Foreigners Mourn Carrefour's Retreat From China, Marking the End of a Retail Era

Carrefour regulars looking for a discount might be dismayed by its latest markdown. Earlier this week the French retailer sold 80 percent of its China ownership stake to domestic retailer Suning.com for RMB 4.8 billion (USD 698 million), a valuation of 0.2 times its 2018 sales. That is well below the 0.8 times industry average, which is “likely due to poor financial results," according to Bloomberg. It is a stark reversal of fortunes for one of the first foreign retailers in China. Since its debut in 1995, Carrefour has gone on to operate 210 supermarkets and 24 convenience stores nationwide. However, its 2018 sales in China stood at RMB 28.20 billion (USD 4.10 billion), a roughly 10 percent decline from the previous year, according to Channel News Asia.

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VAULT

At VAULT, we specialize in enterprise-ready hardware that enables mobile experiences at scale. Our US-designed products include tablet and phone enclosures, stands, and power management for iOS and Android-based solutions. Our designs and innovation provide retailers and restaurants with seamless commerce and payment experiences, resulting in a strong ROI and elevated customer loyalty through rewarding in-store experiences.

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POS Solutions

Retail Sales See Record-Breaking Drop, and More COVID-19 News

Article | February 15, 2024

Here are the latest stories to emerge as retailers and brands deal with the impact that the global spread of the coronavirus has had on their businesses. This daily update offers retail executives the chance to stay-up-to-date on all that's happening within the retail industry, particularly as they put into motion their own COVID-19 response plans. Retail sales saw their biggest monthly drop on record during March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic forced many retailers to temporarily close across the nation, the National Retail Federation reported. However, grocery store sales climbed, as well as sales from other "essential" retailers, offsetting some of the decline.

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POS Solutions, POS Retail, Ecommerce Merchandising

How In-Store Brands Are Taking Over In-Store

Article | June 7, 2024

CPG companies have been feeling the pain from store brands for close to a decade now. Increased quality, curated offerings and better graphics have all led shoppers to try and in many cases then switch to the store brand offering. The latest salvo in this war is about data. Supermarkets used to rely heavily on data and insights on everything from shelf placement to how to market and promote foods from the likes of their CPG partners as well as Nielsen and IRI, to name just a couple. Then "category captains" were created. Usually staffed from the leading CPG brand and headquartered at the retailer’s location, those CPG companies offered retailers insights and recommendations on how to sell more product across the entire category—not just their own brand. Those positions are being eliminated. The source and quality of data has changed. Grocers are relying on their own proprietary research to decide how and where and at what price to place products—their own brands as well as those from CPG.

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POS Solutions, Ecommerce Merchandising

Why You Should Acquire a Cloud-Based Point of Sale System

Article | June 7, 2024

"Digital is a very busy ecosystem, so nail first what you are trying to achieve, who you are trying to engage with and what you want to convey." - Yolanda Valery, Head of Digital Engagement at Ocado Group. In this age of networked businesses, connectivity and technological advancements impact the payment system. POS systems may sound familiar to retailers. However, you may also be aware of the term "cloud computing," which has garnered much attention in modern technology. Consequently, you must combine POS technology with cloud technologies. It is also advantageous for brick-and-mortar businesses that wish to construct a neater, more contemporary register and reduce wait times by collecting payments from many locations. Investigating and making the switch to a point-of-sale (POS) system that is hosted in the cloud is something that businesses ought to do for a number of different reasons. Let's take a quick look at them in-depth. Reasons to Shift to Cloud-Based POS System: According to Cloud POS Market Statistics 2028, the worldwide cloud POS market was valued at $2.24 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $13.24 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 24.5 percent from 2020 to 2028. Robust Security Security is one incentive to using cloud-based POS, which reduces risk. Possessing a POS system may considerably reduce all types of danger. If you've selected cloud-based POS software, your data is in good hands with tight security standards and automated backup and synchronization through a remote server. Without sensitive cardholder data to steal, SMBs can dramatically lower the likelihood of a data breach. Cloud-based POS systems play a crucial part in ensuring that SMBs provide their clients with the most significant payment experience possible. Better Remote Control of Your Operations Cloud-based POS software helps you better handle your operations remotely by allowing you to monitor the performance of your various departments while you are absent. This enables you to respond quickly to any potential difficulties. You can manage your business and obtain essential information from anywhere. Your POS terminals will communicate information in real-time, allowing them to stay flawlessly connected even if you have different retail locations. Cost Reduction Profitability and expenditure management should be your top concerns when selecting a POS software solution for your firm. The project becomes lucrative immediately by choosing a POS system, particularly a cloud-based one. The initial expenditure is small, and the software vendor assumes most of the IT administration responsibilities. Most cloud-based point-of-sale systems are offered as SaaS models with no upfront charges and cheap monthly fees. In addition to decreasing labor expenses, these solutions improve worker utilization. Cloud POS Mobility The use of cloud-based POS software increases your mobility and adaptability. It is compatible with many desktops and mobile internet-connected devices. With 24/7 access to all system reports, you can manage your business from around the globe. Your employees may accept credit card payments and email receipts to customers at any moment. Seamless Integration Last but not least, cloud POS systems may be coupled with various other methods, including accounting, buying, and inventory management systems. Cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) systems that enable simple integration and scalability are necessary for SMBs in a rapidly changing business environment. Integration with several other systems will further simplify the operations of your retail business and increase sales. Bottom line: It is evident that cloud-based POS systems are essential for SMBs and a precondition for integrating them into your daily operations. The reasons for using cloud-based POS software are innumerable; we have only enumerated a handful. Therefore, consider cloud-based POS if you have decided to move to a POS system.

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POS Solutions, Cloud Based POS

Point-of-Sale Systems to Emerge as a Necessity for Modern Retailers

Article | July 12, 2022

Innovative POS systems with built-in advanced inventory management and secured payments to mandate their adoption by retailers. For businesses and retailers, conventional cash registers have long been an important part of sales operations during the past few years. But today, the cash registers of even the smallest of businesses are attached to a computer through "point-of-sale" (POS) systems. These novel solutions have garnered huge popularity over traditional cash registers as they not only ring up the sales but also provide crucial and real-time information about the customer and inventory. The importance of POS systems goes way beyond managing transactions at checkout counters across the retail industry. Emphasis on Improving Customer Experience Demands POS Adoption: With a growing fast-paced lifestyle, customers around the world are opting for faster, and more convenient shopping and billing experiences. Reassuring customers that their transactions are secure significantly increases satisfaction and customer loyalty. Since novel POS systems assist in providing faster checkout, flexibility in payment options, highly secured payments, and a seamless billing experience, these POS systems are extensively being adopted by modern retailers. According to a study, retailers across the U.S. lose nearly $45 billion, due to insufficient inventory in stock, and $224 billion, due to excess inventory. POS systems help in managing the inventory, resulting in declining losses by preventing excess or insufficient inventory. An estimate states that, an independent retailer with a $400,000 revenue can cut costs by nearly 10%, saving an average of $40,000 per year. What Comes Next? With technology getting better and new POS solutions like cloud-based, mobile, cashless payment, and others coming out, retailers are extensively installing POS solutions to make it easy for customers to pay. For instance, Veras Retail and ACCEO Solutions Inc., an American company specializing in all types of electronic payment transactions, announced plans to install their respective payment middleware solutions and point-of-sale software solutions in National Stores locations across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Hence, the growing focus on enhancing in-store customer experience and customer retention is mandating modern retailers to deploy POS solutions.

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Spotlight

VAULT

At VAULT, we specialize in enterprise-ready hardware that enables mobile experiences at scale. Our US-designed products include tablet and phone enclosures, stands, and power management for iOS and Android-based solutions. Our designs and innovation provide retailers and restaurants with seamless commerce and payment experiences, resulting in a strong ROI and elevated customer loyalty through rewarding in-store experiences.

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Delivering Regional Flavor With State-Specific Subscriptions

pymnts | June 24, 2019

To offer shoppers a curated selection of local products ranging from décor to local flavors, eCommerce innovators are assembling subscription boxes around different U.S. states. California Found, for instance, is essentially a boutique gift box of artisanal goods from the Golden State. In lieu of a big-box store or Amazon, the box aims to provide shoppers with opportunities to purchase gifts for friends or loved ones through a different channel, with a differentiated experience. “This is like going to a small boutique with unique items” they will not find elsewhere, Founder and Owner Beth McClure told PYMNTS in an interview.

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Betting on a Prime Day outage, eBay announces 'Crash Sale'

retaildive | June 26, 2019

EBay on Wednesday announced a "Crash Sale" on July 15 that includes brand deals and free shipping, according to a press release emailed to Retail Dive. If Amazon's website crashes on Prime Day which on Tuesday was announced would begin on July 15 eBay stated it will introduce more deals during its Crash Sale.EBay is running a series of sales during the month of July that includes "July 4th Savings" from July 1-7 with savings on items like stand mixers, robotic vacuums; the "Hot Deals for Hot Days" from July 8-22, which includes daily deals on tech, appliances and smart home devices; and the aforementioned "Crash Sale" on July 15, which offers discounts of more than 50% off select brands.

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Who benefits from an Apple, Best Buy partnership?

retaildive | June 26, 2019

In a bid to make its services more widely accessible, Apple announced last week that Best Buy is now an authorized repair partner.In addition to the retailer's roughly 1,000 stores providing repair services, the company announced that nearly 7,600 of Best Buy's "Geek Squad" members will also serve as Apple-certified technicians who are "ready to make same-day iPhone repairs or to service other Apple products," according to a press release. Apple also noted that it will back all repairs and that only genuine Apple-branded parts will be used for the services. Best Buy customers already rely on the knowledge and support of its employees, most notably from its Geek Squad base, so becoming an authorized Apple repair location will likely resonate well with consumers."We love being there for our customers no matter what their Apple need is, from helping them choose the right device, to offering AppleCare protection and now helping fix their devices," Trish Walker, Best Buy's president of services, said in a statement.

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pymnts | June 24, 2019

To offer shoppers a curated selection of local products ranging from décor to local flavors, eCommerce innovators are assembling subscription boxes around different U.S. states. California Found, for instance, is essentially a boutique gift box of artisanal goods from the Golden State. In lieu of a big-box store or Amazon, the box aims to provide shoppers with opportunities to purchase gifts for friends or loved ones through a different channel, with a differentiated experience. “This is like going to a small boutique with unique items” they will not find elsewhere, Founder and Owner Beth McClure told PYMNTS in an interview.

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Betting on a Prime Day outage, eBay announces 'Crash Sale'

retaildive | June 26, 2019

EBay on Wednesday announced a "Crash Sale" on July 15 that includes brand deals and free shipping, according to a press release emailed to Retail Dive. If Amazon's website crashes on Prime Day which on Tuesday was announced would begin on July 15 eBay stated it will introduce more deals during its Crash Sale.EBay is running a series of sales during the month of July that includes "July 4th Savings" from July 1-7 with savings on items like stand mixers, robotic vacuums; the "Hot Deals for Hot Days" from July 8-22, which includes daily deals on tech, appliances and smart home devices; and the aforementioned "Crash Sale" on July 15, which offers discounts of more than 50% off select brands.

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