Grocery And Convenience Store IT News For VARs — August 7, 2014
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
In the news this week, the NACS joins the merchant community in calling for security standards, and Heartland Payment Systems provides some insights into data security and mobile payments.
NACS Joins Merchant Community In Calling For Security Standards
Convenience Store News reports that the Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing (NACS), joined forces with several other retail trade groups to ask all stakeholders in the payments industry to devise an open and universal tokenization standard in an effort to reduce fraud. According to the NACS statement, “Improving security and consumer confidence in the U.S. payments system is a top priority for the merchant community. …We call upon all stakeholders in the payments industry to come together to ensure open and efficient standards to better protect U.S. consumers and businesses from payment card and system security threats.”
Insights into Data Security and Mobile Payments: Interview with David Gilbert
In this article from Convenience Store News editorial director Don Longo interviews David Gilbert, president of the hospitality group at Heartland Payment Systems. Gilbert discusses the potential of mobile payments, asserts that EMV alone is not the answer, and suggests that the best approach to preventing data breaches is a comprehensive one.
Pilot Released For Automatic Glass-Door Kiosk
The Vending Times reports that a San Francisco vending industry startup has completed a pilot for its automated glass-door kiosk that allows customers to grab, pay, and go efficiently and conveniently. The self-serve retail concept is designed to shorten waiting lines during busy peak hours, sell fresh food in more locations, and track item-level inventory and sales. Using an RFID tag system, the pantry vending machine tracks each item as it enters and leaves the kiosk, providing efficient inventory control with no manual data entry needed.
Grocery And C-Store IT Talking Points
According to NACS, The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled last week that franchisor companies could be liable for the labor practices of their franchisees. If the decision is not reversed, it could be a watershed development for the U.S. economy, including the convenience store industry, disrupting longtime business practices. This ruling would also lead to huge potential liabilities for other franchisors, facilitate easier unionization, and remove one of the major reasons for operating through franchise agreements.
For more news and insights, visit BSMinfo’s Grocery and Convenience Store Tech Center.