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The results of a recent survey indicates retailers that deploy pop-up / store mobile retail solutions are seeing over 100% growth in sales. Retailers using mobile retail systems to enhance their customer experience and assist with fast checkouts are projected to see an increase of 146% sales growth in 2018.
The survey findings also revealed that retailers who are deploying Mobile POS successfully saw a 24% average increase in sales in 2017, over retailers who don’t implement mobility in their stores. Additionally, retailers that are underperforming with flat or declining growth – who reported deploying store Mobile POS – saw a 100% increase in sales for 2017, and predict another 47% growth.
These increases in sales may be attributed to the personalised experience of shoppers interacting with an in-store assistants through mobile devices. Moreover, sales assistants can complete the purchase during the point of conversation as customers shop, offering the opportunity for associates to upsell and cross-sell merchandise. The opportunity that mobile POS systems and indeed mobile payment systems give sales staff cannot be underestimated. Retailers understand that creating rapport with customer is critical to closing sales and the deployment of mobile POS systems gives sales assistants the opportunity to create this rapport.
While using in-store mobile resulted in monumental opportunities for some retailers, the survey’s data also reveals many other retailers face significant challenges implementing this technology, with five common setbacks repeatedly mentioned, including:
- 75% of retailers reported not having the proper applications in place
- 60% noted lack of adequately trained staff in-store
- 59% of participants cited the scarcity of internal help desk support
- 47% surveyed stated a shortage of acceptable payment options
- 45% point out managing mobile security is complicated and demanding
eirpoint have successfully deployed mobile POS solutions for our clients (e.g. Dubarry of Ireland, Bristol Airport & Riot Games) in locations from Berlin to Boston allowing them to differentiate their site experience from competitors AND give customers an experience they will remember.
About eirpoint
eirpoint is a retail software and solutions house based in Ennis, Co. Clare, Ireland with global research in deploying innovative retail systems. The company is exclusively focussed on delivering the best retail systems to our clients including ePOS, mobile POS, e-commerce solutions and stock control.
iOS Mobile Point of Sale Live in the United States
eirpoint are delighted to announce the implementation of a mobile POS solution in the US that allows the Verifone e315m mobile EMV card payment device to be used for mobile retail.
The solution is closely integrated with our cloud based retail management system that has been updated to manage US sales tax. The solution allows the mobile retail solution to move comfortable from one tax jurisdiction to the next while maintaining full and correct sales tax calculations.
The Verifone e315m is the device of choice for all US Apple retail stores and we are delighted to be able to bring this solution to all retailers wishing to give their customers a differentiated customer experience.
Many retailers jump into the World of e-commerce without considering potential pitfalls. Naively they believe that if they build an online store that their business will take an exponential upward curve. However, this is unlikely to be the case.
Retailers need to stop, sit back and consider their move into ecommerce. They need to see the opening of an online store as they would plan for the opening of another branch of their bricks and mortar estate.
Self Build or Contract
Do you go the self build route such as Shopify or contract a builder to create you an ecommerce site using a shopping cart tool such as Magento? The self build route is faster but will not scale as well as the contractor option. You must also consider if you want to own the content of your ecommerce site. In the case of Shopify you are renting the premises on a month to month basis.
Integrate or Hope
A retailer has to consider their current support and customer service chain and if the introduction of an online store will complement or disrupt these chains. As a simple example, a retailer has to seriously consider integrating their stock levels with their online store. Small to medium retailers will not have the resources to dedicate or allocate stock to their online store so they have to take stock level updates
The Payment Trap
Retailers in the offline high street World would never consider giving away 2%+ of margin to a payment processor but, for some unknown reason, they are content to pay all comers to process their online payments. There are excellent multi-channel ready payment processor that will off retailers the same rates for in-store and on-line card sales ; retailers just need to search these out and not be lead by the nose to fill the pockets of these online processors. Finally, do you want to be reconciling multiple providers of payment services? Wouldn’t it make more sense to have you offline and online payment processed by a single provider!
Showroom Proofing
The moment retailers open their online store they are inviting all comers to compare their pricing to the big players in their vertical. There is little chance of competing on price with the likes of Amazon and others so retailers have to consider how they will add real value to their offering. Retailers need to find real ways of differentiating their online store experience and service so that buyers will purchase online., remember the experience and come back for more!
At eirpointô we are experienced in delivered integrated multi-channel retail solutions. We can integration with Shopify, Magento and other shopping carts. Out multi-channel solutions link your high street and online stores in a way that ensure you do not suffer from stock outs and stock control mayhem. We have partnered with experienced multi-channel payment providers to ensure that you are not giving margin away online. Let us help you reduce of the stress and risks of opening an online store.
Go Mobile In-Store For Christmas
With the impending Christmas rush it may be time to look to new in-store mobile checkout technologies that will allow you deliver a fast and memorable check out experience. Using smartphones and tablets as part of your customer experience is now a reality for retailers. These technologies can beat the queues and give your customers a differentiated and memorable check out experience. Mobile retail solutions are now available on one device delivering both bar code scanning and card payment facilities. The technology allows retailers to combine excellent customer service without compromising on best practice.
The check out is often a source of stress and bottlenecks for customers and retailers alike. The check out presents the retailer with their last opportunity to give customers a memorable experience, be it good or bad! When sales associates are armed with mobile POS technology they do not have to walk the customer to a traditional counter check-out. The interaction away from the “counter” can help increase up-sells and cross-sells by keeping the customer close to your merchandise. Sales of out of stock items can also be managed by creating orders for delivery using the same mobile retail solution. The experience is further enhanced with e-mailed receipts thereby allowing retailer to grow their post Christmas mailing lists.
Our early adopters of this mobile retail technology have reported that in addition to increasing sales and reducing queuing, they also reported gains in labour productivity. The mobile check-out enabled staff to process more customers per hour than they would have done at traditional counter based touch screen retail systems. The close interaction between store staff armed with mobile POS and customers created new upsell opportunities. Besides shortening queues, the application changed idle time spent waiting to revenue-producing selling time. The mobile POS solution allow sales associates to create a “one-to-one” relationship with each customer thereby giving the feeling of more attention and individual service, which improves the customer experience and loyalty.
At eirpoint (www.eirpoint.com) we continuously innovating to deliver leading edge retail systems. We consider ourselves the leading authority on mobile retail solutions and have retailers using these technologies in Ireland, UK, Europe and more recently in the USA.
eirpoint mPOS integrated with Verifone e315m
We are delighted to announce that we are now able to deliver our mobile retail POS solution running on the Verifone Payware e315m solution.
Verifone’s PAYware Mobile e315 accommodates both the Apple iPhone 5 and the Apple iPod touch 5 to create the ultimate mobile POS solution. Ergonomically designed to fit comfortably within any hand, this device features a built-in PIN pad, 2D laser barcode imager and wrist strap that helps guard against dropping. Process any kind of payment – mag-stripe, NFC/contactless, EMV chip and PIN – fast with the high-speed Apple Lightning connector.
Niall Cannon, eirpoint Founder says “We welcome this new device into our family of mobile retail solutions. Delivering an integrated card payment and barcode scanning solution using one device has always been a goal of ours. Now we have a solution that can offer retailers an all-in-one scan and card payment device.”
Star have just released the World’s first Bluetooth combined 58mm printer and cash drawer offering outstanding connectivity and design, plus intuitive functionality and simple integration. mPOP works with all major mobile operating systems including Apple iOS, Android and Windows, giving Retailers the freedom to use the platform that works for them.
eirpoint have just concluded the integration of their Apple iOS mPOS solution mPoint with this unique device. The integration of both solutions gives retailers the opportunity to use an iPad or iPhone/iPod in their retail store or at pop-up retail events.
For short we refer to our Mobile Point of Sale solutions as mPOS. Our mobile point of sale (mPOS) solution allows for a non-wired, point-of-purchase payment of products or services offering a paper or electronic receipt. In addition, such systems can be used to streamline a variety of processes (i.e., queue-busting, order-taking and up-selling, bank transactions, management functions, delivery applications, event, travel traffic ticketing, and much more).
The mobile POS devices can be either Apple, Android or Windows Mobile devices that operate on your in-store or public network like other POS solutions. They can be designed to connect directly into back office applications making data available for stock control, business intelligence, work flow processes and customer service.
How Will Mobile POS Benefit My Organisation?
By enabling access anywhere within range of a secure wireless network, an mPOS solution can provide a seamless product/service transaction.
Each sales person can be equipped with an mPOS device in order to empower them to create a one-to-one relationship with each customer that visits your store.
Retailers can replace or compliment their existing retail check-out or cash-desk technology with mobile technology. This allows retailers the freedom to reconfigure the layout of their stores in ways that they would not have been able to consider previously.
Other benefits include:
- Eliminating queuing at traditional checkouts for sales or service
- Releasing valuable floor space for merchandising rather than checkout
- Allow for easier capture of customer details
- Offer mobile device based loyalty programs
- Saving paper by e-mailing receipts
- Increasing productivity of individual workers
- Get a greater return on wireless network investment
How Can I Help My Organisation Embrace Mobile POS Solutions?
Fixed POS systems will not likely be deemed obsolete anytime soon. We are still developing and upgrading our software offering for these devices. We are continuing to implement these touch screen system in new retail stores. However, we are seeing more and more retailers requesting that we supply a mix of the traditional fixed systems alongside a number of mobile mPOS devices.
For retailers that have an existing fixed mPOS infrastructure, integrating an mPOS solution can be a smooth process. Both fixed and mobile POS solutions can work together to effectively garner benefits for the customer as well as for the organisation.
Research shows that there are a number of components that can help an mPOS system succeed including:
- Staged Pilot Implementation—consider a pilot program, plan well, start small and evaluate the results.
- Let customer complete transaction in the area desired—seek to provide mPOS capabilities in areas that have heavy traffic but are relatively far from fixed ePOS
- Maintain data security—the more stringent requirements of a wireless network may foster greater mPOS system security.
- Integrate back-office systems— look at integrating the mPOS system into your existing retail ERP, accounting, customer relationship management (CRM) and other applications.
What Comprises A Mobile POS Solution?
Effective mPOS systems require multiple integrated components and applications, such as:
| Software Applications | This is the “app” that runs on the smartphone or tablet device. We have been writing retail software for 15 years and our mPOS app is an award winning solution. |
| Enterprise Database | The mPOS stores and uses essential data on board its fixed memory so that it can operate independently. The device connects to a retail database from time to time to synchronise data. |
| Wireless Network | Internet access is a requirement for an mPOS solution. Usually for in-store mPOS this will be via a wireless LAN. For outdoor or temporary pop-up stores this can be via a mobile phone network. |
| Input Devices | If your retail operation requires bar codes to be scanned then we can supply scanning sleeves for iPhone or Bluetooth scanners for Android & Windows implementations. |
| Payment Device | We are very proud to be able to integrate and deliver an accredited and secure Bluetooth mobile payment solution with very competitive rates for processing credit and debit card with EMV Chip & Pin. |
| Mobile/Fixed Printing | We can connect the mPOS to existing LAN thermal receipt printers or, if required, supply and configure mobile Bluetooth or LAN printers. |
What About Mobile POS And The Cloud?
We appreciate that retail is a mission critical 24/7 operation. Retailers must always be able to sell and no interruption in service can be tolerates. Some of our competitor’s mPOS systems only operate exclusively “in the cloud”. This means that if your store should lose internet connectivity the mPOS devices will fail to process sales.
We have also designed the Bluetooth payment module to ensure that offline payments can still be processed so that card sales are not compromised by poor or slow communications
We have implemented our mPOS in live and difficult environments in Ireland, UK and Mainland Europe. We have designed our mPOS devices as native applications with local database that synchronise data from time to time with cloud ERP database systems.
All of the mPOS data is generally stored in the Cloud. The devices can be configured and controlled from our cloud based ERP solution.
Getting Started With Mobile POS Systems?
We appreciate that mPOS is a new concept to retailers. We are ready to assist you with every phase of choosing and leveraging the right solution for your mobile point of sale environment. Give us a call and we can discuss the following as part of your mPOS strategy:
- An initial discovery session to understand your goals, requirements, and budget
- An assessment review of your existing environment and definition of project requirements
- Our recommendations and proof of concept proposal
- Procurement, configuration, and deployment of the final solution
- Ongoing product lifecycle support
- Overview of requirements and service assessment
Click here to download our m-Point Fact Sheet
Our experience in mobile retail solutions at large footfall events has taught us a lot about the processing of card payments in offline mode. Offline mode is required for card payments when no mobile data connection is available to seek online authorisation from your selected acquirer or payment gateway.
When you accept card transactions you should seek an authorisation from the cardholder’s card issuer that the transaction details that have been processed by your terminal are correct. You will receive an authorisation code for that particular transaction at that time on that day.
However, even though an authorisation has been given it only checks that there are available funds in that card account up to the value of the transaction at the time it is processed and that the card used has not been reported as lost or stolen. An authorisation does not guarantee that a transaction is not fraudulent or that it will not be charged back at a later date. This is an important point that you have to remember. PIN code can be lost or stolen and not all PIN verified card transactions are immune from fraud.
When a retailer wishes to operate in an environment where they know that the data communications for online authorisations will be weak they often consider implementing mobile retail solutions that support off-line card payments. Our mobile retail solution supports these types of card payments. We work with the retailer and the acquirer to agree the rules of engagement for off-line card payments thereby ensuring that retailers never lose a sale just because a data connection is not available at the critical time of a card payments.
Offline card payments may be necessary for on-board airline or train card payments when a WIFI connection is unavailable. Even with mobile phone voice coverage a retailer operating a pop-up store at a busy event (for example, Chelsea Flower Show) is never guaranteed to get a data connection and therefore they will want us to configure the retail systems to support offline card processing.
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We have been working with retailers for close to 15 years in order to grow their business. The evolution of retail over this period of time has meant that we have helped retailers to embrace new sales channel opportunities. The World of retail is moving with pace towards an omni channel retail marketplace where competition is keen and the ability to respond rapidly to customer queries on all channels is a pre-requisite to staying in business. As software developers we value and plan for integration between retail ERP solution and your website. Our comprehensive API gateway ensures that we can integrate our retail software solutions with a myriad of shopping cart systems including Magento, Open Cart and nopCommerce. Integration between your ePOS software and your ecommerce website allows for maintaining accurate real time stock control and allows you to update your stock levels at the touch of a button.
Benefits of eirpoint ePOS Integration
Duplication of Effort
When your ePOS and ecommerce website are integrated there is no need for duplicate data entry. Inferior retail solutions will require you to maintain two separate product, sales and customer databases. With our integrated solutions none of this is required as your ePOS and website share the same data.
Stock Control
Your ePOS and website also will hold the same stock figures. If you sell from the website or from the physical store your stock is updated accordingly. You can manage dedicated stock for your web sales or you can serve both sales channels from the same stock location. The choice is yours and our retail solution supports both approaches to ecommerce stock control.
Open 24 hours 365 Days a year
Even after your physical store is closed for business your website will continue to sell. Stock figures are adjusted and sales will be processed.
Call eirpoint today for a quotation for a fully integrated ePOS and website solution to suit your needs.
UK Customers: +44 (0)1707 818172
Irish Customers: +353(0)656868880
Outside UK & Ireland: +353(0)656868880
As software developers, sometimes to the detriment of our profitability, we get a kick out of innovating. The salesmen get a kick out of sales but it’s not the sales that motivate us. No, we’re motivated by creating really useful mobile solutions for retailers that solve a real World problem. Or perhaps we like creating solutions that reshape how retailers can interact with their customers – and assume the retailers and customers will embrace the change. For programmers it’s all the art of the possible and the kick we get from creating. We’d give it all away for free if we could just to make more retail users happy; now there’s an idea…! Marketing, are you listening?
We are close to launching (note Marketing do influence us) our Apple and Android mobile retail solution – the smartphone POS – or as Marketing call it – our “POS in a box”. We’re working closely with two early adopter retailers that appreciate experiential shopping who are pushing us hard to implement this unique mobile retail solution in their stores for the Christmas 2014 rush. The solution we’ve developed is a marriage of our expertise in retail handheld applications (with over 3000 happy retail users) and our software development skills.
We think our mobile retail POS system is sexy but we have not forgotten that the old retail business rules of merchandise management, smart buying, margin monitoring and stock control still matter. We’ve listened to what our retail user base want and linked our front office Mobile ePOS with our back office cloud retail ERP solution. Our mobile ePOS pays homage to the birth of Bluetooth mobile card payment devices through our partnership with the clever people from Adyen and Mint Wireless. We’ve teamed up with Infinite Peripherals to exploit their Linea Pro bar code scanners to turn the iPhone and/ or iPod Touch into a retailers shop floor friend.
We combine this with an integrated shopping cart solution to give retailers a multi-channel platform for growth with control. We can still deliver our trustworthy touch screen POS. However our multi-channel development strategy means we can cover in-store mobile and web channels. All channels are linked to our cloud based Retail ERP. Pricing – if we must – is all wrapped up in a Software As A Service price plan.
Our developers are excited, why wouldn’t they be? We just have to get marketing guys motivated now; this blog should help!
