Retail New Year Checklist
Get the most from your retail technology systems in order to increase your survival potential. Use this retail checklist to gain a competitive advantage in 2010:
Ensure your retail technology equipment is PCI Compliant
Use reliable retail-hardened POS hardware to run your POS system
Add more POS stations to help prevent long check-out lines.
Upgrade your POS software to the latest version to better manage inventory, customers, and vendors
Get any customized programming that tailors your system to meet unique or specialized needs
Have an efficient reporting tool with your POS software to gain valuable insight into your business
Optimize merchandise distribution to increase sell-through and prevent markdowns
Ensure merchandising and finance are working together as an integrated system
Have reliable, up-to-date security systems set up (loss prevention systems) for both your hardware and store
Back up your files and POS system regularly (Retail Backup recommended)
Integrate credit card processing and gift cards with your POS system
Integrate your online store (e-Commerce) with your POS system using EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)
Keep Technical Support contracts in place to get the help you need to run smoothly
Review your Returns Policy to minimize returns fraud
Here are some tips for 2010:
Gather customer information at point of sale to use for targeted promotions
Track your customer purchases and review customer's history at POS to improve customer relations
Have a customer loyalty program in place
Hold periodic events at your store
Have contests with either employees and/or customers
Run reports regularly to gain insight that helps you manage your business better
Train your sales employees on basic customer service and find ways to reward them for this
Minimize return fraud using upgraded POS software and security systems
Expand your channels of retailing (videos, blogs, social networking, etc)
Do planned pricing to unload stock through scheduled markdowns
Offer classes to individualize your store
Use framed signage to show why your merchandise is unique
Provide a shopping experience that includes respect, honesty, and trust
Visit our website for informative articles, whitepapers, and retail industry eBook - all complimentary of One Step Retail Solutions: http://www.onestepretail.com/
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