All three of the new scanners feature a high-powered CPU capable of capturing high-density, high-volume, and distorted barcodes printed on paper or displayed on screen with ease. Additionally, they all feature a durable IP-rated design and a 4-foot drop-resistant housing. Designed with compatibility in mind, the desktop barcode scanner and handheld barcode scanner seamlessly connect to Star Micronics mCollection printers.
Ideal for cashiers, ticket validation, and customer service desks, the desktop barcode scanner easily toggles between normal and high-motion-tolerance mode, in which the scanner has a 2.5m/s motion tolerance and large field of view (horizontal 51°, vertical 32°).
The wireless handheld barcode scanner features a 2200mAh battery, allowing it to run for up to 12 hours of continuous use, and its included USB cable allows for convenient charging. With the latest Bluetooth 5.0 technology, the wireless handheld scanner effortlessly maintains a reliable wireless connection to transmit data, with communication distances up to 150 feet.
The handheld scanner offers the same features as its wireless counterpart plus you can plug the scanner directly into a Star Micronics printer or any USB host device. As an additional bonus, the two handheld scanners also come with a smart stand which activates the automatic scanning function on the scanner.
“We are excited to release this new line of barcode scanners into the market,” said Jon Levin, Director of Product Management at Star Micronics. “With a variety of use cases, these scanners are ideal for retail checkout counters, inventory management, ticket management, office automation, and more. Better yet, they provide 2D scanning capabilities for the price of 1D scanning.”
The cannabis market exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic – and it’s not stopping there. In fact, according to Mordor Intelligence, the cannabis market was worth an estimated $22.9 billion USD in 2020, and is expected to witness a CAGR of 18.1% between 2021 and 2026. One of the hottest trends in this rapidly emerging market is marijuana delivery. Read on to explore the growth of at-home delivery, and what tech you need as a dispensary to offer this popular service.
The Rise of Cannabis Delivery
In 2014 the term “cannabis delivery” became a reality for medical patients in California when marijuana delivery giant Eaze was founded. Since then, the dream of being able to have an Uber Eats-style platform for marijuana delivery has been the goal of every cannabis retail operation in California and beyond.
However, the rise of delivery was met with many internal and external challenges. Externally, the combination of legislature and clarity in laws with payment processing and the inability to allow delivery apps to be distributed directly to your phone via Apple and Google posed an initial challenge. Internally, operators had to navigate drivers using their personal cars, the potential of drivers being targeted for theft, and the lack of tech-savvy operators to make it all work.
Luckily, as the industry grew, many of the internal issues worked themselves out. Legislation, although inconsistent, is working its way towards a more flexible legal environment for the cannabis industry. However, proper technology is still a challenge for everyone from operators to providers.
Currently, third-party delivery solutions tap into your current point of sale (POS) system via API integration. This means that you need additional hardware and software to communicate with your current systems, and you need to ensure that numbers from both systems match up. With busy schedules, most budtenders think it’s hard enough managing the in-store POS, and two systems can create inefficiencies.
How COVID-19 Accelerated Marijuana Delivery
In April 2020, the industry felt a big relief: cannabis retailers were deemed essential businesses in most states where usage is legal. However, despite this win, regulations and social distancing meant that in-store traffic dwindled down to a fraction of what it was while cannabis demand during the pandemic skyrocketed, making delivery and curbside pickup essential. Retailers scrambled to make sure they were equipped with the solutions to empower e-commerce systems with delivery and curbside workflows and had to make sure their budtenders could use them effectively.
While brick-and-mortar locations have reopened or are reopening, marijuana delivery will likely be a long-term, growing trend, and to succeed dispensaries need to be equipped with intuitive, streamlined, and efficient systems.
What Tech Do Dispensaries Need for Marijuana Delivery?
The cannabis industry is growing exponentially and as more states legalize, the industry is transforming from an underground operation to an industry which will be worth $90 billion by 2026. So how does an industry sustain such growth in just five years? The answer is technology.
mPOP® All in One, Integrated with CDG
From sensors and data at the touch of your fingertips in cultivation, to robotic packaging in distribution warehouses, to retail management systems, your operation’s rapid growth depends on quality, scalable cloud-based technology. But what is the cloud and how does it work?
Cloud computing allows your company to run your applications without the need for physical hardware resources. Physical resources can not only become costly as you grow, but they also take up space and require engineering and physical effort to maintain efficiency. However, be aware that not every company offering a cloud-based software can automatically set your company up for major scalability and growth.
Cannalytic Data Group (CDG) for Marijuana Delivery
With its technological background and plethora of software engineers and architects, Cannalytic Data Group (CDG)– whose software is integrated with Star Micronics hardware – enhanced its existing POS system, Retail D.A.B (Daily Activities Board), with a built-in e-commerce platform which includes full curbside and delivery workflows. The solution enables dispensaries to process and assign orders, track drivers, and communicate with customers from the same system that their budtenders use for in-store clients. It also means that dispensaries know their inventory, sales numbers, and data are always accurate and don’t need to be reconciled from another system.
Successful Software Needs Successful Hardware
That’s where Star comes in. CDG proudly integrates its software tools with a variety of Star hardware including the all-in-one mPOP®, TSP654IISK linerless label printer, Value Series Cash Drawers, and more.
The technology behind CDG’s Retail D.A.B is built on the foundation of helping your business scale rapidly and access insights immediately. CDG does this by running its applications through Kubernetes (K8), an open-source system for automating deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. This means that Retail D.A.B runs on a system designed on the same principles that allows Google to run billions of applications a week, allowing increased scale without increasing dispensaries’ operations teams.
Are you interested in experiencing CDG’s all-in-one POS and delivery module system?
The economy is reopening, and consumers are excited to attend events and sports games. When visiting a large sports stadium or entertainment arena, you often find long lines for food and merchandise during half-time or intermissions. The people attending these professional sports games or concerts paid good money to see their team play or favorite artist perform, and they don’t want to miss a thing. This puts a huge amount of pressure on the employees working the concession stands or merchandise shops to complete the customer’s order as quickly as possible. A lot of this workflow plays into the stadium point of sale (POS) system being used. Here are 6 “must-haves” when looking for a stadium POS system.
1. Intuitive Software
First and foremost, you will need an easy-to-use and intuitive stadium POS software. Depending on how often a team plays in the stadium or how many performances take place per year, stadium employees tend to work more sporadically compared to your standard restaurant or retail employee. This means that stadiums need a POS system that concession and merchandise shop employees can pick up quickly with little to no training.
Some other key features to look for in stadium POS software are:
The ability to offer ordering in a variety of ways: in-queue, in-seat, or mobile
Mobile wallet payment acceptance
Loyalty programs and benefits
Detailed inventory management
Operational insights
Cash management and hawker support
2. Back-of-House Support
While people rarely see what goes on behind the scenes at stadium concession stands, it’s important to make sure that your stadium POS manages the back-of-house just as well as it manages your transactions.
A variety of tools – from inventory management and menu management to fan data and back-end analytics – can help you to make sure you never run out of stock during a big event. By having access to analytics that can be reported day-to-day, you can make sure that your concession menu appeals to your audience for a particular game or event.
3. Varied Payment Support
When you have a packed stadium with a mile-long line of customers, you simply do not have time to fuss over payment methods. In a high-pressure, high-volume environment such as sport and entertainment stadiums, you need to get your customers through the line as quickly as possible.
One of the best ways to ensure a quick and seamless transaction is to make sure your POS system supports a multitude of payment methods. Did you know that it is estimated that by 2023, there will be 80.1 million near field communication (NFC) mobile payment users? Now, with more people adopting mobile wallets, you will see more and more retailers and concession stands accepting NFC payments at major sports arenas. Make sure that when your customer is set with their order and ready to pay, that whatever form of payment they choose will be accepted at your point of sale.
4. Mobile Ordering
One ordering method that’s rapidly gaining popularity in sports entertainment properties is mobile ordering. During major sports games and concerts, people don’t want to leave their seat and risk missing a big play or their favorite song. Many stadiums are adopting a mobile ordering method where fans can order food or drinks on their mobile device and either have it delivered to their seat, or go grab it when it is ready. Fans don’t have to miss a thing and concession employees don’t have to deal with a line of angry customers. It’s a win for everyone!
5. Reliable Hardware
In fast-paced environments such as stadium concession stands and merchandise shops, employees don’t have time to deal with flaky hardware. They need their receipt printers to print and their cash drawers to open every time a transaction is completed, and they need hardware that will withstand the high volume of transactions. Appetize and Star Micronics have teamed up to create a complete stadium POS solution that combines intuitive software and reliable hardware peripherals.
The Appetize-Star solution includes:
The Star Micronics TSP654IIBi, a reliable, high-performance Bluetooth-connected desktop receipt printer
You can find the Appetize and Star Micronics bundled POS solutions in major sports and live entertainment locations including the Golden 1 Center (home of the Sacramento Kings), U.S. Bank Stadium (home of the Minnesota Vikings), over 40 Live Nation properties, and many more.
6. Health & Safety Products
In this day and age, health and safety are a priority. Many people are ready to venture back into the world for some fun, but they of course want to minimize the spread of illness.
Stadiums and event venues can keep their guests feeling safe and confident with the right health and safety products. Examples of these solutions including sneeze guards at the point of sale, antimicrobial covers on surfaces like door handles and railings, and tamper-proof labels to secure the food and beverages guests order from their seats.
Health & Safety Solutions Brochure
Discover which solutions can keep your business squeaky clean and help customers feel confident at your brick-and-mortar location.
*Disclaimer: NeverGerms® makes no claims regarding the safety or health of the general public or those interacting with its products. “NeverGerms®” and “Touch Less Germs®” are registered trademarks and not intended to have literal interpretation. NeverGerms products are manufactured by NeverGerms and distributed by Star Micronics. Although these products are designed to reduce microbe populations on commonly-utilized surfaces and have been tested by the manufacturer for their antimicrobial properties, Star Micronics cannot guarantee that they will eliminate all risk of germ, including virus, transfer from such surfaces. Star Micronics, as distributor, relies entirely upon claims made by manufacturer as supported by prior research. For further information, please visit www.nevergerms.com.
It’s hard to believe that RSPA RetailNOW 2021 was already two weeks ago, but the memory of it is still fresh here at Star Micronics. After the unprecedented year that 2020 was, I was very grateful to attend RetailNOW this year. Whether you want to reminisce, or perhaps you missed the show and want to catch up, read on to explore my key takeaways from RetailNOW 2021.
More VARs Registered Than in 2019!
And what an accomplishment that is! The show’s successful VAR registration rate is most certainly a nod to the RSPA’s rich digital education and resources, including Community Roundtables and Panels, and of course the RSPA Blog.
RSPA Academy Excelerate
This new, education program was developed by the RSPA, with the help of their members, so you know it’s going to be good! With a curriculum that is specific to the retail IT channel, Excelerate participants will learn tips about sales, cybersecurity, customer service, recruiting and hiring, and more. Better yet, the program is free to all RSPA members and is live now!
The Cannabis Boom
Not surprisingly given how hot of a market it is, cannabis was a hit at the show with its own education track, and there was an impressive turnout at the Cannabis Community Welcome Reception.
Keynote: Jon Taffer of Bar Rescue
There’s no denying it: the keynote session by Jon Taffer of “Bar Rescue” was a blast. If you haven’t seen it, “Bar Rescue” is a TV show where a select bar/restaurant is remodeled in four days. That’s right: an entire establishment undergoes recon, redesign, order placement operations, menu redesign, and a reopening – in four days!
Not only was Jon entertaining, but he also made some great points including:
Why people fail: Simply put, Jon reminded us that most people fail because of making excuses. He advised that instead of being in denial, own your excuses and own your failure.
“The Click”: In this instance, “the click” refers to when shoppers turn from purchasing goods or food in-store, to purchasing online. Jon explains that the goal should not be to follow “the click,” but to give people a reason – through wonderful and immersive shopping experiences – to not use “the click.”
Reaction Management: You know what they say: first impressions are everything. As Jon explained, the reaction people have when their food is delivered or when they open a product is key, and is what makes repeat sales.
Women’s Network in Electronic Transactions (WNET) Event
Sponsored by RSPA’s NextGen, Women-to-Women (W2W), and Canadian Communities, the WNET event was a success. WNET’s mission is to help women in payments to achieve professional and personal success. At this event, the WNET leaders discussed include conscious inclusion and its ability to increase company success. This event was not only a standard presentation, but an interactive workshop that helped all attendees recognize their unconscious bias and how to continuously recognize and improve on them. They also gave an incredible roadmap on how to address and talk about these topics in the workplace.
The Rising Stars Podcast | RetailNOW Recap: Education, Sponsors, and Emerging Trends
Looking to learn more about RetailNOW 2021? Look no further than the Rising Stars podcast! In our episode published August 4, 2021, host Brianna Moriarty as she takes a deep dive into the hottest trends she spotted at the show, and interviews special guests including RSPA’s President and CEO, John Kirk, as well as TRG’s Adam Jatich and Worldnet Payments’ Sabina Osorio.
Technology has been evolving with the food industry for a long time, to the point where a restaurant can no longer stay competitive without it. In the past, a restaurant’s success depended on word of mouth, but today it relies on online reviews and social posts which give the business the opportunity to become globally renowned. Did you know that in addition to fueling notoriety, technology can also greatly improve restaurant operations?
Technology in Restaurants
Technology has revolutionized restaurant operations.
For example, mobile point of sale (POS) systems like Square, delivery applications like Uber Eats, and kiosks like those from Curbngo are user-friendly and built to improve both the user experience and operational efficiency. Not only do these tools enable restaurants to offer better, faster services but they also allow them to provide new services that they may not have been able to offer on their own. For instance, prior to delivery apps not many restaurants were able to offer delivery. Now with the help of this technology, they all can deliver and even expand to new areas outside of their neighborhoods. They share customers and drivers with all other restaurants, and they don’t have to worry about how to find those customers, or how to manage the drivers.
An unexpected additional benefit of these technologies is that they have helped the industry survive the COVID-19 pandemic. Just imagine if these technologies weren’t available when the pandemic started; the impact to restaurant businesses and the food industry caused by lockdowns would have been much greater.
Single Flow: The Restaurant Operations Answer to Technology-Related Growing Pains
This evolution of technology has also brought challenges to some restaurant owners. To serve more customers restaurants are signing up for more delivery platforms, but this can come with a high price tag during busy hours when multiple orders arrive at the same time through multiple online platforms. It makes it even more difficult when, at the same time, customers are ordering at the restaurant through the POS. Staff may have a hard time writing down and manually tracking orders, something that will impact performance and, as a result, the restaurant’s reviews.
In reality, this commotion is not a result of using the technology, but rather a mismanagement of the technology. With proper planning and the right approach, multiple ordering channels can easily be managed. One such approach is by creating a proper workflow, known as a “Single Flow,” in which all orders from all platforms seamlessly flow to the kitchen and back to the customer.
Single Flow Basics
Operational efficiency is the key to remaining competitive in any industry. This can only be achieved by establishing an efficient workflow that can easily be followed by all employees. The specifics of the flow differ from business-to-business, but its supporting principle is the same across all businesses: to operate as efficiently as possible by maintaining the desired cost and quality.
You can think of a single flow like the triangle diagram below. You can only provide the best customer experience when you are operating efficiently, maintaining product quality, and operating efficiently by utilizing the right technology.
What Does Single Flow Look Like for Restaurants?
A restaurant’s single flow looks like the circle below. It’s simple, streamlined, and starts and ends at the customer, with the focus being on the efficiency of the operation. The customer orders the food through a delivery platform like Uber Eats, on the restaurant’s website, or at the restaurant (dine-in or takeout). The ordering platform notifies the kitchen of the new order, then kitchen staff prepare and package the food, and hand it over to the person who delivers the food to the customer. This can be a food delivery driver or staff handing it to the customer in the restaurant.
The top portion of the graph (in green) requires less of the restaurant’s energy because the delivery platforms and their associated technologies are already providing the required efficiency for this phase.
The bottom portion of the graph is the operational center of a restaurant and where the efficiency focus should be, from streamlining order notifications reaching the kitchen staff to food preparation and packaging.
There are two ways to tackle conquering this portion of the Single Flow:
Using an aggregator platform that combines all the delivery platforms and the POS into one single platform.
Using one, or multiple, Star Micronics thermal printers.
Both options come with their own pros and cons but what’s common between the two is the need for a reliable and compatible printer.
A 3-inch wide, high-resolution (200+ dpi) order has to be available to the kitchen staff as soon as it’s made by the customer on a platform, whether the order originates on a delivery app or the restaurant’s POS. Once the restaurant gets busy, orders can get mixed up and even missed, making negative, damaging customer reviews more likely to occur. A Star Micronics thermal printer, like the TSP143III or a TSP654II equipped with CloudPRNT technology, can make a huge difference.
Option 1: Aggregators
There are many aggregators available in the market. They all offer different features, settings, and benefits, but one advantage they all have in common is the streamlining of order notifications to the kitchen. This is a huge plus for a high-traffic takeout restaurant.
These aggregators also offer their disadvantages. The most common disadvantage is their monthly fees. Depending on the features and technologies being offered, this can vary from $50 per month to $250 per month. Please note that if you choose to use an aggregator, you will still need to purchase a thermal printer to deliver orders to the kitchen.
Option 2: Thermal Printers
A simple, affordable single flow solution is the use of thermal printers. Some thermal printers, like those from Star Micronics, offer a variety of benefits like:
High-quality and high-performance
Integrations with virtually all well-known delivery platforms and POS software in North America
A reliable Ethernet (LAN) interface which allows one Star Micronics printer to support unlimited applications/platforms as long as those applications/platforms support the LAN interface and the printer APIs. (For example, Shopify, Uber Eats, and Ritual support the TSP143IIILAN, so a restaurant with Shopify as its POS, and Ritual and Uber Eats as its ordering apps, would only need one TSP143IIILAN printer in its kitchen to print all orders from all these platforms without a need for an aggregator)
Cloud printing technology, like CloudPRNT, enabling users to print directly through a cloud service
Order Preparation and Packaging
The two options mentioned above will take care of the notification portion of the single flow, but order preparation and packaging are also very important. If one of the two options above is implemented, then this part can easily be resolved by utilizing a printed receipt or label. For example, a liner-free label printed by the TSP654IISK printer can be used to adhere order information and modifications to the food from the prep line to the pickup counter. Better yet, it can be removed and reapplied without leaving any residue behind, further streamlining the process.
Using Technology to Boost Business
In conclusion, the right technology can make a huge difference in improving a business’s operational efficiency. The two options above (an aggregator or the use of thermal printers) are equally effective at delivering order notifications to a kitchen, but one might carry more weight compared to other based on a business’s needs. For instance, an aggregator offering menu management for a restaurant with multiple menus would likely be the most efficient option. Vice versa, a high-traffic, single-menu restaurant would likely benefit from multiple high-speed thermal printers more than anything else.
Minunat’s Smart Business Solutions
Looking for a solution provider to help you streamline your restaurant’s operations? Minunat can help. They are a business IT solution providers focused and specialized in POS and kiosk solutions for bars, restaurants, and cafes. Check out the Minunat website to find the right hardware for your application or contact them now for a free consultation for your business.
Welcome to the Star Software Update, the regular series of blog updates where Star’s Integration Team informs you about the latest important Star Micronics software updates.
What’s New:
Star Micronics has released the firmware update (version 1.9.2) for the CloudPRNT interface (IFBD-HI01X/HI02X).
This versatile interface provides intelligent printing for cloud-based retail, logistics and hospitality applications, enabling unmatched flexibility for remote receipt and remote order printing using a standard receipt printer.
What is Included in the Update?
New Wi-Fi adapter support has been added to the interface during this update. Supported Wi-Fi dongle models include:
EDIMAX EW-7811UN V2
TRENDnet TEW-648UBM V2.0R
ASUS USB-AC53 Nano
D-Link DWA-182 HW Ver:D1
Learn more about CloudPRNT in the below video:
Next Steps
This firmware can be updated in the web settings interface for the IFBD-HI01X/HI02X.
With expanding arms and VESA mounting, this universal enclosure is the ultimate future-proof tablet solution.
Somerset, NJ – July 29, 2021 – Star Micronics, a leading manufacturer of mobile, point of sale (POS), and customer engagement technologies, is excited to announce the release its Universal mEnclosure universal tablet enclosure designed for tablet-based systems including point of sale, retail digital displays, kiosk stands, meeting room time management, and more.
With expanding arms and VESA mounting, the Universal mEnclosure effortlessly accommodates multiple sizes and types of tablets. Designed to be future-proof, the enclosure works with all industry stands and mounts, as well as the Star-exclusive mUnite tablet stand and nearly any tablet including Android, iOS, and Windows tablets ranging in size from 232mm x 169mm (iPad Air 2 9.7) to 280mm x 214mm (iPad Pro 12.9).
The Universal mEnclosure allows the tablet to be mounted horizontally or vertically, and when paired with an mUnite stand the cashier can flip the tablet for customer use. Additionally, the enclosure’s locking arms combined with a single-key design help to secure the tablet and prevent theft. Available in a sleek black finish, the enclosure features clean cable management that hides the messy look of cables as well as a felt layer to prevent the back of the tablet from being scratched.
“The Star team prioritizes helping small businesses simplify and optimize their operations, and the Universal mEnclosure rings true to that mission,” said Jon Levin, Director of Product Management at Star Micronics. “With our new enclosure, businesses no longer need to buy a new enclosure every time they purchase a new tablet or spend time finding the right enclosure for their generation of tablet, saving them valuable time and money.”
Paired with Star’s mPOP® and TSP143III, C-Trax offers retailers a one-stop shop software solution for cannabis and hemp businesses
Somerset, NJ – July 27, 2021 – Star Micronics, a leading manufacturer of mobile, point of sale (POS), and customer engagement technologies, is proud to announce that C-Trax has added support for the Star’s mPOP® and TSP143III. C-Trax offers an ERP solution for industrial hemp business to manage sales, payments, staff, customers, and inventory, all in one place.
C-Trax cannabis software brings integrated payment solutions to the cannabis industry and allows retailers to manage customer loyalty, inventory, product compliance, and customer marketing while providing the flexibility to choose their own payments partner. The software features hardware-free functionality, easy onboarding, customer check-in, franchise loyalty, digital payments, business analytics, e-commerce integration, and inventory health.
With the integration of Star’s mPOP, C-Trax provides a complete all-in-one solution to cannabis retailers. The mPOP combines a receipt printer and cash drawer and features compatibility with iOS devices. Its slick and distinctive aesthetic, paired with its unique Flat Bill cash management makes it ideal for modern and professional cannabis retailers. By using Star’s TSP143III, C-Trax offers hemp retailers high-speed printing, unique Print Flat technology, and Lightning connection for simultaneous charging and data transfer.
“C-Trax is excited to partner with Star Micronics to meet our customers’ needs,” said Sean Tolliver, CEO of C-Trax. “The superior hardware components integrate seamlessly with our platform for an ideal experience for retailers and customers alike.”
Legal cannabis sales in the United States alone are expected to exceed $30 billion as soon as 2022. Needless to say, optimizing your dispensary and retaining customers is critical in such a hot, growing market. If you’re stressed about how to keep your customers coming back for more, don’t fret. You can use something you already have – your point of sale (POS) – to do just that.
What is a POS?
A POS is the time and place where merchant-customer transactions are completed. The system includes both hardware and software, and calculates the amount owed by the shopper, communicates that amount to the customer, presents payment options, facilitates payment, and provides a receipt. It is also commonly used for essential business functions including inventory management and sales reporting. But really, a POS goes beyond those basic functions and can be used to engage shoppers, improve brand loyalty, and remain compliant, among other tasks.
How Dispensary POS Improves Customer Experience
For dispensaries, POS systems are used for much more than payment processing. In fact, they can play an integral role in improving the customer experience by helping dispensaries:
Provide a professional checkout experience: Creating a professional environment is of utmost importance to dispensaries. Unfortunately, there is a history of stigmatization of the marijuana-purchasing experience, but luckily your POS can help you fight that. With a sleek, professional, and modern POS, your hardware seems “real,” and to many, “real” hardware is synonymous with a “real” transaction. Unlike untracked digital Venmo or CashApp transactions, customers feel confident and reassured when purchasing at a physical POS terminal.
Leverage customer data: A huge benefit of your POS system is its ability to maintain up-to-date customer information like purchase history, shopping preferences, birthdays, and more. You can then use this data to offer relevant promotions to shoppers for the strains they like, sending birthday discounts, suggesting new items they might enjoy, and more.
Remain compliant: Compliance is key. Cannabis is a highly regulated market, and the receipts produced by your POS system are a must. As we explored in a previous Star blog post, receipt printers are integral for every dispensary as they provide proof legal purchase.
What to include on a cannabis receipt? While required information varies by region, some common items to include are store name and address, product category/name, and the appropriate tax code/identifier.
Successful Software Needs Successful Hardware
That’s where Star comes in. CDG proudly integrates its software tools with a variety of Star hardware including the all-in-one mPOP®, TSP654IISK linerless label printer, Value Series Cash Drawers, and more.
To engage with customers is to create memories with them, and being memorable means a greater chance that they will return to your dispensary. Customer engagement is a multifaceted feat, but your POS can help you tackle multiple tactics within that journey. Here’s how:
Confidence
As we discussed above, customers want to feel secure in their shopping experience. A shopper is far more likely to return to a business where they felt confident in the safety of both their product and personal information, versus one where they felt unsure and unsafe. A professional checkout experience provided by a proper POS system can build that trust by providing a secure transaction and proof of legal purchase via printed and digital receipts.
Reliability
As ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus once said, “Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.” In other words, time is money and if you waste your customer’s time, you can pretty much count on them not returning. Luckily, the right POS can help you avoid that situation. A reliable system will consistently stay connected to the internet, meaning no downtime or network issues. Providing a smooth transaction process gives your staff more time to engage in meaningful discussion with customers and builds consumer confidence in your establishment, meaning a greater chance of repeat business.
Loyalty
According to bigcommerce.com, 92% of consumers believe suggestions from friends and family more than advertising, and 74% of consumers identify word of mouth as a key influencer in their purchasing decisions. Simply put, customers tell others about their great shopping experiences, and your POS can help you provide a memorable, buzzworthy encounter.
Beyond providing a seamless purchase, your POS can also provide customized promotions to boost customer engagement and retention. For example, with PromoPRNT, Star printers can print customized messages directly on the bottom of receipts for free. These messages can promote upcoming sales, new strains, “strain of the week,” e-commerce sites, delivery services, loyalty programs, now hiring messaging, social media accounts, and more.
Drive Customer Engagement with C-Trax
Now that you understand the importance of POS when it comes to customer engagement, retention, and satisfaction, how do you choose a POS system that will help you succeed?
Star is proud to partner with C-Trax, one of the industry’s best cannabis software POS providers and the first cannabis software solution bringing integrated payments to retail and wholesale.
C-Trax started in 2019 after its founder visited a dispensary in Las Vegas and had an unbecoming checkout experience. That moment motivated C-Trax to build software aimed at solving bad customer checkout experiences and contributing to a positive, memorable shopping trip instead.
You can find C-Trax software in the Southeast United States and beyond. Designed for CBD retailers, the solution features the Star Micronics mPOP® receipt printer/cash drawer combo which is seamlessly integrated with both C-Trax software and popular payment platforms like Square. Other C-Trax features include:
On-screen customer buying history and product preference
Back office management of analytics, orders, inventory, and roles
On-demand data analytics reporting including average ticket pricing, sales percentages across categories, vendor affinity across budtenders, and more
Integrations with Square, Shopify, QuickBooks, Mailchimp, and more
Learn more about the all-in-one mPOP in the below video:
Interested in C-Trax cannabis POS software? Contact them now to learn more or schedule a demo.
As a reseller in the point of sale (POS) industry, it’s becoming increasingly important to not just sell products, but to be a full solution provider and trusted adviser to your customers. Besides being the one your customers turn to for all things tech, being a trusted advisor also means you must always be identifying new selling opportunities. A benefit of this can, of course, be boosted margins. In today’s blog post, explore five portable receipt printer opportunities to help you move deeper into accounts while also thickening your wallet.
1. Tableside Restaurant Payments
Pay-at-the-table is gaining popularity, and for good reason. Touch-free tableside payments – which eliminate back-and-forth handling of cards or cash – boast multiple benefits, including:
Higher table turn rate: The traditional payment process, involving a waitstaff member running back and forth from the table to the POS terminal, can be lengthy, and of course, time means money in the restaurant world. Speeding up the payment process can really pay off (pun intended): according to Hospitality Technology, moving from three to four table turns per shift can increase revenue by 20-25%.
Less identity theft: Unfortunately, card skimming occasionally occurs within the hospitality industry, namely when cards are with servers and out of the sight of customers for several minutes. The possibility of identity theft is greatly reduced if a customer instead pays tableside.
Increased tips: Pay-at-the-table is undoubtedly a faster, smoother process than traditional back-and-forth payments. This improved experience often times means increased tips for servers. According to the Los Angeles Times, Olive Garden waitstaff using mobile payment tablets saw a 15% increase in tips.
Help your customers offer seamless, profitable pay-at-the-table options by providing the ideal portable receipt printer.
2. On-the-Road Services: Field Service, Landscaping, Taxi
Another opportune industry for selling portable printers is any business that needs to complete transactions on-the-go. Examples of this include field services like telecommunications, HVAC, pest control, and contracting; landscaping; and taxi services. While these all provide very different services, they have one thing in common: they need fast, reliably connected receipt printers to keep their customers happy and their revenue flowing. Help them reach those goals by providing the right portable receipt printer.
3. Concession Sales at Stadiums, Parks, and Event Venues
The days of getting up from your seat at a sports game or concert to go stand in a long line for a snack or beverage are ending. Mobile and in-seat sales of concessions at stadiums, parks, and event venues are on the rise, and offer many benefits like:
Reduced venue congestion
Faster turnaround
No waiting in long lines, meaning guests have more fun
Enhanced customer experience via mobile payment acceptance and integrated loyalty programs
Getting pulled over and receiving a ticket is on fun, but one thing that makes it even less fun is a long wait. Help police officers quickly and safely provide tickets and citations with the right portable printer. Not just any mobile printer will do, however; be sure to offer a printer that is rugged and built to last, can print 4”-wide documents, and is available with accessories like belt clips, shoulder straps, and car chargers.
4” Rugged with MSR, Receipts, Labels & More Bluetooth
5. Every Corner of the Retail Store
The usage of mobile printers in retail stores seems virtually endless. From big-box stores to specialty retailers and salons, portable printers have a place in nearly every brick-and-mortar establishment. Examples of mobile printer usage in retail stores include:
Line-busting: One of the most obvious portable printer use cases in retail is line-busting. By implementing mobile checkout locations within the store, shoppers can avoid waiting in long lines, pay at a more convenient location, and be on their way faster.
In-aisle labeling: A portable printer that can also print labels is the perfect solution for workers who need to label product in-aisle.
Online order preparation: BOPIS (buy-online-pickup-in-store) is booming. In fact, according to Shopify, nearly 60% of consumers are interested in BOPIS-type shopping options, and 64% are opting for BOPIS more often than before the pandemic started. A portable printer can help workers prepare BOPIS orders by easily printing receipts and labels on-the-go in the store as they assemble orders.
3” Receipts & Sticky Labels USB, Bluetooth, Apple BLE
The Future is Mobile
While mobile transactions and processes aren’t new, their speed, seamlessness, and integration with modern payments and devices are increasingly important in a variety of industries. As a reseller, it’s pertinent that you stay up-to-date on trends such as these to remain a trusted advisor and to maximize your profits. The right portable printers, like those from Star, can help you do just that.
Boost Your Business with Star’s Portable Printers
Boost your business by offering Star Micronics portable printers! Star is proud to offer a full line of portable, wireless receipt printers that are compatible with Bluetooth, Android, and iOS iPad and iPhone devices. Capable of printing receipts, labels, tickets, and more, the portable printers are ideal for retail, hospitality, parks and stadiums, police, food trucks, landscaping, pest control, field service, and more.
Ready to learn even more about Star’s line of portable printers?
