Tag: Retail

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
5 Ways to Motivate Retail Store Staff and Keep Morale High
Picture this:

It’s just a normal Tuesday and you arrive at your shop. Your spirits are high and you are looking forward to your day. You step through the door and your cashier is on her phone. Another employee is lounging to the side. There is no sense of enthusiasm or motivation. There are no positive interactions with your customers. Your mood immediately changes and, suddenly, you realize that this is affecting your store’s sales.

Motivation, the state or condition of being motivated or having a strong reason to act or accomplish something. In 2017, it was reported that 51% of employees in the United States are not motivated. With the lack of motivation, about 70% of Americans do not feel engaged at their job. Why? There is a science to motivation that needs to be understood in order to keep employees engaged in their daily work.

Let’s first understand why it is so hard to stay motivated. As said by Forbes, there are three main mental reasons as to why it is so hard to remain motivated:
1. “I have to”
2. “I don’t feel right about this”
3. “I can’t do this”
Basically, motivation is determined by how your employees view a situation. So, how can you keep your staff motivated besides their paycheck? Take a look at these five tactics!

1. Employee Training

We get it, this sounds boring. Nobody actually wants to sit through training, right? Wrong. Employee training sessions may have a bad rap for being boring, however, when done correctly, can be fun and engaging. For starters, Myagi suggests utilizing quizzes and follow-up questions to bring about friendly competition to your employees and increase participation and memory retention. Additionally, get your employees to present their ideas to one another. You never know what tricks they may have up their sleeves.

2. Listen

Such a simple concept, yet so effective. Think about your personal experiences. Don’t you feel more valued when your boss listens to what you are saying? Listening to your employees’ thoughts, concerns and ideas is crucial in allowing staff to feel involved. Showing employees that their insights are valued and appreciated guarantee a high morale and motivated work environment.

3. Advancement Opportunities

Knowing that you are working to achieve a goal is motivating. The goal is especially motivating if it leads to more opportunities to advance within the business. By offering these opportunities, you give your staff the encouragement to work to the best of their abilities.

4. Incentives

Incentives are a fun, simple, solution to keep staff members motivated. Don’t worry, your incentives do not need to be expensive. They can be as simple a gift card to Starbucks. Let’s be honest, most people love prizes, so why not give your employees a reward for a job well done?

5. Be an Effective Leader

Show that you’re passionate about your role. Be excited about your business’s goals. Nothing is more motivating than a leader who wants to succeed with their staff. However, passion is not solely what makes an effective leader. Take a look Peter Economy’s 10 powerful habits that leaders should practice:
1. Confidence
2. Persuasive communication
3. The ability to be sensitive and responsive
4. Determined
5. Supportive
6. Distinguished
7. Responsible
8. Optimistic
9. Honesty
10. Organized
Takeaway

Motivation is mental and the mind is strong. With the mind being such a powerful tool, one must learn how to interact with their staff in order to encourage a positive and productive workday. Motivated retail associates directly translate into better customer service and thus increased in-store sales.

Learn More
July 18, 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
The SMB Guide to Retail Promotions

The weather is getting warmer and school’s almost over for the year. SMBs are shifting gears for summer months, lining the shelves with warm weather merchandise. Customers are ready for some fun in the sun, but they’re looking for deals to affordably stock up for summer camp and trips to the beach.

E-commerce sales have outpaced brick-and-mortar store growth, but effective retail promotions will help you compete with online goliaths. It’s important to focus on your existing customer base because marketing experts agree that it’s less expensive to retain customers than it is to acquire new ones. How much exactly? According to the Harvard Business Review, it ranges from 5 to 25 times more expensive to attract a new customer than it is to generate repeat business.

Brick-and-mortar stores still have the upper hand over online competitors when it comes to instant gratification and the face-to-face service experiences that shoppers crave. Supercharge these advantages by combining them with effective retail promotions that draw in foot traffic, giving customers can’t-miss reasons for wanting to shop in your store.

1. Discount Promotions

It’s natural to think that the easiest way to give sales figures a boost is to run discount promotions however, it’s important to ensure there’s enough long-term value to justify the short-term discount. Bundling is a great way to encourage shoppers to spend more money. Couple related items for a discount—for example, purchase a beach towel and get a bottle of sunscreen for 50% off. Partnering less popular items at full price with discounted best sellers is a smart way to move inventory quickly while still earning a profit.

2. Utilize “Free” in Your Promotions

Free items or small “tokens of affection” can go a long way toward making shoppers feel their business is appreciated. Customers are more likely to return to your store if they feel they are being rewarded for buying items they need or value, so “buy one, get one free” can inspire shoppers to stock up. This is especially effective for special event-related merchandise that’s headed for the markdown bin after the season is over. Retail promotions such as “purchase a $100 gift card and get a $10 gift card free,” are also popular because consumers feel like they are getting a bonus with their purchase.

3. Coupons, Coupons, Coupons

Coupons are a great way to get people to try new products at a lower price, and if the product lives up to expectations, pay full price the next time. In addition, coupons like “spend $50 and take $10 off” give people an incentive to buy a few more items to reach the $50 goal, and let the shopper choose which items to purchase. Merchants can use their POS solutions to reduce the cost of printing coupons by generating offers in-store. Printing coupons on receipts allows you to reach a higher percentage of shoppers because you can be sure the customer receives it, and it gives your sales associates an additional opportunity to engage customers before they leave the store.

4. Limited-Time-Only Retail Promotions

Discounts or items that are only available for a short amount of time creates scarcity and a sense of urgency to purchase. For example, flash sales that happen between certain hours will force people to purchase in that time frame. Daily deals give the perception that the deal will last only as long as the items are in stock. Use these tactics to your advantage with summer deals.

Although the retail landscape is competitive, SMBs can employ smart retail promotions to help attract new shoppers and retain their customer base. Coupons, free products, discounts, and limited-time-only sales can make an already-great, in-store shopping experience too irresistible to pass up.

Star’s PromoPRNT allows you to easily customize promotions that print directly on receipts.

PromoPRNT

June 5, 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
5 Reasons Why SMB Retailers Should Use Easy Coupon Design Software for Promotions
Customers love a good deal—40% of shoppers will switch products to use a coupon, while 60% of mobile coupon users are willing to change brands to cash in a promotion. Discounts and free products are a great way to build brand loyalty and thank customers for their business. However, running a coupon campaign isn’t inexpensive. The good news is merchants can reduce the cost of coupon design software by generating offers on receipts and engaging customers at the point of sale (POS) terminal.

For retailers who prefer to create visually appealing printed coupons to distribute to a wider audience, there is easy-to-use coupon design software that is an easy-to-use alternative to shelling out money for a more expensive campaign.

1. Quick and easy coupon design

Retailers can use their POS systems to generate coupons and surveys on the receipts they already distribute. Merchants can choose from coupon design software templates, promotions and surveys to customize their receipts, giving them the ability to advertise and run promotions at their checkouts.

Coupons should include a few simple elements to be effective.
- The store’s logo and a picture
- Easy-to-read text that conveys the intent
- A call to action that tells people how to redeem the coupon
- The retailers address, phone number and webpage
1. Remote promotion management across locations

If you want to generate a coupon or survey via receipt, owners and managers can use the tools in their POS. Simply choose a template, customize it and then send the settings to the printers. The coupon design software can be deployed to every store printer from your desk, home or another computer.

3. Customer communication

Your receipt can be a direct channel of communication with your customers. Train staff to highlight coupons or offers and tell customers about them before they leave the store. A customer satisfaction survey that invites feedback is also a valuable tool. Surveys can help you understand your customers’ needs and evaluate employee performance.

4. Customer retention and loyalty

Issuing coupons or discounts is a great way to generate goodwill with your customers because it makes them feel their business is appreciated. Customers are more likely to return to your store if they feel they are being rewarded for buying items they need anyway, even if they can get it online or at another store for less.

5. Increase profit margins

Printing coupons and brand messaging on customer receipts allow you to reach a higher percentage of shoppers for less money than a print or digital campaign. And unlike a print or email campaign, you can be sure your target audience receives the message or coupon. This is especially effective if you are looking to introduce a new product or service—the 2K17 Valassis Coupon Intelligence Report revealed that 86% of people said that they were persuaded to purchase a new product because they had a coupon for it. And once people try something at a discount and like it, they are more willing to pay full price in the future.

Coupons are a great way to add value to your customers and make them feel appreciated. Retailers that print and distribute coupons on receipts can save money on marketing and reap the same benefits of a costly digital or print campaign. Leverage the easy-to-use coupon design software that is available to you.

Discover Why You Shouldn’t Underestimate Coupons as a Promotional Tool in our Free eBook!

Download eBook
April 7, 2018
Star Micronics to Showcase New mPOS Solutions at 2017 RSPA RetailNOW

Somerset, NJ – July 31, 2017 – Star Micronics, leading provider of point of sale and proof of transaction technology, will be exhibiting new solutions at the 2017 RSPA RetailNOW expo at booth #707.

The show will be held from August 6^th through August 8^th at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. RetailNOW® is one of RSPA’s signature events, billed as “the place where the industry meets” with over 170 exhibitors.

Star Micronics will be showcasing a number of our newest mPOS peripherals and solutions including the mPOP™ with new peripheral options, TSP100IIIU, and SM-L300 portable printer, all compatible with Star Cloud Services digital receipt and customer engagement solutions.

mPOP™

Star Micronics has upgraded our popular all-in-one mPOP to add even more functionality. Now the mPOP will support a number of peripheral options including a 1D or 2D bar code reader, a customer-facing line display, three NTEP legal-for-trade point of sale scales, and an additional cash drawer. Users can now transform their mPOP into a complete point of sale hub, while still saving space.

TSP100IIIU

Star Micronics will be introducing the latest version to the TSP100III series, the TSP100IIIU at RetailNOW 2017. Now offered with a simple “plug and play” USB connection, users will be able to enjoy the upgrades of the TSP100III series including faster print speed and a paper de-curl mechanism that provides a flat receipt, even when the receipt paper is at the end of its roll. The TSP100III also facilitates data communication and device charging using only one lightning cable for iOS users.

SM-L300

The brand new SM-L300 is Star’s first Bluetooth low energy receipt, label, and MAXStick® portable printer. The SM-L300 is Bluetooth (3.0/4.0) compatible with all operating systems including Windows, Android™, and iOS, and is equipped with a receipt de-curl function and easy “drop-in and print” paper loading.

Star Micronics is also proud to host our partners: CAP Software, Weigh & Pay Solutions, TouchBistro, GreenBits, AppSuite, Appetize, eMobilePOS, and Vend. Visit booth #707 for demonstrations of our partners’ POS software solutions with Star POS and mPOS peripherals.

September 28, 2017
Star Micronics adds CloudPRNT Support for TSP700II, TSP800II, and SP700 Printers

Somerset, NJ – June 26, 2017 – Star Micronics, leading provider of point of sale and proof of transaction technology, is proud to announce that they have added CloudPRNT support for their TSP700II and TSP800II thermal printers and SP700 impact printer. These Star printers will retrieve and print orders from any online ordering service integrating Star’s communication protocol.

Star’s CloudPRNT technology provides benefits to both restaurants and retail stores alike by eliminating the need for an extra tablet to send an online order to the printer. Instead, the ordering service will be able to communicate directly to the printer.

Star’s TSP700II label and receipt printer will allow pizzerias or coffee shops to accept and print an online order receipt or label to stick directly on the pizza box or coffee cup for take-out or delivery orders. For industries outside of food service, the TSP800II wide-format (4” wide) thermal printer will allow delivery services to print labels on the go directly through the cloud from a smartphone or mobile device.

Finally, the SP700 is Star’s most durable printing solution for kitchens. It is designed specifically to work in environments where heat and humidity can erode the type on the kitchen order. Paired with Star’s CloudPRNT communication protocol, restaurants can receive and print online orders directly to the SP700 kitchen printer to be prepared for pick-up or delivery.

These CloudPRNT supported printers also offer an intelligent interface to support POS functionality along with the online order system. The TSP700IIcloudPRNT and TSP800IIcloudPRNT are also compatible with Star Cloud Services, allowing users to offer their customers digital receipts through the AllReceipts™ app, and to engage with their customers for free.

September 27, 2017
Star Micronics Releases Peripheral Support with the mPOP™ Mobile Point of Purchase

Somerset, NJ – June 1, 2017 – Star Micronics, leading provider of point of sale and proof of transaction technology, presents the mPOP™ with added peripheral options. Star’s mPOP now supports an optional scale, 2D bar code scanner, customer display, and external cash drawer. With these added peripherals, retailers and restaurateurs can now transform their mPOP into a complete point of sale hub to accept more versatile transactions in higher volume.

Star Micronics has integrated support for three Detecto APS scales. The APS scales supported are offered for varied use cases. The APS10 (max. 15 kg) is ideal for candy shops, delis, frozen yogurt shops, etc., where the APS20 (max. 15 kg) is better for larger items like bags of fruit and vegetables at a farmer’s market or grocery store. The APS12 (max. 160 oz.) is best in similar environments as the APS10, or any other location than prefers to measure in ounces.

Star has integrated a 2D bar code scanner for the mPOP. Now, users have the option of choosing between the Star 1D scanner and the new 2D scanner. The 2D bar code reader will be beneficial to accept coupons in the form of QR code, or access item information. In addition to 2D bar code scanner support, Star has designed a two-line, blue backlit customer display with up to 20 characters per line. With this support, the retailer can not only show the customer their transaction price, but they can also add advertising messages for when the mPOP is not being used.

Lastly, Star added a cash drawer connection port (DK port) to the mPOP™ to support an extra cash drawer. This is ideal for users who need a point of sale system with a small footprint, but still have a higher cash flow, such as a bar or deli.

June 8, 2017
Star Micronics Introduces the TSP100IIIU Thermal Receipt Printer

Somerset, NJ – May 15, 2017 – Star Micronics, leading provider of point of sale and proof of transaction technology, is proud to introduce the newest addition to the TSP100III series, the TSP100IIIU. Already offered with LAN, WLAN, or Bluetooth interface, Star Micronics is now offering the TSP100III with simple USB connectivity for intuitive use and easy integration.

Users will be able to enjoy the upgrades of the TSP100III series including faster print speed and a paper de-curl mechanism that provides a flat receipt, even when the receipt paper is at the end of its roll. Star Micronics has also brought back the power switch on this upgraded version of the TSP100IIIU, so business owners can shut down their printer and save power when closing shop. With its simple “plug and play” connectivity, and its new USB serial number feature, the PC will detect the TSP100IIIU on its Windows platform using any USB port. Star Micronics has also added product serial numbers to all of our TSP100IIIU printers for easy asset management.

With included internal power supply, power cables, complete mounting kits, and paper roll, the TSP100IIIU is the perfect printer for any mPOS bundle. As an upgrade of Star’s TSP100ECO printer, the TSP100IIIU can seamlessly replace your old printer to offer faster speed and increased reliability. It offers a small form factor and prints up to 43 receipts per minute (RPM) with “drop-in & print” paper loading for thin paper support and a guillotine auto-cutter. The TSP100IIIU is also compatible with Star Cloud Services, allowing users to offer their customers digital receipts through the AllReceipts^™ app, and to engage with their customers for free.

June 8, 2017