Author: Kyle Lauber

Finding the Right Mobile Application and Printer for Your Restaurant

When owning and operating a restaurant or food service business, it’s important that your customers are always left satisfied, whether that be by the food, wait service, or speed. What many restaurateurs do not realize is that this often goes beyond serving a good plate of food and having an attentive staff, but it all connects to your backend operations. Food service and restaurant businesses need to make sure that they have a solid point of sale system that keeps everything running smoothly and efficiently.

Fourleaf and Star Micronics offer restaurant solutions for businesses of all sizes with top performance. Fourleaf is a restaurant point of sale (POS) application that allows management and staff to manage orders from start to finish using an iPad. Restaurant and food service business choose Fourleaf and Star for its mobility, always-on functionality, and outstanding user and customer experience.

Mobility

Smaller restaurants, cafes, and food trucks need mobility options that will allow them to take an order and accept payment from anywhere, at any time. With mobile ordering and payment becoming more popular options when it comes to food service, it is important for business owners to accommodate to the new generation of consumers by offering more mobile options. Fourleaf allows restaurants to seamlessly accept mobile orders and payments. Operating on iPads, Fourleaf’s POS solution enables food service businesses to go completely mobile using one of Star’s mPOS hardware options including the SM-L200 portable printer, mPOP, or mC-Print3.

Always-On Connectivity

With Fourleaf and Star Micronics, restaurateurs never have to worry about devices being disconnected, or losing payment or transaction information. The benefit of Fourleaf’s real-time sales and inventory updates is that business owners and managers are always connected and able to see updates whether they are in the restaurant or relaxing at home. And with Star Micronics’ new mC-Print3, they never have to worry about losing connectivity with the printer’s HUB interface with Bluetooth, USB, lightning USB, and Ethernet options. Not only does the mC-Print3 offer multiple connectivity options, but it also allows restaurants to connect multiple devices to be used all at the same time while boasting both spill- and insect-proof technology, making it ideal for kitchen and restaurant environments. For mid-size and large-scale restaurants, always-on and always-connected functionality is a must.

User and Customer Experience

The most important aspect of running a successful restaurant business is providing an exceptional customer experience. In order to do this, staff must be knowledgeable of the menu and the back-of-house operations including how food is prepared, wait times in the kitchen, and most importantly, the point of sale. Providing your staff with a user-friendly POS system helps set-up them—and your business—up for success, especially in a large-scale and busy restaurant environment. Fourleaf POS offers an easy-to-use and intuitive system that makes it easy for staff to take orders, print receipts, and track loyalty. This is also great for the customer experience because they receive excellent service and rewards for frequenting your business. Star’s TSP143III printer helps staff to quickly print receipts and credit card slips and offers an aesthetically pleasing printing solution for your business.

The bottom line is that no matter what size or type of restaurant or food service business you run, it is important to have modern and functional technology to help your staff get the job done and provide your customers with a 5-star experience every time. Whether you own a food truck or a steakhouse, Fourleaf and Star Micronics have the solutions to help you succeed.

August 7, 2018
Star Micronics Reveals New Service: PromoPRNT

Effortlessly create promotions right on paper receipts!

Somerset, NJ – August 3, 2018 – Star Micronics, a leading global manufacturer of mobile, point of sale (POS) and customer engagement technologies, is proud to announce PromoPRNT, a brand-new service added to the famous Star Micronics Cloud Service platform.

PromoPRNT will allow retailers to automatically create printed promotions in addition to receipts. These incentives and bonuses will be delivered directly to shoppers’ hands, boosting customer retention and notifying customers of new deals and promotions.

PromoPRNT is provided through two services on the Star Micronics Cloud Services dashboard: Promotion Builder and Promotion Scheduler. Promotion Builder is a seamless and simple way to create and design the promotions that will appear on the receipts from templates available in the Promotion Builder library. Promotion Builder makes it simple to add logos, text, and icons.

Promotion Scheduler will empower retailers to schedule the duration of a coupon campaign by selecting a time, date, and printer for each coupon/promotion. With Promotion Scheduler, retailers will also have access to analytics that provides insight into each promotional campaign.

For more information about PromoPRNT and other Star Micronics point of sale solutions, visit www.starmicronics.com.

August 3, 2018
Star Micronics Introduces the mCollection

Somerset, NJ – August 1, 2018 – Star Micronics, a leading global manufacturer of mobile, point of sale (POS), and customer engagement technologies, is happy to announce the release of their latest line of products: the mCollection. The mCollection was designed with the latest technology to deliver products that are compact in size, sleek in design, and provide an easy setup and wonderful user experience.

The central pieces of the mCollection are the printers: the mC-Prints.

The mC-Print2 and mC-Print3 are the collection’s 2- and 3-inch front-exit thermal printers designed for easy loading and low maintenance. Each printer provides multiple connectivity options, including Ethernet, traditional USB, Lightning USB, Bluetooth, and CloudPRNT, which allow for versatile use throughout retail locations. These printers can also be cloud-connected allowing any retailer to use Star’s latest printed promotion tool, PromoPRNT. The printer’s stylish, compact design compliments any brand and works with any modern retail environment, even when counter space is limited. Both of these printers have an integrated hub and provide the ability to connect peripherals.

The additional peripherals include the sleek and compact 1D scanners and 2D imagers. These products can communicate directly with the host or through the Star printer hub.

Also available in the mCollection is the customer display. The customer display is offered in the two mCollection colors, black and white, and can fit perfectly on the mPOP or on the latest mC-Print printers.

Finally, Star is adding three digital NTEP certified scales to the mCollection. Two of these MG-scales (mG-S322 and MG-1501) are perfect for the cannabis industry, while the third one is designed for generic retail (MG-8200).

Another big benefit of the mCollection is that all products are controlled through Star’s common SDK software providing a quick, easy, and simple tool for integration by software developers.

“The mCollection is creating a lot of interest because it meets today and tomorrow’s retailer needs for flexibility and mobility with a future-proof design,” said Christophe Naasz, Director of Business Development at Star Micronics.

August 1, 2018
3 Things to Consider When Selecting a Scale for Cannabis Retail

One of the most important elements of cannabis retail compliance is accurately selling products by weight. A dispensary’s inventory may include a variety of cannabis offerings, including packages of marijuana buds or flowers, edibles, vaping supplies, or containers of shatter (cannabis concentrate), topicals (ointments and creams) and marijuana extracts. Scales for cannabis ensure you are not over- or under-charging customers and assist in inventory tracking at a medical marijuana dispensary or cannabis retail outlet, regardless of the product you sell. Running a business that sells products by weight is impossible without the proper scale, so make sure you choose the one that addresses your business needs and adheres to local and state cannabis laws.

Download for Free: Scale Buyer’s Guide.

The standards and regulations for cannabis scales vary by state, so choose the scale that will keep you in compliance and accurately serve your customers. Here are three main features you should look for when shopping for a scale for cannabis:

1. Weigh to One-Hundredth of a Gram

Anyone shopping for a scale for cannabis should brush up on the metric system. Metric isn’t standard in the U.S., but scales for cannabis measure in grams. Although it’s commonly thought that an ounce of is 28 grams, it’s actually 28.349 grams—so don’t short your customers by rounding. Most scales will weigh to the tenth of a gram, but it’s recommended that scales for cannabis weight to the one-hundredth of a gram (0.01) for a higher degree of accuracy. This is important because it tells the customer they are receiving the exact amount of product they’re paying for, it ensures the cannabis retailer is receiving the correct payment, and it maintains accurate inventory records.

2. NTEP Certification

The National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP), overseen by the National Conference on Weights and Measures, covers every aspect of a scale’s use, including capacity, accuracy and the effects of temperature fluctuations on the scale’s operation. The standards are developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). A local weights and measures official will use NIST standards when inspecting your scale and sealing/certifying it for legal use. Every NTEP approved scale will have a NTEP certificate of conformance (CoC) number that an inspector can use to verify the scale has been certified. However, a CoC doesn’t mean plug and play—call your local regulatory agency for the proper procedure before using the scale.

3. Class II NTEP Balance

A NTEP CoC means the scale is legal for trade and able to be used to sell product by weight. However, there are different classes of accuracy. Class II is a higher accuracy scale that applies to lab scales as opposed to industrial or retail equipment. This higher class of scale can be used in medical or scientific uses such as pharmacy, laboratory, and compounding, which require precise measurements. Most states require cannabis retail stores to have a Class II digital scale.

Medical marijuana and cannabis retailers are legal in more than half of the U.S., but requirements for how you run your business will vary depending on your location. With products sold by weight and strict regulatory requirements, investing in the right scale will be vital to your profitability and compliance. Carefully evaluate your options and make the right choice for your business.

Star’s mG-Scales are ideal for the cannabis industry!

Learn More

July 26, 2018
Retail Stores are Boosting In-Store Customer Experiences with Receipts
At Star Micronics, we’ve been innovating POS tech customer engagement solutions for years as an innovation hub for POS.

Recently we have solved how retail stores can achieve digital receipts and micro receipts that engage customers, and this year we’re rolling out PromoPRNT, a seamless feature that allows stores to easily reach their customers with POS Ads in-store on receipts.

PromoPRNT as an Innovative Location Marketing Tool
- PromoPRNT is a new service available to Star Micronics Cloud–registered members that empowers retailers to create printed promotions in addition to receipts.
- PromoPRNT is a suite of tools that allow small businesses to easily reach their customers with the creation, design, and execution of location marketing campaigns on receipts.
- Ultimately, with these PromoPRNT tools, retailers will be able to deliver incentives directly to shopper’s hands at a fraction of the cost of other marketing tools.
Mobile In-Store is Catching On

According to a survey by iVend Retail’s 2018 Global Path to Purchase, 60.1% of shoppers said they used their smartphones in brick-and-mortar stores. This means mobile is an important touch-point for physical retailers and stores to elevate the customer experience. In 2017, Star created a seamless way for customers to upload their receipts to their smartphones called AllReceipts.

Photo Credit: Kate Taylor, Business Insider

Customer-centric apps allow retailers to boost their sales. A good example of this is how Starbucks has created a seamless way to do mobile ordering.

Deployment 2.0 of Starbucks reworks the workflow of employees to better optimize their time that caters to the new mobile ordering feature at Starbucks locations, with a dedicated place for customers to pick up their orders.

Starbucks insists that digital sales are a key for its future and displays one of the top in-app experiences of any global retailer. Dedicated employees for mobile ordering tasks means Starbucks have sped up their customer-experience to enable mobile ordering to become an ever-increasing portion of their sales.

In-Store Mobile Experience Trends

Shoppers who receive special offers via mobile while they are inside physical stores show higher conversion rates than in other customer journeys, according to Retail Dive. Mobile is also increasingly the starting place for research into products and retail locations that are local. At Star, we recognize the importance of both digital and physical cues for shoppers and thus have dedicated digital receipts and location marketing suite of services that is an omnichannel solution to better engage the modern shopper.

Digital Signage that Combines Mobile Loyalty with Digital Displays

With more consumers using mobile at physical retail locations, Star also has another new program that leverages POS Digital Signage, with digital signage partner, Sophatar.

Sophatar® POS Signage is another new service available to retailers who are registered Star Micronics Cloud users, for a low monthly subscription cost. Combining POS Data, with digital signage screens, the solution is able to increase the basket size of the most popular selling items at hospitality, grocery, retail, and apparel boutique locations.

In this article, we have covered how retailers and brick-and-mortar small businesses can easily combine mobile, location-marketing receipt tech and POS digital signage to create a better in-store customer experience that increases retail sales.
July 11, 2018
3 Reasons Why Restaurants Should Allow Customers to Order Online

Online ordering and delivery are so convenient that more and more people are going online and, in a few clicks, having meals delivered to their door. According to banking analysts Cowen, delivery will grow to a $76 billion industry by 2022. CNBC reports that online orders comprise half of all deliveries, with millennials and the 35-44 age group leading the pack among diners who are taking advantage of online ordering apps and services.

Online Ordering Makes Sense for Your Restaurant

Although most restaurants take phone orders, it’s a good idea to have an alternate ordering method so people won’t get a busy signal or wait on hold for too long. Online ordering also means the phone won’t be ringing as often, taking staff away from other tasks and making the atmosphere more pleasant for dine-in customers.

Online ordering allows diners to enter their orders online through the restaurant’s website or app and designate whether it’s for pickup, delivery, or dine-in. Online ordering solutions also enable the customer to pay with a credit card before the order is prepared, and it streamlines workflows by sending orders directly to the kitchen. Implementing an online ordering system means a better customer service experience for patrons and allows you to gather their contact information for future marketing efforts.

Online ordering is a great way to boost revenue and attract new customers. The addition of Amazon Eats and Seamless are making it easier than ever for restaurants to introduce online ordering. If you haven’t already, here are three reasons why your customers should be able to point, click, and eat:

1. Increased sales and larger orders

Restaurants that introduce online ordering increase their takeout revenue, on average, by 30%. For small restaurants or ones with limited hours, adding online ordering and delivery generates an additional revenue stream without impacting your dine-in customers.

Online ordering encourages larger orders by giving customers extra time to look through the menu and discover new items they would like to try. Diners are in control of the ordering process and they can take their time reading the menu without feeling rushed, securely process their payments, and never get a busy signal.

2. Improved order accuracy

Taking phone orders means an employee must be able to clearly hear the customer on the phone, accurately and legibly write down an order, and then input it into the point of sale (POS) system. Sometimes the employee may not hear the order correctly or make mistakes while entering it into the POS terminal. Removing these steps means less opportunity for errors and a reduction in the amount of time and resources wasted remaking orders prepared incorrectly.

3. Expand your customer base

More of your customers will seek out restaurants with online ordering, so it’s important to have every option available—phone, online and ordering app. According to a survey by the National Restaurant Association, 61% of people said they consider delivery and takeout options important for table service restaurants. The experts at QSR Web reported that online ordering is outpacing dine-in patrons by 300%. If reservations at your restaurant are hard to get, or there are only a few tables, online ordering makes it easy for people to satisfy their craving or try it for the first time quickly and easily.

Restaurants are preparing more meals for take-out than they are serving to on-premises customers, so make sure they can place their orders using the technology they want. Online ordering is the key to drawing in new customers and increasing revenue.

CloudPRNT

July 5, 2018
The Future of Cannabis Retail is Looking Good
The retail cannabis industry is growing fast, $75 billion by 2030 fast.

But let’s look at the nearer future. According to Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics, by 2021 the cannabis market is expected to reach $24.5 billion. Currently, cannabis is legal in 9 states for recreational use while 30 states have legalized cannabis for medical usage.

With such a high market growth expectancy, dispensaries sell a variety of cannabis products in the forms of hash, rosin, shatter, and oils which can be smoked or vaped. In addition, as many are aware, cannabis is also sold in the forms of candy and baked goods. As for pharmaceutical use, cannabis contains cannabidiol (CBD) which when used in the form of candy or oil aids in the treatment of pain and epilepsy. Now that sounds pretty good.

Let’s Talk Business

There’s no doubt that cannabis has health benefits that aid in the relief of:

Pain

Muscle spasms

Arthritis

Dravet’s Syndrome

Mental health symptoms

Etc.

But what about benefits for businesses?

Well, as was mentioned earlier, legal cannabis reached $9.7 billion in sales in 2017.

But let’s dig a little deeper into the facts and figures…

By 2021, marijuana sales are expected to reach a whopping $24.5 billion. Younger generations are turning to cannabis consumption and slowly turning away from alcohol. This has resulted in a decrease in binge drinking, 9% below the nation’s average, in the states where marijuana is legalized. Funnily enough, the industry’s sales will be led by people 55 and older. With such a diverse market, the cannabis industry is opening up multiple opportunities for businesses to flourish.

The increased popularity, and acceptance, of the cannabis industry is leading to the establishment of more small businesses with an increase in employment opportunities. With cannabis stores becoming more common in legalized states, the industry of creating products to efficiently, and legally, weigh and sell marijuana to meet regulations are necessary for the success of the business. Additionally, with cannabis being legalized all over Canada, there may even be a possibility that the East coast will speed up its state adoption for recreational use.

Regardless, cannabis is creating a diverse industry that includes the need for different markets to ensure its success, thus providing a positive impact on the nation’s economy.

The Cannabis POS Industry

With Cannabis creating such a diverse industry, it only makes sense that businesses will need reliable POS systems…

Keep in mind that the cannabis industry is different than your average retail business.

There are multiple rules and regulations that need to be followed in order to ensure that your business is legal. Here are some key points to remember when choosing your POS system:

Cannabis is a cash business

Sensitive scales are a necessity

Labels are regulated

Receipts are essential

How Resellers Can Cash in on Cannabis Point of Sale

The cannabis industry has become one of the fastest growing markets. Here’s how resellers can take advantage.

Download eBook
June 13, 2018
How to Choose the Right POS Scale for Your Application and Industry
If you’re in the market for a new POS scale, consider these points to help you make a smart choice for your business.

POS scales are used in different types of businesses that charge for items by weight, including supermarkets, self-service restaurants and buffets, butcher shops, candy stores, health food markets with bulk bins, cannabis dispensaries, and more. From a pound of cold cuts to a cup of frozen yogurt, scales measure the weight of a customer’s purchase and calculate the price accurately.

Scales ensure you are not over- or under-charging customers and assist with inventory tracking at your store or restaurant. Running a business that charges based on weight is impossible without a properly calibrated scale, so make sure you choose the one that best takes care of your needs.

If you’re in the market for a new point of sale (POS) scale, consider these points to help you make a smart choice for your business.
- Application: Why do you need the scale? Before you purchase POS scales, identify how they’re going to be used and what you need to weigh. Is it fresh produce in a supermarket, bulk candy, and meat or items like mail and packages? Are most of your products heavy or light? Large or small? Identify the types of items you need to weigh and use that as a starting point.
- Accuracy: How accurate do you need the measurements to be? Scale accuracy is important because it tells the customer they are receiving the exact amount of product they’re paying for. An accurate scale also ensures that the retailer is receiving the correct payment. Across the U.S., every state has its own agencies and departments that regulate scales and inspect them for accuracy. Some states may require a yearly inspection, while others are inspected less frequently. Make sure the scales you purchase will meet requirements for accuracy.
- Capacity: What is the largest possible load you need the scales to handle? If you own a candy store or a supermarket, would anyone ever purchase 500 pounds of candy? It seems unlikely, so if you’re a purveyor of sweet treats, the scale’s capacity can be lower. For a butcher weighing large pieces of meat, or a UPS shipping store, however, a scale with a higher capacity would be in order.
- Environment: Where will this scale be used? Choose a scale that’s durable enough for your business. If it is meant for high-volume use weighing food products, choose a hygienic scale designed for easy cleaning. Also, consider where the POS scales will be used. Are there extreme temperature variations? Are there disruptive vibrations, interference from other electronics, or even air currents that could affect the scale’s accuracy? Choose the type of scale with the right features for the environment.
- Installation and calibration: Choose the location for your POS scales carefully, because you shouldn’t move them around once they’ve been installed. Connect the scale to your POS system so it can be set up and calibrated properly. Scales that are used daily will need frequent calibration to maintain accuracy and stay in compliance with local weights and measures laws.
Business owners who sell items by weight need an accurate scale to protect their customers and their business. If you’re looking for a new scale for your store or restaurant, be honest about your needs, how accurate it needs to be, where it will be set up and how often it should be calibrated. Taking time to understand your business’ requirements for POS scales and the options available to you will result in a greater ability to provide excellent customer service and to manage inventory down to the ounce—or less.

Available for Free: Scale Buyer’s Guide

POS Scales
May 25, 2018
4 Ways to Use Offers, Coupons, Discounts and Deals to Drive Revenue and Customer Loyalty
At Star Micronics we’re a POS tech engagement company obsessed with adding value to retail stores and small businesses. We became a leading global manufacturer of mobile point of sale (POS) and customer engagement technologies through many years of building simple-to-use and reliable products such as receipt printers. In 2017 we created innovative partnerships at Star Micronics Cloud (formerly called Star Cloud Services) which have helped solidify our position with tens of thousands of independent business users and hundreds of thousands of devices sold.

Today we want to present to you how to use promos, discounts, coupons, and deals to generate ROI and increase basket size at your store and local business. Creating offers cheaply that engage customers at the POS and at the time of sale is key for developing memorable offers that lead to repeat customers and long-term customer loyalty.

1. Create Promos Easily on Receipts

The physical receipt is now a key marketing real estate in 2018. With the advent of our solution called PromoPRNT, you can easily create ads at the POS that quickly and efficiently create marketing campaigns on your store’s best deals, offers as well as QR-code-based coupons.

With Promo Maker and Promo Manager, retailers can create in-store ads on receipts that convert shoppers and get eyeballs with the greatest ROI and also improve word-of-mouth benefits for your small business. Since PromoPRNT allows for the customization of the offer, receipt-based promos can drive revenue 24/7 automatically with POS ads. The solution is available to registered users on the Star Micronics Cloud.

Source: screenshot from Sophatar Webinar hosted by Star Micronics.

2. Sync Digital Signage with Post and Receipt Data

Sophatar is a Digital Signage startup with whom we have created an innovative solution with Sophatar® POS Signage™. Easy-to-install digital screens help increase basket size, enabling retailers to produce more ROI from their top selling products. This means that through a simple software subscription, small businesses can easily create discounts, promos, and deals that integrate with POS data from Star Printers, directly and automatically creating contextual and dynamic signage that shoppers can see at physical locations.

This essentially enables any retail or hospitality business to implement professional digital signage that’s smart and can easily integrate with mobile coupons and loyalty cards, with no need for customers to install a mobile app. This not only creates customer loyalty, through engaging customer experience in-store but also deals that shoppers cannot resist. As the offers are generated and displayed, based on existing sales data, the best selling items can be displayed, driving higher revenues and increasing average basket sizes at your location.

3. Mobile Loyalty Offers Paired with Seasonal Campaigns

For promotions and loyalty offers that sync with a retailer’s Email and SMS marketing campaigns, it’s essential to onboard top customers into a customized loyalty program. From here, retailers and brick-and-mortar stores can drive ROI from events, seasonal campaigns, free product giveaways, birthday messages and other strategic discounts where loyalty points can drive in-store traffic.

Automated customer communications inside loyalty programs build and strengthen existing relationships with a retailer’s best shoppers. Thirdshelf is the ideal software for independent retailers to accomplish this:

Creating a loyalty program out-of-the-box

Segmenting customers and tracking loyalty analytics

Automating Email and SMS marketing offers

Nurturing high-value customers can drive revenue and increase customer loyalty through tailored and highly segmented marketing campaigns that reach the smartphones of shoppers.

4. Creating an Omnichannel Loyalty Experience

In an era when retailers need to create customer experiences in-store, at Star Micronics we believe that creating immersion in-store at the POS — via promos on receipts, via digital signage and mobile that can all work together to create promotions whose benefits stack, generating ROI at physical locations and increasing sales.

This is also a seamless loyalty strategy that is affordable even for retailers who operate from a single physical location. Secondly, the offers created via PromoPRNT, Sophatar® POS Signage™ and Thirdshelf complement different touch-points of the customer journey that create irresistible offers while boosting customer loyalty.

What the three solutions mentioned all have in common is that they exist to help retailers automate marketing at their retail location and at the POS, in-store, and via mobile, to create the best customer engagement at the lowest cost.

Yes, really.

Coupons are still the top-performing marketing and promotional tools for businesses. Learn more in our free eBook.

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May 23, 2018
3 Benefits of Cloud-Ready IoT and Mobile Devices
Business owners can monetize cloud-ready IOT data by using it to gain insights into their customers’ behaviors and to communicate with and engage them more effectively.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a vast network of connected devices in the physical environment that share information. The things can include RFID tags, customer traffic counting technology, printers, POS systems, digital signage, and customers’ mobile devices. IoT and mobile devices and sensors collect massive amounts of data about our habits—what applications we use the most on smartphones, the entertainment we are streaming, which retail brands we prefer and the items we purchase. Business owners can monetize this data by using it to gain insights into their customers’ behaviors and to communicate with and engage them more effectively. Retailers can also leverage the IoT to enhance in-store shopping experiences.

Here are three ways the IoT and mobile devices can help your business excel.
1. Device Management. IoT technology can help identify a problem before it starts. With devices that have the capability to communicate when they are in need of repair, shoppers never have to wait while a sales associate finds a replacement device. IoT devices are often able to communicate issues before they are apparent to the user, helping to minimize downtime.
Cloud-ready IoT and mobile devices can also be managed remotely. Business owners or managers can identify what and where the problem is while working at the store or from home, another store location or sitting on the beach via the cloud dashboard. Error status notifications can tell you in real-time what the problem is—whether a printer cover or cash drawer is left open or if a printer is out of paper or unplugged. Identifying and fixing the problem immediately helps improve efficiency and increase productivity, so you’re never wasting time hunting around for the problem.
1. Data Collection. IoT and mobile devices can collect and store important customer information. A cloud-ready device gives you the ability to transform shopping receipts into valuable digital transaction data. If you don’t have the time or manpower to analyze customer data on your own, data facilitation allows retailers to send digital receipt information to third-party partners or vendors who can offer a wide range of analytic and shopper engagement services. These third-party vendors can run loyalty programs and issue customer updates about new products and promotions. Through these services, retailers can gain unparalleled information about shoppers’ habits and promotional campaigns, including which ones are effective and which ones aren’t resonating, to ultimately increase ROI.
1. Data Utilization. Data collected by IoT and mobile devices and stored in the cloud can be used for other purposes, including digital signage. Digital signage is an interactive gateway that allows a business to communicate directly with a consumer, engaging them while they are in the store. Digital signage is easy to control and can be modified quickly, allowing it to be incorporated into virtually any environment. Depending on the setup and service you choose, you may be able to store your own graphics and update the signage as often as you want. This is especially useful during holiday shopping time, or if you want to promote doorbusters and flash sales during certain hours.
Cloud-ready IoT and mobile devices can help you gain important insights into your business, customers, and operations. They can help you identify a hardware problem in-store, even when you’re offsite, and collect data that can keep messaging and promotions relevant. Evaluate how your business is collecting and leveraging data to provide better in-store experiences. Are you doing what it takes to be competitive?
May 1, 2018