Retail Trends

Yesterday e-commerce giant Amazon announced a plan to invest $700+ million over the next 6 years to retrain 100,000 employees of its U.S. workforce. The education will help workers move into more advanced roles across various segments of the company including corporate offices, tech hubs and fulfillment centers. Amazon’s goal is to improve the skills and know-how of a third...

McDonald's has a chicken sandwich problem, namely Chick-Fil-A's signature fried chicken sandwich. Yesterday, the board of the National Owners Association (NOA) sent an email to McDonald's calling for the chain to create a southern style chicken sandwich to compete with Chick-fil-A. NOA was created in 2018 and consists of more than 400 U.S.-based McDonald’s franchisees. The self-funded owner's advocacy group...

Interesting tidbits currently happening in the restaurant and retail industries: • Uber Eats has rolled out a 'Dine In' option for some cities.  Customers can order or food ahead of time, go to the restaurant, then sit down inside to eat. The service is now available Austin, Dallas, San Diego and some other cities. • For a limited time this summer, Sonic is introducing...

Recently it was announced that DoorDash has surpassed GrubHub to become the biggest food delivery service in the US. While digital delivery service has been growing leaps and bounds in the last few years, DoorDash has especially taken off. This spring, the company saw a staggering 189-percent year-over-year increase, compared to 32 percent at Uber Eats and 6 percent at Grubhub. Besides diners, the...

Starbucks has launched in a new app called "Starbucks Now" for Starbucks Rewards members in Beijing and Shanghai. Pending its success, the app will roll out across the rest of China before the end of the year. The app features GPS functionality so that customers can select their nearest store. Users can then choose and customize a beverage, select food, view order time, and...

Margins for grocery stores have always been thin. However, lately the landscape for US supermarkets has intensified. Digital ordering and home delivery are changing the way people buy their food. More and more, drugstores offer diverse grocery items. Large companies increasingly control the industry, exerting pressure on smaller regional retailers. Southeastern Grocers, the owner of Winn-Dixie and Bi-Lo, filed for bankruptcy...

Walmart and Target aren't selling cannabis derived  products yet, but they’re preparing for the day when they can. Reportedly bigbox retailers and grocery stores including Walmart, Target and Krogers, have been quietly meeting with makers of CBD infused drinks, candy, lotions and oils. CBD is a nonpsychoactive component of marijuana that doesn’t get you high, but is thought to help relieve...

The International Food and Beverage Industry Show will be held on May 18-21, 2019 at McCormick Place convention center near the shore of Lake Michigan, in Chicago, Illinois. The event is put on by the National Restaurant Association (NRA). The National Restaurant Association is the largest food service trade association in the world with a membership of  more than 500,000 restaurant businesses. The NRA...

Online delivery service Postmates announced that it has expanded to 1,000 new cities since December 2018. The new locations include Santa Cruz, CA, Jacksonville, NC, and Stillwater, OK. Postmates is now available in 350 cities across all 50 US states. The company delivers to 70 percent of U.S. households from over 500,000 restaurants. Postmates is trying a variety of ways to grow its reach. ...

For one day only, on Saturday 4/20--known to Americans as a weed celebration day, Carl's Jr. will sell the CBD-infused "Rocky Mountain High: CheeseBurger Delight" at a single location in Denver. The CBD burger will be cost for $4.20. This event makes Carl's Jr.  the first major fast-food chain to offer a cannabis-infused menu item — even if just for a one-location, one-day event. The...

Jobs listings on various websites suggest Amazon is hiring employees to work in the restaurant department. Rumors have been circulating hinting the eCommerce retailers possible entrance into the increasingly crowded on-demand delivery market.   A new wave of ventures center on bridging gaps between consumers and goods. Much like the early 2000 with the rise and fall of Webvan and Kosmo, new startups...

Along with our customers, we're buoyed by news that Americans, having emerged from winter hibernation, have relaxed their purse strings at quick service retailers. In a recent blog post, "Report: Consumer Spending at Quick Serves Grew in April," QSRMagazine.com points to analysis by First Data Corporation which compared year-over-year sales data for April, 2014.  FDC's SpendTrend report tracks same-store POS...

Important Announcement: Sintel Systems is happy to present our new Facebook Store! The internet is blowing up with commerce connections. There are so many more ways to advertise and sell your product and livelihood now more than any other time before us! Facebook is the home of your friends and the foundation all those connected to your life, family and...

https://sintelsystems.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/customers.jpg" width="381" height="254" />If business is running slow or you aren't seeing a row of many smiling faces of happy customers, then it might be time  to address another training in customer service skills with your employees. Sometimes when the days toil on and on we all just need a little refresher to get our spirits up and back on ...

Have you ever thought about which loyalty system is better to use? The new points system or the good old punch card? We understand that it can be difficult to adjust to new changes; for you and your customers. Everyone is already so used to how the system works. But believe us when we say that there are reasons why...

Do you provide a great product or service but your doors aren't opening as many times a day as you would expect? Chances are people just haven't heard about your shop yet and they need to be urged out by your marketing techniques. Marketing Tips Here are just a few stand out marketing tips from Entrepreneur.com's article - 99 Tips...

Is it 11:30pm and are you in need of emergency POS support? Our technical support staff will be right on it. Just contact Sintel Systems at: www.SintelSystems.com/contacts Select the Technical Support Department and leave a message for your request. A Sintel representative will be able to attend to your support request with in less than 24 hours. Just remember to...

Always be on the look out for different marketing tips! Let us share 7 top marketing tips from Round House: The Creative Agency. 1. Define your objective. A marketing objective is the specific goal of the marketing campaign. It should be precisely defined, able to be measured, achievable and timely. This allows you to determine the relative success of a...

Need to expand your horizons in the field of POS? Here is some advice from Entreprenuer.com on what kind of POS System you should be looking for. Shopping for the Right POS System In looking for a POS system, the choices are many, the price can range from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars, and the final decision can...

Let us begin with a highlighted business tip from an EKS&H article that sparked this No 2: Hug Your Customers Ask your customers how they are doing. After all, the health of your customer’s business drives the health of your business. Approach your customers with a sense of humility. Spend some time listening and asking questions. Be proactive, and let...

A highlighted business tip from an EKS&H article: No 1: Stay Engaged With Your Employees As a leader in your business, you must provide employees with a sense of stability and confidence during times of economic unrest. Let them know that you are in control of the situation, and be a force for optimism. When job markets are good, employees...

Here at Sintel Systems we work with big and small businesses of all types. When it comes to differentiating the two, the 80/20 Rule that Perry Marshall speaks of on Entreprenuer.com comes into mind when noticing the differences between the small and big operations. Marshall begins by discussing how small-business owners tend to waste their time on $10 an hour...

Self-Cleaning Plates by Tomorrow Machine The future is upon as some thinkers, inventors and such futurists of the world are advancing us for a future of planned green goodness. With iphones, robots, google glasses, and 3D printing upon us, it's only a matter of time until all this technology shifts and changes the way we operate and facilitate exchanges...

Managing and owning a business isn't an easy job. It can be quite stressful as tasks begin to pile on and on. Contributor Travis Bradberry, author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0 and cofounder of TalentSmart, writes about the importance of staying calm. The article "How Successful People Stay Calm" is featured on Forbes.com it discusses how one's success does in fact...

If you own a business, you have felt the weight of menial tasks breathing down your back each day. As much as you want everything to be thoroughly thought out and looked at, in reality to move forward you have to leave what's left behind and keep moving forward. Tomorrow is another day and new opportunities are arising as we...

Gift Card Reports Today Sintel Systems is addressing what happens to your money and your reports when you sell gift cards. If you've made any gift card sales today you won't be receiving any of that money when you make your settlement for the night. Gift cards are a liability and should be looked to as a different entity from...

Image courtesy of FastCompany.com of article Starbucks's Shoddy Square Rollout Baffles Baristas, Confuses Customers Are you making plans to open up your prospective business? Sintel Systems understands that clients are always looking for the most cost efficient ways to open up their store by cutting costs where it is necessary. Many times clients come to us describing that they...

With technology exponentially growing more advanced with each new year that comes along in the 21st century, there are still many shops around that are still using the old manual cash register method (with the phone line credit card processor on the side). Sintel Systems knows that for some, it feels like too much of a major investment to purchase...

Here at Sintel Systems we understand that it can be an overwhelming task deciding which Retail POS Software to use. With the ever increasing market for POS systems all across retail stores nowadays it's hard to know how to make the right choice. Sintel Systems offers all these basic features with our software for you store. Here are a few...

Sintel Systems is your one true stop for all POS solutions. We provide you your hardware, software, training, support, gift cards and even business tips for your market. Here at Sintel Systems we know POS, however often times business owners can overlook the importance of fully training their staff with POS before the first day of opening. "I've seen businesses...

Sintel Systems knows Bakery POS. And as a full retail provider of custom tailored Bakery POS, we know that it's of no question that owning a bakery means having one of the highest profit margins in the food service industry businesses out there. Baked goods are easy to supply for, but real success is determined by your unique recipes, marketing...

The good news is that your merchandise is flying off the shelves. The bad news is, your merchandise is flying off the shelves — thanks to shoplifting. For this blog post, we flip things around and give you the bad news first, followed by some good news about how a robust POS systems from Sintel can be your greatest ally...

Based upon "Retail IT Forecast 2014: It’s All About the Consumer," a recent article at Business Solutions' IT Channel-focused website bsminfo.com, retailers proclaiming themselves as "consumer-focused" seem ready to walk the talk. Business Solutions surveyed its over 40,000 newsletter subscribers about their 2014 technology plans over a broad variety of disciplines, including in-store hardware and software, marketing & operations and...

For today's retailers, taking care of business means mobile point of sale (MPOS). Cash registers have left the building, or are on their way out the door. "The Cash Registers Days Are Numbered," a recent article citing a Onepoll study on POS industry website PointofSale.com, states that over half of Americans believe the cash register is "outdated" and will be...

Let’s begin with: What is a gift card? According to Wikipedia.com, “A gift card is a restricted monetary equivalent or scrip that is issued by retailers or banks to be used as an alternative to a non-monetary gift. Highly popular, they rank as the second-most given gift by consumers in the United States (2006) and the most-wanted gift by women...

Gift Cards have many uses besides the usual last minute birthday gift. With the right marketing approach they can be utilized in so many more ways than one first begins to realize. Gift/Loyalty/Points Cards can become a great revenue generating marketing tool if you know how to work it. Rewards and promotions marketing helps to drive customers back to your...

Sintel Systems services a wide range of customers, from experienced franchisees which started their franchise with Sintel Systems to new ventures. Many entrepreneurs who are looking at starting a new business call the point of sale (POS) system an automated cash register or computerized cash drawer. Let's explore what a POS system is in their functions and important attributes. If...

Report from the front on the ever-changing landscape of retail payment habits. Bricks and mortar retailers, long aware of how their customers have been using their smartphones in stores, are turning the tables and bringing more of their stores into our phones. In the first of a new series, Digiday looks at how Sephora, Sears, Walmart, Target, Ikea, Home Depot and others "are fighting back against...

Last month Facebook launched Graph Search . By using information you have already given such as location data and different posts/photos that you have been tagged and compiling it all into a search engine. For retailers, Graph Search gives you the opportunity to locate the customers you do want and even the one’s you may not. Inc.com published an article...

Have you ever shopped in a pop-up shop? Econsultancy.com explains what they are: “Pop-up shops are temporary outlets, which allow brands to have a presence on the high street, or to extend their existing offline presence into new areas for a short time.” Larger brands in the United States have been using pop-up shops since the late 90’s. What is...

We are reminded from time to time how retail store owners are wise to keep an eye on real estate investing trends. As an example, consider this recent article in National Real Estate Investor (NREI) titled, "What Retail Estate Investors Need to Know About the Transforming Retail Supply Chain." E-commerce and brick-and-mortar stores, once competing sales channels, are now seen as each...

July 20, 2013 - Sintel Systems, a leading point of sale (POS) organization offering systems to the food truck industry, exhibited its newest POS at the 2013 Food Truck Business Expo in Los Angeles. Providing expert knowledge on the benefits of our mobile point of sale system, Sintel Systems discusses with prospective and current food truck owners the pros and...

Columnist Herb Caen once referred to the Mid Market, a neighborhood in San Francisco as “le grand pissoir.” The neighborhood is well known for its homeless inhabitants. But, it looks like it might be making a turn around. An article by the San Francisco Business Times  titled “Mid Market retail starting to catch up”, discusses the change that is coming...

While a company’s social media presence is extremely important these days the company website is becoming popular once again.   An article on Wired.com states: “The comeback is bolstered by new interlinks that make it increasingly easy for websites to suck in and selectively repurpose some of the very social content that diminished the open web in the first place...

Security-minded shoppers, when asked about their most popular future technology choice, would like to have biometric payments such as fingerprint, palm or iris scanners over emerging mobile phone options. Planet Biometrics is reporting on new research, which revealed that nearly one in two shoppers (49%) would like to have biometric payments, far exceeding the popularity of mobile technology options such as...

Brand loyalty is extremely important for every restaurant and retail store big or small. Brand Keys recently released their 2013 Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, which forecasts customer devotion across brands. To make such predictions there is a lot of math involved and highly secretive algorithms.  Brand Keys states they are “the only research consultancy in the world that specializes in...

Employees are a vital resource for every business, retail store or restaurant.  Do you think you have incredible employees? Inc.com  created a list of 10 Things Amazing Employees Do. Willingly learn all aspects of the business Treat the company as if it was their own Constantly network to help the company grow Continually improving things proactively Tell it like it...

Five Coping Strategies for a Sales Slump "Into the life of every business, a sales slump will eventually fall," reports Inc.com. "Customers cancel orders, opportunities get delayed, prospects turn out to be dead-ends. Worst case, you can have a 'perfect storm' where nothing seems to go right." What to do? "Keep your head down and soldier on," and: 1. Don't...

Is PayPal's Mobile Payment System a Good Thing? Mobile Point of Sale Systems is all the rage. The newest company to join the race is PayPal. PayPal is already well known for their mobile payment solutions for Smartphones. At the beginning of this year, they launched a mobile payment version for the iPad. PayPal is targeting small businesses that do...

Restaurant Closing Time: A Moving Target? When does a restaurant really close? In a classic case of "we said, they said," a San Francisco quick-serve restaurateur contacted Inside Scoop at SFGate with a conundrum about how to handle late-arriving diners and perceptions of "closing time." After an incident where diners arrived three minutes before official closing time and then ignored...

2013 Franchise Forecast: Going Strong  The IFA, a Washington D.C.-based advocacy organization, recently released a first quarter update to its economic outlook, which notes that franchise businesses "are expected to employ 8.3 million people in the U.S. by the end of this year and generate $802 billion in revenue." Quick-service restaurant category, which includes Subway and Dunkin' Donuts, shows the most...