Monday, June 29, 2020

Yes Microsoft RMS Users - Card Defender is Still Available (and fully supported by RITE)!

 

Quick Update: Card Defender is no longer available for Microsoft RMS unless you are a beer, wine, or liquor store that will be moving to the Cloud Retailer point of sale software in the near future. 

With Microsoft RMS coming up on the end of extended support, I wanted to let retailers using the Microsoft RMS point of sale software know that the Card Defender plug in for RMS is still being actively sold and supported by RITE (approx 1700 installations as of 6/2020).


A general overview video can be viewed below:



If you would like more information about Card Defender for Microsoft RMS, please contact RITE at sales@rite.us or 888-267-7483.

If you would like a Card Defender quote/proposal, please complete this questionnaire.

Note that Card Defender is only available to RMS Users with stores in the United States.


Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Retail Terminology Explained: What is "Line Busting"?

A few retailers have recently contacted me asking what "Line Busting" is and how it works within a typical small retail store. Hopefully I can explain this in a way that makes sense!

Many point of sale systems like Microsoft RMS, Retail Management Hero, Cloud Retailer and NCR CounterPoint offer the option to use a mobile device (like a tablet or phone) to start a sales transaction.

This is helpful in multiple ways to both the retailer and the customer:
  1. A mobile device used for line busting is generally less expensive that a full point of sale station with a computer, monitor, cash drawer, receipt printer, etc.
  2. Line Busting can be used for special events, peak sales periods, etc as needed versus having a additional point of sale station sitting around that is rarely used.
  3. This is also helpful with retailers that have a drive through window to keep the line moving or allow for order prep time.
  4. You can capture the customers purchases (and initiate the sales process) on the sales floor versus directing the customer to a check out stand.
  5. Keeps the check out line/queue moving.
There are a few disadvantages:
  1. You generally can not bag product or disable security tags since you are on the floor and not at a checkout stand.
  2. You can not fully tender the sale (there are exceptions but we are focused on Line Busting and not mobile check out).
  3. There has to be an easy way for the sale to be recalled at the point of sale checkout station that the customer can remember (eg: use their name).
  4. The mobile devices used rely on WiFi so you do need to ensure that you have a strong and secure WiFi signal (no publicly accessible WiFi should be used).
Typical Process:
  1. Whether in the checkout line or on the sales floor, a store employee would approach the customer and ask if they are ready to checkout.
  2. Customers items are rung up as a new sales transaction.
  3. Customers name is added to the sales transaction (if you track customer information/customer purchase history)
  4. Sales transaction is put on hold and assigned a name or number for recall.
  5. Customer then goes to the point of sale checkout and gives the cashier the name or number used to put the sales transaction on hold.
  6. Cashier recalls the sales transaction and tenders out the sale.
I've seen this in action at several retailers and it works quite well. Retailers like the lower expense and reduced lost sales due to long lines/queue's. Customers like being helped early and seeing that checkout line is moving quickly.

Here are some videos showing a few of the options available:

CP Mobile for NCR CounterPoint: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt8ZFoBYDPk

RMS iPOS/RMH iPOS for Microsoft RMS and Retail Management Hero: https://youtu.be/yPz7KpQNTxU

Mobile Device for Cloud Retailer: https://youtu.be/f6hVPkXipzg

As always, please do contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632 with any Line Busting or related retail point of sale questions.

Monday, June 15, 2020

RITE's "Bottoms Up" Newsletter for Liquor Stores 6/15/2020

RITE "Bottoms Up" industry news
Rite logo
Keeping you up to date on everything BWL
Dear Kevin,

For over 15 years we have been on the edge of relevant information and offerings within the Retail Alcohol Industry to help guide your interests and decisions. In testament to this, we received the 2019 "Friend of the Retailer" award from MN's Licensed Beverage Association (1st POS company to win the award).

The Industry is changing and we are changing right along side it to better suit your needs (scroll down to announcement about our new Curbside Pickup offering).

*If you think a friend may benefit from this content, feel free to forward it to them.
Mass Voters Will Decide If Retailers Can Carry Beer and Wine at More Locations...and Not Everyone Is Happy
(estimated read time 2-3 minutes)
Cumberland Farms just inched one step closer to eviscerating current regulations that determine the number of retail alcohol licenses a single company can hold in Massachusetts. To the consternation of the Massachusetts Package Stores Association (MPSA), the Supreme Judicial Court for Suffolk County just ruled that voters will be able to vote on a ballot question in November that could grant Cumberland Farms, as well as countless other national and international retailers, access to unlimited retail beer and wine licenses in Massachusetts."
Ohio Lawmakers want to make "to go" alcoholic drinks permanent now
(estimated read time 3 minutes)
"Amid the novel coronavirus, Ohio broke the seal on allowing to-go alcoholic beverages from margaritas to adult Capri Suns.
Now, some lawmakers want to make the change permanent.
House Bill 669 would allow Ohioans to purchase delivery and carryout alcoholic beverages even after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine lifts the emergency order on the novel coronavirus."
Pre-Mixed Cocktail Pickup and Delivery Temporarily Allowed in Washington
estimated read time 4 minutes
"In a major announcement on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (“WSLCB”) issued a policy to temporarily allow sales of pre-mixed cocktails by businesses holding a Spirits/Beer/Wine Restaurant License – the license type held by most full service restaurants – for curbside pickup and delivery. Until now, the WSLCB’s temporary measures only allowed Spirits/Beer/Wine Restaurant Licensees to offer delivery and curbside pickup of beer and wine in growlers, kegs or factory sealed containers and spirits in factory sealed containers only."
Best of the Rest
RITE Releases 'UnCorked Commerce' Curbside offering
RITE is committed to supporting retailers in any business environment.
We acknowledge that a lot of you have had to shoot from the hip and make it up on the fly to serve customers via phone orders, email orders, product catalogs loaded onto Facebook etc... We applaud your efforts and creativity during these wild times.
As you are ready, we want to build off what you're doing and streamline sales methods that will continue to be requested, and to some extent required.
Give us a call, and we'll take you "From the Hip" to Fully Hip.
Do you have comments, suggestions, or feedback about this newsletter?
Questions about liquor store point of sale systems - including the low cost replacement program for Microsoft Dynamics RMS, or other legacy POS systems?

Then please contact RITE's sales and marketing team at 888-267-7483 or sales@rite.us
Retail Information Technology Enterprises
(888) 267-RITE (7483)
Fax: (320) 230-1795
Retail Information Technology Enterprises | 1001 2nd Street SouthSuite 100Sartell, MN 56377

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Turning Off EDC / Native Processing in the Microsoft Dynamics RMS Point of Sale Software

Quite a few Microsoft RMS users have contacted me over the last week regarding the native EDC processing being turned off within the Microsoft Dynamics RMS point of sale software. This type of processing is not secure and no longer supported (or even compliant).  As such, these retailers asked how to turn EDC off so they can use Card Defender, Square or a stand alone payment terminal to process debit and credit card transactions.

This video only offers the highlights on how to turn off EDC in Microsoft RMS. Please refer to your users guide, on screen help, or contact me at 208-340-5632 / kevinantosh@gmail.com for paid assistance.

Honestly, this is a prime example of how it is getting more difficult to support RMS - we'll keep supporting as long as we can but little by little it will become more and more difficult over the next 3-4 years.