Inflation impacts everyone, from consumers to businesses to decision makers. And unfortunately, it’s continuing to rage at a 40-year high. Merchants will feel the impact of inflation in several ways, from growing overhead and inventory costs to trying to keep up with cost-of-living increases for their employees.

For the last two years, the retail industry has been in flux. Supply chain issues, labor shortages, surging inflation, and the war in Ukraine continue to disrupt the marketplace. Yet, at the same time, consumers’ expectations are growing, and the path to purchase is expected to be as convenient and personal as possible. So, what is a retailer supposed to do?

While NRF 2022: Retail’s Big Show was very different this year due to COVID, it was still a show filled with meaningful conversations and strong display of innovation across the exhibit hall.

One thing that always excites me about NRF is that there are Ingenico solutions across the area. Whether in the dining and check-in facilities of the venue, my hotel or even on the train from Boston to NYC, it was great to see our solutions being used across a variety of use cases.

As we close out 2021 and begin 2022, we see a retail landscape that’s very different than it was two years ago. The global COVID pandemic served as a catalyst for the evolution of how consumers prefer to shop. For example, Accenture predicts an increase of 169% in online purchases from new and low-frequency users. This is just one example of how consumers have pushed toward the convenience of digital services to fulfil their shopping needs.

The retail environment has changed significantly in the last two decades – from the race to opening more brick-and-mortar stores to the rise of eCommerce. Consumers have changed too – from expecting to pay with their wearable devices to being able to have merchandise delivered to their doorstep. Retail is constantly evolving and merchants are always looking at innovative in-store technology to bring more shoppers into the store and enhance their shopping experience.

The holiday season is upon us and many retailers are already beginning to offer consumers enticing deals and boost revenue. While in-store shopping has experienced a tumultuous time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, merchants are hoping to regain ground this season. According to the PwC 2021 Holiday Outlook survey, consumers are expected to spend an average of $1,447 this year on gifts, travel and entertainment which is 20% over last year when the pandemic grounded most holiday activities.

Imagine you are watching a basketball game at a sports stadium. During the break, you go to the concession stand to buy some snacks and beverages for your kids. You walk up to the counter, pick the stuff you need want and simply walk away without waiting in any lines – your payment is automatically deducted from your credit card! Examples of what I just described already exist with use cases from Amazon Go stores or the TD Garden concession store in Boston. Making payments frictionless is not some marketing gimmick, instead, it is about making payments easier and seamless for the customers; who doesn’t want to skip the long lines?!

Retail checkout is changing. As consumers across the globe get used to more flexible shopping experiences, retailers are adjusting their technology needs accordingly. Not too long ago, most stores only had fixed checkout lanes. Whether you were shopping for groceries, apparel, appliances, or computers, you could only pay for that merchandise at a fixed location within the store. While the point of decision for the consumer has always been the moment when they selected the merchandise and decided to purchase it, the transaction took place at a different location in the store. Retail experience needs to be reimagined for the new customer.

“Begin with the end in mind” is keystone habit number two from Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. For an ISV or merchant with large payment infrastructure, the chances are high that they will eventually need direct access to their fleet of payment terminals. Technical teams may be asked to update a newer EMV or alternative payment standard, schedule seasonal advertising, or track terminals for a P2PE Validated Solution. Without an effective plan in place to manage all terminals can result in inefficiencies for the business in many ways:

When the pandemic hit in early 2020, consumers were shopping online for essentials and nonessential items alike. According to a Deloitte report, as of May 2021, 71% of consumers feel comfortable shopping in stores. However, their shopping preferences are forever changed – only 27% will return to their pre-pandemic shopping habits. For SMBs, that means stepping up to meet changing customer expectations.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the retail sector in a variety of ways – from limited store capacity to social distancing rules and more, merchants all over Canada adapted to these very quickly. The crisis also accelerated numerous shifts in consumer behaviours that were already underway. For example, contactless payment has existed in Canada for many years and most consumers were accustomed to paying with their contactless cards. With the increase in transaction amount limits for contactless, and the demand for touchless experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, the adoption of this payment method has increased further. Another trend that was already underway was the rise of eCommerce. While eCommerce numbers have been consistently rising over the last few years, the pandemic pushed more people to purchase products online. As a result, most consumers embraced online shopping even for items they would have previously preferred to buy in store.

When it comes to terminal space at the merchant’s countertop, less is more. When it comes to the POS devices themselves, more is more. For ISVs and VARs, this creates an interesting challenge – how can you provide the most ongoing value to your merchant customers in a compact, modern way? The answer: Android.

There has been a tremendous amount of conversation recently around biometrics and its role in payments. The idea that we can pay for goods and services without having to carry a wallet or even a phone is certainly appealing, but what’s the current state of play? And where are we headed?

When talking about Android for payments, most people think of a smart POS using the Android Operating System (OS). The devices themselves are a central piece of the puzzle but there is so much more to the Android platform than meets the eye. Understanding the Android Platform and its many components is critical to getting the most out of Android for payments.

I recently watched Zack Snyder’s Justice League which, despite the long runtime, seemed to fly by and was thoroughly enjoyable. I then reflected on a presentation I did a couple of years ago comparing how well planned the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was compared to DC and their set of movies. One has clear stories, plans that follow a long-term vision to delight moviegoers and satisfy the fans while the other seems to be trying to cram everything into each movie.  

In my previous blog post, I discussed the growth of QR codes as a payment method and the different types that are available in the market.

To recap, the first one is a Static QR Code that the merchants display for the consumers to scan and pay. The second one is a Dynamic QR Code – Merchant Displayed – which generates a unique QR code for every transaction for the merchant to display and the consumer to scan and pay. The third one is another Dynamic QR Code format – Consumer Displayed – which generates a unique QR code for every transaction on the consumer’s device for the merchant to scan and accept payment.

It’s strange how technology use changes over time. Take the QR code: It has been around for more than a quarter of a century but is only now starting to become more visible in our lives. What began as a simple tool to help Japanese car makers track their inventory around their factories is now everywhere from ticketing to advertising. Soon it will be in our wallets too.

Ever since Mastercard announced its efforts to make contactless payments even more secure the industry has been buzzing with questions. From what the technology is to how it will benefit the industry and the players in it. Even though Ecos is in its early stages, it is important to have these conversations and better understand how it applies to everyone from the merchant to the end consumer.

Over the last decade, mobile POS solutions have evolved from being a cost-effective, simple-to-implement solution for the SMB segment to a key component in enhancing the customer experience in enterprise retail environments. According to Juniper Research, the adoption of these solutions will drive annual mobile POS transactions from 28 billion in 2018 to over 87 billion by 2023.

As more businesses gain a competitive edge using mobile POS solutions, you may be wondering how you can reap the same benefits. So, how do you develop a mobile POS strategy that provides the maximum benefit for your business?