iVend works with a host of different retailers around the world, of all types and sizes, which gives us a unique insight into what successful businesses are doing to set themselves apart. We have used that knowledge to pinpoint ten key competitive strategies for success in retail. I wrote about the first five of these in ‘Ten competitive strategies of successful retailers – Part 1’. (Check out the article here if you missed it). Let’s now look at the remaining five ways that retailers can make sure they’re front runners, and not also rans.
In the tough and highly competitive world that is retail, retailers need smart competitive strategies to ensure that they succeed and win in the race for customer spend and loyalty. We’ve looked at the importance of a customer-centric approach, data-based decisions, omnichannel, supply chain management and your team. So what are the other five competitive strategies that successful retailers deploy to ensure they come out on top – and stay there?
I would like to use cloud-based pos software, but what happens if a stores loses connectivity?
There are many benefits of using cloud-based pos software, but some retailers are nervous about how they would continue trading in the event of a network failure. The key is to ensure that you select a cloud-based point of sale platform that also has an offline option. This means that if the store is not able to connect to the cloud for any period of time, it automatically switches over into stand-alone mode, allowing you to continue to operate and manage transactions without any impact on the store or customers. When the network is back, the system will automatically send all transactions up to the system.
I have a responsibility to keep customer data secure – will a cloud-based system be able to do that?
Yes – as long as you select a cloud-based pos provider that has a robust security approach. In fact, the likelihood is that a cloud-based software provider will offer better security than you could manage in-house, as they do it at scale as a fundamental core of their offering. With the right provider, you can be sure that your customer data is safe, and managed in accordance with your regulatory responsibilities.
References:-
*https://www.theindustry.fashion/over-half-of-consumers-want-more-payment-options-at-the-checkout-study-reveals/#:~:text=Menu-,Over%20half%20of%20consumers%20want%20more,at%20the%20checkout%2C%20study%20reveals
**https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/03/11/what-does-todays-consumer-want-personalized-seamless-omnichannel-experiences/?sh=487bc8781e1e
***https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebanker/2021/10/05/do-consumers-care-about-ethical-sourcing/?sh=75b0c5095f50
+https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/consumers-care-about-sustainability-and-back-it-up-with-their-wallets
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