Bruce Leach asked:


Interactive kiosks are an easy-to-use tool that should be incorporated into every retailer’s sales force. Acting as virtual salespeople, they help keep customers informed, entertained and happy.

Why Interactive Technology Is Needed

Use of the Internet has forced retailers to respond to two new realities. First, customers are extremely knowledgeable about the products on offer. Second, Web access to a store’s complete inventory has led customers to expect access to everything in the catalogue at the bricks and mortar store.

Interactive kiosks present a single solution that can both improve the customer experience and satisfy customer needs.

Expert Customers

Many customers research products online before ever setting foot in a store. They know many of the features of the products they are shopping for, and they expect the salespeople to know them too. If they have questions, they do not want to hear a salesperson say “I don’t know”, especially when they can look up the information on the Web themselves.

The retailer’s solution to the “expert customer” should be to provide well-informed and well-trained staff. But that is not realistic. Sales positions have notoriously high turnover rates. It is also unreasonable to expect an average store employee to have detailed knowledge of every product a store stocks. Further, with many chains concerned about the bottom line, a full complement of staff has become a bit of a luxury.

Given all of these considerations, it is easy to see how interactive kiosks can help a retailer. They stand in for salespeople when staffing levels are low or when a salesperson doesn’t know the product line well. They give a customer the freedom to look up answers to questions without feeling pressured by a salesperson. They provide an opportunity to educate customers about product features through entertaining short video or animated segments. And they allow the retailer to promote sales and higher-margin items.

Product Selection

We’ve probably all experienced the frustration of seeing the exact item we want on a store’s Website only to go to the store and find that it isn’t there. In an effort to remedy this situation, some stores provide online access to inventory information so customers know ahead of time if something is in stock. This option may help the customer, but by stopping the customer from coming to the store, the retailer loses a valuable opportunity to make a sale.

Using their Website to draw customers, retailers can rely on interactive kiosks located in-store to close the sale. With interactive kiosks, customers are given the convenience of ordering an alternate product (or a higher-margin item) even if it is not in stock at the time. Because it is available when the customer is motivated to buy, the kiosk allows for impulse ordering. Without the kiosk, that customer would leave the store, have time to rethink the purchase and, perhaps, decide against it.

Hybrid Digital Signs

A recent innovation combines the power of digital signage with the functionality of interactive kiosks. Sometimes referred to as “hybrid digital signs”, this technology uses large digital displays to draw a customer’s attention. It then switches content based on shopper input, either through a touch screen or as a reaction to the motion of a customer who is passing by. The blending of digital signage and interactive kiosks offers retailers the best of both worlds - maximum reach with a personal touch.

No matter what format it takes, the interactive kiosk is the solution retailers need to keep pace with their well-informed customers.



Carol

C. Hand asked:


These are the times that try retailers’ souls. Unemployment is at a 14-year high, consumer confidence is at an all-time low, and the stock market has yet to mellow out. If you own a retail store, you’re not sure what sales numbers to expect this holiday season. Should the stronger-than-expected Black Friday sales give you hope that holiday goodwill could trump the much-vaunted bad economy and surprise savvy retailers with a healthy (if not spectacular) shopping season? Or will shoppers stay away from stores now that the Black Friday deals have come and gone?

Why not ignore all of this economic bad news, let your more positive way of thinking win out, and just say “no” to the recession?

I’ve been noticing lately that the restaurants I go to are still full of patrons. And when the ski shop in my town had its preseason sale, its parking lot was full. And a good friend of mine, a real estate broker, just told me she had one of her best months in three years. My point? People are still buying stuff, big and small. And it’s not like Christmas was cancelled this year, so people will keep on buying. It’s your job to make sure they are buying stuff from you.

In other words, you can no longer use the bad economy as an excuse for not doing well. In fact, overall retail sales are much better than recorded because of two simple reasons:





Gift cards have become a best-selling gift. However, they are not counted as retail sales until they are redeemed. So, many of these sales will not show up on the books until after the holidays, and as we know, not everyone redeems all of their gift cards.





The biggest growth in retailing has been from the Internet. Those numbers are never included when retailers report same store sales.





Retailers who have a successful holiday season will be the ones who simply tune out the bad news and do everything they can to keep their doors open.

Poor management puts stores out of business, not economic climates. Recessions reward the flexible and nimble. There is business out there to be had, and I believe sharp retailers can achieve great sales numbers now despite the economy. They need to adopt the attitude displayed by a store owner who recently posted in response to my weekly Q&A session, Retailer’s Advantage. He said, “We choose NOT to participate in the recession.” The more store owners who mimic his resolve the better.

To make the most of the slow economy, retail store owners should get back to the basics. Here are a few suggestions:

Bring them in with hot items. To get customers into your store this holiday season and after, you must offer them merchandise they simply can’t turn down. Stock your shelves with items that have the Wow Factor and thus send customers into an “I have to have that” or an “I must give that as a gift this year” buying frenzy. Once you’ve identified the “hot” items for the season, determine which ones are the best fit for your store. Then research which other stores in your area sell those products. If you can become the sole seller of a certain “hot” item in your area, you will be in great shape. Providing great merchandise that’s heavy on the “hot” items for a given period will be your trump card for surviving any recession. Don’t you forget it!

Make your store the place to get the best stuff. Too many retailers put price first and item second. Reverse it—always put the item first and the price second. But do remember, this doesn’t mean that you can stick your head in the sand about price. I was at the airport in Louisville recently, and as I was walking past the PGA store, I noticed they had a table out in front with some terrific buys. I was shocked when I saw a sweater I liked for only $9.99. I quickly tried it on and decided at that price I had to buy it. As I was checking out, a store employee suggested another sweater that was $39.99. And since I already had my wallet out I figured I might as well buy it too.

My point is that pretty much everyone has a hard time resisting a good sale. So, get in touch with your vendors and see what buys they’re offering for cheap these days. And don’t be afraid to do some negotiating if necessary. Many of your vendors will be willing to sell cheap because of the slow economy. By including items in your inventory that you’ve purchased from your vendors on the cheap, you’ll be able to tempt your customers to part with their cash.

Give them something to talk about. Strong businesses are built on word-of-mouth advertising. The kicker is that in order for word-of-mouth advertising to work, you have to get people talking about your store. A great way to do that is through creative promotions, eye-catching window displays, in-store contests, and of course, all that great merchandise. All of these things are what make you different from the competition and what make your store stand out in the eyes of your customers.

The holidays are a great opportunity to use promotional activities to excite your customers and generate enthusiastic word of mouth. For example, offer a discount on a certain weekend to anyone brave enough to come to your store dressed as a holiday-related personality or character. Or partner with a nearby bakery and offer delicious holiday treats for shoppers along with a coupon that gives a discount at the bakery to every customer who buys in your store that day.

Stay in front of your customers. If you don’t already ask your customers for contact information when they buy from you, now is the time to start. Simply following up with past customers to ask how they like an item they recently purchased, to inform them about an upcoming sale, or to offer them special discounts is a great way to capture the fruit closest to the ground during a tough economy. You’ll tempt them into coming in again and making a purchase without giving away the store.

The key to having your existing customers come back to your store lies in you and your salespeople mastering the Art of the Friendly Reminder. I have seen stores have huge increases just by requiring their employees to make follow-up phone calls to customers. For example, if a customer recently purchased new cookware from your store, have a sales associate follow up with her to see how she is enjoying it and let her know that you just received a great shipment of cooking utensils or cookbooks.

Introduce the discount-later sales technique. There is a relatively new promotional idea that is being adopted by many retailers with a great deal of success. Here’s how it works: A customer makes a purchase for a certain amount, let’s say it’s $105. Because she’s reached the sales mark of $100 or more, you, the store, give her a coupon for 15 or 20 percent off of her next purchase. The kicker is the coupon cannot be used the day of the initial sale and is valid for only the next six days.

These kinds of deals are proving to be very effective. They give customers a compelling reason to come back to you and come back soon, while that sweater or purse or espresso machine she thought about but didn’t buy is still fresh on her mind. In fact, studies show that the return rate on these discounts is over 70 percent. That is a pretty significant success rate that will help you bring in a bunch of customers who may not have come back at all.

Sell every person who walks through the door. Remember, it is your job to maximize every customer who walks through your doors. You might be rolling your eyes at the impossibility of that proposal, but these tough times require a change in attitude. And yes, you can do this without being too aggressive or pushy.

Keep in mind that if someone enters your store, the potential exists for him to buy simply because he is in your store. Take the time to train your sales associates on how to engage your shoppers without alienating them. Remind them that just selling one item to one customer is not good enough and that the store benefits the most when a customer buys multiple items. So, make sure the phrase “May I also show you our fill-in-the-blank?” becomes second nature to them.

I believe we are about to observe an unprecedented period of growth. But in order to take part in that growth, you have to be around to see it, and that means taking the right steps now. Block out the naysayers who say you can’t be successful in this economic climate and ignore your own negative thoughts. If you take on a positive attitude and stay focused on doing everything you can to please and impress your customers, you will weather the economic storm.

# # #

About the Author:

Rick Segel, CSP, a seasoned retailer of 25 years, owned one of New England’s most successful independent women’s specialty stores. He is the marketing expert for Staples.com, a contributing writer for numerous national publications, and a founding member of the Retail Advisory Council for Johnson & Wales University. Rick is the director of retail training for the Retailers Association of Massachusetts. He is the creator of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts Awards of Excellence Program (RAMAEs) that has recognized over 50 of the most innovative retailers in the state.

Rick is currently serving on the Boards of Directors for five corporations and associations. After authoring and developing The Retail Technology Assessment Survey and The Retail Store Assessment Survey, online assessment applications designed for small- to medium-sized retailers, he created The Retailer’s Advantage, a membership website devoted to helping independent retailers improve their businesses.

CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) designation from the National Speakers Association, an elite rank held by only 7 percent of professional speakers. Rick is a past president of the New England Speakers Association, and he has been a featured speaker in 49 states, and on four continents, delivering over 1,900 presentations.

Rick has authored nine books, two training videos, and a six-hour audio program. Retail Business Kit For Dummies, published by Wiley, Inc., became the #1 selling retail how-to book in the United States in January 2002 and is now in its 2nd edition. Laugh & Get Rich: How to Profit from Humor in Any Business, published by Specific House, has been critically acclaimed as a must-read for its insightful outlook at our entertainment-based society and has been translated into Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. The Essential Online Solution: The Five Step Formula for Small Business Success, published by Wiley, Inc., is a primer for business owners on creating e-commerce success. He is also the author of Rick Segel’s Retail Inventory Control Solution: Open to Thrive and The 5,000 BEST Sale & Promotional Names & Ideas Ever Compiled and co-author of Retailing in the 21st Century. Most recently, he authored WOW Them Into Your Store: The Art and Science of Creating Powerful Promotions and Sensational Sales and Becoming the Vendor of Choice: The Secrets to Powerful Retail Relationships, both published by Specific House.

Rick also has tons of experience with the media and has appeared on TV, radio, and in many print articles. His down-to-earth, street-smart approach to business makes him a crowd pleaser wherever he goes.

About the Book:

Retail Business Kit For Dummies®, 2nd Edition (Wiley, September 2008, ISBN: 978-0-470-29330-0, $34.99) is available at bookstores nationwide and from all major online booksellers.

For more information, please visit www.RickSegel.com.



Catherine

Iver Penn asked:


Maker of quality GMC headlights, GM in the United States sold 375,682 vehicles in May that is 4.7 percent higher than the year-ago monthly sales. It was 8.8 percent higher on an unadjusted basis. Its retail sales for May totaled to 279,731 – an 8.5 percent increase. On an unadjusted basis, retail sales were up 12.8 percent as compared to the same month a year ago.

The continuing strength of GM’s new product line is reflected on the May sales. As to the fuel-efficient and alternative fuel (E-85) markets, the Chevrolet Impala, Saturn AURA and also the new industry leading mid-size crossovers GMC Acadia have increased sales. The Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickup trucks that are leading fuel efficiency in their class comprised the 10 percent increase as compared with May 2006 in the pickup segment and the 14 percent retail sales.

Saturn with 59 percent increase, GMC with 18 percent increase, along with Pontiac with 8 percent increase were the successful divisions for the month of May this year in terms of retail sales. Furthermore, Chevrolet, whose sales were up 5 percent, was again leading the industry sales.

Mark LaNeve, the Vice President of GM North American Sales, Service and Marketing, said that their reports for May were tremendously good because of strong total and retail sales increases. Their huge market share gains in full-size trucks and crossovers proved that they made a good decision to invest in industry-leading fuel economy in these essential segments.

He further said that the company is grateful to the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups that put their full-size truck sales up in a 10 percent increase. He added that these hot selling all-new trucks are just like many of their vehicles that offer fuel economy, astonishing performance and extreme value – everything that a customer is demanding for. The company was further fascinated by the beyond-what-is-expected performance of the newest entry to the crossover segment, the Buick Enclave. They were also pleased by the performance of their mid-size crossover segment like the GMC Acadia and Saturn OUTLOOK as their sales continue to increase.

The Saturn is performing well as its product revival continued its pace. With its increasing total sales now nearing to 69 percent, the Saturn, which includes SKY, AURA and AURA Hybrid, OUTLOOK, VUE and VUE Hybrid, is receiving warm acceptance from the public. The ASTRA will soon replace the ION small car. As a whole, Saturn is the fastest growing brand in the industry so far this year.

Other vehicles that have May retail sales increases as compared with a year ago were as follows: Chevrolet Aveo, Cobalt, Malibu, Impala, HHR, Silverado, Suburban, and Avalanche; Pontiac G6 and Solstice; Saturn SKY and VUE; Saab 9-3, GMC Sierra and Yukon XL; Buick Lucerne; Cadillac SRX, Escalade ESV and Escalade EXT; and HUMMER H3. Meanwhile, newly offered products like Pontiac G5, Saturn AURA and OUTLOOK, GMC Acadia and the Buick Enclave will continue to contribute retail sales strength.

Over 12,800 vehicles were the retail sales of the GMC Acadia, Saturn OUTLOOK and Buick Enclave. As a result, GM’s mid-crossover segment experienced a significant retail increase. GM’s total sales of over 16,600 vehicles in this segment put monthly performance to 211 percent higher as compared with May 2006’s GM’s mid-crossover segment sales.

According to LaNeve, they are seeing good results. One of which is the increased residual values for their products. He said that this was a result of staying coordinated and dedicated to their North American competition and market growth plans. He added that the result implied that their company is providing products that lead the industry in terms of design, segment fuel economy, warranty coverage and performance; and it is tantamount to a beneficial cost of ownership experience. The company anticipates the same customer acceptance as their many vehicles when their new products like the Cadillac CTS and Chevrolet Malibu enter the dealer showrooms before the year ends.

Forty-five thousand eight hundred ninety-two (45,892) cars of all certified GM brands that include GM Certified Used Vehicles, Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, and HUMMER Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles were sold in May 2007. It is 3 percent higher from last year. Two hundred twenty-seven thousand three hundred sixty-five (227,365) were sold from January up to May this year that is 3 percent higher from the same period last year.

The industry’s top-selling manufacturer-certified used brand, GM Certified Used Vehicles, reported 40,306 units of sales that is almost 5 percent higher from May of last year. Up 4 percent from January to April 2006, the GM Certified Used Vehicles year-to-date sales amounted to 199,715 units.

Meanwhile, Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles reported 3,102 units of May sales – a 6 percent drop from May 2006. Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold 1,603 units, which is 13 percent lower from last year. Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles had 797 units of sales as compared to last May while HUMMER Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles experienced a 6 percent drop by selling only 84 units.



Ida

T asked:


Does anyone know?
I want it less than 299.99
–any sites that can tell you about upcoming sales in stores like walmart, bestbuy, target, etc?

Kelly

Louise G asked:


Copyright (c) 2009 Ianson Internet Marketing

Sales Jobs in the UK

All over the United Kingdom there is a person with something to sell; there is also a person wanting to purchase that same item. The holdup tends to be connecting the seller with the buyer. This is where the exciting world of sales enters the picture.

Whether you have sales experience or are choosing to enter the world of sales with no previous experience you can find an exciting and often time lucrative position. How can you find that perfect position? Begin by looking in the employment section of a newspaper or go on the internet searching for “sales jobs in the UK”. You will find links to a variety of websites that will provide leads to finding the perfect position for you.

You have found the position or positions you want to pursue, but now you want to stand out in the crowd. Follow the tips below to land this sale.

- Be persistent?a good salesperson doesn’t give up if there isn’t an immediate yes. Follow up with a phone call, note mailed to the person selecting the interviewees, and email a follow up reminding them of your qualities. A good line to place in the call, email or note would be “I will work just as hard for your company as I did to obtain this position”.

- Do your homework on the company. Find out their sales records, learn about their products or services, find out their largest competitor, and any other information that may give you an upper hand against the competition for the open position.

- Have your CV customized to the area of sales you are pursuing. - Document your achievements that show you can pursue a goal and recognition.

- Know your philosophy of selling before you arrive for your interview.

- Practice your story of your biggest sale. Capture their interest.

- Know ahead of time if you are willing to begin at entry level. If so, let the company you are interviewing with know.

- Be consistent.

- Don’t tell stories that are too personal.

- Remember to smile. It is important that you show yourself comfortable and approachable.

Sales jobs can include retail sales, call centers, and traveling to customer locations. To be successful you need to develop relationships with your customers and sales leads, remain approachable and deliver excellent customer service at all times. With consistent work and a positive outlook, you can enjoy the benefits of your hard work.



Randy

Charles S asked:


Looking to buy a business and I see a great numer of Retail Cellular Stores for sale…why? They seem profitable!

Eva

David F asked:


What are (POS) Point of Sale & (RMS) Retail MGT. Systems & How can I get my e-commerce site intergrated/compatbile to both?

Paula

Phoenix Delray asked:


The TV show CHiPs was one of the most popular action crime dramas in the late seventies. It followed around a pair of California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers who often found themselves in rather silly and unlikely situations. The series starred Erik Estrada as Officer Frank Poncherello, often called Poncho for short, and Larry Wilcox as Officer Jon Baker.

Poncho was portrayed as the carefree and often mischievous patrolman who was placed on probation as a result of getting into trouble on duty. This is how his partner Officer Jon Baker was introduced; he was assigned to act as a field training officer. The character of Jon Baker was always portrayed as the more responsible and straight laced of the two. Leaving the audience with a Good Cop, Bad Cop feel for the pair.

Although the 70s TV show CHiPs was only on for six seasons, it did not take long for it to acquire quite a following. And as it typically goes, when you have a following you also have the attention of the mass media. In no time at all, there were hundreds of products on the market that were inspired by the CHiPs TV show. This sent the public into quite a swirl and stores had a hard time keeping the items on the shelves. The top ten CHiPs TV show items and the prices you would pay for them today are:

1. 1970s Erik Estrada posters, ranging from $10-$15.

2. 1970s CHiPs action figures (Ponch, Jon, Sarge, Jimmy Squeaks, and Wheels Willie), ranging from $10-$15 each.

3. 1970s bicycle siren, ranging from $15-$20.

4. 1970s motorcycle helmet set (includes gun, handcuffs and walkie talkies), ranging from $50-$75.

5. 1970s CHiPs camera, ranging from $15-$20.

6. 1977 lunchbox with matching thermos, ranging from $25-$30 for the box and $8-$12 for the thermos.

7. 1970s police set (police accessories in a photo window box), ranging from $25-$35.

8. 1977 motorcycle and badge set, set on card, ranging from $10-$15.

9. 1980s CHiPs Emergency Medical Kit, ranging from $20-$25.

10. 1980s slot car racing set, motorcycle and van in illustrated box, ranging from $35-$45.

Throughout the late 70s and early 80s there were a wide variety of CHiPs TV show merchandise that were must haves for any fan of the show. The great thing about the series was that it appealed to a large audience with a wide age range, so they marketed products for everyone. The fact that people still purchase these items is a true testament to the quality of the CHiPs TV show.



Jose

Jose Allan Tan asked:


In the crazy world of commerce, few businesses are as predictably unpredictable as retail apparel. In this industry, retailers need to understand their customers intimately and make available clothing that matches the fashion of the time every time. Failure to do so is not only a blow to the brand but might severely impact the business’ profitability and future viability as excess inventory will have to be sold at scrap value. Nowhere is creativity and innovation more closely intertwined than in the fickle world of fashion.

Such was the challenge for PEPPO Fashions Group, an apparel distributor in Thailand, which manages labels such as Guess, Guess Baby/Kids, Guess Accessory Stores, Mango, Marciano and Castro. It has 12 standalone retail outlets and presence in 50 department store consignments in the country.

Operational nightmare

According to Palakorn Khisalang, IT Manager for the Group, department stores constantly refresh their layouts, and require tenants like PEPPO to move within the building several times a year.

“It’s a time-consuming and costly exercise for us to re-architect our IT network after each move,” Khisalang says. “Moreover, department stores often run promotional bazaars at central locations, making it difficult for our staff to conduct customer transactions away from their regular in-store counter. This in turn causes discrepancies between the actual transactions conducted and the receipts that were generated.”

As the Group expands, managing the IT operations based on a distributed architecture introduced significant network latency and became prohibitively challenging for a small team. This has a negative impact on the efficient collection of accurate sales data and thus hindered management’s running crucial sales analysis.

“Our staff needed to be able to get real time updates on stock availability from our back-end warehouses and head office in Bangkok. Although we had moved from a manual system to bar-coding, we still needed a solution that would allow the staff to register inventory while on the move, instead of having to return to a central computer terminal to enter data,” Khisalang explains.

Re-architecting IT around the business process

The company evaluated a number of solutions including deploying GPS and ISDN to ensure access to a single repository of data containing retail sales, inventory at the warehouse, and in-transit movement of goods. Each proposal failed on either cost or effectiveness.

One solution that appeared viable, however, was to introduce wireless technology at the retail sites and at the warehouses. The plan is for retail outlets to be equipped with thin client laptops and sales operators with wireless PDAs. This would allow staff to easily move around within the store, and between stores as well.

A centralized delivery mechanism for all applications was also deemed critical for the overall solution to work. The company evaluated a number of technologies and chose the Presentation Server from Citrix.

The Citrix Presentation Server centralizes the delivery of all the client applications the staff need — such as Microsoft Excel to run sales projections — without having to physically install these applications onto each device. The staff in turn can access multiple applications from any location.

“We enlisted the help of a Citrix Solution Advisor to implement the Citrix Presentation Server 4, with Microsoft Windows Server 2003 running on two HP ProLiant servers in the firm’s data center in Bangkok,” says Khisalang.

At the warehouses, the company used SYMBOL handheld devices to conduct inventory checks online via Citrix, with security over the network provided using a VPN combined with a two-factor authentication procedure comprising an RSA SecurID token and password.

Citrix was used to optimize inventory management process. As the access infrastructure foundation, Citrix Presentation Server provides staff with real-time access to a proprietary ERP solution called “PEPPOS” that is customized for retail management via PCs and wirelessly over PDAs. As goods move in and out of the warehouses, the bar code attached to each item is scanned, allowing the staff to track inventory movement. Previously, they had to walk to a LAN terminal to manually enter the data.

The new wireless solution resulted in a more efficient model for keeping track of inventory back at the warehouses, with front-line sales staff now having online access to the most updated information from virtually any machine in a secure manner.

“All of these factors played a strong part in our decision to deploy the Citrix solution to enable a mobile and wireless enterprise, and we believe that this innovative application of technology has enabled us to build a highly adaptable retail model,” adds Khisalang.

Part of the initial requirement in the choice of technology was the concern of user training. With only four members in the IT team, PEPPO needed a solution that would require minimal training for everyone involved in the use of the new mobile devices. PEPPO put considerable effort in identifying the right combination of hardware and software to effectively mobilize its staff and ensure safe and efficient access to company information.

PEPPO, however, still faces a number of business process and technical challenges to realize the full potential of wireless technology across the entire operations. From a business perspective, enabling a wireless IT infrastructure isn’t immediately possible across all of its locations because of constraints imposed by department stores. Even where possible, it can sometimes take a few months to finalize negotiation with the management.

Benefits gained through centralized delivery model

By centralizing application delivery and management on Citrix servers, and providing virtualized application access on PDAs, PEPPO is able to more easily handle department store counter relocations and periodic sales from central bazaars without having to reinstall point of sale terminals and other equipment, which saves time and money. At the same time, productivity for retail staff has improved because they no longer need to walk to and from fixed terminals to capture the data. Similar productivity improvements have also been observed at warehouses using real-time inventory tracking.

Centralized management has enabled PEPPO to keep IT headcount at four people, despite a significant increase in the number of stores and IT users. What used to take two weeks to install or upgrade software company-wide now takes only one hour.

“With the Citrix Presentation Server solution, we have been able to provide approximately 340 staff at 50 different locations throughout Thailand with secure remote access to critical business applications wirelessly via a 128 kbps ISDN connection from PDAs over a 802.11b/g WLAN interface,” beams Khisalang. These applications include Microsoft Office 2003, Oracle Database 10g, and PEPPOS.

Low-bandwidth printing has also been critical to business productivity at both the back-end and retail fronts. Accountants can remotely print the day’s transactions from the head office. Warehouse assistants can now generate delivery notes, invoices, consignment notes and price tags wirelessly as well. “We can now literally link data to a retail outlet anywhere in Thailand or the world overnight, unencumbered by the typical technology hurdles that other companies face,” adds Khisalang.

Surprisingly, the new solution has resulted in a significant downgrade in the bandwidth requirements of PEPPO. The company uses a 128 Kbps connection at each location back to the Citrix Servers at head office. Conventional technology would have necessitated a 512 Kbps or 1MB bandwidth demand. PEPPO estimates that it was able to save up to $1,600 in bandwidth costs per location alone.

“I recently attended a retail conference in Bangkok, where the focus was on how IT can be used as an enabler for retail enterprises. Some of the technologies mentioned were the ones PEPPO have used several years ago. Many have yet to integrate these with wireless technology. I think companies in the retail industry stand to benefit from these technologies,” concludes Khisalang. ” Now that we have found the right formula to enable a mobile enterprise, we will continue to establish wireless infrastructure in our new stores as we expand our presence in Thailand.”



Jon