The Top VAR Opportunities In Retail
By Cheryl Knight, contributing writer
A recent BSM article reported on what industry professionals thought were the most significant trends and opportunities for VARs in the retail sector. The following industry leaders also shared their insights on the topic:
Bill Hobbs, national sales director at 3xLOGIC: “The emergence of enhanced business intelligence integrated with all of the disparate data points that exist in the typical retail business and with video analytics is significant in that it provides a new way for retail business owners to see their businesses. As these tools become more powerful, mobile, and easy to use, this new way of looking at data will drive many of the product developments in the video surveillance and video analytics fields. By providing a more in-depth view of the business and verifying that view with video, we are able to pull out trends that, while seemingly insignificant on the surface, may have a real impact on costs and profits when spread over multiple locations. This is only possible if the tools creating and presenting this data are intuitive, easy to use, and available on any device. The time savings for loss prevention professionals during the investigation of an issue can be significant and easily translate into cost savings both in time and potential losses that may occur before the issue is discovered and resolved.”
Dave Vieregg, emerging channels sales and marketing leader for Intuit: “Mobile POS, mobile payments, and cloud solutions for both. More customers want a new and different retail experience, for example, in the aisle, at the customer’s place of need. Retailers need to think beyond the checkout lane or counter. This is what brings into account mobile, tablet, scanner solutions that are compact, user friendly, and transportable. These solutions, however, still need to integrate with back office accounting and inventory solutions to keep them efficient and effective.”
Renee Kiefer, media and analyst relations at Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions: “Our strategy at Toshiba is formulated based on an expected resurgence in the store. According to Forrester Research findings, digital touch points influence retail more than ever, and transactions that are influenced by the Web but completed in-store are a growing part of overall retail sales. An omni-channel model that centers on the store should encompass a unique opportunity to directly engage and learn more about the consumer and personalize all consumer interactions, ensuring the consumer gains a greater appreciation for the store’s brand. Given that about 90 percent of retail transactions today happen in the store, retailers will look to their stores as a way to engage and gain the insights required to further optimize other aspects of the omni-channel experience.”
John Grabowski, national sales and marketing manager for JVC: “The retail industry was basically flat during the last recession and many existing video and security systems have not been updated or even maintained over recent years. Many of these systems utilize legacy analog infrastructure with video and security devices that need to be upgraded. This presents a great opportunity for security suppliers and resellers to cultivate new business opportunities.”
Scott Schafer, executive VP of sales, marketing, and service for Arecont Vision: “There are large opportunities for new business in the retail vertical market due to the low investment this industry has made in video surveillance and security technologies since the economy slowed in 2008. It’s time for systems to be upgraded, which presents the ideal opportunity to move more customers to networked systems employing megapixel cameras, VMS/NVR, and even analytics. Megapixel imaging solutions provide superior images and greater cost efficiency than conventional IP VGA and analog cameras. The images captured by megapixel cameras can be used to best identify individuals, merchandise, and currency denominations as evidence in criminal and liability cases which can further improve users’ ROI.”