retail point of sale

On Tuesday, Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) announced it will be purchasing Rite Aid in a  $17.2 billion deal. If antitrust regulators approve the merger Walgreens will become the largest pharmaceutical retailer in the world. WBA will pay Rite Aid Corp $9 per share amounting to $9.4 billion dollars. The total value is equal to $17.2 billion, including dept. The chain...

Much like Amazon, Walmart is seeking government exemption from current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. The retailer previously tested drones use inside warehouse but hopes to facilitate operations with outside use. If sanctioned Walmart will test parking lot and home delivery. Drones will also be used as surveillance  of distribution centers and other buildings. Earlier this year Amazon received sanctions...

Be prepared for a credit card upgrade, as banks have begun swapping out regular magnetic strip credit cards for something a little more secure. Chip cards (Smart Cards/Circuit Cards) are not a new concept. They have been around for many years and are used widely in some parts of the world like Europe. Chip cards look exactly like most of...

Social media websites rejoiced earlier this week when Starbucks Coffee announced it will be offering the Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) before fall even commenced. Tuesday marks the official return of their most popular seasonal drink. Starbucks unveiled the Pumpkin Spice Latte would be prepared with an all new recipe featuring real pumpkin. Following customers demands, Starbucks has removed all artificial...

El sistema de venta al por menor de Sintel Systems ofrece un software potente y profesional para su negocio. La funcionalidad de centro de operaciones, la gestión de clientes en tiempo real y el control de inventario simplificado, son sólo tres de las muchas características que convierten la gestión de sus operaciones en algo realmente sencillo. El software no sólo...

Amazon, which already has many retailers scrambling for the eCommerce sector, is looking to also dominate airspace. Although, CEO Jeff Bezos says they are "years" away from drones becoming as universal as mail trucks new sanctions have put the retailer in a critical position for domination. Amazon's biggest impediment is not technology but government regulations here in the U.S. and...

Black hat and government backed hackers work endlessly every minute to infiltrate networks. If the targets cyber defense  inadequately protects their network hackers can gain access to millions of consumers valuable information. In most recent news hackers have begun gaining traction, stealing individuals passwords, email addresses, credit card numbers, social security numbers, and so on. With the millions of data...

Recent food trends have cast unfavorable sentiment towards the food and beverage industry. Genetically Modified Organisms illustrate the flaws in America's food system. Generally, consumers mistrust GMO produce and its manufacturers, whether their information is accurate or not. Stigma towards GMOs include: 1. Unnaturally modified in labs 2. Consequences of long term use on human health are unknown 3. Long...

On Monday, President Obama's proposed a bill increasing the overtime salary threshold. Approximately five million workers would be affected by the increase. The new plan, which Obama announced in a HuffingtonPost blog, will almost double the current threshold from $23,660 to $50,440. Thousands of restaurant employers and workers would be unfavorably affected. Higher cost of labor production would cut the...

Aldi, a German owned chain of grocery stores is coming to California. By 2016, they plan on opening 45 stores in Southern California. Aldi is expected to open their first SoCal store as of March and 25 by June 2016. The first US store was opened in 1976 in Iowa. Currently they operate 1,400 stores in 32 states. Aldi's is...

Monday investors were thrilled to learn  CVS health will buy Target pharmacies for $1.9 Billion. Mad Money host, Jim Cramer, commented on how ideal the sale was for both companies. Not only is there a large number number of baby boomers in need of health care, health insurance has become more widespread. The healthcare industry is a thriving. Cramer spoke...

As consumers are poised at the advent of the holiday season, the recent security lapses at the retail point of sale continue to reverberate, and according to Wayne Rash writing for tech observer eWeek.com, it isn't looking great for brick-and-mortar retailers. Buyers continued to be worried about credit card security breaches to the point that Target revenue dropped dramatically after...

Retailers share the view that retail point of sale is under siege from online criminals. And now, ahead of the holiday shopping season, they're being asked to deploy a variety of new solutions designed to improve the retail experience for their customers. "And that puts an undue burden on retailers of all size," says Merchant Warehouse Chief Revenue Officer, Ken...

Changing budgets and tastes, the growth of online shopping and security at the point of sale all represent challenges, and opportunities, for retailers. In the last year, mobile point of sale (mPOS) has also continued to grow and evolve. Industry researchers point to the advent of tablets and powerful apps as driving the revolution in how organizations serve their customers...

The world's largest convenience store franchiser, 7-Eleven, is nearing completion of prepping stores from its 2011 Wilson Farms store chain at a store franchising sale in Western New York. Part of the company's national strategy, 7-Eleven purchased the 188-store Wilson Farms chain and shed some 30 stores through auction, closed others and prepared the 90 area stores for franchising. Given...

News has arrived of another point of sale (POS) security infiltration; one similar to those which compromised Target, Neiman Marcus, UPS, Michaels Stores, Walmart and SuperValu. We found details of the malware attack in a recent post on the personal finance website PFHub.com, "Malware Installed on Jimmy John’s POS System: Data Breach," which states that Jimmy John's fell victim to...

For the restaurant industry, August 2014 was the best sales month in more than two-and-a-half years — more evidence that the economic sector is recovering. In a recent online post, "Restaurant sales rose, traffic slid in August," Nation's Restaurant News (NRN) writes, "August was the best month for the restaurant industry in terms of sales growth since February 2012, and...

In a recent Financial Times post, British columnist John Gapper claimed that the U.S. "lags behind badly in the basic infrastructure of retail banking" after receiving a "quaint" check for one dollar from a U.S. bank. The online payments and commerce gadflies pymnts.com rushed into the fray to defend against Gapper's charges in a fun-to-read post titled "Does the US...

All politics is local. To what degree is that also true for quick-service brand marketing? Writing in her Talk of the Town column in QSRMagazine.com (QSRM), Nicole Duncan sees location-specific marketing as the new wave of social media. Duncan's post, titled "Brands localize their social media presence to foster a more authentic consumer interaction," provides a number of examples of...

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...

In a recently issued press release, Target has confirmed reports of a major data breach between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15, 2013 that may have affected as many as 40 million cards. The dates included Black Friday, the notoriously busy shopping day following Thanksgiving. Target says the unauthorized access to payment card information may have impacted customers making credit and debit...

As retailers' information technology focus shifts from the front-of-house cash-collection to integrated systems with stock management and accounting capabilities, their Point of Sale (POS) systems, historically a standalone, front-end technology, are now being folded into Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. In an iStart.com feature, "Integrating POS with ERP Changes Face of Retail," Anthony Doesburg writes about the reasoning behind this...

Along with our customers, we're buoyed by a USA Today report that, despite October's partial government shutdown, "Activity at service firms accelerated, boosted by a jump in sales and more hiring." Given the strong presence Sintel Systems has in the retail, restaurant and service industries POS marketplace, we share these service sector growth trends with our customers and franchise hopefuls...

Apple, renowned for tech that "just works," hit a rough patch recently when its point of sale systems repeatedly went down in stores around the country. In an article entitled "Apple Point of Sale Goes Down Again," TechCrunch.com gives an overview of Apple's point of sale (POS) woes based upon its sources and corroborated by tweets on Twitter. Here are...

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...

Entrepreneur has released their 2013 report on the fastest-growing franchises in North America, with Subway scoring at number one. Not surprisingly, numerous other Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) dominate the list (25 out of 106 listings). Notably, Chester's chicken, Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwich Shops and Dunkin' Donuts made the top ten, while frozen yogurt continues it meteoric rise with Menchie's (no. 17), Orange Leaf (no. 20), and Red Mango (no. 38) the fastest-spreading. In a similar icy vein, Kona Ice shaved ice trucks...

Mobile point-of-sale (POS) systems are helping small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the retail/grocery/liquor segments build unique and satisfying customer experiences. A recent article titled "Mobile POS Technology Heightens Overall Customer Experience" in Point of Sale News looks at how retailers are using mobile POS systems to add value and get closer to customers, with examples including line-busting, convenience, fast and efficient...

Growing businesses need their tech to grow with them. Entrepreneur.com recently sifted through the clutter to suggest 15 tech plays including computers, displays, tablets and accessories that could help a variety of businesses, including restaurants. Designed to protect your tech assets, the "power tools" specifically selected for restaurants, the Logitech Keyboard K310 ($40) and LifeProof nuud iPad case (starting at $100), were chosen because...

An article on Entrepreneur.com gives some helpful insights on how a small business can best manage their inventory Maintaining Enough Inventory If your business is a start-up it might be quite difficult figuring out how much inventory to order, since you cannot go off of last year’s sales. The article suggests predicting your first year sales based on your business...

Inc.com came out with a list of “8 Things You Should Not Do Every Day.”  Are you guilty of any of these bad habits? 1.    Checking your phone while talking to someone else There is nothing as rude as being in the middle of a conversation with someone, when they pull out their phone and start typing away. Pretty much...

We don't know anyone who wouldn't like to increase sales, so we like the tips in this smart post from The Point of Sale News.       At a glance, the big news is all the new next-generation POS options intended to help operators increase sales rather than simply help reduce operating costs. Available features include: 1.    Integrated eCommerce...

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...

A fraudulent chargeback is when a “successful customer dispute over a legitimate transaction. One in which he or she knowingly and purposely participated and for which the customer is fully responsible”, states the Credit Card Blog by UniBul. Fraudulent chargebacks stem from consumers trying to game the system that is at the same time trying to protect them from fraud...

Citing the recent release of the annual Chain Restaurant Industry Review from GE Franchise Finance (GEFF), Nation's Restaurant News reports on how restaurants are adapting to economic challenges. It's good news, as restaurants are adapting well to "consumer preferences and economic challenges" — as well as "whatever's thrown at them," said Kimberly Savilonis, Senior Vice President for GEFF and an author of...

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...

Crucial Considerations Before Purchasing a Cash Drawer Point of Sale News has a thorough primer on cash drawer considerations in which they explore all the major factors to help business owners choose the right drawers tailored to their needs: cost; space requirements; durability, reliability, and length of warranty; manual or electronic opening tied to traffic volume; compatibility with your POS...

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...

Pricing Insights Help Overcome Customer Irrationality   Inc.com has some "Pricing Rules You Need to Know" to help "make the most of customer weirdness" — i.e., irrationality about pricing. Their ABCs of Pricing states, "Buyers are irrational. Predictably so," detailing "three of the frameworks — 'anchors,' 'bumps,' and 'charms' — they use to decide what they’ll pay for your product or services." Querying...

Are Mobile Devices the New Currency? The Point of Sale News asks, "How Close Are We to Cashless Commerce?" and answers with 2020 vision: the prediction that mobile payments may replace cash and credit cards by as soon as 2020 according to the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project on "The Future of Money." With the surge in POS...

5 Restaurant Trends to Watch This Spring The birds are chirping, kids are once again playing outside, and your allergies are acting up. This can only mean one thing: spring has finally sprung. Last month, Nation's Restaurant News published an article titled 5 Restaurant Trends to Watch This Spring. Mediterranean Look out for Mediterranean influences at many restaurants this season...

4 of The Best Gadgets for Business There are so many gadgets out there that sometimes it can feel a little overwhelming. Entrepreneur.com released their “pick for the best new business gadgets.”, which lists their favorites in four different categories along with some top alternatives. Tablet PCs: BlackBerry Playbook   (under $500), this seven inch tablet comes equipped with a 1GHz...

This past March, BestPizzaPOS.com, a division of Sintel Systems, was thrilled to once again be a part of the 2013 International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. There were over 500 vendors this year including delivery bag providers, topping suppliers and oven makers. There were also 11 different bacon providers.  If you love pizza and bacon this was the place to...

Does Your Restaurant Need A Mobile App? Mobile apps come in all shapes and sizes: games, maps, news, even your bank probably has a mobile app. They are created to make our lives easier and sometimes even a little more fun. It is rather shocking to learn, thanks to data recently released by Pew Research, that only 35% of Americans...

Moveable Feasts: Six Mobile Food Ideas Entrepreneur has some great ideas for getting rolling with a mobile food restaurant business. In brief: 1. Food Kiosks: Consider the temporary, quick-serve kiosk for its low overhead, flexibility and ease with which it can be opened and closed. These typically appear at indoor locations including malls, stadiums and movie theaters. 2. Food Carts and...

Chicago Pizza Tours Chicago and Pizza. Two words that is synonymous with each other.  There is not just one type of pizza. Chicago has deep dish, thin crust, pan pizza, oven-fired, artisanal, tavern style, Neapolitan and probably some chef somewhere is creating a new type of pizza as we speak. Just as there is no one type of pizza, there...

6 Tips from Pros About Owning A Restaurant Owning your own restaurant is no easy feat. Whether it’s the first restaurant you are opening or your fifth there is always something to be learned. Well known restaurateurs such as Rodger Berkowitz (Legal Sea Foods), Tom Coliccho (Top Chef, Craft Family Restaurants) and Barbara Lynch (No.9 Park) to name a few...

Industry Insiders Weigh in on Proposed Minimum Wage Hike as Restaurant Brands Stay Mum (Part II) Continued from Part I Zackfia's projections also take into account a $.50 increase in minimum wage for tipped service, which was not called for in Obama's proposal. NRN also reports that advocates have not begun to lobby against the hike because it's not reached...

Industry Insiders Weigh in on Proposed Minimum Wage Hike as Restaurant Brands Stay Mum (Part I)  Announced in Obama's State of the Union address in February, President Obama's proposed minimum wage hike from $7.25 to $9.00 per hour has caused rumblings in the world of chain restaurants. The increase would be the first since 2009, while the federal minimum wage for...

SXSWi: Timely Trends in Restaurant Tech A report from Food Fanatics relates the restaurant industry's hottest digital and mobile tech tools trending at the recent South By Southwest Interactive Conference in Austin, Texas. "Mobile technology has changed the way consumers experience your restaurant—from how they discover it to how they dine." They explore Rezhound and BellyCard, as well as the...

Tips on Starting an Organic Restaurant Inc.com recently shared an insightful list of 8 Tips for Starting an Organic Restaurant, for which we offer a quick digest: Expect higher costs: Project for 10-20% higher costs, and more if you plan on a premium water filtration system or compostable takeout packaging. Anticipate price fluctuations: Out-of-season and non-local organic ingredients can vary...

The ABC's of QSR (Quick Serve Restaurant) POS Systems Walk down any main street in any city in America and what will you see? A fast food restaurant. From hamburgers to tacos there is a Quick Serve Restaurant (QSR) out there for every one’s taste buds. To the surprise of no one, McDonalds is ranked number 1 as America’s most...

The ABCs of Restaurant Franchising Fledgling restaurant franchisees would do well to learn the basic terminology of the industry, as detailed in Entrepreneur.com's 16 Common Franchise Terms: Explained. To get familiar with franchising trends and industries poised for growth, Entrepreneur.com also ranks America's top franchises annually, with the 2013 Franchise 500 representing the 34th year. The post says, "The results ... confirm...

The Takeaway From Groupon's Sacking Of CEO Andrew Mason (part 2) continued from our earlier post. So what's next? Retailwire shows some cautious optimism, saying "With the daily deals marketplace maturing, a shakeout could lead to a less-competitive playing field and more tailored offers from those that survive. It's unknown whether Groupon and LivingSocial will benefit from their first-mover advantage or...

The Takeaway From Groupon's Sacking Of CEO Andrew Mason (part 1) A long slide in the fortunes at deal-a-day pioneer Groupon, including a significant drop in fourth-quarter earnings and 24% reduction in the company's value, resulted in the ouster of CEO Andrew Mason late last week. In his already infamous exit memo, Mason, who allegedly turned down a $6 billion offer...

How To Keep Your Seasonal Business Going Year Round  In an earlier blog we gave you tips to help you franchise your pizzeria. But what if you own a seasonal franchise or restaurant? A seasonal business may sound great to the owner who wants to manage their own business, and only have to work a few months out of the...