‘Transformation for Resilience’ revolves around a question that is resonating with all industries as we head into the Golden Quarter; “how can we do more with less?" We brought together esteemed experts and thought leaders for our panel discussion at our recent Client Summit, who shared their valuable insights, experiences, and strategies for achieving this delicate balance in today's challenging business landscape.

Hosted by editor of Retail Technology, Miya Knights, the panellists included Vicki Lawrence, Head of Service Delivery at Seasalt, Scott Watson, Managing Director at Barron McCann, and Kieran Bowden, Chief Commercial Officer at Retail Assist. Combined, their expertise spans hospitality, retail, and service delivery, making them the perfect voices to shed light on the importance of doing more with less.

Throughout the discussion, the panel uncovers the ways in which technology empowers businesses to transform and adapt in the face of challenges and opportunities. Key questions addressed include the impact of the cost vs sustainable growth equation on transformation plans, the role of automation in bolstering resilience, and the evolution of physical outlets to support more resilient operations.

Watch the panel discussion here

Click here to watch on YouTube >

Technology acts as an enabler, empowering businesses to transform their operations, streamline processes, and innovate to meet the changing needs of customers. Whether it's leveraging automation, digital tools, or evolving physical outlets, businesses can enhance their efficiency, productivity, and customer experience. Embracing technology becomes crucial for businesses to stay ahead of the competition and navigate the dynamic landscape.

Download the full discussion here >

What you’ll learn from the discussion

1. Retailers are caught between macro forces and the crucial need for innovation

Panellists discuss the challenges faced by retailers in balancing the demands for cost reduction and the need for innovation to sustain growth, emphasising the significance of discussing how retailers can transform and innovate in a resilient manner.

2. Digital technology as a crucial tool for business transformation

Explore how digital and tech advancements are empowering businesses to transform and adapt, dissecting the ways in which technology enables retailers to do more with less and drive sustainable growth.

3. The impact of cost vs sustainable growth equation on transformation plans

Address the importance of considering the cost implications of transformation plans while striving for sustainable growth, highlighting the potential challenges and opportunities that arise from this equation.

4. The role of automation in bolstering resilience

How automation can contribute to building resilience in businesses, can streamline processes, improve efficiency, and free up resources for strategic initiatives.

5. The evolution of physical outlets to support resilient operations

Explore the ways in which physical outlets are evolving to support more resilient operations and deliberate integration of technology in physical stores to enhance customer experience, optimise inventory management, and enable better decision-making.

Don't miss the opportunity to dive deeper into this engaging panel discussion. Download the discussion transcript and watch the video to gain valuable insights and practical strategies that can drive your business towards resilience and success.

The post Transformation for Resilience: Adapting to Challenges in Retail & Hospitality appeared first on Retail Assist.

The Christmas ads are out, cosy evenings have taken precedence, the bush tucker trials are well underway and its officially red cup season in Starbucks. This can only mean one thing for the UK population, denouncing grumbles about how Christmas just gets earlier and earlier every year. The US even have a name for the phenomenon, coining the term ‘Christmas Creep’ specifically for retailers who deck the halls with Christmas merch far before anyone would consider it appropriate.

Whilst it might still feel too early, we’re now into the final stretch of the Golden Quarter with Black Friday just around the corner. We’ve looked at how the Golden Quarter has performed so far, but what’s next?

Black Friday 2022

With less than two weeks until Black Friday, most retailers have already released their sales, with John Lewis, Boots and Curry’s leading a whole month of deals. Although month-long blanket discounts aren’t unfamiliar with retailers attempting to maximise profits and flatten the peak throughout the period, sales are also increasing with elongated sales period now suiting shoppers looking to spread the cost.

Whilst it’s expected that more brands will join the boycotting of Black Friday this year, it’s expected that consumers will engage with sales as they set out to save money amid the cost-of-living crisis. 59% of consumers engaged in Black Friday 2021, overtaking pre-covid levels and it’s expected that the average shopper is set to spend £275 on the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales however they will be looking for quality over quantity, considering purchases they know will be worth their while.

Is it coming home?

An unusual factor playing into peak spend, is the FIFA World Cup tournament kicking off on the 18^th of November. This is likely to boost hospitality spend throughout the peak trade period with 3.572 billion people having watched the FIFA world cup final in 2018. Greene King pub franchise sold 500,000 extra pints during the Panama vs England game, with some bar chains already fully booked ahead of England matches, the tournament combined with Christmas party season, is expected to give a short but successful boost to the hospitality sector.

Not only does Black Friday land on the 25^th November this year, but so does England’s group stage game against the USA who narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 2018 World Cup for the first time since 1986. Black Friday is unsurprisingly larger in the US and UK than any other nation, so there’s the potential that spend on the day for shopping might be distracted, however this isn’t bad news for overall economic spend as hospitality spend will largely increase with this being the first of England’s games outside of normal working hours, at 7pm on a Friday night.

Air fryers and fleece-lined pyjamas

Now for the final event, what it’s really all about – Christmas. What are shoppers buying for their nearest and dearest this year and how does this compare to previous years?

Spirits and chocolate still lead their categories on gift buying, despite 54% of consumers planning to spend less on food and drink this year. The post-Covid trend of homeware and wellbeing is continuing, with more people planning to spend time at home, but new technology still continues to spike the most interest in buying.

UK retailers are focusing on family, novelty and warmth this year, with a lot of them cutting their partywear lines by at least 15%. This is as shoppers set to cut back, looking for more functional and quality products that will also provide value with a rough winter ahead with products like air fryers and warm fleece lined pyjamas expected to sell well.

How to win the season?

Jens Levin, CEO and Co-founder at Sitoo gives us his recommendation:

It’s actually quite simple - your customers want to get what they want, when they want it. They want to know what stock is available, they want to start shopping online and finish in store or vice versa, and, if needed, they want to make online returns in store. They also want knowledgeable store associates who can assist in the best way.

To optimize sales during the season and build customer loyalty beyond the holidays - you need to make shopping simple and meet your customers expectations of all sales channels acting as one. The key to unifying your sales channels is to have the same real-time product, price, stock, order and customer data everywhere. With unified data in place, it’s way easier to enable cross-channel services like Endless Aisle, Click & Collect, seeing in-store stock levels online, and much more. Plus you can use your stores as fulfilment centres for orders placed online.

But, to truly stand out from the competition and win the season, you should think of your physical stores as the heart, and your store associates as the soul, of your brand experience. Give them all the information they’ll ever need to provide great service and the ability to sell any available stock no matter where it is.

If you do that, then not only will you take your efficiency to the next level, you’ll also turn your store associates into brand champions making sure you never miss a sale and your customers always leave your stores happy.

There's still time to prep

Balancing continuing supply chain pressure, consumer cutbacks and strikes is already proving difficult but with the expected increased spend in hospitality, and strikes impacting delivery times and supply chains, it is expected that shoppers will hit the high street this year to make sure they get hold of their products in time for Christmas. We’ve been supporting our clients in getting ready for peak trade and can help you ensure your systems are primed and ready to run smoothly.

Download our popular peak trading checklist at no cost, here.

The post Peak Trade 2022: What’s Next? appeared first on Retail Assist.

Despite the turbulent time faced by the hospitality industry, the hunger for eating out remains strong. Balancing inflation and finding new ways to thrive is leaving the hospitality industry with pockets of opportunities. So this week we’re looking at what’s growing in the sector and which hospitality consumer trends to jump on.

What’s growing?

It’s expected that market growth will be valued at £15.7bn in 2025 with the branded segment of casual dining leading the recovery. Restaurant closures are now on the decline too with 42 outlets closing a week in 2020, it’s expected that outlet numbers will instead be on the increase 2025.

Consumers were forced to get out the chef whites in 2020 if they wanted a food experience out of their norm, so now their expectation for eating out has changed. Consumers want specialised and differentiated food that they can’t make at home or buy on an M&S Dine In deal, demonstrating the increasing importance of restaurants.

Mowgli, the Indian street food chain is an example of outlet growth with five more opening in 2022. Mowgli’s performance isn’t just down to mouth-watering Chat Bombs and Bhel Puri (if you don’t know, get to know!), their growth is aligned with consumer demand for ethical consumption. Mowgli not only serve healthier vibrant world cuisine but commit to enriching the lives of their teams and the cities they serve in, having donated over £500k a year to a careful selection of charitable partners.

What do consumers want?

Consumers are price and value led now more than ever. We’ve also got consumers who wouldn’t usually be price conscious taking cost into consideration, with 75% of consumers aligning with this. Therefore, restaurants need to look at how they offer quality at value, considering expanding loyalty schemes and offers to encourage eating out.

Lunch-out is also growing, with hybrid workers making an occasion of their days in the office and treating themselves by grabbing lunch in a restaurant. The growth in the daytime occasion is demonstrated with more restaurants servicing the lunch market, typically dominated by the likes of Pizza Express. Wagamama have joined with Wagamama’s Box, as well as looking to offer corporate orders and catering offerings.

The lunch-out market also serves remote workers with some restaurants offering bottomless coffee and fast Wi-Fi for those who wish to use their outlets as a workspace, helping to drive daytime footfall.

How are vendors managing costs?

To serve the price and value led consumer, restaurants are consolidating their menus to help manage costs, as smaller teams take less training and are able to offer consistent quality dishes.

Main menu items also haven’t increased in price with inflation and have stayed relatively the same. This is because rather than increase the price of all items on the menu, lower the cost of a dish or keep the price the same, brands are introducing new exciting menu items which can be priced at £2 more than a typical dish. This combined with increasing the price of side dishes and starters by an average of £1.50 helps to ensure the quality doesn’t have to change and neither does the price of the main menu.

The cost of food is certainly impacting restaurants and many are opting for lower cost ingredients to avoid passing on price increases to the consumer, swapping out chicken breast for thigh and sirloin for rump for example. Tactics like premium starters or value add sides (such as loaded fries instead of normal fries) also increase spend as consumers make the occasion for a treat.

What are the biggest trends right now?

Robots! Whilst exhibiting at The Big Hospitality Show in September, we saw more than a few robots rolling the floor, telling jokes, singing and interacting with the consumer. Whilst they’re not going to overhaul our entire waiting staff, the focus around providing efficiency in healthcare, hospitals and care homes has proven very effective. So, we need to look at how they can assist current operations rather than take over.

Of course, we can’t consider trends without mentioning TikTok, the home of mega trends. TikTok themselves has opened the ‘TikTok Kitchen’ where they serve viral creations. To stay relevant and drive traffic, restaurants need to look at keeping up with these trends. Butter Board anyone?

 NPD, customisation and trends are just a handful of ways that restaurants can manage price increases. Additional upsells through size or additional ingredients allows the customer to customise their dish whilst the base menu still looks cheaper. New dishes are helping to futureproof the menus with increased prices that have less impact on price sensitive consumers. And whilst we don’t all need to invest in robots straight away, keeping an eye on your FYP on Tik Tok will certainly stop your menu from being left in 2022.

The post Food For Thought: What’s happening in hospitality? appeared first on Retail Assist.

From self-service to click-and-collect, in recent years we’ve seen technology revolutionise the hospitality industry, providing increasing opportunities to deliver a unique and enhanced customer experience. This year, The Big Hospitality Expo saw a panel of experts including Richard Carter, CEO of OrderPay; Blake Gladman, Strategy & Insight Director at KAM Media; Tristan Moffat, Operations Director of The Piano Works Group; and Simon Stenning, Strategic Advisor & Futurist at Future Food Service discuss the future of the industry. Here’s our roundup:

Use tech appropriately for your customer base

As Tristan Moffat, Operations Director of The Piano Works Group explained, it’s crucial that any investment in tech reflects where your brand sits within the market and the expectations of your customers.

Experiential venues are centred around human interaction and tech shouldn’t eliminate this; but should offer solutions such as removing the most transactional parts of the experience such as payment or improving the speed of service; for example providing the option to order via a QR code. More functional, casual dining restaurants however, can use tech to manage the full ordering and payment process so that guests very much serve themselves, allowing them to replace much of their waiting staff with hosts who focus on customer experience, and therefore make savings on labour costs.

How can tech add value to the experience?

We’ve all experienced bad tech, from venues where you scan a QR code simply to find a paper menu on a digital screen or having to enter payment details manually each time you place a new order. As Blake Gladman, Strategy & Insight Director at KAM Media, said:

“The key thing is when you look at technology, it's not necessarily about replacing existing things, it’s about adding value. So how can the technology actually add to the experience for consumers?”

Blake went on to explain that thinking about how customers want to interact digitally is vital – do they want to look for more detailed information about menu items such as calorie counts, ingredients, or allergens? It’s hard for staff members to remember all of this information but giving customers access to this in their own free time allows them to explore at their leisure, make informed choices and potentially discover new products they’ve not tried before – providing opportunities to upsell.

Data for discounts

Tristan suggested that a ‘data for discounts’ concept can benefit vendors in terms of gathering marketable information about guests, which also complements the customer experience, enabling brands to offer tailored rewards or promotions, or interactive or bespoke menus. Blake said:

“People are used to the concept of sharing their data. They understand the pros and cons of it, but they also realise that if you can get a benefit and it helps the experience, then they're more than willing to do it. I think it's a really great opportunity for a lot of brands to be able to start to give a personal experience when consumers are expecting that more and more.”

Data usage must be done correctly, however, not least in terms of compliance, but also in that it must be streamlined across the entire experience – collecting the same information at every touchpoint from booking to payment to feedback can be frustrating and unnecessary for the customer.

What does the future hold?

Pre-ordering, and the desire to streamline the process, is fast becoming a key trend within the industry. Richard Carter, CEO of OrderPay, discussed how they are developing a next generation solution which enables automatic coordination of pre-orders, particularly removing the headaches and manual work needed to coordinate a large party.

Another theme which was discussed was how the nature of payments - everyone’s least favourite part of their experience - could become more streamlined. Tristan referred to Amazon Go’s checkout-less concept and whether this could be the future for hospitality venues, allowing customers to simply enjoy their experience and walk out with payment being taken automatically.

Finally, whatever the future of hospitality tech may hold, the key is not to forget what hospitality is all about – people. Tech solutions can take away the transactional, manual tasks, enabling staff to focus on engaging with customers and ensuring that they have a great experience.

Want to find out how we can help your business to embrace new technologies? Contact us today.

The post The Future of Hospitality Tech: What You Need to Know appeared first on Retail Assist.

Last week, the hospitality industry gathered at Olympia London for The Big Hospitality Expo to explore the latest developments, products, and services in the sector. Not only did we meet with contacts old and new at our stand, but we also got to speak to leading experts and discover the newest trends within the industry.

Here are our top takeaways...

Click here to watch the video.

We also chatted with Richard Carter, CEO of OrderPay, about the challenges facing hospitality businesses right now, the key trends, and what the future might look like. Here’s what he had to say:

Click here to watch the video.

Interested in learning more about how we can help your hospitality business to navigate the changing tech landscape? Get in touch here.

The post The Big Hospitality Expo 2022: Top Takeaways appeared first on Retail Assist.

Keeping any retail business up to date and embracing new technology and ways of working is vital to success. In a competitive marketplace, those not constantly looking for ways to improve their working practices are often left behind by rivals who are doing so. An Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) system is something that many are looking towards as one such way of becoming more efficient and cost-effective.

Inevitably with any piece of technology, there will be occasions where you need help and support to ensure your EPOS system is working sufficiently and to the best of its ability; to this end there are many Managed IT Service Providers (MSP) with helpdesk support and retail systems support available to retailers to ensure your EPOS system doesn’t let you down.

What is an EPOS system?

An EPOS system is essentially an update of the classic ‘checkout till’, bringing in advanced and sophisticated features suitable for a modern retail environment. As well as recording what sales have been made, EPOS systems can take information and data and use it to create reports that can help retailers refine and adapt their business approaches. Other features can also be included, with the ability to incorporate inventory management, staff planning and loyalty schemes.

What does an EPOS system do?

As mentioned above, an EPOS system is capable of performing many different tasks. The ability it has to store and process information is a big part of its importance, as said information can be used to benefit a business in whatever way they see fit. It performs the functions one might associate with a checkout, such as the ability to print out receipts, but adds the capability to manage and print any vouchers or promotional offers that may be desired to attract repeat custom. An EPOS system also benefits from connectivity that can see it linked up to existing infrastructure within the retail environment. A retailer’s website can be connected, and information communicated between the two, as can different terminals, giving the opportunity for real-time stock availability to be obtained.

How does an EPOS system work?

To the casual observer an EPOS system very much resembles a checkout till; all the components you would expect to find there are contained. A cash draw, keypad, chip and pin facility and customer display can all be present, as well as barcode scanners. A screen will be visible that resembles that found on a touchscreen computer, and is used for the manual inputting of payments and data. There are additional hardware extras that can push an EPOS system further, and add value. Printers can be connected either by cables or using wireless connectivity, as can any card payment technology that a retailer may prefer. EPOS systems also contain the ability for portable technology to be used, meaning that staff can be freed up to perform transactions and other activities away from the main hardware. Data can be stored either locally within the retail environment, using servers, or via cloud-based systems. The latter usually involves a monthly fee, which covers system updates.

What are the advantages of using an EPOS system?

Retailers find that a big advantage an EPOS system brings to their business is flexibility. Rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach, EPOS is fantastic for customisation and adaptability. What one retailer wishes to focus attention on may not be the same as the priority of another, which is when this system becomes especially valuable. Sales of different items can be tracked, stock availability monitored and trends noticed, all of which are important to many retailers. If the sales environment is more concentrated on speed of service and rapid turnover, an EPOS system can bring benefits by being used to streamline transaction times and reduce the likelihood of human error. Special offers and pricing changes, such as in ‘sale’ periods, can be easily inputted and actioned immediately, offering further time savings and increased customer confidence and satisfaction.

Alongside the benefits the system brings to frontline staff, those working the backline can also reap the rewards. Sales reports and figures are not only accurate but can be consolidating into data trends easily, making analysis of the success of certain campaigns and promotions easy, as well as predictions of emerging trends possible. Accounts become easier with the production of accurate reports, and marketing campaigns can be monitored for their effectiveness, and developed based on figures and statistics rather than speculation. Stock control can also be made easier, via the same methods, with storerooms able to react to or predict spikes and falls in demand at particular times and due to certain circumstances.

EPOS systems can also help management at retail establishments work more effectively and monitor how their staffing levels are run. It allows full records of the activities performed on it by staff members; who used it, for what, and at what time. An obvious benefit of this is to reduce the likelihood of any problems, and to be swiftly and accurately able to find the root of any problem should it occur. Alongside this though lies a way to see just how busy staff are, and whether placement and structuring of them is at its best. This can lead to redeployment of staff in a more efficient way that may save the retailer time and money.

Customers will also see advantages from retailers that are using an EPOS system. Aesthetically they can look sleek and professional, presenting a visual image of a business that is modern. Benefits will also be felt by a faster transaction time, and the reduced likelihood of any problems being encountered. Common issues such as incorrect pricing is less likely to be met, as a consistent approach is generated across all systems within the retailer’s operations. Customers are also able to get quick responses to any questions they have regarding whether certain items are in stock, as a single staff member can access all the relevant details at the same location as transactions take place. The potential to tailor customer loyalty programmes individually can also increase satisfaction. Details about what the customer has bought previously can be used to determine their habits and what other products they may have interest in, resulting in the ability to be able to give discounts and offers on items that are especially tempting to that particular individual.

Get in Touch

If you want to know more about the EPOS Help Desk support Retail Assist offers, get in touch here.

Learn more about our retail definitions; including what WSSI means, what retail allocation means and what omnichannel retailing is.

The post What is EPOS? (Electronic Point of Sale) appeared first on Retail Assist.

Is your business growing faster than your IT can handle?

A well-managed, efficient and slick IT Help Desk service acts as so much more than an IT function. By the very nature of the service, users contacting a Help Desk will be experiencing problems or issues, and may often be stressed, or frustrated. Having their issues quickly and professionally dealt with can have a huge impact on individual satisfaction and productivity, and sends out an image of the brand taking a professional and serious approach to problems, without disrupting customer service.

What can cause problems for a Help Desk?

Meeting expectations on levels of service can often be difficult when faced with the challenges encountered on a busy service desk. Response times can be seriously impacted by a lack of efficiency or inappropriate focus. Many service desks will look at their initial response times as a focal point, aiming to provide a rapid answering time. This can often result in positive first impressions that may well not be followed through to a successful end result, due to focus being misplaced. A high first line fix means much more than a low answering time with longer resolution.

Problems can also arise around creating a cost effective approach, where sufficient financial priority is placed on the areas and timeslots that matter or are subject to enhanced demand.

Managing this can of course be difficult, and can be subject to many types of internal pressure, not least of which can form around how to calculate the worth of individual components to the business as a whole. Gauging issues based on their priority can also be difficult and time consuming, as well as escalation to the relevant third parties. 

How can Retail Assist help?

The specialist Help Desk team at Retail Assist offers services designed to make a business more effective, by providing a streamlined approach to issues. By centralising all problems to one single point of contact, any incident that occurs across an entire business can be logged and resolved in the same place, creating a uniformed and unified service. As the service blends seamlessly with internal teams, the IT Help Desk forms an extension of the business, where problems are managed end-to-end from the point of contact to resolution.

The financial benefits to the business are very valuable. The service removes the need for staffing internally, such as the ability to flex cover over peak periods, and all costs are transparent. Regular meetings with users of the IT Help Desk service mean that improvements are continually made in order to align with expectations.

In a similar manner, a proactive approach is taken to the incidents about which the IT Help Desk is contacted in order to prevent occurrences of issues in the future. As a result the top issues that the IT Help Desk encounters each month are collected, assessed and removed in order to reduce the volume of incidents that may occur.

Retail Assist’s IT Help Desk service is ISO 20000 accredited, follows the ITIL framework and holds membership of the Service Desk Institute (SDI): assurance is provided in terms of quality best practice as well as effectiveness. 20 years of experience within the retail and hospitality sector means that the understanding of technology Retail Assist possesses is unparalleled. Cover is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in a variety of languages, in recognition of the fact that IT Help Desk support needs to reflect the demands of modern global business.

If you're interested in outsourcing any of your IT requirements, get in touch here. 

The post Managing Help Desk Demand appeared first on Retail Assist.

For our projects team, there’s no job too big or too small. Our PRINCE-2 qualified project managers have overseen everything from new software/hardware rollouts, consultancy or tender processes and technology upgrades.

We were very pleased to welcome Hawthorn to our projects team; Hawthorn is an ambitious community pub company with a portfolio that consists of over 700 leased, tenanted and operator managed community pubs run across England, Scotland and Wales. Hawthorn were utilising multiple EPOS systems across their 130 operator managed pubs, duplicating system changes across the multiple suppliers – which also duplicated the cost. Hawthorn needed to review and streamline the multiple EPOS systems across their operator managed estate and choose a single EPOS provider to support the future growth of the business.

Working alongside Hawthorn’s steering team, we were engaged to provide industry knowledge on hospitality EPOS systems and to run a fair tender process, covering functional and non-functional service-related requirements.

The Solution

Our project team conducted a thorough supplier selection process and, once this approval was granted, all workshops and demos with end users were conducted remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic, with our team overseeing the implementation of the chosen supplier.

Matt Ward, Hawthorn’s chief finance officer, said: “We’re delighted with the support we’ve received from Retail Assist; with their help, the tender process of our new EPOS system has been very smooth and we’re very happy with the support they’ve given to our team. Outsourcing to their project services has meant that we have leveraged their expert knowledge and experience to deliver an outcome that’s seen us on-board a new supplier which best fits our growth aspirations.”

What Can Our Projects Team Offer?

Our IT project management services offering is very diverse. Whether you’d like to implement our own solutions, such as OMIO PIM or Merret Pro, or our managed IT services, such as our IT Help Desk, we can also run a variety of in-house projects, too.

Have your existing IT teams got a lot to juggle? Let us take the pressure off. We deal with the headache of balancing third parties, dealing with deadlines and suppliers.

Kevin Greathead, Retail Assist’s chief services officer, said: “At Retail Assist, we take great pride in the support we give to our hospitality customers and how we manage IT services for them; our collaborative approach allows them to be innovative and push through with their business growth plans. Retail and hospitality are fast-paced industries: as the market moves faster, we want to help bring new and usable technology to our customers to keep this pace. Innovation is really key to us.”

The post Effective Projects: Meet Our Latest Client, Hawthorn appeared first on Retail Assist.

It’s unsurprising that retail sales in 2020 haven’t quite met what was forecast at the start of the year. So, it was positive to see that after non-essential retail stores were allowed to open again in June, that retail sales in July have seen a promising increase.

The Retail Gazette reported that retail sales across the UK grew and also experienced a second consecutive month of growth in July. According to the latest Retail Sales Monitor from BRC and KPMG, sales increased by 3.2 per cent last month compared to an increase of 0.5 per cent in July last year.

There were also other encouraging signs that retail is growing, too. On a like-for-like basis, UK retail sales increased 4.3 per cent compared to July 2019, when they had increased 0.3 per cent from the preceding year.

So, with consumers embracing retail purchases and with life slowly returning to some normality, it hopefully shows positive signs for the rest of the year ahead. With the end of the year already in sight, are your stores ready for peak trading?

Whether you’re currently fully operational or whether you’re gradually re-opening stores, Black Friday and the Christmas trading season is not far away. We've developed our Back to Business Checklist that prepares your stores for not only returning to trade now, but checks that they're ready for peak trading, too.

We worked with some of the leading brands in retail and hospitality to design this simple checklist that helps your store and site staff to make the necessary checks that will ensure their store operations are fully optimised.

Our Back to Business Checklist covers:

• POS Hardware
• Backup
• Staff
• POS Activity Check
• Contacting the IT Help Desk

Award-Winning Store Support

Our IT Help Desk operates 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, meaning no matter what your opening hours, help is only a phone call away.

If your teams come across a problem whilst using the Back to Business Checklist, have they got the IT support to help them resolve the issues? With our Help Desk's IT specialists, you're in safe hands (in fact, we think they're the best in the business - check out our awards here!). Acting as a central point of contact for all IT issues, we take complete ownership of any problems encountered in-store, including managing third party relationships so that your store teams don't have to, so that whatever happens, we can keep you trading when you need to rely on it most.

Do you need an IT Help Desk you can rely on? Click here to find out more.

The post It’s Good News! Retail Sales See Growth – But Are Your Shops Ready? appeared first on Retail Assist.

Over lockdown, we’ve all missed various different aspects of our previous ‘normal’ lives. Whether that’s being able to hug friends and family, going to the cinema or even going on holiday, there’s so many activities that we’ll all never take for granted again. However, for many people, another activity on that list is eating and drinking out; going for a meal with your loved ones or meeting your friends for a drink at your local are all important parts of our social lives. And with Britain’s bustling hospitality scene, many businesses are looking forward to welcoming back their patrons, at least at a social distance.

First, it was non-essential retail and now it’s hospitality’s turn: but, from the 4^th July, will customers be planning to return?

Our Survey

We surveyed over 100 people across all adult age groups to reflect on their plans for this weekend – and the results were mixed.

Of those surveyed, only 13% of people said that they had plans to visit a hospitality venue this weekend, with 62% of people giving an outright ‘no’. However, interestingly, 25% of people said that they would return “soon”, showing promising signs that customers were beginning to make plans beyond this weekend. This is perhaps mirrored in visits to non-essential retailers, with 41% of people saying that they had been in-store since 15^th June, only two weeks ago, suggesting that whilst a return to store spaces might be initially slow, consumer confidence should follow similar signs of growing.

So, if people aren’t planning on visiting a venue this weekend, what are their reasons? 42% of those surveyed said that they didn’t feel safe doing so, whereas 23% of customers said that they weren’t necessarily ready to be around other people. Reassuringly, only 9% of people said that they didn’t trust the measures that vendors have put in place. For this particular group, systems such as OMIO Motion help with the movement of people around a space, meaning that staff don’t have to police this themselves and also allowing customers to feel safe in the space that they’re in; with a simple set-up, retailers and hospitality vendors can safely re-open whilst seeing a good financial return in just a few weeks.

As for people who plan to visit venues this weekend, there seems to be a popular choice; of those surveyed, 59% said that they planned on visiting a pub or bar, with 29% of people planning on visiting a restaurant or café: 12% of people said that they planned on visiting both. 

When talking about budgets, responses were quite varied. Some people were either looking to have a few drinks and spend up to £20 (12%), whereas 35% were looking to spend £21-40 with others relishing a return to their favourite vendors, looking to spend over £61 (35%). This variety suggests that whatever the hospitality venue and whatever the offering, vendors can still look to see good returns on customers coming back.

Staying Safe

Whilst it’s exciting to see the small steps in our return to normality, it’s paramount that staff and customers can enjoy visiting their favourite businesses whilst staying safe. OMIO Motion allows retailers and hospitality vendors to control and measure occupancy levels, allowing them to adhere and enforce government guidelines. As the survey suggested, it's also important to reassure customers and visitors that their welfare is being cared for. With a simple set-up, businesses can see a return on investment in just weeks.

If you’re a business, it's also important to ensure that your systems ready, especially after so much downtime. Our return to trading checklist helps your store teams to get everything back up and running, allowing you to put more time into ensuring everyone’s safety whilst making sure that you’re ready to welcome everyone back with open arms.

Not sure how to navigate the new normal? Our tech experts are on hand to help. Click here to get in touch.

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