4 Tips for Beer, Wine and Liquor Retailers

 

Based on 30+ years of working in the retail space as well as recent site visits to over 120 beer, wine and liquor stores in the US

 

 

 

Suggestions, comments or questions: kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632.

 

Great YouTube Channel for Independently Owned Liquor Stores!

 This is a great YouTube Channel for anyone who owns a liquor store! Solid advice on operations and how to increase revue from someone who operates an actual liquor store: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjOX6qualo7rBlb9b5COdPA

4 Questions You Should Be Asking Merchant Services Companies

A video sharing the 4 questions that you should be asking when searching for a merchant services/credit card processing provider. Suggested answers are included as well!

Questions, suggestions or comments can be sent to kevinantosh@gmail.com / 208-340-5632. Please note that I do not provide or represent any merchant services companies. I am able to refer you when possible (US only please).

Honest Feedback on Retail Management Hero (RMH)

As we start a new decade, I wanted to pass along my personal experience in working with retailers who are using the Retail Management Hero point of sale software. I have been onsite with many of these retailers and/or spoken with them via phone and helped with installation and training.

First, the negative reviews: https://www.softwareadvice.com/retail/retail-management-hero-profile/

I can vouch for almost all of those reviews as being valid (these retailers did not acquire RMH through myself, or RITE, but I am familiar with their stores).

As for retailers who did acquire RMH via myself and RITE, there seems to be a 80/20 split between those who love RMH (80%) and those who are struggling to use RMH (20%). These are retailers across just about all industries and are located across the US.  The biggest concerns to note about RMH are:

1. Needing to use add-ons for credit card processing
2. Differences between Microsoft RMS and RMS as covered here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqPTxoSgHHo
3. RMH Central is NOT ready for general release
4. Not being able to see cost at the POS screen
5. Not being able to add new items at the POS screen
6. Lack of a manual or users guide
7. Too many releases and cost to install each new release
8. No support is included with annual software maintenance

The retailers who love RMH have expressed the following to me:

1. POS is really easy to train cashiers on
2. Liked that they could move their data from Microsoft RMS to RMH
3. Plenty of third party plug ins for e-comm, and accounting software interfaces
4. Uses fairly standard point of sale hardware and peripherals
5. The built in customer loyalty program is a nice feature
6. Physical inventory counts are easy to do using the built in tool
7. New options for shipping, age verification, and liquor store integrations

There also seems to be a trend of various RMH re-sellers abandoning retailers mid-deployment which myself and RITE have done our best to help clean up. Never an ideal situation but it seems to have gone well 90% of the time in fixing what the RMH re-seller promised but never delivered on.

Are you considering RMH and/or have RMH feedback? Then please contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com

Fall Promotion

As we wind our way through the end of 2019, I wanted to pass along the following promotion valid through November 15th, 2019:

My hourly rate is waived for all on-site consulting services.  All you pay is actual travel expenses for on-site point of sale consulting at your business location.

This offer is valid for contracts signed by November 15th, 2019 and only available to retailers located in the United States. Maximum on-site time is limited to 6 hours a day for up to 5 consecutive business days. Actual travel expenses include airfare, rental car, food per diam, fuel and lodging.

Please contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com for more information.

Goodwill POS Meeting Updates

I've had the opportunity to speak with a couple more regional Goodwill's about their POS plans - a summary appears below.

• Generally, all Goodwill's are still dealing with tight technology budgets but realize that outdated technology costs them more money in the long run via break/fix hardware costs, excessive labor costs for manual processes that could be automated, and employee errors due to using older technology.
• When looking for a new POS system, major consideration has to be given specific to whether their new POS system "wish list" includes features like production tracking and donor tracking.
• Consultants are proving to be very helping in identifying areas that a new POS system could increase revenue, reduce labor costs, and reduce employee errors.

Now, since y'all don't like it when I share your location information in too much detail, here are the Goodwill's that I have spoke with recently (or consulted with), what POS system they currently use, and what they plan on doing about their older POS system.

1. Southern US - Using Microsoft RMS/HQ - general discussions to replace in 2021 but no formal plan yet.
2. Southeastern US - Using Microsoft RMS/HQ - general discussions to replace RMS in 2021 - have looked at Retail Management Hero and Cloud Retailer - no formal plan yet.
3. Midwest - Using custom POS system - no plans to replace
4. Southwestern US - Using PC America - RFP is presently out to narrow down search for a new POS.
5. Rocky Mountain - Using NCR CounterPoint - no plans to switch away
6. Northeastern US - Using NCR CounterPoint - no plans to switch away
7. Southern West Coast - Using Microsoft RMS/HQ - starting searching for RMS replacement
8. Pacific Northwest - Using Microsoft RMS/HQ - started search for RMS replacement by looking at Retail Management Hero and Cloud Retailer - budget limitations mean using RMS through at least 2020
9. Pacific Northwest - Using Microsoft RMS/HQ - have not started looking at RMS replacement options
10. Pacific Northwest - Using Microsoft RMS/HQ - have not started looking at RMS replacement options
11. Northern Rock Mountains - Using NCR CounterPoint - no plans to replace CounterPoint at this time.

If you would like more details about the consulting that I have done for Goodwill Industries, or just have general thrift store point of sale questions,  please contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632. Thanks!

Final Thoughts on 2018 and Looking Ahead to 2019

Baring any major news, this will be my final post for 2018.  Some reflections on 2018 and thoughts looking at 2019:

• No shortage of POS software programs on the market presently with over 200 to choose from
• 40% of you are looking for on premise solutions and 60% of you are searching for cloud based solutions. You both have options to match what works best for you.
• You have options to choose from that fit your budget and style of payment preferences. Plus, in 90% of the examples that I have run, the costs are nearly the same over a 5 to 7 year period whether you choose subscription style pricing or "buy it and own it" style pricing.
• Don't believe the hype that you need all sorts of apps and tools to predict customer purchase habits, send out texts as customers enter the store, and other related analytical data tools. While these are great tools for the right type of retailer, I've been onsite with the owners of over 400 specialty retail stores in 2018 and having a successful retail business is based on the core fundamentals that we all learned ages ago:
• Know your products
• Know your top customers
• Know your financials
• Know how to use technology but don't let technology use you
• Don't jump on the latest technology trends but do experiment and measure the results at a low investment point
• Scale your business to what makes you happy and comfortable (and what you can handle financially and time-wise). 
• Microsoft Dynamics RMS (and HQ) Users: You only a have another 2-3 years to figure out what to do - whether you invest in upgraded payment processing technology, upgrade to RMH/Cloud Retailer/D365, start from scratch with a new POS system, put in Card Defender, or even do nothing - the clock is ticking. Start making plans now and then have a backup plan in case the original plan falls apart.
• Be prepared for support to end on Windows 7 and whether you can migrate to Windows 10
• Be prepared for more changed in the payment processing industry and what hardware can be used (especially for anyone using those USB mag stripe readers)
• Be prepared for recession in late 2019 or early 2020. All economic indicators are headed that way. Be ready to keep your business right-sized to survive a potential economic downturn. How this effects your investments in retail technology like POS systems, will have to be evaluated on a case by case basis. I've been through many recessions and they have been very busy times for me as retailers make very calculated decisions during economic downturns.  
• Let me know if I can help in person or via phone - I travel all across the US and can also make dedicated trips when all or part of my travel expenses are covered (which 7 retail chains did in 2018).
• And most importantly:

The Birth of Jesus Christ

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ[a] took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed[b] to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

What Does a Point of Sale Consultant Do? What are the Costs? How does this Save Me Money?

Brief video explaining what happens when I'm engaged in a point of sale consulting project, how this type of consultancy saves your organization money, and what the typical costs are.

For more information, please contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com

Restaurant Point of Sale Advice

A quick note that I am focused mainly on the retail side of things but do have personal experience in table serve restaurant management as well as the sales and support of multiple restaurant, bar, and quick serve point of sale systems.

If you are searching for a hospitality point of sale system, please do contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com with a note that my advice will likely not be as in depth as what I can provide on the retail side.

Retail POS and E-Commerce

As more and more retailers realize they need to have an e-commerce solution, they encounter the task of finding (or replacing) both a POS system and an e-commerce (or shopping cart) platform that integrates with their POS system.

I've had quite a few calls and emails about this over the last month or so - thus this post with some general advice:

1. You will find that most retail POS systems only work with certain e-commerce site and vice versa. It is not a universal solution in most cases. Be prepared for this and realize that your choice of POS software may dictate the e-commerce options available to you (or vice versa).
2. There are some exceptions but the complexity of a POS system usually drives the e-commerce options.
3. Custom development of an e-commerce site may be an option for retailers who have a large online presence.

So, when searching, you need to weigh in on were your sales come from as well as your POS and e-commerce "wish lists" for features and functions.  If you find that most of your sales come from in-store sales, then weigh more heavily finding a great POS system. If online sales bring in the most revenue, then spend time finding the best e-commerce platform. 

Retailers whose online sales are fairly small (less than 3 to 5 orders per day), may find it easier to not have the POS system and the e-commerce site share inventory and customer information.

Each situation is somewhat unique so please contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com with any questions or personalized advice.

Upcoming City Visits

Looks like I should break the 100K barrier in frequent flyer miles for 2017! Details are still being arranged but it looks like I am headed to the following places for the 2nd half of 2017 (mostly August - early November):

• Salt Lake City, UT
• Seattle, WA
• Portland, OR
• Denver, CO
• Phoenix, AZ
• Tuscon, AZ
• Jackson, WY
• Minneapolis, MN

And, of course, helping out folks here in Idaho - over 160 retailers in the PacNW and Utah that have signed on for sales and service - including single location stores as well as 50 location chains (good thing that we have 10 support techs!).

I'll update this post with dates as the travel plans are finalized. Contact me if we need to schedule some time together at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632. 

Minneapolis St Paul Visit

7/19/2017 Update - only slots that I left available while in MN are on August 3rd - if needed, I will schedule another trip to Minnesota later this fall.

Quick note that I am headed to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN in the coming weeks and would be happy to meet at your business if you are in need of some retail point of sale advice or consulting. Due to my schedule, I'd likely only be able to spend an hour or so with you but this would be completely free as I will be in the area anyway.

Contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com for more information or to schedule a time to chat.

Thanks!

Reminder on Consulting Rates

A quick reminder that I am still able to offer a large variety of on-site consulting services based around retail point of sale systems. Here are the common requests that I receive:

• you need a better understanding of your existing POS system
• some help documenting processes
• looking for gaps in your existing system
• budgeting for a new POS system
• creating a wish list for a new/replacement POS system
• comparing options
• What to do about Microsoft Dynamics RMS/HQ
• Replacement options for Microsoft Dynamics RMS/HQ

Generally you are looking at costs of $125/hour for these types of services but I also have flat daily or weekly rate options which run $2000 to $4000/week, depending on travel expenses. This would mean that my time would be exclusive to your organization for the entire length of my stay (example - a retailer in Minnesota with 40+ locations paid to have me onsite for 2 weeks and that my time was exclusive to them).

Discounts are available if there are multiple retailers that I can meet with in the same geographical area (example - multiple retailers in Texas combined to have me onsite with each of them during different days of the same week to save on travel expenses). 

On-site consulting costs can also be rebated towards the purchase of Retail Management Hero, Cloud Retailer, Dynamics 365, Microsoft RMS/HQ, Card Defender, or the other POS systems that the company that I work for is certified to sell, install, and support.

As each situation is unique, please contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com to have a no cost conversation about your specific situation. If you would rather contact me via my employer, my work contact information is 208-994-9404 or kevina@rite.us

Cloud/No Cloud? Purchase or SaaS?

Which some of the "big gun" retail point of sale programs like Microsoft Dynamics moving to cloud and subscription based models, everyone may think that the future of point of sale technology is going to be only cloud and subscription based and not something that is purchased outright and deployed locally. This is not the case at all - both models have distinct advantages and disadvantages.

Part of why I am writing another post on this topic is that I'm constantly being told that the industry is moving towards mainly SaaS Cloud based solutions. My daily contact with retailers indicates a nearly even split in demand - in fact I've had several retailers tell me that they are migrating back to locally deployed point of sale systems after having poor experiences with SaaS Cloud based systems.  Point being - there is a need for both types of systems and its clear that many vendors will provide both for the foreseeable future.

Read on for more details:

Definitions:

• Cloud: point of sale software is fully or partially hosted (and run) over the Internet
• SaaS - Software as a Service: Continued use of the software requires payment of an on-going fee which is normally monthly
• Subscription Based: same as SaaS for this particular blog post
• Deployed: how the software is delivered to you/installed

Costs:

• I've run multiple different costing models factoring in over 20 different point of sale software programs as well as different sizes of retailers. The reality is that the long term costs are similar in most cases. By long term, I mean a period of 5 to 7 years.

Read No Further - if the following applies to your business, you can rule out the Cloud-based point of sale programs in most cases:

• Internet access in your area is limited, spotty, unreliable, or not available
• You are in an IT role and want to keep your job/stay busy supporting the POS system
• You have existing equipment in place (servers, hardware, etc) that are less than 3 years old and have no interest in replacing this equipment
• The idea of always having to pay an ongoing fee to use the system is unappealing to you
• You want full control of your data locally
• Business equipment tax deductions are setup in a way that requires an outright purchase

Factors to Consider:

1. Your business has limited funds - SaaS Cloud POS systems have lower initial costs
2. You like having a set budgeted amount for POS software - SaaS Cloud POS systems have a flat amount that normally includes software updates as well as support
3. You have limited or no IT staff - SaaS Cloud based POS systems are generally less intense to learn and use and include support in the on-going fee
4. You have a high volume business like a liquor store or convenience store - My real world experience is that only POS systems that are run fully or partially locally at the store can provide the speed that high volume businesses require 
5. Multiple location chains - I've found that the complexities of what chain business require generally dictates that a locally deployed POS system is used. This may change over the next 3-5 years.
6. You require customization - there seems to be nearly equal availability for customization's and third party add-ons for both models. The main differences are how the customization or third party add-ons are paid for (upfront or on-going) 

There are always other factors but my main point is that you should not let anyone lead you down the wrong path when it comes to selecting the best point of sale system for your business.

Point of Sale Best Practices - Natural Disasters

What if this was happening to you and your retail business?

• Schools are closed for 9 days straight
• The roof of your building collapses
• Your stock and technology products are destroyed by water damage
• Your sales decline by 95% 
• Power goes out in -10 degree F temps
• Store stock is depleted
• Stock can not be replenished as trucks can not travel to your area

Well, right now all of the above is happening as a I type this right in the area that I live in - we are actually under a state of emergency due to a weather related natural disaster. Obviously I hope that this never happens to you or your business but here are some best practice tips when it comes to natural disasters and point of sale technology equipment:

1. Make sure that all of your point of sale technology equipment is documented for insurance records (make, model, serial number - pictures or videos are even better if they clearly show the actual equipment as well as the details about each product).
2. Ensure that all of your data is being backup up offsite - whether that be a removable drive or to a cloud based backup service.
3. Have good power protection in place (line conditioner, battery back-up, etc) to help prevent power fluctuation related damage to the hardware.
4. Make sure that you have the correct business insurance to cover technology products like point of sale software and hardware.
5. Do work with the business that sold you the point of sale equipment to provide cost estimates for insurance claims.

As always, do contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com if I can be of further assistance - I have dealt with this on multiple occasions but this is the first widespread incident that has happened right where I live.

End of Year Advice - 2016

A few "ponderings" to share as we close in on the final few days of 2016 and look forward to 2017:

1. Please remember the true meaning of Christmas as you celebrate and reflect with family and friends - Jesus birth is the true "reason for the season".
2. Take some time to plan out any physical inventory counts and ensure that you have the correct training on how to use any physical inventory count features in your point of sale software.
3. Reflect back on how you use your point of sale system to spot any gaps or room for improvement (or a new system).
4. Keep an eye out for pesky new regulations and security requirements so you are not blind-sided with outdated equipment that is non-compliant.
5. Still using Microsoft Dynamics POS 2007/2009/2.0?  Full end of life for these programs is coming up on July 9th, 2019. While this is still a couple of years away, I'd recommend that you start thinking now about a migration plan. Keep in mind that you do qualify for a low cost upgrade to the new Retail Management Hero software.
6. Planning on using Microsoft Dynamics RMS for the next few years (end of life is not until July 2020/2021 - depending on which support contract you are on)? A few suggestions:
• Keep an eye on Retail Management Hero since the upgrades are fairly low cost and painless (but watch for differences in features, add-ons and functions).
• Make sure that you are on version 2.02 of RMS so all the latest service packs and hot fixes have been applied.
• Consider using Card Defender to ensure compliance with credit card security, EMV, SHA-2, etc.
• Avoid Windows 10 if possible for the time being.
• Make sure that you are aligned with an Dynamics Partner that is committed to supporting RMS, HQ and Retail Management Hero - we have actually acquired customers from around 3 different Dynamics Partners that are phasing out support for various point of sale software programs.
7. Watch this blog and my YouTube Channel for more information on Cloud Retailer which is a cool hybrid point of sale system that combines the best of what cloud based and on-premise point of sale systems offer.

Right now it looks like I will be headed to multiple states in the first half of 2017. Confirmed so far are Seattle, WA, just about all of Idaho, Salt Lake City, UT, and Minneapolis, MN. Pending are Portland, OR, Denver, CO, Phoenix, AZ, Tuscon, AZ, Dallas, TX, San Francisco, CA, and San Jose, CA.

Do contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com if I can of assistance. Thanks!

Merchant Services/Credit Card Salespersons

OK - I already hear the groaning and comments related to salespeople who represent merchant services/payment processing companies.  Keep in mind that I do not represent any of these companies (I stick with just point of sale system and not payment processing services) but have learned a lot over the last 18 years working with what I call merchant services salespeople. Some advice when choosing the best merchant services salesperson (and company):

1. Look for transparency (all fees are disclosed and no unusual fees like PCI compliance charges, buyout charges, statement fees, etc).
2. No contracts (needs change - no sense having to pay $500 to get out of a contract)
3. No equipment leases (do you really want to pay $1500 for a $500 piece of equipment?)
4. The salesperson is not afraid to say "no" or "I will need to check on that and get back to you"
5. The salesperson meets any pre-sale commitments
6. The salesperson and company have already worked with other similar businesses in you area making for some easy reference checks and established familiarity with your business
7. You are working with someone with a local presence that can't hide behind email or voice mail
8. No unreadable fine print on any paperwork
9. The salesperson does not pressure you into making a hasty decision or set short deadlines
10. Rates are easy to see and match your business data (like the average transaction amount)

If you think that the above list is unrealistic - its not. These are some of the standards that I have required over the years and I've never run into an issue with any reputable merchant services salesperson/company balking at the above list.

I've found that the right merchant salesperson can make all the difference when it comes to dealing with merchant services. It also helps me out as the retail point of sale systems that I work with go 'hand in hand' with what merchant services companies offer making it critical for me to have someone that I, and my customer, can count on.

New Version of RMS/Retail Management Hero Demo and Overview

So excited for Microsoft RMS users as well as retailers in general as the new Retail Management Hero (RMH)  point of sale software is here!  While the name is slightly different, I can really see why RMH could be labeled as version 3 of Microsoft Dynamics RMS.

There are multiple reasons why RMS users and retailers should take a serious look at RMH.  From an RMS users perspective you have the following:

1. No need to start from scratch for training 
2. Low cost upgrade licenses $215 to $465/computer depending on your software maintenance 
3. Keep nearly all of your historical data (sales, customers, etc)
4. Works with Windows 10 - eliminate the issues with RMS and Windows 10
5. Use your existing peripherals (cash drawer, receipt printer etc) or start fresh with new hardware

For Retailers in General, RMH offers the following:

1. Proven database platform
2. Potential existing user based of 40,000+ stores
3. Overall costs are 20% - 30%  than similar point of sale systems like NCR CounterPoint and Retail Pro
4. Solid solution for retailers who need more that what the tablet POS systems can offer (Clover, Vend. Shopkeep, Lava, Silver, Bindo, etc) but don't have the sales volume to justify investing in NCR CounterPoint, Retail Pro, or Dynamics AX

My advice to RMS users is that you get in touch with myself or your existing Dynamics RMS Partner to take a look at your various options and chart a course for the next 60-90 days.  Each situation is different but the good news is that everyone has multiple options.

How to obtain a 30 day trial version of Retail Management Hero: http://www.pospondering.com/2017/01/how-to-obtain-30-day-trial-license-of.html

You can reach me on my cell at 208-340-5632 or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.  I'm presently only able to provide service, sales, and support to retailers in the United States at this time.

Oh yeah, here is the video:

Headed Back to MN in May

A quick note that my travels are taking me to Minnesota in May of this year - if you are in need of some unbiased advice for your retail store or restaurant specific to point of sale systems, be sure to get in touch with me to see if we should schedule a time to meet.

Please visit my contact page for information on how to reach me.

Too Many Solutions - Retail Point of Sale

A quick Google search shows that there are over 90 different retail point of sale software programs and apps currently on the market which is way too much in my opinion. This has happened several times in the past and usually only 20% of these companies survive more than 5 years.

I bring this up because it shows how overwhelming it can be to find the best point of sale solution for your business  or organization. This is why knowing the following is important as you begin your search for a point of sale system:

1. Your budget based on your annual gross sales
2. Local vendor or non-local vendor
3. Your feature/function "wish list"
4. What you can handle internally related to point of sale and related technology 
5. The type of products and services that you offer
6. How many locations you have now as well as how many locations you will have in five years
7. Any other software (eg: accounting) that the point of sale system needs to share data with
8. Are you looking for PC-based systems, MAC-based systems, or systems that run on mobile devices like iPads (or a system that can run on multiple devices)
9. Upfront purchase, subscription based, or lease/business loan
10. Cloud based or something that allows you to have all your information stored locally

These are some starting points to ponder - each situation is somewhat unique but should help you narrow down which point of sale systems you should be looking at.

As always, visit my contact page for information on how to reach me for unbiased point of sale advice.