CVS to Open Hundreds of SmileDirectClub Shops in its Stores

CVS Health announced this morning that the drug store chain will open “hundreds” of SmileDirectClub locations inside its stores this year, with plans to open more than 1,000 locations over the next two years. Called a SmileShop, customers can receive a 3D scan of their teeth that will be used to create a pair of invisible braces. CNBC reported in January that CVS was running a pilot with SmileDirectClub to fit people for clear braces inside its drugstores. At the time, the idea was being tried out at just six CVS locations. The pilot grew to 13 locations, with the test performing so well that CVS decided to expand it.

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iLOTTE

iLOTTE is the first e-commerce company in Indonesia offering a mall-in-mall concept. We deliver our services based on a trusted and easy platform, that can be accessible through mobile and desktop.

OTHER ARTICLES
Ecommerce Merchandising

Next website overwhelmed after re-opening online trading

Article | March 18, 2024

Next returned to selling clothes online this morning after the fashion retailer put extra safety measures in place to ensure warehouse staff can work safely during the pandemic. However, by 9am the website had closed again, with the high street giant saying it had already received all the orders it could process for the day – but it would return tomorrow. Next had initially closed its online operations in late March amid the coronavirus crisis, in response to criticism from staff who felt unsafe at work.

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POS Solutions, POS Retail, Ecommerce Merchandising

COVID-19 will bring lasting innovation to retail

Article | June 10, 2024

To say these are interesting times for the retail sector would be an understatement. COVID-19 has created a dichotomy the likes of which we've never seen before. On the one hand, a large percentage of retailers have closed up shop temporarily either in response to regulatory mandates, or due to dwindling customer foot-traffic. And on the other hand, a number of retailers remain open for business and under great strain as nearly all remaining retail traffic is funneled to grocery stores, pharmacies, hardware stores and big-box retailers considered to be essential in the eyes of regulators.

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POS Retail

What Is Omnichannel Retail? Your Business Strategy for 2022

Article | May 10, 2024

Think ‘omnichannel retail,’ and the first brands that spring to mind might be Target, Alibaba, or Best Buy. The term is usually associated with giant brands and mass merchants—but it doesn’t have to be. Walmart, Amazon, Sephora, and their ilk may dominate the headlines as early adopters achieving great feats, such as one-hour store pickup, record sales after a viral TikTok, or loyalty-boosting mobile apps. But omnichannel retail is just as achievable for small-to mid-sized brands and just as critical to future success.

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5 Shopify Alternatives in 2020-21 that Make Ecommerce Simple for Beginners

Article | October 16, 2020

In 2004, Tobias Lutke, Daniel Weinand, and Scott Luke established an online website to sell snowboards. They tried a bunch of online store builders but were not satisfied with the status quo. So, they decided to build a tool that could operate their website. Soon, they realized that the tool was more powerful than the website's business. And hence, Shopify was born. Eventually, Shopify became one of the largest eCommerce store builders in the world. By 2009, the company had $100 million in sales and decided to launch its own API as well as an app store. More than a decade later, Shopify is now supporting over 800,000 stores globally and is a $125 billion company. While the company has shown remarkable growth in its business, it would be ignorant to say the market's needs have been fulfilled by the Shopify platform. Shopify's eCommerce platform works for a lot of businesses, but that does not mean it will work for every business. Here is why Shopify is Not the Right Fit for Every Business: Shopify's growth over the years shows that the company has taken several steps to address the market's inherent needs. However, the presence of several other companies and the issues still faced by merchants show some significant gaps in Shopify's offerings: 1. Cost of Setting Up: Each price-point offers a fixed set of features and functionalities. If you want anything over and above that, you will have to buy the subsequent package. For instance – something as conventional as a Gift Card is not available in the $29 per month package; to get it activated, pay as much as $299 per month. 2. Cost of Operations: The additional functionalities and features cost extra in your package. Even basic features like transaction or credit card processing attract an additional fee. To add to that, you have to purchase the app to activate the feature from the Shopify app store. Even though some apps are free, the apps that offer maximum value tend to cost north of $39.99 per month. 3. Limited and Expensive Themes: The entire Shopify store has a total of 73 themes, with the prices going as high as $180 a theme. This means that as a merchant, even after paying the high price, you may end up with an eCommerce platform that hardly stands out from the crowd. In short, while Shopify was started with great intentions, the cost of using it has started outweighing the probable value it has to offer. This issue gets further highlighted when one starts looking at the Shopify alternatives. Best Alternatives of Shopify While Shopify suits the needs of a certain set of merchants, here are the alternatives that can suit the merchants looking for more tailored, affordable, or customizable solutions: 1. Quick eSelling Quick eSelling is one of the most affordable and easy to deploy ecommerce store builder among the Shopify alternatives. It can be deployed in under 10 minutes for the basic variant. Its free variant has some prolific features like a native Android app, responsive website, and a catalog that can support up to 1000 products. The free package requires a 5% transaction fee, which gets eliminated the moment you upgrade to a paid plan. All the paid plans have a fixed monthly fee and no setup costs. The list of standard features includes a wide set of functionalities like customizable web-store themes, SMS & Email marketing, comprehensive payment gateway integrations, detailed analytics reports, inventory management systems, social media plugins, discount coupon codes, and even live chat. The premium package which costs around 50% the price of the $299 Shopify package, comes with a dedicated account manager and enterprise-level integrations. Ideal for: Merchants who are seeking an affordable, easily usable, and quickly deployable solution. 2. WooCommerce WooCommerce is popularly considered one of the most preferred alternatives for Shopify. It is quite convenient for website owners as it is a plugin for WordPress. Unlike other tools in the list, WooCommerce is designed to make WordPress sites work as functional eCommerce platforms. And in that particular aspect, it does a great job. However, if you are not already using an established WordPress site with high traffic, running WooCommerce can become quite expensive. On average, a website owner has to spend as much as $1000 in setting up a WooCommerce store with a moderate degree of customization. Even if you are not customizing a lot, running a WooCommerce store can cost you as much as $150 in a month. This would cover your hosting, themes, shipping plugins, security, and SEO. You will pay additional 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Ideal for: Someone who has a successful WordPress website and now wants to convert it into an eCommerce store. 3. Yo!Kart: Yo!Kart is a popular self-hosted multi-vendor platform for building online marketplaces. Unlike Shopify, it is a standalone platform that comes with a lifetime license and rich ecommerce features. The platform is fully customizable and scalable. Yo!Kart packages start from $999 and every package comes with a 1-year free technical support, free installation, and full source code. There are no monthly or yearly recurring fees. Considering it is a comprehensive platform, you may need some technical training to understand the system. Ideal for: Business owners who want to start ecommerce websites like Amazon or ebay where multiple sellers are selling under the same roof. 4. PrestaShop PrestaShop runs on the basic premise that creating an online eCommerce store should be an affordable exercise for any merchant. That is the reason why it is available for free and comes without any additional monthly fees. Its features include eCommerce functionalities like CRM & Email Marketing, Inventory Management, Multi-Store Management, and SEO Management. You can get a basic eCommerce store running by paying the registration fee for the domain and the hosting fee dues. While this may seem like a great alternative, given the fact that it is practically free, there is one major caveat – you cannot deploy or personalize your PrestaShop eCommerce store unless you know how to code. The entire platform has been designed, keeping in mind people who can code at professional levels of proficiency. The cost of hiring a developer who can add features to your store or modify the theme can be very costly. In addition to this, some basic features like promotions & reviews management, data security, and mobile access are not available on the platform. Ideal for: The merchants who have access to programming talent and don't mind a basic eCommerce store. 5. Wix Wix became popular as an online website builder. It also offers interesting eCommerce functionalities. For as low as $35 a year, you can have the Business Basic package that comes with a free year of using the domain, analytics reports, and 20 GB of storage. If you want greater control of your eCommerce platform but are not a professional programmer and are not interested in hiring one, Wix can be a great alternative. Its most expensive package costs about $80 a year. It comes with features like email marketing, SEO management, inventory management, data security, and promotions management. The challenge is – most of the charges marketed by Wix are very affordable for the first year in operations. After a year, many of these features, like the domain, will become payable elements. This way as soon as the first year of your operations is over, your cost of running the eCommerce platform will dramatically go up. Ideal for: Merchants who want to have greater control of their website's design without the need for coding skills and those who want the first year of operations to be largely affordable. Conclusion: Shopify can work for you if you are seeking a limited set of features. However, for lesser price-points, the alternatives for Shopify offer great functionalities. Quick eSelling is good for cost-effective and rapidly deployable eCommerce websites that come loaded with native features. WooCommerce is a viable option if you have a WordPress site and want to convert it into an eCommerce store. Yo!Kart specializes in building multi-vendor marketplaces. PrestaShop can be handy and very budget-friendly if you have access to coding talent. And Wix is good if you want greater control over what your store looks like, without getting into the programming aspects.

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Spotlight

iLOTTE

iLOTTE is the first e-commerce company in Indonesia offering a mall-in-mall concept. We deliver our services based on a trusted and easy platform, that can be accessible through mobile and desktop.

Related News

Restaurant POS

MarginEdge Streamlines Brewery Operations with Arryved POS Integration

MarginEdge | February 27, 2024

MarginEdge, an industry leader in restaurant management solutions, is proud to announce a new integration with Arryved, the craft beverage industry’s most trusted point of sale system. This collaboration introduces seamless POS integration, empowering Arryved users with accurate sales entries in MarginEdge. As breweries diversify, especially those emphasizing on-premise sales, the partnership between Arryved and MarginEdge offers a powerful solution for streamlined and comprehensive financial management. Eric Jeffay, Director of Partnerships at MarginEdge, expressed the significance of this partnership, stating, “Brewery operators run incredibly complex businesses with multiple sales channels. Our integration with Arryved marks a pivotal moment for breweries seeking a cohesive end-to-end solution to organize brewery, scratch-kitchen, and on-premise consumption operations.” Key Highlights of MarginEdge’s Arryved POS Integration Effortless POS Integration for Breweries MarginEdge’s integration with Arryved’s POS system ensures a seamless connection, creating a unified workflow tailored to the unique needs of breweries, offering a comprehensive solution for enhanced operational efficiency. Synced Sales Data Accuracy The integration enables efficient syncing of sales data from Arryved’s POS system to MarginEdge, eliminating manual errors and ensuring timely and accurate financial reporting. Brewery operators can now rely on precise and balanced sales entries for informed decision-making. Overall Efficiency for Brewery Workflows MarginEdge’s integration ensures a true end-to-end solution for operators. Sales data from Arryved is seamlessly exported into MarginEdge, facilitating cost analysis and providing valuable insights into product usage. The comprehensive sales and product data are then effortlessly exported into various integrated accounting software, ensuring seamless operations for operators. “We are excited to welcome MarginEdge into our expanding ecosystem of high-value tech integrations,” said Arryved’s CEO Loren Bendele. “MarginEdge shares our commitment to helping breweries and other craft establishments run strong, profitable businesses and this integration provides Arryved users’ with an enhanced and automated way to get real-time sales data for food cost reporting and analysis.” “By joining forces with Arryved, we are not just integrating POS systems; we are elevating the brewery experience. This collaboration underscores our dedication to providing brewery operators with the tools they need to succeed in a competitive market,” added Jeffay. MarginEdge anticipates the positive impact this integration will have on the brewery landscape, solidifying its reputation as a pioneering force in restaurant and brewery management solutions. About MarginEdge MarginEdge’s mission is to create a world where restaurant operators can focus on the business they love. By using best-in-class technology to eliminate unproductive paperwork and streamline the flow of operational data, MarginEdge is reimagining the back office and freeing restaurants to spend more time on their culinary offerings and guest experiences. The platform offers market-leading invoice processing, inventory management, recipe analysis, budgeting, performance tracking and supplier bill payment capabilities. Founded by industry veterans, MarginEdge serves a diverse group of operators from single units and small chains to large franchise and hospitality groups, providing a high impact product that resonates across the hospitality industry. About Arryved Arryved, Inc. is the craft beverage industry’s most trusted point of sale, providing a flexible, mobile system that allows staff to take orders from anywhere, ensuring exceptional service. With profit-friendly pricing, robust reporting insights, and award-winning support, Arryved is designed for bars, breweries, cideries, restaurants, and distilleries. Founded by tech enthusiasts with extensive experience in the service sector, Arryved’s team-centric platform prioritizes service, elevates guest experiences, and offers easily digestible insights for informed decisions.

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POS Retail

Seagate Launches New E-commerce Website in the United States

Seagate Technology | February 26, 2024

Seagate Technology plc the leading innovator of mass-capacity storage solutions, announced the launch of its new e-commerce website in the United States. Seagate’s industry-leading storage products can now be purchased directly from www.seagate.com with access to exclusive promotions, support, live chat customer support, and peace of mind with genuine Seagate products. "We are excited to launch our new e-commerce website in the U.S., which will provide consumers with a seamless and personalized shopping experience," said Lance Ohara, vice president of marketing at Seagate. "The website will strengthen our relationship with our end users and enable us to deliver more value to them. At Seagate, we continue to innovate and bring new products to market, and our new e-commerce website will be where end users can find it first." To celebrate the launch, customers who register for Seagate’s e-commerce site will have first access to special pricing, free shipping offers, and other promotions. At launch, Seagate is offering an exclusive discount on its most popular gaming storage drives including the Xbox Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S 1TB at $129.99 (regularly $219.99), and Game Drive PS5™ NVMe SSD for $89.99 (regularly $124.99). The company plans to expand its e-commerce site to other regions later this year. About Seagate Technology Seagate Technology is the leading innovator of sustainable mass-capacity data storage solutions. We create breakthrough technology so you can confidently store your data and easily unlock its value. Founded over 45 years ago, Seagate has shipped over four billion terabytes of data capacity and offers a full portfolio of storage devices, systems, and services from edge to cloud.

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POS Solutions

Finastra's Filogix unveils automated lender note capabilities, powered by Gen AI

Finastra | February 21, 2024

Finastra's Filogix team has unveiled new generative AI (Gen AI) capabilities in its Expert Pro Canadian Mortgage Point of Sale (POS) solution. The function automates the creation of borrower narratives (notes) that aids in lender underwriting – streamlining processes, saving time and minimizing errors for brokers. With just a single click, users can generate a comprehensive summary of the mortgage deal, covering all the relevant criteria. The content can be reviewed, edited and then sent for underwriting much faster, as compared to the traditional manual process. Content can be auto-composed in English or French, and brokers can choose the format and which elements of the mortgage application to include for a more tailored and personalized experience. Jonathan Wootten, Head of Filogix at Finastra said, "We're very proud of this significant milestone. As a leader in financial technology solutions, we are committed to harnessing the power of Gen AI to enhance our own business processes, as well as to bringing exciting innovations to our customers. In our recent annual survey, 83% of financial services professionals said that their institution is interested in Gen AI. This mirrors the enthusiasm we see in the marketplace for the new functionality in our Expert Pro solution for brokers. We look forward to continuing to bring our customers opportunities to tap into the innovative and transformative technology that is Gen AI." The Auto-Compose functionality has a secure private model at the core, which stands out from other systems built around public models. Filogix Expert Pro allows mortgage professionals to centralize their business through workflow optimization, resulting in improved consumer experience, more time to manage new opportunities, and funding deals faster. Click here for more information. About Filogix Filogix has served as the hub of the Canadian mortgage industry for almost two decades, offering secure, reliable connectivity to brokers and lenders. It provides trusted mortgage lending products, that enable the effective management of the sales process from origination through underwriting. As the mortgage landscape continues to change, Filogix is prioritizing advances to support the industry into the future. It is investing in a more open infrastructure and building connectivity to create a complete mortgage marketplace, helping mortgage professionals do business with more choice, speed and reliability than ever before. About Finastra Finastra is a global provider of financial software applications and marketplaces, and launched the leading open platform for innovation, FusionFabric.cloud, in 2017. It serves institutions of all sizes, providing award-winning software solutions and services across Lending, Payments, Treasury & Capital Markets and Universal Banking (Retail, Digital and Commercial Banking) for banks to support direct banking relationships and grow through indirect channels, such as embedded finance and Banking as a Service. Its pioneering approach and commitment to open finance and collaboration is why it is trusted by over 8,000 institutions, including 45 of the world's top 50 banks.

Read More

Restaurant POS

MarginEdge Streamlines Brewery Operations with Arryved POS Integration

MarginEdge | February 27, 2024

MarginEdge, an industry leader in restaurant management solutions, is proud to announce a new integration with Arryved, the craft beverage industry’s most trusted point of sale system. This collaboration introduces seamless POS integration, empowering Arryved users with accurate sales entries in MarginEdge. As breweries diversify, especially those emphasizing on-premise sales, the partnership between Arryved and MarginEdge offers a powerful solution for streamlined and comprehensive financial management. Eric Jeffay, Director of Partnerships at MarginEdge, expressed the significance of this partnership, stating, “Brewery operators run incredibly complex businesses with multiple sales channels. Our integration with Arryved marks a pivotal moment for breweries seeking a cohesive end-to-end solution to organize brewery, scratch-kitchen, and on-premise consumption operations.” Key Highlights of MarginEdge’s Arryved POS Integration Effortless POS Integration for Breweries MarginEdge’s integration with Arryved’s POS system ensures a seamless connection, creating a unified workflow tailored to the unique needs of breweries, offering a comprehensive solution for enhanced operational efficiency. Synced Sales Data Accuracy The integration enables efficient syncing of sales data from Arryved’s POS system to MarginEdge, eliminating manual errors and ensuring timely and accurate financial reporting. Brewery operators can now rely on precise and balanced sales entries for informed decision-making. Overall Efficiency for Brewery Workflows MarginEdge’s integration ensures a true end-to-end solution for operators. Sales data from Arryved is seamlessly exported into MarginEdge, facilitating cost analysis and providing valuable insights into product usage. The comprehensive sales and product data are then effortlessly exported into various integrated accounting software, ensuring seamless operations for operators. “We are excited to welcome MarginEdge into our expanding ecosystem of high-value tech integrations,” said Arryved’s CEO Loren Bendele. “MarginEdge shares our commitment to helping breweries and other craft establishments run strong, profitable businesses and this integration provides Arryved users’ with an enhanced and automated way to get real-time sales data for food cost reporting and analysis.” “By joining forces with Arryved, we are not just integrating POS systems; we are elevating the brewery experience. This collaboration underscores our dedication to providing brewery operators with the tools they need to succeed in a competitive market,” added Jeffay. MarginEdge anticipates the positive impact this integration will have on the brewery landscape, solidifying its reputation as a pioneering force in restaurant and brewery management solutions. About MarginEdge MarginEdge’s mission is to create a world where restaurant operators can focus on the business they love. By using best-in-class technology to eliminate unproductive paperwork and streamline the flow of operational data, MarginEdge is reimagining the back office and freeing restaurants to spend more time on their culinary offerings and guest experiences. The platform offers market-leading invoice processing, inventory management, recipe analysis, budgeting, performance tracking and supplier bill payment capabilities. Founded by industry veterans, MarginEdge serves a diverse group of operators from single units and small chains to large franchise and hospitality groups, providing a high impact product that resonates across the hospitality industry. About Arryved Arryved, Inc. is the craft beverage industry’s most trusted point of sale, providing a flexible, mobile system that allows staff to take orders from anywhere, ensuring exceptional service. With profit-friendly pricing, robust reporting insights, and award-winning support, Arryved is designed for bars, breweries, cideries, restaurants, and distilleries. Founded by tech enthusiasts with extensive experience in the service sector, Arryved’s team-centric platform prioritizes service, elevates guest experiences, and offers easily digestible insights for informed decisions.

Read More

POS Retail

Seagate Launches New E-commerce Website in the United States

Seagate Technology | February 26, 2024

Seagate Technology plc the leading innovator of mass-capacity storage solutions, announced the launch of its new e-commerce website in the United States. Seagate’s industry-leading storage products can now be purchased directly from www.seagate.com with access to exclusive promotions, support, live chat customer support, and peace of mind with genuine Seagate products. "We are excited to launch our new e-commerce website in the U.S., which will provide consumers with a seamless and personalized shopping experience," said Lance Ohara, vice president of marketing at Seagate. "The website will strengthen our relationship with our end users and enable us to deliver more value to them. At Seagate, we continue to innovate and bring new products to market, and our new e-commerce website will be where end users can find it first." To celebrate the launch, customers who register for Seagate’s e-commerce site will have first access to special pricing, free shipping offers, and other promotions. At launch, Seagate is offering an exclusive discount on its most popular gaming storage drives including the Xbox Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S 1TB at $129.99 (regularly $219.99), and Game Drive PS5™ NVMe SSD for $89.99 (regularly $124.99). The company plans to expand its e-commerce site to other regions later this year. About Seagate Technology Seagate Technology is the leading innovator of sustainable mass-capacity data storage solutions. We create breakthrough technology so you can confidently store your data and easily unlock its value. Founded over 45 years ago, Seagate has shipped over four billion terabytes of data capacity and offers a full portfolio of storage devices, systems, and services from edge to cloud.

Read More

POS Solutions

Finastra's Filogix unveils automated lender note capabilities, powered by Gen AI

Finastra | February 21, 2024

Finastra's Filogix team has unveiled new generative AI (Gen AI) capabilities in its Expert Pro Canadian Mortgage Point of Sale (POS) solution. The function automates the creation of borrower narratives (notes) that aids in lender underwriting – streamlining processes, saving time and minimizing errors for brokers. With just a single click, users can generate a comprehensive summary of the mortgage deal, covering all the relevant criteria. The content can be reviewed, edited and then sent for underwriting much faster, as compared to the traditional manual process. Content can be auto-composed in English or French, and brokers can choose the format and which elements of the mortgage application to include for a more tailored and personalized experience. Jonathan Wootten, Head of Filogix at Finastra said, "We're very proud of this significant milestone. As a leader in financial technology solutions, we are committed to harnessing the power of Gen AI to enhance our own business processes, as well as to bringing exciting innovations to our customers. In our recent annual survey, 83% of financial services professionals said that their institution is interested in Gen AI. This mirrors the enthusiasm we see in the marketplace for the new functionality in our Expert Pro solution for brokers. We look forward to continuing to bring our customers opportunities to tap into the innovative and transformative technology that is Gen AI." The Auto-Compose functionality has a secure private model at the core, which stands out from other systems built around public models. Filogix Expert Pro allows mortgage professionals to centralize their business through workflow optimization, resulting in improved consumer experience, more time to manage new opportunities, and funding deals faster. Click here for more information. About Filogix Filogix has served as the hub of the Canadian mortgage industry for almost two decades, offering secure, reliable connectivity to brokers and lenders. It provides trusted mortgage lending products, that enable the effective management of the sales process from origination through underwriting. As the mortgage landscape continues to change, Filogix is prioritizing advances to support the industry into the future. It is investing in a more open infrastructure and building connectivity to create a complete mortgage marketplace, helping mortgage professionals do business with more choice, speed and reliability than ever before. About Finastra Finastra is a global provider of financial software applications and marketplaces, and launched the leading open platform for innovation, FusionFabric.cloud, in 2017. It serves institutions of all sizes, providing award-winning software solutions and services across Lending, Payments, Treasury & Capital Markets and Universal Banking (Retail, Digital and Commercial Banking) for banks to support direct banking relationships and grow through indirect channels, such as embedded finance and Banking as a Service. Its pioneering approach and commitment to open finance and collaboration is why it is trusted by over 8,000 institutions, including 45 of the world's top 50 banks.

Read More

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