Thursday, September 23, 2010

On The Importance of Retail Inventory Management

Retail inventory management is inescapably connected to operating a successful shop. The process involves not only tracking how much inventory is sold, but what items are and are not popular with customers. An efficient system can dramatically improve costs and conversion rates. It is difficult for most shops to devote human resources to the meticulous task of retail inventory management, so retail POS solutions are offered by many suppliers.

In essence, a POS system is a record keeper. Once a product is sold, it needs to be recorded in order for the store to compensate for extra stock. A POS system can involve a barcode system, which aids in instantaneously recording a sale and needs of stock compensation. This makes the retail inventory management data consistently up-to-date.

Retail POS solutions deliver robust reports helping management make wise decisions for the business. It is important to know what specific items are most popular with customers as well as those that are not making the business money. In addition, hosting discounts and sales is definitely a way to attract large numbers of customers; a POS system can help with special sales and promotions.

It is important to keep inventory fresh and inviting to customers. Retail POS solutions aid in rotating stock according to its age. A POS system can serve as a prompt to employees who can then create an attractive visual display featuring key products.

A POS system can play a supporting role in ordering, shipping, receiving, tracking, storage, and more. A business’ success is often contingent on close bookkeeping and proper management. Many small businesses can leverage good POS systems in order to compete with the ordered, streamlined system of large retail chains.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Is POS Software Right For Your Company?

Visual Retail Plus is a point of sales systems that is very easy to use and to incorporate into your business. It can dramatically improve your business and overall progress of it. On Visual Retail Plus’ Demo page, there is an informative video that shows you how to work the POS system and all of the perks that comes along with it. Some of those perks include keeping track of your inventory so you always know how many of each item you have stocked. It is also helpful that employees can use handheld devices to track inventory and properly catalog in-store products. Another beneficial aspect is that this software allows you to keep a record of what each customer’s item preference is. This puts you on more of a personal level with your buyers.

Having this type of software will also allow you to keep in contact with customers via email. For those people who are not technologically enabled, do not worry. This POS software can be learned by anyone, as it is very user-friendly. Refer to Visual Retail Plus’ Demo page to learn more of the specifics on what this software is all about. They are very precise with what they offer, and make it as clear as possible for their customers. Take some time to watch their video and read their facts on this POS sales system, and see if it is what’s best for you and your company.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Reel Customers In With Catchy Displays

When people step foot into an area with a lot of stores and shops, there is one thing we all subconsciously do – window shop. Strolling up and down the street looking in all the stores windows allows us to determine what stores we want to go into and what ones we want to stay away from. This is why window dressing or visual merchandising is so crucial to retail stores. People know right away if they want to come in and look around just by what they see in the window.

Visual merchandising is key to improving your sales and has been extremely effective for over 100 years. When it comes to clothing and accessories, visual merchandising is especially useful when showing potential customers what that item of clothing might look like on them. Putting a mannequin in your shop window allows on-lookers to view what you have in stock to purchase. It is also important to group items that look well together. This shows the customer exactly what it will look like on them, giving them a clearer picture of the overall purchase.

If you have a shop that does exceedingly well with pulling in people through visual merchandising, it would be beneficial to have some sort of store management software. This will allow you to manage the sales you make in an easy and organized way. Window shopping is something everyone does, whether they’re aware of it or not. That being said, make sure your store front is impeccable and showcases your best items in the best ways.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

The Longevity Of Retail

Retail stores are all over the place, attracting people to come in and give them their money. Retailing consists of the sale of goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, for direct consumption by the purchaser. Examples of some retail stores would be Macy’s, Target, Wawa, Home Depot and grocery stores. Retail is any place that sells a product out to a consumer.

A "retailer" buys goods or products in large quantities from manufacturers, either directly or through a wholesaler, and then sells smaller quantities to the paying customer. Retailers are at the end of the supply chain. Manufacturers see the process of retailing as a necessary part of their overall distribution strategy as it helps get their products out to a wider range of people. The term "retailer" is also applied where a service provider services the needs of a large number of individuals.

Retail comes from the French word ‘retailler’ which refers to "cutting off, clip and divide" in terms of tailoring, back in the 1300’s. There are very few stores anymore that are not retail stores. Check out some of the retail store near you as there is always a wide range of products to browse through.