GUEST CONTRIBUTORS

• Seven Retail Predictions For 2021

  The U.S. and global economies saw significant upheaval because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from grocery, the retail industry took the brunt of the pandemic. The challenges were widespread and resulted in an alarming number of both temporary and permanent store closures. In the coming year, the retail sector will continue to make adjustments because of the COVID-19 pandemic. There will be new challenges, which inevitably will spur the adoption of new technologies and business practices in the ongoing battle between online and brick-and-mortar.

• What Black Friday? COVID Shakes Up Holiday Shopping

  Black Friday started early this year. Rather than wait for the day after Thanksgiving to entice shoppers with hard-to-resist Holiday promotions, retailers started offering deals as early as October. Recognizing many shoppers are still leery of going into physical stores, retailers realized they had to act early.

• Dispensary Retailers Focus On POS Technology First, Cannabis Second

  While the COVID-19 pandemic has caused substantial revenue drops in hospitality and most retail segments, the emerging cannabis space has seen sales increases of as much as 30%. With success come challenges as cannabis dispensaries struggle with issues around cash management, inventory and POS systems.

• Supply Chain Innovation: The Role Of Continuous Improvement In The Supply Chain

  When it comes to marketplace innovation, time is of the essence. Over the last two decades, 52 percent of Fortune 500 companies have gone extinct. This statistic alone proves that very few businesses, even stellar ones, don't survive for an extended length of time without going through a reinvention of some sort.

• Resetting Marketing Priorities For POS Resellers During A Pandemic

  Developing a marketing plan for POS software developers and channel partners is challenging in normal times, a pandemic can make it downright stressful. What do you do when you can’t meet customers face to face and everyone is worried about getting infected? Those are the questions we posed during a recent RSPA Symposium on adapting marketing plans for the COVID-19 pandemic.

RETAIL IT WHITE PAPERS

• Retail Supply Chains Take On Pandemic-Era Challenges

  One retailer needs to set up curbside pickup in a day. Another is doing ship-from-store but needs real-time data on the number of units of specific items at each store. Others are deciding whether to keep merchandise at shuttered stores or send them back to distribution centers. Those are among the challenges retailers are facing during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. They are not easy to face alone. 

• The Cyber 5 Holiday Report

  How the peak shopping weekend shook out during this unique holiday season. Find out how a later Amazon Prime Day coupled with merchants earlier holiday discounts impacted the kick-off to the holiday season. Also, an analysis of discounts offered by DNVBs and a look at why supply chain snafus have complicated retailers' overall holiday plans. Plus, an in-depth look at how fulfillment operation improvements will outlive the pandemic and a real-world test of how retailers' curbside operations fared during the Cyber 5.

• Reimagining The Store Of The Future: Retail Adjustments For A Post-Pandemic World

  The COVID-19 pandemic created significant challenges for retail, and one that is likely to have long-term effects is to persuade consumers to return to stores. Concerns over the potential for infection have left many consumers feeling uncomfortable in stores. Retailers must take meaningful steps to earn the trust of patrons whose values and behavior have changed.

• Cash Transactions In The Mobile World

  For two decades, the PC has reigned supreme over all POS solutions, operating as point of sale terminals that sit on counters and control various peripherals. However, the need for PC-centric solutions is waning as a more flexible POS model emerges Leveraging cloud and mobile technologies, this model supports thin client and IP-enabled components such as cash drawers and printers.

• Protect Yourself: 8 Security Best Practices For Retailers
• Retail Cash Loss: Addressing The Problem With Intelligent Technology
• Integrated Planning & Inventory Management Special Report