordstrom. This large department store chain has merged digital channels with their brick-and-mortar locations by having Pinterest displays and interactive elements for customers. The source also noted that another big-name brand, Neiman Marcus, is taking advantage of customer data to improve in-store experiences through more personalized interactions and product preferences.

One tool that is especially beneficial for merchants when it comes to making their customer experiences more engaging is mobile technology. IMedia Connection explained that as consumers increasingly use smartphones and tablets for shopping, these gadgets will serve as a valuable resource for brands to boost loyalty and draw in new business. The use of mobile in storefronts allows retailers to process transactions faster and offer relevant products and services that fit patrons' needs.

by Retail Pro

Retail employees should toss out the script to create more personalized interactions

For some consumers, visiting a brick-and-mortar location to find the products they are looking for is a fast and easy process. They enter the store, get the item, pay for it and are out the door in minutes, many times without ever talking to a sales associate. For other patrons, however, the in-store experience is something they want to spend more time on, and these individuals often seek out employees to get answers to their questions.

For this reason, retail workers need to be prepared to provide more personalized and detailed interactions with shoppers if they want to boost brand loyalty and revenues. The Sydney Morning Herald noted that in the past, businesses often had a script that employees were encouraged to use when talking to patrons. Now, with the emergence of new channels and changes in consumer demand, retailers need to throw out this script and focus on motivating sales associates to offer more personalized communications, the source asserted.

To do this, brands can follow a few steps. First, the news source recommended that instead of hiring candidates based solely on previous retail experience, companies should also look at how well potential employees interact with others. Next, merchants can keep a constant look out for people who have excellent communications skills, That way, when a job opening arises, they could already have someone in mind.