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FIRST CHOICE FOR TECHNOLOGY PURCHASERS IN MULTI-CHANNEL RETAIL

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4 Conference overview

6 Matt Bradley Q&A and event at a glance

8 Focus on Brother

12 Focus on Daktronics

16 Focus on ByBox

21 Focus on Star Micronics

Retail Systems is an o� cial media partner of RetailEXPO.

We bring our readers all the latest news and views on retail technology developments at www.retail-systems.com

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Contents


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Returning to London’s Olympia on the 1st and 2nd of May

for its ninth year, but under a new banner, the Retail Business Technology Expo (RBTE) is now RetailEXPO.

The new name signi� es bringing together three retail exhibitions to give a single, holistic view of tomorrow’s market. This year’s conference programme has been developed following extensive research with more than 100 retailers and consultation with an advisory board of senior industry specialists.

With six stages and over 150 expert speakers sharing case studies, inspirational ideas and best practice across tech, design and digital signage, the agenda has never been more business critical.

This year’s headliner is Justin King, former chief executive at Sainsbury’s and now a non-executive director at Marks & Spencer. He will be joined by retail heavyweights Helen Dickinson, chief executive at the British Retail Consortium; Andy Murray, chief customer o� cer at ASDA; and Simone Sweeney, vice president for global retail development at Lego; amongst numerous others.

This year’s event is split into three zones:

Tech ZoneFrom arti� cial intelligence and the blockchain to virtual reality and cashierless systems, this zone will showcase the most cutting edge retail technology and how it is being practically used.

Design ZoneThis area is made up of four micro-zones dedicated to lighting, Point of Sale systems, marketing and visual merchandising, shop � tting and � xtures, and store design.

Digital Signage ZoneVisit this zone to keep up with the latest developments from audio-visual interactive displays, digital menu boards and kiosks, through to content management systems and more.

Within these zones lie the di� erent stages:

Headline StageThe prestigious headline stage is where you’ll see keynote presentations and high-pro� le discussions.

Payments StageThe latest thinking in payments - both in-store and online - and how they can smooth out the checkout process.

Marketing & Branding StageThe place to discover how companies connect with audiences to tell better brand stories.

Overview What’s on at RetailEXPO this year

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Operations StageDiscover new tech that can improve e� ciency, reduce costs and make the di� erence to customer experience.

Store Design & Experience StageFind out how bricks and mortar stores can adapt to how today’s consumer shops.

TrIED It talksA series of short, inspirational talks looking at real-life case studies.

Retailers near the beginning of their journey are well catered for at the conference, with the Start-Up Safari showcasing leading-edge tech startups, curated by Baringa, while over in the La French Tech Lounge, Business France

hosts a variety of innovative French retail tech � rms.

In addition to the various conference streams, there are also several awards ceremonies across the two days:

Innovation Trail & AwardsExperience � rst-hand the most innovative products and services on the market – shortlisted entries are featured on the Innovation Trails and the winner of each category is announced at the Big Parties.

International VM AwardsThese awards recognise and reward the very best examples of virtual merchandising displays, whether in windows or in-store.

Student Design AwardsDesigned to celebrate, encourage and promote the future stars of retail design, students compete for internships at leading retailers and design consultancies.

POPAI AwardsCelebrating in-store creativity, innovation, best practice and excellence, this year’s shortlist will be announced at the Marketing & Branding stage on the 1st of May.

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Selected highlights

Day OneThe � rst can’t miss keynote speech of the conference comes at 10.20 on the Headline Stage, with former Sainsbury’s boss Justin King examining the macro-economic factors and mega-trends a� ecting the retail industry, analysing the true facts and � gures behind the ‘retailpocalypse’ news headlines.

Also on the Headline Stage, at midday there’s a panel debate on the crucial topic of building an e� ective omnichannel retail strategy to create seamless customer experiences across bricks and clicks. You’ll hear from Lee Haslett, vice president of product and distribution at Virgin Holidays and Thomas Just Rasmussen, chief operating o� cer of INTERSPORT Group Denmark.

Alternatively, at roughly the same time over on the Payments Stage, get

up to speed on PSD2 and SCA – the new European payment regulations. Daniel Lee, group product owner for payments at King� sher and David Song, principal for EU personal � nance policy at UK Finance will be kept to the important bits by Payments Consultancy director Mark McMurtrie.

At half past three on the Operations Stage there’s a RetailExpo Great Debate on whether robots replace humans in retail. From self-checkouts to warehouse automation, this industry is more at risk than many, so it will be interesting to hear the opinions of Karen Harris, managing director at intuDigital and Catherine Erdly, co-founder of The Retail Collective.

Day TwoThe � rst big hitter of the second day comes at 10.50 on the Headline Stage, with Nickyl Raithatha, managing director of Moonpig, giving his views on how it’s a matter of disrupt or be

disrupted in today’s retail environment. Staying on the Headline Stage, at

just after midday, it’s an all-star line-up to discuss the future of the High Street. British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson, Market Operations co-founder Nick Johnson, Urban Space Management founding director Eric Reynolds and Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman will weigh in on the biggest issue of the day.

If you’ve had enough of the High Street, why not try a TrIED It Talk from Hitachi Europe’s product manager Hideki Hayashi analysing in-store shopper behaviour with Internet of Things motion sensors and real-time analytics.

Finally, at 14.50 on the Headline Stage, there’s another panel looking at how some brands are leading the way to creating a sustainable retail business. Hear how Farfetch, the King� sher Group and H&M are making strides towards more ethical and environmentally-friendly practices.

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What was the thinking behind the re-brand – what’s changed from last year?The move to bring Reed’s three leading retail shows, RBTE, Retail Design Expo and Retail Digital Signage Expo under one brand was all about mirroring the transformation being seen in the retail industry and meeting the needs of our show audiences more e� ectively.

We talked to over 150 senior retailers across multiple business functions and varying sizes, they all told us the same thing; retail success and survival means addressing customer needs holistically. This requires traditionally siloed departments to work together on decisions around technology and design.

The bringing together of all three of our retail shows under one format, RetailEXPO, means we can address for the need for greater collaboration among retail teams to deliver enhanced customer experience. This is re� ected in the wider array of exhibitors and the new format conference stream at the 2019 expo.

What can delegates expect from this year’s event?We’re really proud of the reinvigorated conference we’ve put together for the show, which brings together six streams of insightful content, presented by leading retailers and brands on the Headline Stage, and dedicated stages for payments, marketing & brand, operations and store design & experience. Ex-Sainsbury’s chief executive Justin King will be leading our keynote session, joined by other industry luminaries, including Helen Dickinson, chief executive at the BRC; Andy Murray, chief customer o� cer at Asda; Nickyl Raithatha, managing director at Moonpig and Giorgina Waltier, UK & Ireland sustainability manager at H&M.

New for 2019, there will also be a TrIED Talks stage, which will showcase how retailers and brands have worked with tech vendors and design businesses to create engaging shopping encounters and the new Discovery Zone that will feature disruptive tech exhibitors not yet seen at the show before.

How does the event help retailers address the industry’s current challenges?RetailEXPO re� ects the changing dynamic for retailers, who recognise the need to put the customer front and

centre of their businesses. By bringing the three shows together, it has evolved into the trade event that truly re� ects the needs of the UK retail industry. This will not only enhance the existing audiences’ experiences, but also signi� cantly broadening the show’s visitor base, to deliver a single source of ideas, solutions and enthusiasm, that will help energise retailers now and in the future.

What are you most excited about for this year’s show?Every year, I’m amazed at the breadth of progressive tech innovations and inspirational design ideas that we see at the show – and, with the new single show format, there’s no doubt we’ve got even more innovation and inspiration being exhibited than ever before, so I’m certainly excited about that.

Aside from our new conference programme, that brings together new topics to deliver even more insight to our retailer visitors, it’s also always exciting to celebrate and reward tech and design excellence from vendors in our many awards programmes – from the Innovation Awards to the Visual Merchandising Awards – so I am looking forward to revealing the winners on the � rst day of the show.

Q&ARetailEXPO

Matt BradleyEvent Director

RBTE

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According to the Food Standards Agency’s latest public sentiment

survey, more than two thirds of potential diners (68 per cent) choose where they buy food based on a venue’s hygiene rating.

A robust process for labelling food plays a key role in achieving a good score, not to mention protecting customers and a company’s reputation.

Every business that works with fresh food produce has an obligation to have a system in place that displays the status of any given item, including when it arrived and when its storage state changed – for example, being taken out of a freezer to defrost.

To ensure e� ective traceability, these labels must display key ingredients, the date and time of preparation and use, and details of the person completing the labelling.

Uncompromising e� ciencyBrother’s research estimates that over 90 per cent of the market is currently completing this process using handwritten labels that are colour-coded to days of the week, allowing employees to identify when each product must be used by.

This manual process is prone to errors. Not only does it place too much onus on human decision-making and

implementation, but there is also the possibility of labels getting smudged, worn-out and unclear. These � aws create a clear risk of excess wastage as food has to be thrown out sooner than it needs to be.

Printed labels, such as those produced by the Brother TD-2120N label printer, deliver highly legible marking at the touch of a button.

Less food wasteNot only are handwritten labels potentially wasteful, they are also laborious and ine� cient. It may not take long to write a single label, but multiply it by the number of labels needed to keep a busy kitchen compliant in a typical week and it adds up to a signi� cant use of sta� time.

Added to this, the level of detail that can reasonably be included on the labels is often limited – hence the common use of coloured day dots to denote timings for changes in product status.

However, having visibility only of the day on which the status changed and not the speci� c time increases the likelihood of food waste, and builds in further ine� ciencies. A product removed from refrigeration late in the day may, in fact, be usable safely for longer than indicated by a day-dot system. Our label printers can give you to-the-minute clarity over when products are still in-date.

If you want to � nd out more about our labelling solutions, visit us at RetailEXPO stand 5F10, or visit www.brother.co.uk/labelling

Stock rotationHelp make sure your customers label your business ‘hygienic’

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http://www.brother/co.uk/labelling

The challengeThe management of a Basingstoke Subway sandwich store was determined to improve the way its stock was labelled, to make the process less prone to errors as well as quicker and easier for sta� .

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) rates food venues’ level of food hygiene based on three main pillars, two of which focus on stock rotation and e� ective labelling of food. Subway also has its own internal food hygiene management scheme, and that also prioritises stock rotation through strict adherence to use-by dates.

The store was using a day-dot printing system that would frequently fail, leading to periods of downtime where employees were forced to revert to handwritten labels.

This system relied on an ageing label printer to produce defrost and preparation labels for all ingredients, but it was proving unreliable and leading to frequent break-downs in the system. The high initial cost of the machine, coupled with the unsatisfactory support and high repair costs, caused a great deal of frustration among both managers and the store’s sta� .

It was clear that frequent use of

handwritten labels fell short of the standards required for guaranteed compliance to both standards.

The solutionThe store replaced its existing machine with the Brother TD-2120N label printer. The robust unit, which has been tested to deliver excellent reliability under heavy-duty usage, immediately removed the need for handwritten labels.

The printer was � tted with the optional PALP001 label peeler, so that labels leave the printer pre-peeled, speeding up the process for in-store sta� and making application easier when wearing gloves.

The user-friendly interface of the machine and the bespoke, easy-to-follow instructions provided by Brother, meant a smooth implementation.

The resultsThe process is now much faster and more reliable for employees, making it easier for the store to comply with FSA and Subway hygiene rules.

It has also freed up more time for customer-service, something that has proved particularly bene� cial at the busiest times of day.

This has contributed to better customer experience at the store, with reduced queuing time.

High-capacity print rolls have meant less time wasted changing them out, as well as a cost saving on the labels themselves. With the lower upfront cost of the printer compared with the previous unit, this adds up to a signi� cantly more cost-e� ective solution.

Altogether, the feedback from both management and sta� at the store has been extremely positive.

Case studyA robust and e� cient stock-rotation labelling system for Subway

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Tell us about your company and why it’s important to be at RetailEXPO?From shop-� oor label printing and back o� ce document management, to stock-rotation processes, we design and implement systems that deliver productivity, e� ciency and security.

RetailEXPO is a key event for the retail and hospitality industries, so it’s a great place for us to talk to businesses about the challenges they face and how we can help overcome them. It’s also a good chance to catch up on the latest industry trends and make sure our solutions are aligned with our customers’ most pressing needs.

What are you bringing to the show, why should delegates stop by the stand?We’ll have a ange of our retail-speci� c solutions on stand for demonstrations, including desktop and mobile printers designed for retail thanks to their portability, durability and reliability.

Our experts will also be on-hand to talk about speci� c challenges, as well as provide an overview of Brother’s range

of retail solutions, including our managed-print services.

We’ve developed a new immersive retail experience that will be on display, so visitors can see at a glance what we have to o� er.

Also, in celebration of our support for road cycling in the UK – we are the o� cial results partner of the Tour of Britain, the Women’s Tour and the Tour Series, as well as the main sponsor of the Vitus pro team – we will proudly be displaying a racing bike on our stand, so you won’t be able to miss us!

What has changed for you and your section of the industry since RBTE last year?The landscape is changing rapidly in physical retail, with stores closing at a rate of knots. This is causing retailers to look for cost-saving measures, so o� ering solutions that allow businesses to do more with less has been key.

Our managed print services (MPS) are an important part of this, helping customers understand their printing needs and ensure their � eet is � t for purpose – something that can lead to savings through avoiding downtime. It also relieves the admin burden of print management, allowing them to focus on more business-critical tasks.

There has also been a great deal of

change for businesses involved in food preparation. The proposed new labelling laws to protect people with allergies are causing businesses to examine their processes. To help address this, we have launched a labelling solution speci� cally designed to manage stock-rotation reliably and e� ciently.

Any opinions on what the big themes of this year’s conference will be?Retailers of all sizes are still wrestling with their omnichannel strategies and trying to strike the right balance between online and bricks-and-mortar o� erings, so digital transformation is likely to be high on the agenda once again.

Data management is also going to be a big theme, with brands still exploring how best to harness customer information a year on from the implementation of GDPR.

Finally, what can we expect from Brother for the rest of this year?Our focus remains on helping our customers drive productivity and e� ciency without compromising on customer experience.

We’re continually listening to our customers and innovating our solutions to ensure they’re delivering the very best results.

Q&ABrother

Jessica Stands� eldSenior Client Manager

Brother

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Let’s talk shop

brother.co.uk

Today, getting ahead in retail is all about acting fast, without compromising on security or excellent customer service.

From store signage and receipts to stock-rotation labelling systems, Brother has got you covered.

No two retail environments are the same. That’s why we specialise in working closely with your team to design a bespoke solution for your business.

Our printers and solutions have been tested to ensure they will deliver the reliability and performance you need, and our expert support teams are trained to deliver unrivalled standards of service.

View Brother’s retail solutions at

www.brother.co.uk/retail

CD3088

Retail technology solutions from Brother

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When a consumer is looking to make a purchase, the experience

might not be at the top of their mind as they drive to the shopping center. They might be thinking of the item they are planning to buy or the store they need to visit, but the experience of visiting that store might be what they remember most.

Today, shopping centers around the world are capitalizing on the opportunity to make a consumer’s visit into a positive experience they want to have again and again. One large and noticeable way to take advantage of that opportunity is implementing digital LED signage.

Signage doesn’t have to be limited to sales, product or retailer promotion. They can be used to create an enticing environment with videos and colors for

an area when shoppers linger during their visit. It can establish a community presence, engage shoppers with interactive content, share the latest news or provide brand recognition. The technology adds a destination to the shopping center beyond a simple transaction that can bring them back to the location for their next purchase and set them apart from the competition.

These LED signs and digital display can be added to almost any empty wall space including pillars and support structures. They can be added to courtyards and atriums. They can be mounted to building facades and above entryways. The options are limitless.

CentrO Mall in Oberhausen, Germany, employed 10 Daktronics LED video displays to provide digital advertising and marketing campaigns

in the main atrium of their shopping center. Using curved LED displays to create nearly 250 square meters of digital canvas, they provide their customers with more than a mere retail experience.

Six curved displays connect for nearly 110 square meters of an elliptical displays surrounding the atrium measuring 1.58 meters high by 67.48 meters in circumference. Above this circular display, four main curved video displays each measure 4.44 meters high by 7.92 meters wide to provide prime digital canvas for messaging and special features in the atrium. The displays all feature 6-millimeter line spacing.

The venue-wide installation provides � exibility to CentrO Mall’s atrium above and beyond static

Improve Your Shopping Experience with Digital Signage

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advertisements as they can now use the technology in switch messaging at a moment’s notice or in conjunction with special live events in the space.

Implementing LED technology to connect with shoppers doesn’t have to be limited to larger malls and shopping centers. In Manhattan Beach, California, USA, Skechers � agship store installed narrow pixel pitch technology from Daktronics to improve the experience for their customers. The display features a tight 1.9-millimeter line spacing to bring higher resolution imagery to this up-close viewing application in their store.

The display covers two walls meeting at an outward 90-degree corner to modernize the aesthetics of the shopping experience. It measures

1.37 meters high by 2.44 meters wide with a minimized seam at the corner for full display content. The screen can also share di� erent messages on each wall at the same time.

While the display shares Skechers advertising in video and static form, it provides the store with � exibility in messaging while luring customers in for a unique shopping experience. The technology is helping to brand the store while also meeting their goals for modernization within the physical store.

These examples show how LED technology has been customized and implemented in two di� erent locations. Other options for LED signage include standard-sized banner displays.

Daktronics has recently released a new banner product that is 64 percent thinner and 40 percent lighter than previous models. This can be hung in atriums of shopping centers and rotates to ensure it doesn’t permanently block views of retailers and tenants.

From custom to standard, LED products can be inserted into shopping centers to connect with consumers and create a unique shopping experience. With engaging content and branding messages, shoppers will notice the signage and set your location apart from the competition. The next time a consumer needs to make a purchase, they’ll remember the experience at your shopping center with LED technology.

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Tell us about your company…Daktronics is a leading global provider of LED displays for retail and out-of-home applications. Specialising in creating spectacular and unique experiential environments, Daktronics has a diverse product o� ering to bring customer’s visions to life. From robust outdoor displays to vibrant, engaging indoor solutions, we has a solution to accommodate the communication needs of any project; regardless of size or complexity. How long have you been coming to RetailEXPO and why is it a key show for you? This will be our second year exhibiting at RetailExpo, which serves as an excellent gathering of attendees across the retail sector. Attendees come to learn and understand the in� uences a� ecting their business. How to thrive in the challenging and ever-changing retail environment provides us with the platform to help guide attendees in � nding communication solutions that

can be pro� table and provide unique sensory experiences for their customers. To compete with online shopping opportunities, retail centres need to provide more than just a place to purchase goods and services, they need to create experiences that are memorable.

What have you got planned for RetailEXPO 2019? Daktronics will be showcasing our latest generation of � ne-pitch LED displays. With our diverse product o� ering, we are well positioned to help retailers create customer experience and solidify their space as a community destination.

Why should visitors drop by your stand?Daktronics has been serving customers for more than 50 years. Our experience has positioned us to help customers avoid many of the trappings that can

derail an otherwise well-intentioned technology rollout. With a diverse product portfolio and technology experts, we can assist in creating awe-inspiring experiences that can set any retailer apart from their competition.

RetailEXPO launched in 2011. How has the retail landscape changed in the nine years since it made its debut? Technology has advanced at a mind-wblowing pace. Coupled with increased pressure from online sources and consumer expectations for immersive experiences, the retail landscape has never been more challenging. Creating environments that stand out from the ease of online shopping to bring people to a store is becoming more di� cult each year. Balancing investments in experiential technologies with a positive return on investment is one of the core focal points for successful retailers.

What do you think will be the key themes to come out of RetailEXPO 2019?I feel there will be a variety of key themes, including data protection and security, creating experiential moments for customers, driving a positive return on investment for technology, and environmental initiatives.

Q&ADarktronics

Jason MelbyHead of International

Marketing at Daktronics

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EVERY MOMENT MATTERS | DAKTRONICS.COM/RetailEXPO

TRANSFORMYOUR DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPERIENCE

1-2 MAY 2019 | Olympia, London | Stand 2B98Come to our stand to learn more about how we can energise and engage your audience with innovative

solutions. We will have a variety of cutting edge products at the stand. Our 25-square-meter stand will feature the latest generation of fine pixel pitch displays with Daktronics controllers.

daktronics-with-bleed-marks-flattened.indd 1 26/03/2019 10:43:04

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The advent of technology-led stores such as Amazon Go has highlighted

the critical role tech now plays in creating the best possible customer experience in stores. Computer vision, sensor data, arti� cial intelligence, deep learning technology and apps are now joining the ranks of EPoS and Chip & PIN machines in the quest to create truly connected stores.

It all feels very exciting, but in reality, nothing has changed in terms of the fundamental business need to maximise the uptime and availability of new and existing technologies – whatever their format.

With margins under huge pressure, retailers risk making a false economy if they fail to invest in a long-term solution for maintaining the tech, which is so closely associated with customer experience.

Some retailers maintain and repair tech themselves, but many outsource to service providers – cascading increasingly tough Service Level Agreements (SLAs), while retaining a tight control over costs. In essence, they need to ensure the right engineer has the right part, in the right place, at the right time. Which is much easier said than done.

Stan Dulley, Head of Tech Services at ByBox, outlines the importance of

optimising engineering and inventory resources to achieve cost e� ective maintenance whilst also hitting increasingly challenging retailer SLAs.

Service ExpectationsIt seems that e-commerce has taken the lion’s share of press attention in recent years. But in reality, in-store sales still represent 80 per cent of retail spend. According to research from ByBox and Deloitte’s 2019 retail trends analysis, in-store tech is important for the customer experience, and in-store innovation is at the heart of many retailers’ plans.

This shift is beginning to create an increasingly diverse in-store technology estate – exacerbated by the emergence of a ‘cashless society’. Tech underpins every aspect of the customer experience, and as a result, strict SLAs are in place for repairs. No retailer can a� ord the short or long term impact of equipment downtime, given the � ckle nature of today’s customers: a broken Chip & PIN device in a café for a few hours will not just result in lost sales and long queues during that time, but also a� ect long term customer loyalty.

As a result, retailers are pushing for next-day, eight-hour, and even four-hour SLA agreements. Indeed, with expectations of high levels of � rst time

� x, many retailers are demanding a ‘one time � x’ model. This presents signi� cant logistical and management challenges for any businesses which are not focused solely on maximising � eld service operations as their core objective.

Maximising Engineering ResourcesThe diversity of in-store technology also creates very di� erent repair and maintenance needs - from the simple swap of a Chip & PIN device - which can take just minutes to complete and check - to the complex assessment and repair of a self-checkout in a supermarket - which can take several hours and require more complex engineering skills.

Access to a workforce with the right skills pro� le is key; yet the UK faces a skills shortage, with over 200,000 roles requiring engineering skills needed to be � lled annually through to 2024. For any service provider, therefore, it has become essential to not only utilise existing skills e� ectively, but also to create a working environment that improves sta� retention. Allocating an individual with the ability to diagnose and repair a complex kiosk, for example, to undertake a basic swap of a broken touch screen, makes little sense. Not only is it wasting hard-to-� nd resource, it is undermining the day-to-day

Providing a tech-led customer experience is not the challenge – maintaining it is

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experience and retention of that engineer.

E� ective UtilisationAllocating the right sta� to the right job is key. The most advanced companies are using their experienced engineers only to carry out strategic and complex tasks. Instead, leveraging pools of lower skilled, but responsive, outsourced engineers - via ByBox - can help quickly to handle easier tasks such as swapping Chip & PIN devices or replacing a broken payment machine.

This approach provides several bene� ts. Firstly, these simpler jobs are quick to complete, enabling individuals to handle up to twice as many jobs per day; easily and cost e� ectively hitting the SLAs. Secondly, the highly skilled individuals can maximise their expertise on tasks that are typically higher value to the retailer.

Inventory ControlIt is, of course, also essential to provide engineers with the right parts to support every job. It is critical that both part and engineer are ‘married’ on site when required.

Traditionally, many � rms load up engineers’ vans with spare parts. It enables them to deliver the service – but also often leads to substantial over-ordering of stock and a lack of

visibility on what is often costly equipment. It’s akin to storing cash in engineers’ vehicles.

In our experience, � rms can gain total visibility of stock, and manage costs, by using a public network of App Lockers to underpin the pick-up and return of items in the � eld.

Goods can be delivered to lockers overnight, and collected by engineers in the morning on the way to their jobs. With a tech-led approach, the same system can be used in reverse to repatriate faulty parts into the supply chain, with items logged and redeployed for repair, holding or disposal. This just-in- time approachto parts management enables service providers to minimise stock holding, whilst also ensuring parts are seamlessly reused whenever possible to deliver further cost bene� ts.

Additionally, the strategic positioning of these lockers, especially in urban areas, can facilitate the secure

forward positioning of inventory close to retail centres. This permits a signi� cant reduction in � x lead times and also serves to eliminate spend on same-day transportation.

ConclusionToday the majority of retail technology repairs are still based around EPoS, Chip & PIN and a small but growing

number of tablet-based deployments that enable store associates to take payments. But emerging trends such as cashierless checkout and the connected customer journey will become more prevalent over the next few years. As technology innovation expands so will the breadth of repair requirements, along with engineering skills needed, and the retailers’ demands for ever faster response.

Customers have rising expectations and increasingly fragile brand loyalty, and as retailers continually re-evaluate the store concept to meet new demands, this is an exciting time for any organisation creating and delivering innovative retail technology. However, delivering the technology is just the start: without a far more e� ective way of managing both engineering and inventory resources, the quality of customer experience - and hence retail success - will inevitably be compromised.

An engineer picking up a package from an app locker

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Tell us about your company…ByBox uses technology and a network of almost 30,000 physical lockers to make � eld service supply chains more e� cient. Our customers see the value as improved customer service, reduced distribution cost, reduced inventory and increased engineer e� ciency. We provide a ‘ready-made’ public network of App Lockers for managing the movement of spare parts in the � eld; an in-night distribution network delivering to the lockers or selected locations; and trained engineers who customers can call upon when needed for � eld service.

It’s all underpinned with ByBox’s trusted app and cloud management platforms – which give customers complete visibility of their � eld service operations.

Tell us about your work in retail We work on behalf of many of the UK’s biggest retailers - including seven of the top 10 supermarkets - as well as High Street clothing, homeware,

beauty, food and beverage stores. We have a network of trained engineers working 24/7 at customer sites across the UK to keep retail technology working. Our mission is to deliver maximum uptime of retail technology, to support retail sales and help our customers deliver the best in-store customer experiences.

Multiple retailers also use the public App Locker network and distribution services to ensure their engineers have a guaranteed, secure and hassle-free way to access the right parts in the right place at the right time.

What are your plans within retail? ByBox is committed to accelerating company investment through a growing research and development team. Working closely with our partners in the retail space, our focus is on deploying new technologies and innovations which will help customers gain competitive advantage.

While the retail industry is undergoing a challenging period, we see an opportunity to help retailers deliver world-class customer experiences, and maintain brand loyalty by maximising the uptime of retail systems and in-store tech.

At a time when balance sheets are being closely scrutinised, our sole aim is

to extinguish costs in distribution, engineering and inventory. For example, we know that our ‘outsourced’ engineers can complete twice as many ‘quick � xes’ in a day than skilled engineers working in-house – because the in-house engineers are also expected to complete time consuming, complex tasks on the same day.

Why is ByBox supporting RetailEXPO? RetailEXPO is undoubtedly the biggest show within the retail industry. For us, it’s as much about engaging with retailers and their service providers and staying aligned to market trends, as it is showcasing how our technology and service propositions can help.

Where can we � nd out more? We’d love to chat to anyone interested in retail � eld service. Come see us and get to grips with some of our tech, at stand 5C28 near the Chill and Recharge area.

Q&AByBox

Stanley DulleyHead of Tech Services

ByBox

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Whether you are a high street retailer, a pop up store or a

restaurant, tablet POS has signi� cant advantages for your business. Reduced investment costs, easy setup and � exibility to immediately react to market changes, not to mention greater e� ciencies, are just a few of the undisputed bene� ts. Coupled with reliable, stylish hardware you have a tablet POS solution that is not only low cost but o� ers a wide range of features to enhance your business including improved � exibility to process transactions at various locations across the store.

To date, one of the issues hindering the widespread adoption

of tablet POS has been connectivity. As a result, more traditional cabled POS terminals have been the preferred option resulting in more expensive installations. This situation is further compounded by the fact that tablet POS receipt printers need network connections and cabling for reliable printer connection and tablet charging when cable-free communication is not considered suitable.

With software now in the Cloud, direct connectivity with a tablet enabled by Star Micronics provides a secure reliable connection without the need for a cumbersome POS terminal. Sleek and stylish

tablet POS with a reliable connection is now available to retailers of all sizes.

Star is widely acknowledged as the leading hardware innovator in the move from traditional POS terminals to Cloud connected tablet POS featuring lower cost hardware that can be mobile or � xed and easily upgradable as the business grows. Coupled with Cloud connected software that is � exible, low cost and progressively scalable according to market developments and individual business needs, tablet POS is being increasingly adopted across retail and hospitality.

Up to now making the transition to Cloud-based tablet POS has been expensive, particularly for small to medium-sized retailers. Recognising this, Star has developed the mC-Print™ series featuring 58mm and 80mm print width models with a multiple POS peripheral Hub - all at a much lower cost than previously available on the market. With the unique functionality of 5 interfaces for both traditional and tablet POS, the mC-Print series meets the needs of an evolving multichannel environment.

O� ering Star CloudPRNT™ technology for remote PC-free printing of receipts and tickets directly from a web server to Star mC-Print2 or

The unique printer range from Star that turns Tablet and Traditional POS upside down

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mC-Print3 printers located anywhere in the world, this low cost and versatile Cloud printing solution is ideal for applications across retail and hospitality including Click & Collect in-store orders, event ticketing and online food ordering, etc.

The entire mC-Print series is cloud-ready including the entry-level, lowest cost 58mm mCP20 with LAN ~and USB interfaces. Star’s mCP21 LB (LAN, Bluetooth, USB, iOS USB, Cloud) and mCP31 L (LAN, USB, iOS USB, Cloud) and mCP31 LB (LAN, Bluetooth, USB, iOS USB, Cloud) models feature 2 USB host ports for local or cloud-based peripheral control of Star’s SCD222 customer display and / or Star’s 1D barcode scanner or the Symbol / Zebra DS9208 2D barcode scanner.

Alternatively, the latest addition to Star’s renowned TSP100 futurePRNT™ series is the TSP143IIIU which, in addition to the mCP21LB, mCP31L and

mCP31LB printers, has the unique ability to communicate and charge simultaneously and directly via the Apple supplied lightning cable with an iPad, iPod or iPhone for reliable USB

communication. This removes the insecurity of wireless connection and seamlessly combines the � exibility and cost savings of tablet POS with the reliability of traditional POS.

The unique printer range from Star that turns Tablet and Traditional POS upside down

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Tell us about your company…Having exhibited at RBTE since it began in 2011, RetailExpo this year will provide an excellent platform to showcase our extensive range of traditional, Cloud and tablet POS printing solutions to a variety of retailers. We are looking forward to another busy two days this year.

What are you bringing to the show, why should delegates stop by the stand?Star is unique in that it will be the only exhibitor at RetailExpo to have a wide range of software and payment partners on the stand. These partners con� rm how easy it is to integrate Star and are essential to demonstrating just how e� ectively our solutions operate in retail and hospitality environments. While traditional POS solutions have the usual important role to play we are witnessing a distinct shift towards Cloud-based tablet POS solutions.

Star has developed an extensive portfolio that responds to this

evolution. In particular, the unique mC-Print™ series, TSP654II CloudPRNT-POS™ and TSP143IIIU are true game changers that allow retailers of all sizes to bene� t from the very latest tablet POS technology. Visitors to the stand will be able to experience these solutions alongside many others in use with a variety of retail, hospitality and payment software.

What has changed for you and your section of the industry since RBTE last year?As Cloud-based software for both traditional terminals and tablet POS solutions is increasingly adopted, Star has not only been at the forefront of developing POS printing technology that responds to this changing retail environment but also meeting the direct needs of retailers looking for cost-e� ective, reliable and innovative POS solutions. Furthermore, by providing excellent SDKs and working closely with our growing number of software and payment partners, Star is able to ensure that a wide range of its printers are successfully integrated.

Any opinions on what the big themes of this year’s conference will be?The retail landscape is changing dramatically. Facing ever greater

challenges to reduce costs, retailers are looking for sustainability and solutions that are not only future-proof but also meet the demands of an evolving omni-channel environment. Added to this, the customer is becoming far more informed and demanding in terms of a seamless shopping experience across a widening range of connected channels and social platforms.

This is giving rise to the growing use of kiosks as well as the need for low cost and versatile Cloud printing solutions such as Star’s CloudPRNT™ for applications across retail and hospitality including Click & Collect in-store orders, event ticketing and online food ordering.

Finally, what can we expect from Star Micronics for the rest of this year?With a fundamental understanding of the challenges faced by retailers, Star excels in its ability to consistently introduce industry � rsts that clearly set new standards in POS printing technology. Star’s range of versatile printing solutions will continue to o� er unrivalled functionality and allow retailers of all sizes to seamlessly and cost-e� ectively make the transition from traditional to tablet POS.

Simon Martin, Director & General Manager

Star Micronics EMEA

Q&AStar Micronics

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TSP143IIIUSB.The world’s first POS printer that can connect directly to Apple iOS devices.As leading POS printer pioneers, once again we’ve created a world first. The TSP143IIIUis our game changing USB POS printer, the first of its kind to be able to connect directlyto an iPad, iPod or iPhone using the Apple Lightning cable for reliable USBcommunication and simultaneous charging.

And it is so simple, just plug your Apple device lightning cable into your iPad, plug the otherend into the Star printer and you are off – just what you would expect from the world’s mostinnovative POS printer manufacturer. Your simple and stylish POS “till” system is ready onceyou’ve chosen and downloaded your supported app of choice* with a built-in power supply – no bulky transformers to hide away or become disconnected by accident. The hard-wiredaspect of this printer means that your receipt printing and cash drawer trigger functions willalways be available and not Wi-Fi dependent.

Also available on the new mC-PrintTM series.

*Phone Star on +44 (0) 1494 471111 to check your software is supported

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ON

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Unique Plug & Printsolution for the iPad“Data & Charging”

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Star mPOS solutions.As the world of retail goesmobile, Star sets new standardsfor multi-channel retailing.Raising the bar yet again, Star offers the latest software and hardware tostrategically integrate the advantages of tablet based POS in-store.

The value of mPOS is undeniable but retailers want the full range of printing solutionsincluding traditional POS solutions that provide an upgrade path to mPOS and theCloud. Star understands this and offers the largest range of POS / mPOS peripheralsavailable today.

Star’s latest unique solutions include:

a NEW mC-PrintTM – 5 interfaces and Hub in one printer

a TSP143IIIU – Lightning USB Data & Charge Receipt printer

a mPOP – Combined Bluetooth printer and cash drawer solution

a TSP654II and TSP847II – Apple Certified AirPrintTM POS Receipt printers

For more information on Star’s mPOS revolution, call our sales team on +44 (0) 1494 471111 or visit www.Star-EMEA.com

DigitalReceiptService

World’s 1st Combined Printer& Cash Drawer

WindowsLightning USB

TSP143III futurePRNTaUSB

Unique Plug-in & Print

for iPad ‘Data & Charge’

AirPrint

C-PrintmTM

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first choice for technol ogy purchasers in multi-channel … · tomorrow’s market. this year’s...

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