Curating the retail experience in the modern world

Joey Miller is the developer behind the Platform in Culver City. Joey has consulted on many other best in breed retail developments such as Rick Caruso’s Palisades Village, The Row in DTLA and up coming high profile projects in San Francisco and New York.

Spotlight

SmartSimple Software

This year marks 20 years of SmartSimple. SmartSimple is a global leader in cloud-based automation and collaboration software, offering unique process solutions used by 500+ clients in 192 countries. Some of the largest grantmaking foundations, Fortune 500 brands, research and Higher Education institutions, and governments depend on SmartSimple CLOUD's solutions to create greater efficiencies in their business processes.

OTHER ARTICLES
POS Solutions

Optimizing Digital Marketplace with Unified Retail Management

Article | February 14, 2024

Savvy retailers partner with leading marketplace software providers to dominate the digital marketplace with unified retail. Read the article to unlock the ingredients of successful retailing. Contents 1. Unified Retail Management: The Inducer of Selling Prowess 2. Multichannel Versus Unified Commerce in Retail 3. Unlocking Operational and POS Success with Unified Retailing 4. Top Companies Dealing in Unified Retailing Software 4.1 Tackle.io 4.2 Anchanto 4.3 Logicbroker 4.4 JungleWorks 4.5 Appscrip 4.6 NuORDER 4.7 CS-Cart 4.8 AppDirect 4.9 Convictional 4.10 Mirakl 5. Summing Up 1. Unified Retail Management: The Inducer of Selling Prowess Unified retail management is a distinct approach to retailing that involves managing diverse retail operations, from inventory management to checkouts, through a single, integrated system. By ensuring personalized shopping experiences, offering impressive integration with POS systems and checkout options, and simplifying digital marketplace processes, the unified approach benefits B2B businesses in many ways, transforming them into true selling prowess. Over 66% of all software spending in retail is now focused on the concept of unified commerce. [Source: Research and Markets] With the apparent shift toward unified retail management, businesses adopting this approach today hold a competitive edge in the market. A single, integrated system comprising marketplace optimization tools helps them streamline operations, enhance productivity, reduce manual work, and gain greater visibility into their activities. 2. Multichannel Versus Unified Commerce in Retail Representing different strategies in the retail sector, both multichannel and unified retail management approaches aim to offer customers an exceptional shopping experience, enhancing loyalty and satisfaction. While multichannel retail management involves maintaining and managing diverse sales channels, a unified approach combines them to ensure a uniform customer experience across all touchpoints. A prominent distinction between the two is their respective points of focus. Notably, the unified approach focuses on rendering consistent customer experiences, while the multichannel approach aims to ensure a harmonious appearance of the brand. Yet, unlike the complex infrastructure that the multichannel platform entails, a unified retail management software consolidates all retail operations on a single platform, overcoming operational inefficiencies and data inconsistencies that can emerge in the former approach. The simplicity of the unified software further ushers in the desired agility in operations and decision-making prowess. Significantly, with features like consolidated platforms and real-time data synchronization, which are hard to find in a multichannel platform, unified commerce software limits the chances of discrepancies and errors, elevating business growth and profits. 3. Unlocking Operational and POS Success with Unified Retailing As customer expectations shift and the retail environment matures, businesses worldwide are increasingly implementing unified retail management for enhanced POS strategies and peak financial gains. This transition ensures that separate channels don’t usher in frustrations with inconsistencies in customer experiences. Importantly, with online marketplace optimization tools for unified retailing, B2B businesses further stand to bridge potential gaps, unlocking operational and POS excellence, marked by: ● High Operational Efficiency Unified retail management systems streamline various retail operations, including merchandising, marketing, and customer relations, combining different aspects of retailing to reduce manual work and increase overall operational efficiency. It further improves inventory management and ensures that overstock situations at POS are averted. ● Process Simplification for Better Customer Experiences Whether it is simplifying crucial processes such as easy returns or ensuring seamless transactions via faster checkout and payment options, unified retail management builds trust and loyalty among customers by rendering them hassle-free experiences across all digital marketplaces and touchpoints. ● Integrated POS and Effortless Checkouts In a unified approach, efficient transaction processing is made possible by effortlessly integrating the POS system with inventory management. This allows real-time updates of inventory levels and integrated reporting for better decision-making. It also lets businesses add effective self-checkout options, encouraging higher purchases and seamless checkout experiences. ● Better Insights and Visibility With unified retail management systems, retailers gain greater visibility into their operations, as data and analytics are centralized. This centralization enables them to optimize POS strategies and view real-time information on variables like sales performance, customer behaviors, and stock levels. ● Personalized Selling Unified retail management systems easily consolidate customer data from different sources into a single, centralized database, allowing for personalized selling. They also enable B2B businesses to implement dynamic pricing, offer tailored recommendations at POS, and carry out targeted promotions based on such data, cultivating stronger customer relationships and overcoming inconsistencies. Companies that grow faster drive 40 percent more of their revenue from personalization than their slow-growing counterparts. [Source: McKinsey] ● Cost Saving Despite the initial investment, a transition to unified retailing promises marketplace optimization tools, which increase cost efficiency, curtail manual errors, and reduce the costs associated with handling separate channels and systems. ● E-commerce Integration Unified retail management software easily integrates with e-commerce platforms. It allows retailers to manage online storefronts, align data across different channels, and process online orders, ensuring smooth functioning and optimum profits. ● Omnichannel Capabilities With a unified approach, retailers could further organize omnichannel marketing campaigns, providing consistent offers, pricing, and messages across multiple touchpoints. This would also ensure customers get personalized recommendations at POS and promotions, regardless of their chosen channel. ● A True Competitive Advantage From enhanced flexibility and customer experience to robust security and supply chain resilience, the unified approach renders a true competitive advantage to retailers, enabling them to become industry leaders and grow their customer base effectively. 4. Top Companies Dealing in Unified Retailing Software With business optimization at the core, leading marketplace software providers are empowering businesses to attain success with the unified retailing approach. Here’s a list of the top companies that are rendering forward-looking unified retail solutions to businesses: 4.1 Tackle.io Founded by industry veterans, Tackle.io is a unified retail software provider that aims to simplify B2B software retail processes. Considering the present-day cloud era, Tackle.io offers an impressive platform to businesses, rendering them high earnings potential from cloud marketplaces and allowing them to launch products quickly without wide-ranging engineering resources. Offering a comprehensive Cloud GTM platform, Tackle.io aims to support various aspects of cloud-generated revenue for enterprise-level businesses, including co-selling and marketplace integration. It employs a data-driven approach to enhance customer satisfaction and increase profits. Significantly, its easy integration with hyperscale cloud ecosystems simplifies partner collaborations and automates co-selling workflows. 4.2 Anchanto Facilitating online sales and shipping for retailers, brands, and logistics companies, Anchanto is a notable unified retail management software provider headquartered in Singapore. The company offers a comprehensive technology stack to businesses and streamlines their retail operations through solid integration capabilities, data analytics, post-purchase services, etc., enabling them to achieve operational excellence. The company boasts advanced SaaS technology to offer retailers scalability, cost-effectiveness, and regular updates. Furthermore, with impressive integration with more than 150 POS systems, global marketplaces, ERPs, and web stores, Anchanto allows for real-time data access and enhanced decision-making. Correspondingly, it renders customized solutions to 3PL businesses and eliminates customers’ WISMO queries, ensuring high customer loyalty. 4.3 Logicbrocker Logicbroker is a leading multi-vendor commerce solution provider that links trading partners seamlessly, regardless of their integration methods. Offering a wide range of products, the company helps retailers enhance their brand presence by fostering connections and managing operations. Predominantly, the solution provider serves mid-market and enterprise manufacturers and retailers in different industries, including consumer electronics, health and wellness, home improvement, etc. The company’s distinct product onboarding center cuts down manual tasks, while its dropshipping solution helps retailers widen their product range without requiring additional warehousing space. Furthermore, with tools for more straightforward payment processing, split payments, dispute resolution, visibility, and control, the solution provider supports business development, ensuring security and regulatory compliance, including CCPA, SOC, and GDPR standards. 4.4 JungleWorks JungleWorks is a notable unified retailing software provider that renders no-code solutions to businesses wishing to manage hyperlocal operations like on-demand delivery or home services. It offers various solutions for faultless on-demand operations of companies of all sizes, from establishing online marketplaces to facilitating transactions and managing logistics. The company aims to help on-demand service providers foster enhanced customer engagement through personalized marketing campaigns and omnichannel capabilities. It streamlines fleet operations, ensuring robust vehicle tracking and monitoring of real-time driver activities. It also provides headless e-commerce solutions, enabling businesses to leverage limitless API-driven integrations and customization options. 4.5 Appscrip Powering mobile-first business models, Appscrip is a technology solution provider that caters to diverse businesses such as social, on-demand, shopping, messaging, discovery, etc., facilitating their technology management and modernizing their businesses through augmented reality, IoT, and telematics. With scalable, aesthetically appealing mobile apps, the solution provider is helping retailers expand their businesses by focusing on their products and ensuring high customer satisfaction. Correspondingly, the comprehensive solution provider offers end-to-end IT and development services to retailers, helping businesses through the whole product development cycle, from ideation to implementation. Furthermore, with its specialization in mobile-first models, dedicated POD teams, and impressive tech stack, it prioritizes user experiences, enabling businesses to launch their products rapidly, scale their businesses, and ensure high customer engagement through an intuitive interface. 4.6 NuORDER Lightspeed, a leading B2B platform provider, offers the NuORDER solution to businesses, which carries the right ingredients for retailing success. The comprehensive NuORDER software promises users compelling features like integrated payment solutions and virtual showrooms, simplifying wholesale transactions for brands and retailers worldwide. Acquired by Lightspeed in 2021, the software further facilitates automated workflows and data-driven decisions for B2B selling with integrations with over 120 POS systems, ERP, and PLM. Moreover, through its impressive attributes, NuORDER streamlines retail operations, allowing retailers to optimize inventory allocation, view unified catalogs, and work with teams across diverse brands and stores. The company’s strong suit lies in its ability to facilitate data-driven decision-making, allowing error reduction, enhanced control, and better business outcomes. With the platform’s easy compatibility with chain stores, department stores, and online retailers, NuORDER renders solutions for diverse retail environments, increasing order efficiency and fine-tuning range plans across all stores and departments. 4.7 CS-Cart CS-Cart is a leading e-commerce software that provides businesses with a self-hosted multivendor solution. Its open-source architecture allows retailers to customize and scale their e-commerce websites and caters to SMEs and enterprises. The solution has distinct features like payment dependencies and vendor-to-admin payments, which renders an excellent POS experience. Furthermore, the company offers tools for automating tasks, handling marketplace workflows, optimizing order processing and product management, and simplifying seller onboarding, which boost sales and augment retail operations. The company also provides easy integration with over 70 payment gateways and diverse payment options, implements comprehensive security measures, and ensures compliance with industry standards like GDPR and PCI DSS. 4.8 AppDirect Headquartered in San Francisco, AppDirect is a cutting-edge B2B subscription commerce platform provider that connects technology advisors, businesses, and providers to simplify retail processes associated with technology solutions. Correspondingly, the company aims to help enterprises collaborate successfully and gain high efficiency in the B2B technology sector. Notably, AppDirect's software offers multiple features to retailers, including a custom cloud marketplace, advanced merchandising tools, fast checkouts with diverse payment options, industry-specific solutions, and a catalog of over 300 pre-integrated SaaS and IaaS providers, which ensure tailored online marketplaces for businesses for enhanced customer experience and strong brand presence. 4.9 Convictional Recognized as a leading modern dropship platform provider, Convictional helps established retailers launch new dropship, cross-selling, and marketplace programs. With advanced tools for marketplace dominance, robust vendor management, and integration capabilities, it allows retailers to onboard and dropship with various brands, ensuring quicker assortment growth, limited onboarding time, and increased online sales. Convictional further allows retailers to expand their product range quickly without manual efforts and ensure smart decisions through data-driven insights. The company’s software boasts impressive collaboration tools, encouraging transparency and establishing a win-win situation for retailers and suppliers. Its impressive attributes also include automated payouts with flexible payment options, making for smooth invoicing and greater customer convenience. 4.10 Mirakl Founded in 2012, Mirakl is a leading technology partner promising digital growth to businesses worldwide through its innovative features. The company offers unmatched expertise and assistance to retailers through its comprehensive solutions for all operations, from implementation to development. With the ability to manage millions of API calls, SKUs, and stock updates, Mirakl promises retailers seamless digital business advancements and optimum profits. The company further boasts an impressive retail media experience, enabling businesses to monetize their platforms through targeted advertising. From launching platform businesses to maximizing product ranges, Mirakl effectively empowers enterprises to enhance their digital presence through impressive marketplace and dropship solutions. It also renders tailored solutions to industry-specific retailers, including fashion, grocery, health and beauty, and so on. 5. Summing Up Unified retail management promises B2B businesses the ability to outperform competitors in the market, serving as a driving force behind enhanced selling competencies. From ensuring excellent customer experiences to streamlining operations and enabling data-driven decision-making, the marketplace software platform for unified retail empowers businesses by increasing their efficiencies, reducing costs, and helping them meet their business goals. Importantly, with the retail sector quickly transforming, companies investing in unified retail management software firmly set themselves up for sustained growth and business excellence in the digital marketplace.

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POS Solutions

Cloud POS Solutions Reshaping Operations in the Retail Sector

Article | March 18, 2024

Until recently, most brick-and-mortar retail stores relied on local platforms to save their point-of-sale (POS) data, such as transaction records and product price lists. These include a variety of solutions, ranging from larger network servers to on-premises PCs or servers used by service providers. However, a large number of retailers are shifting their business operations to online platforms, with cloud POS emerging as a trailblazer in the transition. Retailers are heavily investing in the development of digital payments, contactless, and cashless transactions and have begun to implement innovative point of sale (POS) solutions to improve their bottom lines in the long run. Cloud POS Providers Responding to Transition Over the years, POS platforms, especially cloud-based POS, have evolved into robust platforms capable of integrating a wide range of retail operations, including data analytics, accounting, inventory, accounting, and marketing. This evolution of POS platforms from traditional to cloud-based has manifested itself in a variety of ways, ranging from increased inventory management efficiency to improved user experience, data security, disaster management, and increased profitability, positioning themselves solutions as an imperative retail tool, today. On account of the rising awareness regarding the merits of integrating cloud technology, approximately 52 percent of corporate firms have fully migrated to cloud POS solutions, with more than 40 percent planning to follow the same, as per a study. Citing the trend, cloud POS solutions are anticipated to exceed $9 billion by the end of 2026. Leading industry players are riposting to this transition in earnest by launching innovative products designed to address the need for advanced POS solutions across the retail sector. For instance, in 2022, Visa unveiled a new cloud-based payment platform, Visa Acceptance Cloud (VAC), which can transform almost every device into a cloud-connected payment terminal. The Future’s Story In this digital disruption era, enterprises are gearing up to invest in innovative technologies and enter the new software market. One of these is the cloud-based POS system, which has permitted retail stores to manage customer data and handle sales and inventory digitally. POS software has clearly benefited all business domains, but it has completely transformed the retail sector's facet, making it more progressive, tech-savvy, and customer-oriented.

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Ecommerce Merchandising

7 Tips on How to Choose a POS System

Article | March 18, 2024

For any type or size of merchant, the point of sale (POS) is by definition a mission-critical system. In addition to being a basic tool for retail and companies to conduct business, today’s point of sale systems can also be profitably tied in with key operational solutions, such as inventory management, labor scheduling, and customer marketing. Here’s How to Choose a POS System for Your Unique Business Before we dive into how to choose a POS system, let’s look at why you need one in the first place. A POS system does more than transactions. It's the beating heart of your store's operations, from inventory management and loss prevention to employee management, AR/AP tracking and more. Small businesses of all types and across industries use POS systems: Retail and consumer good stores Liquor stores (within grocery stores and standalone wine & spirits stores Tobacco stores and smoke shops Grocery stores and markets Convenience stores Lawn & garden centers Hardware stores But different types of businesses have different POS system needs. POS systems’ importance makes selecting the one that’s right for your business a challenge. Here are seven tips to help formulate the right questions to ask POS vendors as you narrow down your options. Answer these 5 questions before you research POS systems What features does your current POS system lack or do poorly? This will help you prioritize your POS needs and ensure current pain points are addressed with your new POS system. What type of POS hardware will you need? From touchscreen monitors and cash drawers to receipt printers and pinpads, determining your POS hardware needs helps you know what to look for and get cost estimates from POS vendors. What POS software, apps, and integrations will you need? Your POS software is the brains of the operation. Be sure to identify specific functionality and app integrations needed. What does your business growth plan look like? This is an important one. You want a POS system that can scale with you as you grow. The last thing you need is to replace your POS system again because you've outgrown it. What is your budget? Every POS vendor you talk to will ask this question, so it's best to prepare for it. If you don't have a number in mind, you can use our Build & Price Tool to create your ideal POS system and see what it would cost. Choose a POS system that makes checkout a breeze Is your checkout process simple and easy for customers, or do you find that long lines and slow checkout speeds are holding you back? You need to maximize the checkout space for an optimal customer experience. POS systems with a minimal footprint keep things simple for your employees, and can even allow you to have multiple registers to service customers. The pace of transactions is a key factor as well. Employees must be able to quickly scan products or use smart, intuitive product lookup or keyed entries to minimize wait time. You can even use mobile devices connected to your POS system to augment your checkout capabilities. Consider your inventory management needs One of the biggest benefits of POS systems is their ability to automatically deduct sold items from inventory, making key measurements such as inventory on hand and item-by-item sales data far more accurate. However, if your business operates with a limited, relatively uncomplicated inventory – e.g. just a few hundred SKUs with little variation in size, style, or color – choosing a POS system with advanced inventory management capabilities will be a wasted investment. Key questions to ask include: How many items do you carry in each store? Do you look at each item as a unique item or as a style? How do you order inventory from suppliers if the item has varying colors/sizes? Do you need to see item attributes as a matrix? Do other buyers/store personnel need to be able to fill in or look up on-hand information without visiting the store floor or calling other stores? What merchandise information do you want to be able to view at your desktop? Decide what additional functions you want your POS to provide Even if your needs are currently fairly basic, that doesn’t mean they won’t expand as you grow. Consider additional capabilities you may want your system to provide in the future, such as: Time and attendance/time clock Sales reporting, broken down by associate, store, department, time of day, etc. Customer marketing, allowing you to capture the customer’s purchase history and other data for future marketing, and customer loyalty programs. Transfer systems, allowing associates to transfer merchandise between stores, and on-hand lookup, allowing each store to see at a glance what inventory other stores have on hand. Gift cards, tracking gift cards sold and their redemption. Identify the types of POS peripherals you will need POS system hardware isn’t limited to the cashier’s touchscreen. Think about whether dual display screens, showing customers what they ordered to improve accuracy, or displaying ads to promote key items, are worth the investment. Compare thermal printers to ribbon printers: thermal printers use heat to print receipts so even though they cost more initially, retailers can save long-term on the ink cartridges required by ribbon printers. Determine which POS security features your store needs Security must be a key element of any POS system, from the basics (lockable cash drawers, cash drops, and password-protected access) to erecting firewalls around the POS system’s network to guard against malware attacks. Retailers accepting payment cards must ensure their POS systems comply with the latest Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). Retailers doing a high volume of payment card business may want to consider using encryption, which protects customer data during transactions by creating a cryptographic key that denies access to anyone without the appropriate decrypting key. Don't forget about POS reporting to help guide your business We get it: reporting is not a "sexy" feature. But it is critically important. Sales reports, inventory and catalog reports, and customer history tracking are just a few of the key data points available in most POS systems to help you make smart business decisions. When it comes to choosing a POS system, reporting cannot be overlooked. Ready to Choose a POS System for Your Business? Finding a POS system that meets your business’ current needs while also providing the tools for future growth can be challenging. Keep both short-term and long-term requirements in mind when evaluating different solutions. You can find more must-ask questions and considerations to choose the right POS system in our Retail POS System Buyers' Guide. For example: Local database vs. cloud: what type of software is right for your business? What information do you need to choose a credit card processor? The questions you need to ask to get past a POS system sales pitch

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POS Solutions

We Have No Idea What We’re Doing

Article | December 15, 2020

Prior to the pandemic and quarantine, less than 8% of commerce was online. As of Q3FY20 eCommerce grew north of 14% of all commerce. So while the Retailpocalypse was in its last phase, physical retail still outsold eCommerce by at least 7:1. The failure rate of crowdfunding campaigns is 85%. The failure rate of eCommerce store owners ranges from 80 to 97%. What if there were a way to bridge the gap between these three failure rates? What if we could bridge what people consume online with what they purchase offline before waiting for brain-computer interfaces (BCI)? In short what if we could bridge social and commerce? (Example use case.) Mostly missing are the memorable, meaningful, measurable and monetizable responses from people interested in stories about beagles, princesses and pitbulls, pets, car repair, raspberry blueberry vinaigrette gyros, budget-saving techniques for holiday travel, getting stuck at airports in blizzards, rental cars and Cup o’ Noodles, My Fair Lady and @Instacart, dining out at the delicious Banana Leaves café, cooking kosher halal gelatin-free, blue #1 artificial dye-free egg nog flavored marshmallows, 50th anniversaries and chocolate ganache, adventures camping with youth groups, birdhouses built by kids, rainbow hair dye, artificial dye-free cakes DIY for your child’s birthday party, and Halloween gingerbread houses and Greek Mount Olympus costumes. Other than ad revenue Youtube collects which most of it’s video posters see little of, monetizing the DIY craze has proven quite tricky. Ditto for Christmas shopping, smartphone accessories, buying a new luxury Subaru online with no salesman, how to get hard to find contact lenses and vitamins for kids, how Amazon often has thrift store prices on inventory thrift stores rarely carry, the challenges of buying clothes on Amazon that don’t fit but you don’t realize that until the clothes arrive, DIY car repair, funny car repair, glorious victory of car repair, diaper cakes and muscle aches, drones and honey scones, Triple A baseball and blue-tailed skinks, favorite foods, fasting, and Boston, fused vertebrae and buried treasure, where to buy school supplies when most stores are sold out, creameries and charcuterie, Bridging social media with eCommerce has been the white rhino of many investors and start-ups for many years. Instead of working toward such solutions, we have VC’s and stockholders asking about vanity metrics: - How many people looked at your website? Instead of: How many people subscribed or how many purchased an item?- - How many downloads per month does your app have? Instead of: How many of the people who downloaded your app have note removed it less than 30 days later? - What’s your ad revenue? Instead of: How can your product capture or create more value? In reply entrepreneurs answer these questions, they often present their increased spend on marketing followed up with vanity milestones: “We’re using Google Analytics and similar providers to track every movement of the supply chain, to ensure when the purchaser’s journey is completed, there’s no delay in delivery. This will lead to more frequent purchases ideally of higher priced products, and… We are pitching to Chipotle on Friday!” This leads to concentrated research on Chipotle’s SWAT, followed up with an excellent pitch including a demo via Zoom. The result of this pitch is usually: 1. The person loved the pitch and accepts your invitation to meet again with his/her manager next week. 2. The person you pitched to is not the decision-maker 3. The person you pitched to doesn’t quite understand what you’re pitching 4. The person you pitched to had 3 other projects due by COB and wasn’t fully present and listening to your 10-minute pitch 5. You provided too many facts too quickly, trying to build rapport 6. You shared how you’re product can reduce shrink, increase ROI, decrease costs, increase retention, and cure cancer. The person you pitched to doesn’t believe all those promises. 7. The person you pitched to is afraid of advocating change; the risk from change that results in lesser results can lead to negative repercussions. The risk of “business as usual” is minimal. Forgotten by almost all eCommerce platforms and store owners are the facts that: - People behave differently when they are observed (best behavior vs. average behavior). Despite this, we are seeing an incredible number of start-ups that offer to help track everything your customers do. “We’re Palantir for eCommerce” is essentially the ethos of these companies. - The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwarz – too many choices overwhelm the person making the choice, to the point that no decision is made. If you don’t train your mind to buy what you want even if you have to look on pages other than Amazon and Google Shopping, you might end up buying the product you almost wanted. - The concept of incentivized virality – when PayPal gave $20 to each person who referred another person who joined, and when DropBox offered free data storage to people who referred friends who joined – which Reid Hoffman and Chris Yeh brilliantly detailed in Blitzscaling: The Lightning-Fast Path to Building Massively Valuable Companies. So now each eCommerce platform tries to copy Amazon who built their model on the opposite of physical retail. Consider your last experience renting a car at an airport vs. Amazon: - Do you want to refill the gas tank or would you like us to? - Would you like liability only or more comprehensive types of insurance coverage? - Would you like a GPS? - Would you like to join our exclusive members club? etc., etc. Adding to what @ElevateDemand said, “ B2B marketing is broken,” Raj De Datta, CEO and cofounder of @Bloomreach said, “The future of B2C marketing looks like B2B marketing,” Kevin Marasco, CMO of @Zenefits correctly said “marketing is going back in time from B2B to B2C” or person to person. Smart speakers in every phone, tablet, laptop PC, TV, and car succeeded by BCI, which @Facebook and @Neuralink are pioneering, hold great potential. Until those products arrive or after their R&D phase, @Homemaide’s object recognition and image recognition models can provide the sorely needed bridge between Social and Commerce.

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Spotlight

SmartSimple Software

This year marks 20 years of SmartSimple. SmartSimple is a global leader in cloud-based automation and collaboration software, offering unique process solutions used by 500+ clients in 192 countries. Some of the largest grantmaking foundations, Fortune 500 brands, research and Higher Education institutions, and governments depend on SmartSimple CLOUD's solutions to create greater efficiencies in their business processes.

Related News

POS Retail

Leading Wireless Retail Platform Provider Real Time Technologies Continues Growth and Expansion With Acquisition of Your Ware Software

Real Time Technologies (RT²) | January 24, 2024

Real Time Technologies, Inc (RT²), the largest enterprise front-end software platform serving Fortune 500 companies in the U.S. wireless industry, announced today its acquisition of Your Ware Software, a provider of customized business intelligence, sales, and compensation reporting for the wireless retail postpaid channel. Trusted by tier-one telecom carriers to provide retail activation, point-of-sale (POS), payments, business intelligence, and inventory management solutions, RT²'s acquisition of Your Ware Software adds key capabilities to its burgeoning retail wireless store solutions, enabling further expansion into postpaid channels for customers. The purchase is expected to add access to another 4,000 postpaid locations for RT²'s industry-leading wireless retail platform, setting the company up for another banner year in 2024. "The acquisition of Your Ware significantly expands RT²'s presence in the postpaid retail environment and adds to our long-standing success as the leading enterprise POS and Payments provider in prepaid wireless channels," said Omar Azrag, CEO of RT². "The Your Ware team has similar DNA to RT² and brings a world-class level of service specializing in building and deploying customized solutions for the postpaid channel. We are thrilled to have them part of the RT2 family," says Ali Koumaiha, Founder & CPO of RT². "For 22 years, Your Ware Software has designed POS, inventory management, and commission-tracking software for authorized retailers representing tier-one U.S. telecom carriers. Our team of world-class developers and engineers are excited to join the RT² family and continue to serve our customers with the industry-leading products and services they've come to expect. This deal is a triumph for our employees and our customers," says Chris Jones, CEO of Your Ware Software. Neither party disclosed the terms of the deal at this time, and it will remain confidential. In August of 2022, RT² acquired IAS, formerly Qpay from InComm Payments, specializing in customizable payment and technology solutions and the payment processor of choice for retailers, master agents and wireless carriers. RT² has since transformed and simplified the payment offering with an industry-first service model, much to the delight of their long-term customers. About Real Time Technologies (RT²) RT² offers the most flexible cutting-edge Retail Management Solutions that encompass POS, inventory management, payment services, frontline employee management & engagement, business intelligence, and digital automation tools for the wireless industry. RT² support Fortune 500 companies unify their customer experience and remove pain points across multiple retail touch points. Now serving over 14,000 retail locations across the US, Territories, and Canada. RT² prides itself on fostering a family culture and a dynamic work environment where team members are set up to make meaningful contributions across the organization. Learn more at www.rt2.com.

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POS Solutions

XY Retail Introduces Cutting-Edge Order Management System for Luxury Retailers

XY Retail | January 08, 2024

XY Retail, a leader in innovative retail solutions, today announces the launch of its latest product, an advanced Order Management System (OMS) that comes fully pre-integrated with the XY Point of Sale (POS) and Clienteling solutions. In response to evolving retailer needs, XY Retail has engineered a comprehensive OMS that not only streamlines order processing but also works seamlessly with the existing XY POS and Clienteling systems. This integrated approach marks a significant leap forward in providing retailers with a unified platform to enhance operational efficiency, customer engagement, and overall business performance. The XY Retail OMS offers: End-to-End Integration: The XY OMS is intricately woven into the fabric of the XY POS and Clienteling systems, fostering a holistic retail ecosystem. This end-to-end integration ensures a fluid and synchronized customer experience across all touchpoints. Effortless Order Processing: With a user-friendly interface, the OMS simplifies and accelerates order management, from initiation to fulfillment. Retailers can now seamlessly track and fulfill customer orders with precision. Real-Time Inventory Visibility: Leveraging the synergy with the XY POS, the OMS provides real-time visibility into inventory levels. This empowers retailers to optimize stock, minimize overstock or stockouts, and enhance overall inventory management. Clienteling Enhancement: The integrated OMS elevates the clienteling experience by consolidating customer information from POS transactions and order history. Sales associates can access a comprehensive view of customer interactions, preferences, and purchase history, enabling personalized and targeted engagement. Data-Driven Decision Making: Harnessing the power of interconnected systems, the XY Retail OMS enables data-driven decision-making. Retailers can gain valuable insights into customer behavior, inventory trends, and sales performance, facilitating strategic planning and business growth. "We're excited to introduce our integrated Order Management System, marking a significant step in advancing retail operations,” said Susan Jeffers, CEO of XY Retail. “By seamlessly merging order management with our POS and Clienteling systems, we provide retailers with a powerful tool to navigate the complexities of modern commerce efficiently and strategically. This integration underscores our commitment to delivering innovative solutions, enhancing operational efficiency, and empowering our clients to stay ahead in a dynamic industry." About XY Retail XY Retail is a trailblazer in the world of unified commerce solutions, revolutionizing the retail landscape with cutting-edge technology and innovation. Our microservices based, API-first, cloud-native platform seamlessly and vertically integrates mobile point of sale, order management, clienteling, and omnichannel capabilities, empowering global brands to deliver unparalleled customer experiences. With a commitment to excellence and a vision for the future of retail, XY Retail is at the forefront of shaping the next generation of innovative and dynamic commerce.

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POS Retail

GK Announces GK Engage, a Highly Personalized Loyalty Solution for Any Retail Touch Point Including Mobile Devices and Point-of-Sale

Business Wire | September 28, 2023

GK today announced its latest solution, GK Engage, a modern, comprehensive and AI-powered loyalty program for every omnichannel retail touch point. This solution empowers retailers to create highly contextualized and personalized outreach including messaging, discounts and rewards that improve customer lifetime value and enrich a retailer’s competitive differentiation. GK Engage was announced at GK’s first-ever Retail Innovation Summit for the Americas, which is taking place Sept. 25-26 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Attendees can view GK Engage, alongside other GK solutions, at the newly unveiled GK Customer Experience Center. GK is a world leader in point-of-sale (POS) technology and, as a result, its product team has talked with retailers who wanted more out of their loyalty systems. To fill this gap, GK developed GK Engage, a modern take on loyalty. The solution draws inspiration from two successful GK solutions, MCA, GK’s mobile loyalty program, and T+ Loyalty. These predecessor technologies have serviced more than one billion transactions per year for over six million registered users. Now, GK Engage customers will reap these benefits at scale using one comprehensive platform that works across a diverse range of online and in-store retail touch points. GK Engage provides retailers with real-time, AI-driven, personalized loyalty offers that surprise and delight customers. The complete solution creates loyalty tiers that automatically track all customer interactions and generate relevant campaigns to safeguard long-term retailer relationships and customer lifetime value. GK Engage can be integrated with merchandise master data and customer data to ensure all recommendations, promotions, coupons and more are beneficial to the individual customer, as well as the retailer’s current inventory availability and financial goals. What’s more, GK Engage is already integrated into GK’s OmniPOS solution across all touch points including traditional POS, self-checkout kiosks, mobile, and frictionless store technology like GK GO. “GK Engage was created for any retailer, regardless of where they are in their loyalty journey,” said Michael Jaszczyk, chief digital transformation officer, GK and CEO, GK Americas. “The solution is extremely flexible. For some retailers, GK Engage will serve as a complete solution, while others may integrate the solution into a CRM or an existing customer offer system. I look forward to presenting GK Engage alongside our other innovative solutions at the now unveiled GK Customer Experience Center.” Today and tomorrow, GK customers and partners from across the U.S., Latin America and Canada are gathering at GK’s US headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina to take part in the 2023 GK Retail Innovation Summit. In addition to hearing from renowned retail experts like Greg Buzek, founder and president, IHL Group, attendees can visit GK’s new Customer Experience Center. The center showcases GK technology and allows viewers to envision a modern, efficient and exceptional shopper experience across various key touch points including the point-of-sale, the fuel pump and the e-commerce site. At the Customer Experience Center, prospective retail customers can hear from solution experts who will help them to design the best solution deployment for their end-customers. The technology featured in the center includes GK Engage, GK OmniPOS, self check-out, GK Drive, GK GO, GK AIR (artificial intelligence for retail) and fraud prevention solutions from Fujitsu, which invested in GK as a strategic investor earlier this year. About GK GK breaks down the barriers to unified commerce with its open CLOUD4RETAIL platform and a broad portfolio based on it, like OmniPOS for point of sale, mobile POS, mobile customer engagement and a full range of store/back-office solutions. The company is a recognized leader in omnichannel retail, offering a single, global software platform for all retail formats and touch points. Ten of the Top 50 retailers worldwide rely on GK, and GK is the fastest growing global POS provider in new installations over the last three years. For more information, visit www.gk-software.com.

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POS Retail

Leading Wireless Retail Platform Provider Real Time Technologies Continues Growth and Expansion With Acquisition of Your Ware Software

Real Time Technologies (RT²) | January 24, 2024

Real Time Technologies, Inc (RT²), the largest enterprise front-end software platform serving Fortune 500 companies in the U.S. wireless industry, announced today its acquisition of Your Ware Software, a provider of customized business intelligence, sales, and compensation reporting for the wireless retail postpaid channel. Trusted by tier-one telecom carriers to provide retail activation, point-of-sale (POS), payments, business intelligence, and inventory management solutions, RT²'s acquisition of Your Ware Software adds key capabilities to its burgeoning retail wireless store solutions, enabling further expansion into postpaid channels for customers. The purchase is expected to add access to another 4,000 postpaid locations for RT²'s industry-leading wireless retail platform, setting the company up for another banner year in 2024. "The acquisition of Your Ware significantly expands RT²'s presence in the postpaid retail environment and adds to our long-standing success as the leading enterprise POS and Payments provider in prepaid wireless channels," said Omar Azrag, CEO of RT². "The Your Ware team has similar DNA to RT² and brings a world-class level of service specializing in building and deploying customized solutions for the postpaid channel. We are thrilled to have them part of the RT2 family," says Ali Koumaiha, Founder & CPO of RT². "For 22 years, Your Ware Software has designed POS, inventory management, and commission-tracking software for authorized retailers representing tier-one U.S. telecom carriers. Our team of world-class developers and engineers are excited to join the RT² family and continue to serve our customers with the industry-leading products and services they've come to expect. This deal is a triumph for our employees and our customers," says Chris Jones, CEO of Your Ware Software. Neither party disclosed the terms of the deal at this time, and it will remain confidential. In August of 2022, RT² acquired IAS, formerly Qpay from InComm Payments, specializing in customizable payment and technology solutions and the payment processor of choice for retailers, master agents and wireless carriers. RT² has since transformed and simplified the payment offering with an industry-first service model, much to the delight of their long-term customers. About Real Time Technologies (RT²) RT² offers the most flexible cutting-edge Retail Management Solutions that encompass POS, inventory management, payment services, frontline employee management & engagement, business intelligence, and digital automation tools for the wireless industry. RT² support Fortune 500 companies unify their customer experience and remove pain points across multiple retail touch points. Now serving over 14,000 retail locations across the US, Territories, and Canada. RT² prides itself on fostering a family culture and a dynamic work environment where team members are set up to make meaningful contributions across the organization. Learn more at www.rt2.com.

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POS Solutions

XY Retail Introduces Cutting-Edge Order Management System for Luxury Retailers

XY Retail | January 08, 2024

XY Retail, a leader in innovative retail solutions, today announces the launch of its latest product, an advanced Order Management System (OMS) that comes fully pre-integrated with the XY Point of Sale (POS) and Clienteling solutions. In response to evolving retailer needs, XY Retail has engineered a comprehensive OMS that not only streamlines order processing but also works seamlessly with the existing XY POS and Clienteling systems. This integrated approach marks a significant leap forward in providing retailers with a unified platform to enhance operational efficiency, customer engagement, and overall business performance. The XY Retail OMS offers: End-to-End Integration: The XY OMS is intricately woven into the fabric of the XY POS and Clienteling systems, fostering a holistic retail ecosystem. This end-to-end integration ensures a fluid and synchronized customer experience across all touchpoints. Effortless Order Processing: With a user-friendly interface, the OMS simplifies and accelerates order management, from initiation to fulfillment. Retailers can now seamlessly track and fulfill customer orders with precision. Real-Time Inventory Visibility: Leveraging the synergy with the XY POS, the OMS provides real-time visibility into inventory levels. This empowers retailers to optimize stock, minimize overstock or stockouts, and enhance overall inventory management. Clienteling Enhancement: The integrated OMS elevates the clienteling experience by consolidating customer information from POS transactions and order history. Sales associates can access a comprehensive view of customer interactions, preferences, and purchase history, enabling personalized and targeted engagement. Data-Driven Decision Making: Harnessing the power of interconnected systems, the XY Retail OMS enables data-driven decision-making. Retailers can gain valuable insights into customer behavior, inventory trends, and sales performance, facilitating strategic planning and business growth. "We're excited to introduce our integrated Order Management System, marking a significant step in advancing retail operations,” said Susan Jeffers, CEO of XY Retail. “By seamlessly merging order management with our POS and Clienteling systems, we provide retailers with a powerful tool to navigate the complexities of modern commerce efficiently and strategically. This integration underscores our commitment to delivering innovative solutions, enhancing operational efficiency, and empowering our clients to stay ahead in a dynamic industry." About XY Retail XY Retail is a trailblazer in the world of unified commerce solutions, revolutionizing the retail landscape with cutting-edge technology and innovation. Our microservices based, API-first, cloud-native platform seamlessly and vertically integrates mobile point of sale, order management, clienteling, and omnichannel capabilities, empowering global brands to deliver unparalleled customer experiences. With a commitment to excellence and a vision for the future of retail, XY Retail is at the forefront of shaping the next generation of innovative and dynamic commerce.

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POS Retail

GK Announces GK Engage, a Highly Personalized Loyalty Solution for Any Retail Touch Point Including Mobile Devices and Point-of-Sale

Business Wire | September 28, 2023

GK today announced its latest solution, GK Engage, a modern, comprehensive and AI-powered loyalty program for every omnichannel retail touch point. This solution empowers retailers to create highly contextualized and personalized outreach including messaging, discounts and rewards that improve customer lifetime value and enrich a retailer’s competitive differentiation. GK Engage was announced at GK’s first-ever Retail Innovation Summit for the Americas, which is taking place Sept. 25-26 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Attendees can view GK Engage, alongside other GK solutions, at the newly unveiled GK Customer Experience Center. GK is a world leader in point-of-sale (POS) technology and, as a result, its product team has talked with retailers who wanted more out of their loyalty systems. To fill this gap, GK developed GK Engage, a modern take on loyalty. The solution draws inspiration from two successful GK solutions, MCA, GK’s mobile loyalty program, and T+ Loyalty. These predecessor technologies have serviced more than one billion transactions per year for over six million registered users. Now, GK Engage customers will reap these benefits at scale using one comprehensive platform that works across a diverse range of online and in-store retail touch points. GK Engage provides retailers with real-time, AI-driven, personalized loyalty offers that surprise and delight customers. The complete solution creates loyalty tiers that automatically track all customer interactions and generate relevant campaigns to safeguard long-term retailer relationships and customer lifetime value. GK Engage can be integrated with merchandise master data and customer data to ensure all recommendations, promotions, coupons and more are beneficial to the individual customer, as well as the retailer’s current inventory availability and financial goals. What’s more, GK Engage is already integrated into GK’s OmniPOS solution across all touch points including traditional POS, self-checkout kiosks, mobile, and frictionless store technology like GK GO. “GK Engage was created for any retailer, regardless of where they are in their loyalty journey,” said Michael Jaszczyk, chief digital transformation officer, GK and CEO, GK Americas. “The solution is extremely flexible. For some retailers, GK Engage will serve as a complete solution, while others may integrate the solution into a CRM or an existing customer offer system. I look forward to presenting GK Engage alongside our other innovative solutions at the now unveiled GK Customer Experience Center.” Today and tomorrow, GK customers and partners from across the U.S., Latin America and Canada are gathering at GK’s US headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina to take part in the 2023 GK Retail Innovation Summit. In addition to hearing from renowned retail experts like Greg Buzek, founder and president, IHL Group, attendees can visit GK’s new Customer Experience Center. The center showcases GK technology and allows viewers to envision a modern, efficient and exceptional shopper experience across various key touch points including the point-of-sale, the fuel pump and the e-commerce site. At the Customer Experience Center, prospective retail customers can hear from solution experts who will help them to design the best solution deployment for their end-customers. The technology featured in the center includes GK Engage, GK OmniPOS, self check-out, GK Drive, GK GO, GK AIR (artificial intelligence for retail) and fraud prevention solutions from Fujitsu, which invested in GK as a strategic investor earlier this year. About GK GK breaks down the barriers to unified commerce with its open CLOUD4RETAIL platform and a broad portfolio based on it, like OmniPOS for point of sale, mobile POS, mobile customer engagement and a full range of store/back-office solutions. The company is a recognized leader in omnichannel retail, offering a single, global software platform for all retail formats and touch points. Ten of the Top 50 retailers worldwide rely on GK, and GK is the fastest growing global POS provider in new installations over the last three years. For more information, visit www.gk-software.com.

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