18 EPOS, DIGITAL SIGNAGE AND INSTORE TECHNOLOGY
EPoS ENHANCES KIDSEN OFFERING K
idsen, an independent children’s store stocking Scandinavian inspired products, has automated key business processes with a new electronic point-of-sale (EPoS) system from AccuPOS. The three-year-old London based
Scandinavian store had been recording all its transactions in spreadsheets. A very simple till system recorded various categories of sales, but it was not able to track sales down to individual item levels. Franco Ofi li, Kidsen marketing director,
explained: “The only way we could tell what particular items were selling best was to walk around the store to determine what we
needed to order more of.Which is fi ne at the time, but six months down the line, when you need to meet with brand agents, it’s hard to remember exactly what did sell.” Once Kidsen decided to purchase an EPoS
system, its management researched a number of solutions online. “As soon as we trialled AccuPOS, we knew that we had found the right solution for us,” he said. Kidsen has been enjoying a number
of benefi ts since it began using AccuPOS. “First of all, we have achieved a signifi cant reduction in our outgoings,” Ofi li said. “Prior to AccuPOS, we were working with an accountant in a much greater way. However, having installed an accounting system, which communicates with AccuPOS, we have reduced our accountant fees quite drastically. “Secondly, we are saving an enormous amount of time by having AccuPOS and an accountancy package in place. Previously, we were doing double entries, having to input information manually. Now, everything feeds straight from one system to another automatically.
“Last but not least, the data we get out of AccuPOS is invaluable. We are able to look at detailed sales information, such as individual sizes or brands sold. The system has been critical in improving inventory management and making better-informed buying decisions.”
CASH IS STILL KING FOR UK CONSUMERS
An independent study commissioned by retail and banking systems provider Wincor Nixdorf has revealed that cash is still the preferred payment method for 68% of the UK population.
Almost a third (32%) feel more in control
of their fi nances when paying by cash, in spite of alternative payment methods, like debit credit and contactless credit cards, as well as the latest near-fi eld communications (NFC) enabled mobile payment schemes. Ed Brindley, director of marketing at Wincor Nixdorf, said there were a number of reasons why cash remained the most attractive form of payment among the 2,006 UK consumers surveyed by researcher TNS. “It was clear the number one reason cash remains popular is that people trust it as a means of controlling spending, especially in recessionary times,” he told
RETAIL TECHNOLOGY JULY/AUGUST 2011
Retail Technology. “The number of cash machines is also going up, especially in the retail space, which may also be making it easier to get hold of.” But the study also showed that that consumers wanted a number of payment options. As Brindley pointed out, not many people want to physically pay for expensive items with bundles of fi fty pound notes instore. In fact, nearly half (58%) saved cards purely for large transactions. While acknowledging cash was
convenient for lower value transactions, Brindley said this was also exactly the same space that contactless operates in. “At the moment, people don’t want to get caught out trying to pay for something in a place that doesn’t accept it,” he said. However, Wincor Nixdorf operates a cash management business. “So we know retailers
fi nd cash handling particularly cumbersome, and especially coins,” he continued. “And that’s when contactless could come in.” In terms of security, Brindley said the prospect of storing PIN data on an NFC phone might offer more assurances for consumers than the prospect of losing a contactless credit card with a compromised PIN.
However, the survey did reveal that if
the right infrastructure were in place, 63% of respondents would be happy to move towards a cashless society, where cards were the only payment method and cash was not an option. The overwhelming majority (81%) also stated they would make more use of cards for everyday transactions if offered an incentive by businesses, such as a discount on purchases or extra loyalty card bonuses.
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