Retailers Ready For POS Upgrades

By Brian Albright, Business Solutions magazine.

A combination of pent-up demand, interest in self-service checkout applications, security concerns, and new technology capabilities are opening up additional opportunities for resellers in the retail point of sale (POS) space. "Retailers are continuing to make investments in technologies that help them improve the customer experience or help them operate more efficiently, because this is where they are finding a competitive advantage," says Brad Tracy, VP of retail channel sales at NCR.

VARs willing to make the necessary marketing and sales investments and that have stayed on top of new hardware trends can capitalize on retailers' interest in upgrading their solutions and adding new functionality. "As retailers invest in the latest efficient and customerfriendly technologies, solutions providers can leverage this moment to broaden their footprint, deepen their relationships with retailers, and create new revenue streams and higher margins," says Jennifer Lumpkins, retail solutions business manager for the Americas at Hewlett-Packard. "Retail solutions providers have a unique opportunity to further position their organizations as strategic partners of retailers by bringing valuable knowledge about emerging solutions that enhance the customer experience."