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Transcript
INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE
BY JOSH LENNOX
The Store Systems Ecosystem
POS flexes its muscles as the most important touchpoint for store-level customer-centricity
and headquarters-level efficiency
I
t’s overstating the case to say that
stores are becoming interactive customer access points modeled after
the online shopping experience, but
it only misses the mark because we
are at the early stages of the transformation. Despite being premature it’s an important concept to consider because it’s a useful vision that helps explain the current state
of store systems evolution.
The poster child for this can be seen in
the Apple store concept, with its mobile POS,
virtual elimination of POS terminals and eyepopping sales per square foot. Apple Store
success is the envy of the industry, and retailers like American Eagle, Victoria’s Secret, the
growing Microsoft Store chain and others are
taking clear steps to move in this direction.
POS is a critical component in store-system
evolution because it is the platform on which
the entire store ecosystem is based. As store
systems evolve, adding kiosks, digital signage,
save-the-sale, endless aisle, 2-D barcodes and
video analytics, so does POS evolve to adapt to
the changes.
With mobile commerce hitting its tipping
point this year, an entirely new range of shopper activities is now taking place within the
four walls of the store – product research,
price comparison, product comparison, user
reviews and social communication. The current shift to shopper empowerment makes
many retailers nervous, while others embrace
it as an opportunity to serve customers the
way they want to be served.
This Solutions Brief explores these developments and raises a bigger question: What
if we are on the precipice of a realignment
20 OCTOBER 2010
rsb_1010_v3.indd 1
POS is a critical component in store-system
evolution because it is the platform on which
the entire store ecosystem is based
of store systems and the end of POS as we
know it? What if we are finally able to reduce
“the tyranny of POS” as Steven Skinner of
Cognizant refers to it? What if POS doesn’t
dominate IT budgets during refresh cycles and
POS terminals don’t dominate floor space on
selling floors? What doors open up that were
previously closed?
RIS NEWS.COM
9/24/10 11:00 AM
Since 1981 Cornell-Mayo Associates has maintained a 100 percent success rate in store system rollouts. We offer realINDUST
RY P E R S P E C T IVE A D V E R TO R I A L
world POS and technological innovation to premier retailers including Barnes & Noble Inc., Belk Department Stores,
Borders Books & Music, Boscov’s Dept. Stores, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Stage Stores.
POS from Mobile to Web
Enhancing the Customer Experience through Technology
Q
What adaptation will POS make in the era of mobile
commerce?
The real question is whether a particular POS suite can adapt
to current and future mobile devices. The POS application must
incorporate a truly open design that is able to run on Windows®,
Linux®, Apple iOS and AndroidTM devices with a single set of
code. CMA has always provided this kind of open-ended approach, allowing us to be the first outside of Apple to deploy our
solution on iPodTM, iPhone® and iPadTM. CMA’s software runs on
all of the above, and in the future we will continue to support
all other mobile platforms that retailers and consumers demand.
How can retailers achieve benefits from implementing
systems to checking and ordering inventory at other
stores?
Particularly in soft goods, out-of-stocks often occur because
it is too expensive to stock adequate color/size combinations in
all locations. It makes much more sense to view the inventory of
the chain holistically, so that merchandise from anywhere in the
chain can be made available to a customer at any location. If
retailers can’t provide this, the results may include expensively
deep inventory, unsold merchandise and more markdowns – or
else out-of-stocks and lost sales. Given the constrained operating environments faced by retailers, this ability is a necessity
for retailers, not a luxury.
What’s the best way to execute orders online and pick
up/return in the store?
Real-time inventory, mapping capabilities to offer locationbased services, and a solid open communications infrastructure
are all parts of the solution. The system must have a feedback
loop and tight confirmation logic, because even with the most
up-to-date and accurate inventory, the item may not be in the
specified location. When this occurs, orders that cannot be ful-
filled must be re-routed in a timely manner, and if necessary,
split among multiple locations to provide the necessary level of
service. All of this must happen seamlessly and in a short time
frame in order for retailers to meet customer expectations.
Couponing, loyalty rewards and other offers are now being sent and redeemed using mobile phones, with and
without Bluetooth. How fast will store systems need to
move to keep ahead of this development?
A new generation of customers uses their mobile phones as
repositories for information. Rather than carry paper coupons,
they want to access offers directly from their smartphones, so
retailers must deliver coupons and make loyalty programs available on these devices. However, they need to do it without
alienating a large class of consumers who are not as comfortable
with the technology. This means that offers must be made in
both new and traditional ways, and the challenge is to seamlessly provide them to all customer groups according to their
individual preferences.
Special offers and promotions are more important now
than ever. How can store systems become more revved
up to provide better support for this critical marketing
effort?
Store systems need to be able to support the most complex
mix-and-match offers that can be conceived. They need to support dynamic promotions tied to specific customers or groups
of customers. They must be able to offer promotions that are
built out of the sale in progress, based on the existing basket
in flight. They should not try to sway customers with offers
unrelated to purchases, but instead make offers for add-on sales
based on what the customer is already purchasing. Customers
are and will remain value-oriented. Retailers who scratch that
itch will keep customers coming back for more.
Since 1981 Cornell-Mayo Associates has maintained a 100 percent success rate in store system rollouts. We offer realworld POS and technological innovation to premier retailers including Barnes & Noble Inc., Belk Department Stores,
Borders Books & Music, Boscov’s Dept. Stores, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Stage Stores.
RIS NEWS.COM
rsb_CornelMayoqa_1010_v1.indd 1
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IND USTR Y PER SPE CT IVE
We’re not there yet and won’t be for a few
years, but it’s important to raise questions like
these during a time of uncertainty when the
rules of the game for retail and the technology
that supports it are changing.
Heart of t
he St ore
The POS terminal and its core software are
not the only technologies residing in a store,
but they are clearly the most important. After
all, the ability to make a sale is the defining
characteristic of retailing.
But as Dick Mader, executive director of
the Association of Retail Technology Standards notes, modern POS software maps into
at least 32 other applications and services in
the retail enterprise. Retailers not only need to
make sales, they need to track them in reports
using clean, accurate data. And these reports
need to be available with near-real-time updates so that they can be used to guide store
operations, promotions, merchandising and
supply chains.
Looked at over the last decade we can trace
the evolution of POS from a purely transactional device to its current position as a critcal point of customer service, a touchpoint for
building loyalty and satisfaction, and a source
of data leveraged to empower sense-and-respond capabilities throughout the enterprise.
In the RIS 2010 Store Systems Study retailers were asked to pick the top function
they want in their next POS that they do not
possess now. Topping the list is CRM, specifically the ability to offer personalization
at checkout. Speed and convenience are essential characteristics, but the ability to identify your best customers, suggest upsell and
cross-sell opportunities, and deliver unique
coupons and offers is critical for retailers that
want to grow same-store sales and market basket sizes.
Other capabilities high on the new-function list were returns/refunds management,
training, inventory visibility, security, giftphone card activation, employee portal, savethe-sale and mobile payment. The latter was
especially prized by three retail segments –
mass merchants, drug stores and food/grocery.
22 OCTOBER 2010
rsb_1010_v3.indd 3
Looked at over the last decade we can trace the
evolution of POS from a purely transactional
device to its current position as a critical
point of customer service.
PO S Upgrade
s
The 2010 Store Systems study also found
about a third of retailers want to replace their
POS hardware and software in the next 12
months, especially the convenience/gas, drug
store, specialty soft goods and specialty hard
goods retail segments.
Interstate All Battery Center (IABC) recently deployed the Micros-Retail Xstore POS
system in all franchise locations. The upgrade
was intended to help facilitate IABC’s continued growth.
“This is more than just a POS system upgrade,” says Matt DiBona, director of business
intelligence and technology. “We are putting a
foundation in place that will support and accelerate our rapid growth going forward. IABC
retail locations are performing better than
RIS NEWS.COM
9/24/10 11:01 AM
POS As A Profit Center
INDUST
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POS As A Profit Center
POS To Enhance Profitability, Merchandise Optimization and Customer Marketing
Q
How is POS evolving to meet today’s increasing in-store
digital and consumer needs?
The number one reason customers don’t return to a store is
that they ‘forget’ about that retail outlet. (Source: Bill Glazier, Glazier-Kennedy). State-of-the-art POS ensures memorable
and favorable customer experiences. CSR’s can complete regular
and custom orders faster, interact with customers more and not
make errors. Every point of human or digitally interactive instore contact can be leveraged to meet customers’ current and
perceived ongoing needs. Synchronized, real-time POS statistics
are integrated with Purchasing. Management can respond to
style changes and item trends fast. Goods sell with less markdowns for greater profit. Floor space is allocated to fast moving
items while pruning slow movers. When staff know inventory
counts are bullet-proof, less theft results.
POS has an important customer-facing function. How can
it best be designed to deliver speed, convenience and
the best possible customer satisfaction levels?
POS can become a marketing and profit-generating center.
POS gives CSR’s, self-service POS kiosks, customer-owned mobile devices, or CSR’s with access to full-featured lightweight
wireless mobile POS units, instant access to proven customer
history and preferences. Reliable order and delivery status is
one click away. CSR’s can knowingly sell, upsell, cross-sell, promote special programs and create high quality, highly targeted
interactions between themselves and purchasers. Customers can
serve themselves, if they wish. Customers can also make returns
without an original sales slip.
With full-featured mobile POS, CSR’s can do suspend or retrieve lane busting, complete secure credit and debit transactions, and accompany and assist customers. Full-featured mobile POS units given to CSR’s let them move inside or outside
the store with ease, and be confident in the information they
provide customers. CSR contact becomes a truly customer-centric, service-oriented experience. Customers know they will save
time, be recognized and can more easily enhance their lifestyle
pursuits. Shopping becomes tailored to their precise needs and
wants.
How can retailers achieve benefits from implementing
systems to check or order inventory at other stores?
Centralized, accurate information on demand is possible
when fully-integrated multi-channel inventory management solutions update inventory enterprise-wide in true real-time. Inventory status can be trusted at the current store, other stores,
online, or via other existing channels. The POS or CSR can tell
customers exactly what, when and where merchandise is and
exactly when it will be available. All goods can be seen, sold
and profits dropped to the bottom line quickly.
What adaptations will POS make in the era of mobile
commerce?
Customer-owned mobile devices provide highly useful, yet
necessarily constrained, access to POS. Empowering CSR’s with
sophisticated full-featured handheld mobile POS ensures CSR’s
can interact and move with customers throughout the store,
drive-through, adjacent mall area or parking lot. Inventory can
be checked by product description or SKU. CSR’s can sign up
and display customer loyalty ID, scan drivers’ licenses, do age
verifications, and process payments.
Full-featured mobile POS becomes a walking mobile returns
desk where CSR’s can give customers bar-coded receipts when
they enter the store. Customers can shop or proceed to the
check out where the return receipt is scanned and their purchase
recalculated or refunded. Full-featured mobile POS devices also
boost staff productivity and ROI by doing ongoing inventory
counts, receivings and shelf price verifications. A store system
mobile-POS also dramatically reduces checkout counter footprint
costs vs. a dedicated POS, and eases holiday shopping bottlenecks. Customers benefit and additional profitability is made
possible.
Magstar Total Retail is a robust, proven ERP solution designed by retailers for retailers. Comprehensive, fully-integrated
and cost-effective for multi-channel chains or single specialty stores, Magstar’s clients notably improve their merchandising and maximize profits year-over-year. Magstar also offers Total POS, Total Mobile POS and Total Warehouse solutions. Contact Magstar at: 1-877-332-3335 or www.magstarinc.com.
RIS NEWS.COM
rsb_Magstarqa_1010_v1.indd 1
OCTOBER 2010 23
9/24/10 3:54 PM
INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE
ever, and the results demand a new system
with functionality that will elevate every aspect of the business, from customer relationship management and quicker payment authorization to improved reporting and analytics.”
Another recent Micros install is at Chase
Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks,
which uses the Micros 9700 HMS as its pointof-sale platform to support all food and beverage operations throughout the stadium. The
implementation includes 240 Micros Keyboard Workstation 270s and 26 new Motorola
MC-55 handheld devices to facilitate in-seat
service at the club level.
The system also has the ability to accept
loaded tickets as payment at the food and beverage POS terminals. Featuring a real-time
loaded ticket interface, the Micros 9700 HMS
allows Arizona Diamondback ticket holders to
pay for food and beverages using their ticket
as a form of payment. Value is loaded on the
ticket and the ticket is then scanned at the
point-of-sale terminal to pay for the purchase.
The interface provides complete sales information in real time with check and menu-level
detail by guest, including the location where
the items were purchased.
Another stadium that recently completed a
POS upgrade is EverBank Field, home of the
Jacksonville Jaguars, which recently installed
Radiant POS technology in concession stands,
restaurants and retail operations.
“Radiant’s innovative stadium and retail solutions enable us to provide the ultimate fan
experience from the moment ticket holders
first step into our stadium,” says Bruce Swindell, executive director of information technology for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Prior to the 2010-2011 season, the Jaguars outfitted EverBank Field with Radiant’s
Quest POS software and hardware, including
a wireless POS solution, within the stadium’s
standard and premium concessions and three
restaurants. In addition, the Jaguars will also
outfit Radiant P1515 and P1560 wireless terminals running CounterPoint retail POS software within retail and souvenir operations.
Using Radiant technology the Jaguars will
24 OCTOBER 2010
rsb_1010_v3.indd 4
The ability to identify your best customers,
suggest upsell and cross-sell opportunities,
and deliver unique coupons and offers is
critical for retailers.
have loaded-ticket functionality. This feature
gives fans the ability to pre-load dollar amounts
onto their admission tickets to use for food
and beverage purchases during games.
Marc Glassman, Inc., a 40-store deep-discount chain in Ohio that carries a wide variety
of brand-name food, health, beauty and general
merchandise products, recently installed UTC
Retail’s gift card solution to make up for problems the retailer experienced during the 2009
holiday season. Gift card activation and re-
demption have been ranked as top POS priorities in the RIS Store Systems Study for the past
three years and have emerged as a major component of current store systems technology.
A new home store chain in Ohio, Linens &
More, plans to open 15 stores in the next 12
months. To ensure its store operations are well
integrated with headquarters systems it will
use the UTC Retail Merchant Enterprise Edition for POS and merchandising solutions and
UTC Retail’s 2845 Series POS workstations.
RIS NEWS.COM
9/24/10 11:01 AM
POS As A Profit Center
INDUST
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Upgrade for
Cross-channel Success
POS and centralized data drive shopper satisfaction chainwide
Q
POS has an important enterprise function. How can POS
data best be used to deliver benefits to merchandisers,
marketers, suppliers and the supply chain?
POS has an important customer-facing function. How can
it best be designed to deliver speed, convenience and
the best possible customer satisfaction?
The POS needs to collect and transmit rich data in order
to feed the network of corporate systems. An explosion of
available bandwidth allows the POS to also consume data and
continually interact with these other vital systems in a truly
integrated fashion. Merchants get real time sales data and marketers can effectively leverage a single view of the customer.
Further, the POS can instantly locate desired items across the
enterprise and even reach out further into the supply chain to
ensure that a customer doesn’t leave the store without purchasing a desired item.
The customer doesn’t directly interact with a POS. However
devices like pole displays and pin pads are valuable tools to
message the customer. The cashwrap is the retailer’s last opportunity to create a positive impression that blends with the
store environment. The hardware must be reliable and configured well for the space. The software must allow the associate
to focus more on servicing the customer and less on operating the devices. By choosing a software vendor that is also
well-versed in hardware capabilities, the retailer can use the
vendor’s knowledge to create an integrated, customer-pleasing
experience. As a leading software developer, hardware VAR, and
IBM Business Partner, MICROS-Retail can aid in the selection of
hardware that is attractive, dependable, and appropriate to the
retailer’s needs.
How can retailers achieve benefits from implementing
systems that allow them to check and order inventory at
other stores, perform save the sale functions, and serve
endless-aisle?
There are three primary ROI drivers. The first is with a direct sales increase. By ensuring that the item the customer is
looking for can be sourced, purchased and ultimately delivered
builds business and increases customer satisfaction. The second is through improved inventory management. Fear of losing
sales can sometimes lead to over buying. This capability allows
the retailer to minimize risks of inventory miscalculations. The
third ROI driver is in operational efficiency. Working to ‘save
the sale’ without access to integrated systems is often difficult
and time consuming. Integrated order management through
the POS will make both sourcing and fulfillment operations significantly more efficient.
Loyalty programs are morphing into loyalty marketing.
How can store systems adapt to help provide better data
and benefits to help improve this sophisticated marketing approach?
The POS becomes another communications channel to the
customer, not just a means to collect transaction information.
By integrating with the loyalty program in real time you can deliver personalized messages designed to sell more and improve
service while the customer is in the store and most responsive.
An integrated POS can also facilitate reward fulfillment. This
both streamlines operations and will reinforce the value of the
loyalty program in the customer’s mind.
Jeremy Grunzweig, Vice President of Operations, Store Systems Group, MICROS-Retail. MICROS-Retail, the
retail solutions division of MICROS Systems Inc., is the leading provider of comprehensive, best in class solutions for the worldwide retail and direct markets, enabling merchants to deliver on the customer experience
while optimizing operational efficiency across all channels.
RIS NEWS.COM
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I NDUSTRY PE RSPE CTI VE
Mobile P
OS
Line busting technologies use lightweight
handhelds like the Motorola MC75 to help
retailers deliver service to customers inside or
outside stores. The Magstar Mobile POS can
do everything a fixed unit can do, from transaction entries or stock enquiries to complete
credit/debit payments. Associates can do customer purchases, inquiries and returns. They
can do sign-ups for loyalty programs by using
customer driver’s licenses and access purchase
histories. When not used as a linebuster these
handhelds can also do inventory counts, inventory receiving and shelf price verification.
Another new technology pushing into
stores today is POS for the iPod Touch, which
was first launched by Cornell-Mayo. The Omniexpress software offers full point-of-sale
functionality, the ability to accept credit and
gift cards, and to wirelessly print or e-mail receipts. It combines Cornell Mayo’s Omnistore
POS application with the intuitive interface of
Apple’s iPod touch.
The lightweight mobile computing solution
includes a scanner and magnetic stripe reader (MSR). It weighs 7.4 oz. (including iPod)
and easily fits into a sales associate’s hand.
It features full POS functionality identical
to the capabilities of POS registers and runs
the same code as CMA’s POS applications for
cash registers and other devices
The major issue now facing retailers is that
shoppers increasingly see stores as just one
part of a multi-channel shopping experience.
As a result, store systems must seamlessly integrate with other channels and provide services equivalent to the rich, interactive experience available online.
Retailers need to adopt a customer-centric
approach to store systems, providing employees with technologies that, for example, allow
them to search “endless aisles” of products
to save the sale even if the item the shopper
wants is out of stock in the store.
Another force added to the mix is the
growth in number and sophistication of consumer mobile devices. Shoppers are leveraging
mobile Internet devices to take more control
of their purchasing experience. New mobile
26 OCTOBER 2010
rsb_1010_v3.indd 5
Apple’s Impact on POS and Store Systems
By Jim Crawford
Apple’s launch of the iPad was a major consumer event, but it is also an interesting and potentially
game-changing development for the role of customer service technology in the retail store.
Many bloggers commented on the Square, a small device which plugs into the headphone jack on
an iPhone and turns it into a credit card reader. The idea that a relatively inexpensive consumer device
could replace mobile point of sale readers was revolutionary enough, but the iPad takes that same
potential to a new level. Here’s why.
• Beautiful customer-facing display. Unlike handhelds (which are too small), laptops (which are
the wrong form factor), and kiosks (which are fixed in one location), a tablet-type display offers the
perfect model for a sales associate to assist a customer. The iPad display offers an easy interface
for assisted selling, product configuration, even e-commerce purchases, where the retail staffer can
actually help the shopper from the device.
• Long (enough) battery life. Apple claims 10 hours with WiFi on. Keeping a pair of them in use
would likely cover most 24/7 operations, and in anything less than the busiest retail stores they
should make it through a normal day’s usage.
• They’re cheap. The price point of the tablet device is low enough that it doesn’t need to be
retail hardened. Want increased reliability? Just buy a spare and keep it in the back room.
• Instant configuration. Let’s imagine the inevitable happens and a customer’s kid “accidentally” smashes an iPad. Rather than requiring IT support to bring the spare online, the “light configuration” mechanism of iTunes means that it is minutes, not days, before a spare becomes ready for use.
Is it a perfect device for retail stores out of the box? No. But even in its current incarnation, the iPad
offers enough functionality and some true game changers on the economics.
Jim Crawford is executive director for the global retail executive council
Shoppers increasingly see stores as just one part
of a multi-channel shopping experience.
applications are changing the landscape, enabling cross-store comparisons of shopping
lists, online offers based on consumer preferences, and accessing in-store offers.
As exciting as these possibilities are, they
are also raising the pressure on POS and the
entire store IT ecosystem. The next few years
will be interesting to track as we move away
from POS-centric store systems to stores that
have customer-centric technology built on a
fully instrumented, digitized, interactive and
intelligent ecosystem. RIS
RIS NEWS.COM
9/24/10 11:02 AM
Since 1981 Cornell-Mayo Associates has maintained a 100 percent success rate in store system rollouts. We offer realINDUST
RY P E R S P E C T IVE A D V E R TO R I A L
world POS and technological innovation to premier retailers including Barnes & Noble Inc., Belk Department Stores,
Borders Books & Music, Boscov’s Dept. Stores, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Stage Stores.
Customer centric
retailing at POS
How POS data can greatly affect customer centric retailing
Q
POS has an important customer-facing function. How can
it best be designed to deliver speed, convenience and
the best possible customer satisfaction?
POS systems should contribute seamlessly to the customer’s shopping experience and compliment the Retailer’s target
marketing “Brand”. The POS system’s ability to capture needed
product and customer data easily and correctly, while maintaining “cashier-customer” privacy, all while quickly and accurately
processing the transaction is paramount to leaving a positive
last impression on the customer.
POS has an important enterprise function. How can
POS data best be used to deliver benefits to merchandisers, marketers, suppliers and the supply chain?
POS data is critical to the retail enterprise; smart retailers
benefit from this data in many ways. Replenishment, Buyer
performance, store execution, and inventory balance between
stores to name a few of the more obvious. POS data also helps
retailers understand customer patterns, individual shopping
habits, advertising performance, conversion rates, and units per
transaction.POS can also become a vehicle for delivering marketing messages such as coupons and bounce back campaigns.
POS systems can suggest cross sale and upsale opportunities.
How can retailers achieve benefits from implementing
systems to checking and ordering inventory at other
stores?
A lost sale due to out of stocks is never acceptable. Out
of stocks at the store level is the best way to send your loyal
customers to your competition. Implementing systems that enable cross store inventory checks and the ability to process and
fulfill that sales transaction is an integral part of POS system
functionality. The ability to take back orders and special orders
are two other ways that solid POS systems support an effort to
drive conversion rates higher and minimize lost sales.
Loyalty programs are morphing into loyalty marketing.
How can store systems adapt to help provide better data
and benefits to help improve this sophisticated marketing approach?
Loyalty marketing is an extension of loyalty programs. Store
systems need to include an evolved, easy customer capture ability that will integrate with a CRM/Analytics Engine to provide
complete transaction data that can be acted upon in directly at
POS. “Traditionally” Loyalty at POS has meant simply redeeming
points or discounts based on the customer’s purchase history and
level. POS systems need the ability to deliver marketing messages, print offers to increase visit frequency, remind loyal customers of next tier threshold, introduce new product lines and etc.
Special offers and promotions are more important now
than ever. How can store systems become more revved
up to provide better support for this critical marketing
effort?
A solid POS system must be capable of supporting an ever
changing need for new promotional methods. Bounce –Backs,
Mix-Match Pricing, Level Pricing, Kitting, and Instant Rebates,
just to name a few. The options are limited only by the imagination of the retailer. The ability to handle ever more complicated
promotions at POS without manual cashier intervention is critical to a POS system and the protection of the customers shopping experience.
UTC RETAIL is a leader in providing seamlessly integrated retail management solutions for small to mid-size specialty
retailers. In addition to best-in-class software solutions, UTC provides a complete set of branded hardware solutions
and comprehensive professional service offerings, providing retailers a single point of contact and accountability.
For more information visit www.utcretail.com
RIS NEWS.COM
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