With a typical large retailer already running as many as 30 IT projects, working out what to add for the future is getting harder and harder. This is particularly true as the embattled sponsor has not just to keep existing systems going but has to work out the business case for technologies that might well be proven in terms of functionality, security and cost, but cannot demonstrate how well they will be received by end users.

Retailers in previous tough economies have looked to point solutions that they can adopt quickly and often without Capex approval, to fix a particularly tricky problem or to take advantage of a profitable business opportunity. While there is already evidence of this, particularly as technology can deliver benefits so much more quickly than it could in years past, there is also evidence that some retailers are using the current competitive environment to do a total systems replace.

Fortune favours the brave as all previous downturns have proved : those companies that invest and innovate, while of course managing their costs as far as possible, emerge more quickly from the downturn. And this includes those that recognise that when competitors retrench, this leaves the field open for grabbing market share.

IT vendors that recognise these dynamics become the trusted advisors that retailers depend on not only to manage whole systems replacements, but also work closely with them to get best advantage out of innovative technology.

According to the Aberdeen Group report "POS to Profits: Reviving Best-in-Class Sales and Service in Retail Stores” 73% of retailers rate themselves below, or at best , below average, on their current PoS capabilities. The research details the business benefits derived from upgraded PoS performance and cost optimisation, notably data management, help desk support, feedback management, rapid response, and ongoing software management.

Check out The Retail People news for more information and your link to the complimentary report.

"This year’s Retail System Awards were held at Grosvenor House in London this week to recognise the stars of retail,  celebrating the hard work, commitment and technical innovation in the retail sector. K3 worked with Kiddicare and Protouch design, build and implement 30 colourfully branded Xen X5 Kiosks which offer 19” touch screens, chip & pin and K3’s Kiosk application at Kiddicare’s new store and Distribution centre in Peterborough.  We submitted our project for the ‘EPoS Innovation of the Year’ award and am proud to announce that we WON beating the six other finalists;

• 02 & Torex
• TEsco & Wincor Nixdorf
• Dunhelm & Vista Retail Support
• The Co-operative Group
• The Pier & Agility
• Wasabi & Commidea

This is a prestigious award to win and congratulations go to everyone who had a part in achieving this success, especially our Kiosk team Dominic Manning, Vinee Ly and Paul Baxter."

It's always nice to get a bit of recognition, and we think such a great solution deserves it - so congratulations also to Kiddicare for their progressive approach to technology. Retail Week published an article on the work Kiddicare are doing with K3, which you can download from the The Retail People website. So many retailers restrict going multi-channel to having a website, (and if it's not transactional it's NOT multi-channel).  Kiosks are another channel that are gaining recognition, with their capacity to increase capability in store.

The features that we think are particularly great about kiosks are:

• Customers can view stock, check quantity status, reserve or even pay, at the kiosk (and get all the paperwork such as invoices, reciepts and so on from the terminal). In terms of queue busting and freeing up sales staff this is a great facility.
• It can be branded to fit in with the business branding, and the onscreen look and feel can be configured to replicate the business website. This gives that lovely seamless feel across channels that retailers are all looking for.
• Large items that just don't make sense to display in store, can be found via the kiosks and ordered straight from the warehouse leaving more valuable floor space, (customers  can arrange delivery or pick up via the terminal).