Rewiring retail thinking to celebrate diversity

The cost of asset can range from INR 5,000 to 30,000. A typical large refrigerator cost about 10-12K each and a ViziCooler costs about 4-5K each. However, the scale of proliferation increases investment significantly. Many FMCG companies and Brands promote products inside retail shops by supplying assets like Refrigerators, Mini Refrigerator, ViziCoolers, lighted asset, digital signage, kiosks and so on. It’s a usual sight to find a Cokacola refrigerator, Cadbury’s Vizicooler, Ponds lighted asset at a local kirana shop. The primary purpose of supplying these assets is to gain a brand presence in Retail shop, right in front of customer and maintaining product quality by ensuring that product reaches consumer in right state so that consumer experience is of utmost quality.

Spotlight

Urban Ladder

In 2012, we started Urban Ladder with a vision - to make a million homes beautiful. Back then, our catalogue featured just 35 designs, but to our customers they signified infinite possibilities. The same table, the same chair was used completely differently by different people. This told us something. People like their homes to be unique. Today, we realise we’re here not just to sell well-designed products. We’re here to help you create spaces that mirror who you are. Our new brand identity is a reflection of this renewed purpose. It’s a celebration of the creative spirit that makes each of us and our homes different.

OTHER ARTICLES
POS Solutions

Digital Payments – Preferred Way To Exchange Money

Article | February 15, 2024

In the past several years, the evolution of the payments industry has been remarkable. The digital payment business is expanding fast and is an open area for competitors. Globally, the emergence and implementation of digital payment solutions results from diverse requirements. The digital payments ecosystem is being propelled by three significant factors: technology, customer demand, and regulations. Insights Into Digital Payments Evolution The Internet of Things, APIs, point of sale (POS), mobile wallets, and tokenization create a seamless payments ecosystem by digitally connecting every industry with the payments environment. Consumer demand drivers can be broken down into subcategories, such as real-time payments, a better user experience, and personalization. In 2021, the market for digital payments was estimated at USD 7.36 trillion. It is expected to reach USD 15.27 trillion by 2027, with a CAGR of 12.38% between 2022 and 2027. The technical improvements of smartphones, digital payment cards, and point-of-sale terminals in retail stores are driving the expansion of the industry. According to American Express, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted cardholder spending. Companies are offering contactless payment options to attract customers. This has made the contactless function a global competitive advantage for companies. In light of the preceding progress and development, let's explore what 2022 has in store for you. Look closely at any changes to digital payment methods that could be important in 2022. The Most Prevalent Digital Payment Trends – 2022 Biometric Authentication In 2022, biometric authentication will increase as a trend in the digital payment industry. Biometric authentication utilizes a person's biological and anatomical traits. In addition to fingerprint scanners, face recognition, iris recognition, heartbeat analysis, and vein mapping, the verification process also incorporates fingerprint scanners. It is a very secure payment system based on the unique qualities of each individual. Additionally, it helps establish consumer loyalty and trust. Contactless Payments Customers may make contactless payments by just waving their smartphone in front of the reader. Thus, the payment method becomes faster and more convenient than card insertion. Contactless payments are more secure due to the rapid transfer of encrypted data to the point-of-sale gadget. Mobile Point of Sale Mobile-point-of-sale (mPOS) is a breakthrough technology since it liberates retailers from storefronts and in-store payments. Instead, it is a portable register that operates on a tablet, smartphone, or mobile device. Mobile POS has significantly altered a store's payment procedure by making it more efficient and adaptable. According to Global Market Insights, mPOS will grow at a 19% CAGR between 2020 and 2026. Mobile Wallet Transaction According to Juniper Research, digital and mobile wallet usage will surpass 4.4 billion by 2025. Mobile wallets do not require a real bank account and keep all payment information securely and compactly. This is enabled through Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, which allows devices in close proximity to communicate and share data quickly. With the rise in demand for contactless payments, NFC has become a prominent term in digital payments. Final Word There are many proven ways to send money around the world. It is essential to consider how money moves across borders. The answer depends on the payment's context. Today's businesses want diverse and straightforward methods for international money transfers. The choices available to enterprises range from SWIFT and ACH transfers to digital wallets and cheques to credit cards and even crypto money. Digital payments enable organizations to conduct money transfers efficiently, transparently, and cost-effectively. This will encourage the global economy to continue expanding and strengthening further.

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Ecommerce Merchandising

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

Article | March 18, 2024

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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POS Retail

Card Payments for Dummies

Article | May 10, 2024

At my current company Monizze, we issue social vouchers, like meal, eco and gift vouchers. These vouchers are consumed using a specific Monizze payment card via a physical terminal. As a result, I come into contact with card payments on a daily basis. Unfortunately, I am still far from being a card expert, but along the years I can say I have built up a good basic understanding of how a card payment happens. As I had to collect information from different sources to get this first good understanding, I thought it might be interesting to share my summary for "dummies" of how card payments work. First let us have a look at the card itself. A card is just a plastic carrier on which a design is printed. Afterwards a chip (an embedded microprocessor) is attached to the card, on which 1 or more applications can be deployed. A card with such a chip is often also called a smart card or an EMV card, with EMV an abbreviation for "Europay MasterCard VISA", which are the 3 companies that originally established this global electronic transaction standard. A card does not need to have a chip, some cards only have a bar code or QR code on them, while others have a magnetic stripe. Obviously an EMV chip card is more secure than those other models. Most EMV chip cards today are Dual Interface chip cards. This means the card can be used in both contact (i.e. the card is put in the terminal to read the chip) and contactless (i.e. the card communicates via an NFC antenna with the terminal) mode. This should not be confused with co-branded / co-badged cards, which exist quite a lot in Europe. As many countries still have their local payment method (like Bancontact in Belgium, Girocard in Germany, Cartes Bancaires in France, PagoBancomat in Italy, MultiBanco in Portugal…), most banks in those countries issue such a co-badged card, which supports both this local payment method and a more international payment method. E.g. in Belgium almost all debit cards are co-badged with Bancontact and Maestro (Maestro being an international payment method owned by MasterCard). When fabrication of EMV chip cards starts, all cards are the same. Of course by printing the design on the card and personalizing the card (with the name, card number…) you get a specific card. Additionally there is a personalization of the EMV chip. On the chip the specific application(s) of the card is deployed, as well as the specific personal information. This personal information stored on the card consists of the card number (also called the PAN number = Primary Account number), the expiration date, a security code (also called CVV = Card Verification Value or CVC = Card Verification Code), a number of cryptographic keys and the list of CVM checks (CVM = Card Verification Methods). This list indicates which type of security check should be applied and can depend on the type of payment (e.g. contact versus contactless), what the terminal supports and the amount. E.g. the CVM list can indicate that a contactless transaction can be executed up to 50 EUR without asking for a PIN. The cryptographic keys ensure the necessary security. E.g. they are used to calculate a cryptogram (based on one of the stored secret keys and the info of the transaction), which is sent along to the issuer. The issuer can then verify that the transaction message was not altered along the way by calculating itself the cryptogram and comparing it with the provided cryptogram. In the same way, it is possible to encrypt a PIN code and send it to the issuer for verification. The PIN code can be stored on the chip and verified by the chip directly. This so-called PIN offline verification is however only possible when the chip can be read by the terminal. In case of a contactless transaction requiring a PIN, card issuers usually work with PIN online, which means the PIN is sent in an encrypted way to the issuer, who verifies the correctness of the PIN, before authorizing the transaction. The information on the chip of a card can also be virtualized. This means that instead of the card sending the NFC signal (in contactless mode) to the terminal, it is also possible that your smartphone sends out this signal (and emulates the card). This can be a specific app, using HCE (= Host Card Emulation), but this technique is only available on Android phones, as Apple does not give access to the NFC antenna. A more common technique is of course Apple Pay and Google Pay, where you onboard your card on the Apple/Google infrastructure and your smartphone emulates the physical card. Now that we have clarified what the card does, it is good to have a look at how a payment works. The first step is of course telling the terminal (POS = Point of Sales terminal) how much the customer needs to pay. This can be inputted directly on the terminal, but large retailers have of course an integration with their cash register (= ECR = Electronic Cash Register). This integration allows to pass immediately info like the amount, which card types can be accepted (cashier can select a specific payment method) and potential other reference information. Obviously, a lot of cash register systems exist (e.g. Lightspeed, Square, Casio, Toshiba…) and also a lot of protocols to integrate ECRs with terminals (e.g. VIC protocol) and finally also a lot of different terminals (e.g. Wordline, Ingenico, CCV, Adyen, SumUp, VIVA Wallet, Cetrel, Loyaltek…). All these differences make those integrations quite a mess. The terminal will then read the card (contact or contactless) and determine which verification methods need to be applied. Once the verifications on the terminal are ok, the payment is sent to the Acquirer (often the merchant’s bank), which sends the payment to the Issuer (usually the bank of the card holder, which issued the card). This Issuer validates if the card is still active, if the PIN code is correct (in case of PIN online), if the customer is allowed to do a transaction at this merchant (e.g. card might be disabled for foreign transactions) and whether the customer has sufficient funds to execute the payment. In case of a positive reply, the payment is considered as successful, even though the actual settlement will usually happen later. This settlement consists of the acquirer requesting payment to the issuing bank, the issuing bank debiting the cardholder’s account and transmitting the money to the acquirer bank and the acquirer bank crediting the merchant’s account.the cardholder’s account and transmitting the money to the acquirer bank and the acquirer bank crediting the merchant’s account. For the communication between the terminal, acquirer and issuer a "Payment Network", like VISA, MasterCard, American Express, UnionPay, Bancontact… is used. This payment network sets all the rules of how these different players should interact. Additionally there are multiple protocols of how terminals can communicate with the Acquirer, like CTAP, EP2, Nexo (EPAS), IFSF, STD70, ABI-CB (Italy)…, making it for international players very hard to support all local payment methods. It is also important to understand the difference between a "Four Corner model" (also called a Four-Party scheme, Open Scheme or Open Loop payment model) and a "Three Corner Model" (also called a Three-Party scheme, Closed Scheme and Closed loop payment model). The first model is the model described above and is the most widely used. E.g. VISA, MasterCard and UnionPay use this model. In the second model ("Three Corner Model"), the issuer, acquirer and payment network are the same party. This means the payment network provides the card to the card holder and contracts with the merchant to configure/setup the terminal. Typical examples are Diners Club, Discover Card and American Express, but often also niche payment methods, like the social vouchers (e.g. meal voucher payments) of Monizze fall in this category (even though in many countries, social vouchers are also handled via an "Open Loop" model based on VISA or MasterCard). As you can see a card payment involves a large number of parties. While cash registers and terminals are bought or rented by merchants and typically include also a monthly service fee, the other players are usually paid per transaction. The Acquirer will recover those transaction fees from the merchant through a "Merchant service charge". The Acquirer however keeps only a small part of this fee, as around 20% of this fee (the so-called scheme fee) is going to the payment network (e.g. VISA or MasterCard) and up to 70% (the so-called interchange fee) to the Issuer. Part of this interchange fee is often used in the form of rewards (e.g. cashbacks) to the customer, thus encouraging the card holder to use his card as much as possible. Card payments are clearly undergoing a major transformation. On the one hand, there is a strong push towards a cashless society. This trend, strongly accelerated by the Covid crisis, increases the use of card payments. On the other hand, there is a trend to replace the physical cards by payments with smartphones. This includes the exponential rise of the use of Apple Pay and Google Pay, but also new payment techniques, often based on QR code scanning (like e.g. Payconiq in Belgium). Additionally due to the aggressive take-over strategy of the 2 major American players (VISA and MasterCard) in the last decade, there is a strong feeling, especially in Europe, that there is need for more competition and a new European player. As a result, several large European banks are joining forces to create a European alternative. It is however doubtful that this new initiative will be successful, as new technologies and payment methods, like PSD2 Payment Initiation, SEPA Request to Pay (SRTP), instant payments, CBDCs… can likely give better (more frictionless and cheaper) alternatives to the traditional card payment schemes.

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POS Retail

Clover POS Invoicing & Virtual Terminal

Article | March 16, 2022

No physical Clover POS device? No problem! Never miss a sale again with the Clover Virtual Terminal. The Clover Virtual terminal allows you to process payments at your convenience from wherever you are, no terminal necessary. All you need is a phone, tablet, or computer and you will have access to your business anytime, anywhere. Through the Clover Virtual Terminal you can accept both credit and debit card payments safely and securely with Clover’s PCI compliant environment and end-to-end encryption. Unlike other virtual payment platforms, there are no additional monthly fees or crazy high processing rates with the Clover Virtual Terminal, transactions are charged at the keyed-in rate. Some of the other useful features and benefits of using the Clover Virtual Terminal are: Request customer payments by email and allow customers to pay you by credit or debit card online. Take care of all incoming payments: in-store orders, mail or telephone orders, or invoices. Send digital receipts via email. Store your regular customers’ card information securely for faster transactions. Protect against fraud with address verification service (AVS) and card verification value (CVV). Another way to streamline your payments and get help you get your money faster using your Clover Virtual Terminal is the easy and convenient Clover Invoicing. As a business owner, you already have a lot on your plate. Chasing customers for payment shouldn’t be one of them. Using Clover Invoicing makes the payment process smooth and painless! Your customers will receive their invoice by email, which provides them with a link to a hosted checkout page for a convenient way to pay by card – from the comfort of home. In addition, Clover invoicing will enhance your record keeping by allowing you to keep track of all of your sent invoices and payments received in the Clover Dashboard and eliminating unnecessary paper clutter.

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Spotlight

Urban Ladder

In 2012, we started Urban Ladder with a vision - to make a million homes beautiful. Back then, our catalogue featured just 35 designs, but to our customers they signified infinite possibilities. The same table, the same chair was used completely differently by different people. This told us something. People like their homes to be unique. Today, we realise we’re here not just to sell well-designed products. We’re here to help you create spaces that mirror who you are. Our new brand identity is a reflection of this renewed purpose. It’s a celebration of the creative spirit that makes each of us and our homes different.

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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