Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
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states. "Harbortouch is a great way to avoid spending thousands of dollars on a POS system. You're only charged for the credit processing fees that you'd be billed for even if you bought the system outright. And all retailers can be confident that they'll receive the support from Harbortouch that they need. Because we invest all the money into getting your POS up and running, from the day we install that system,we have a vested interest in you and your business. Making sure your business does well and functions properly is the only way we will ultimately see a return on our investment." The no-cost setup fee is especially appealing to start-up businesses. Mario Lopez and his partners opened Legends Wine, Liquor, and Gifts in McAllen, TX, two years ago. Because they had to devote so much initial capital to inventory, the Harbortouch system was a great option for them. "We've had little to no problems with it so far, and it accurately manages our inventory for us," Lopez states. "It was a win-win situation for us. We didn't have to fork over several thousand dollars for a POS system as a start-up, and we got a system that's user-friendly and worth what we do pay." Lopez says that if his business expands in the next several years and opens a second location, he will definitely continue to use Harbortouch. The Best of Both Worlds etailers who are interested in mobile-based POS capabilities may find that integrating that technology with their existing system may be a good way to ease into things. Lee Holman is a Lead Retail Analyst with IHL Group, a research and advisory firm specializing in store systems for retailers. His company recently conducted a survey in which they asked retailers who were utilizing mobile-based POS systems in their stores how it would affect the number of traditional POS units they planned to purchase for their business over the next several years. The result? Mobile-POS retailers only R planned to purchase 13% fewer POS systems. "Overall, we're still seeing many retailers holding onto the traditional POS systems, and finding ways of integrating mobile technology into their stores," Holman explains, citing the Starbucks Square Wallet app as an example of a company that has integrated a mobile payment option for customers with their regular POS system. In fact, as of July 2013, 10% of all payment transactions in U.S. Starbucks stores were processed using a mobile app. Holman predicts that while mobile-based technology will continue to grow, there will always be a segment of retailers who prefer a more traditional approach to POS. He also suggests that customers will be the driving force behind many companies choosing to integrate mobile-based technology as an add-on to their existing systems. For retailers who are interested in both traditional and mobile-based POS platforms, or who aren't completely sure which system will best fit the needs of their business in the future, it's important to identify a POS provider that offers multiple features to accommodate the needs of an evolving business. Microsoft Dynamics for retail is one of the most robust POS systems on the market, and also one of the most popular: it's currently used in 36 countries around the world. Each individual system is equipped with the same powerful capabilities, and can be further customized to meet the needs of an individual business with features that include mobile, social, and omni-channel integration. Its flexibility makes it an ideal solution for both large and small retailers. One distinctive aspect of Microsoft Dynamics is that it's designed to run the same way in whatever medium it's accessed in. "We've customized the look and feel to reduce training time and make it more efficient for retailers to access information," states Michael Griffiths, Global Industry Director for Microsoft Dynamics. "Many POS developers need to vary their technology for their program to run in an app, and the result is limited. Our solution is a flexible yet powerful program that works the same way on a tablet, a phone, or on a standard POS. All of these mediums are fully functional, and the look and feel is very consistent across platforms." Regardless of a retailer's specific needs or preferences, Griffiths says that the goal any retailer should have for its POS system is the same: to enhance the customer experience resulting in a higher level of customer engagement. And with mobile and other new media capabilities constantly on the rise, Griffiths says that the retailers who succeed will be the ones who embrace new technology. I 44 • Beverage Dynamics • www.beveragedynamics.com • September/October 2013