Counterpoint Blog

Clovers Natural Market Replaces POS System

2009-03-23T14:55:00.000-07:00

One Step Retail Solutions and Clovers Natural Marke t of Columbia, Missouri are happy to announce the implementation of CounterPoint SQL by Radiant Systems point of sale (POS) software in these popular mid-west markets. Clovers will be replacing all of their POS systems with Radiant Systems hardware and CounterPoint SQL software, supplied by One Step.

Scott Kreisberg, CEO of One Step stated, 'We are pleased to be a part of this long-established, thriving natural products market and their continued expansion. We are always happy to support retailers like Clovers, who have the long term in mind, not only for themselves, but for the betterment of their customers and their community.'

After going through a complete Needs Analysis with One Step Retail Solutions and a thorough demonstration of the software, it became clear that CounterPoint SQL had the features that Clovers was looking for, including integration of a scale at checkout. Clovers also found that One Step could give them a level of support that they had been lacking with their previous system and that the 23-year history and experience of One Step would assure them of a stable business partner for years to come.

With two stores in Columbia, Clovers has been a part of their community since 1965 and specializes in organic produce, gourmet and specialty products, gluten free, sugar free, low sodium, frozen and refrigerated products, coffees, teas, books, incense, candles, with an extensive supplement selection including vitamins, minerals, herbs, and homeopathics.

Independant Retailers Reporting Solid Sales

2009-03-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

Source: RetailingTogether

Sassy Sarongs - Lisa Zajdel, owner of Sassy Sarongs, is a confident business owner with a bright smile and a fierce dedication to her business who sees this downturn as an opportunity to grow her business, despite the fact that other retailers “might be retracting.”

Like most successful retailers, Lisa knows that recessions are part of a cycle, and good times follow the bad, but solid management is always a requirement. Rather than hunkering down, she’s changing her business to fit new realities and prepare for the recovery.

I’ve actually stepped up my advertising and changed my pricing strategy to be more promotional,” reports Lisa. She’s reaching out to bloggers, advertising on other websites, using Google Ad Words more, and expanding her online advertising. And her consumers are responding.

Stefan Mann in Phoenix AZ - To owner Patrice Mann, this economy is nothing new. “When we came through 9/11 it took everything we had. We had to buy things on credit and it was very very difficult. We did what was necessary, but at that point my husband decided that he never wanted to get into that situation again. So we established budgets and we are very grateful because we could see a recession starting last year around the holidays.”

By establishing budgets and controlling their inventory, Patrice developed a solid merchandising strategy that paid off when the economy soured, and merchandising has long been a strength of Stefan Mann.

Both Patrice and Lisa have demonstrated that independent retailers can survive if they adopt solid business practices. Like many successful retailers, they addressed the recession by reorganizing their strategies, increasing customer service, increasing their promotion budgets, and keeping close watch on inventory. Patrice and Lisa have decided to face this economy like any other business challenge and have found an opportunity for growth.

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It Pays to be Kind for One Retailer

2009-03-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

Good news!

A struggling café in St. Paul, MN turned around their business based strictly on kindness. Just two years ago the Q Café had relied on nearby businesses for their customers. But when business moved out, the Q Café went downhill.

A bright idea came to the owner’s wife Lisa to teach others to be kind and she began promoting kindness. Random acts of kindness soon became built into the café, now called The Q Kindness Cafe.

People came from all around the city to experience it. It goes to show that, for this café, it pays to be kind.

See video: http://tinyurl.com/czzy9o (there’s a commercial first)

Visit their website: www.qkindness.com

Happy retailing,

The staff at One Step Retail Solutions

www.onestepretail.com

(800) 266-1328

P.S. Follow us on Twitter for more good news updates: http://twitter.com/onestepretail

Relax in our Technology Pavilion at MAGIC

2009-02-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

MAGIC Marketplace
February 17, 18, 19
Las Vegas Convention Center
Booth# 17031 North Hall

One Step Retail Solutions is doing something new and exciting at MAGIC Marketplace this year and invites retailers to come by, get some free coffee and relax in their Technology Pavilion located in the North Hall, White section of Woman's Apparel.

The Technology Pavilion is a large and comfortable space filled with cushy couches and chairs for retailers to get off their feet, take advantage of complimentary coffee at the coffee bar, and have Wi Fi access to download email.

One Step staff will be showing the latest HP hardware, Panasonic security cameras, the new Quadrox security system, Retail Pro and CounterPoint POS software, and BizCampaign, a way to centralize and coordinate all your marketing functions.

Contact One Step that you're coming!
(866) 617-8183 or send Email to sales@onestepretail.com.

Read CounterPoint Success Stories Online!

2009-01-19T15:24:00.000-08:00

We have recently added success stories and case studies which are available for your reading pleasure.
And, in nearly every market you can think of:

Apparel
Education
Food
Gifts
Green
Health
Home Decor
Museums
Music
Non-Profit
Party Goods
Pets
Pool & Spa
Sporting Goods
Toys
Transportation
Wholesale

I invite you to take a look and read what CounterPoint users have to say!

This is the link to view the different verticals and their experience using the CounterPoint system.

Enjoy!

Increased Shrinkage Problems During the Holidays for Retailers...But Is There a Solution?

2008-12-23T09:42:00.000-08:00

The New York Times covers a report on the increased shoplifting and shrinkage problems retailers are facing during the holiday season. Read it here.

But is there a solution to all this? Is there a way for retailers to keep a good eye on their inventory despite the hustle and bustle of the pre-Christmas shopping they continue to work with, leading up to Christmas day? (A recent Twitter widget shows only 20 snippets of the many who are "last-minute Christmas shopping"!)

The answer is YES.
There IS a way for retailers to keep a close watch and increase their profits.

Right now it is crucial for store owners and managers to know what their inventory has and doesn't have as well as be constantly alert to shoplifting and shrinkage issues with a reliable Point of Sale solution.

I recommend this article: Getting Ready for the Holidays
It covers various ways to get the most out of the biggest shopping season.
With Christmas a couple of days away, make sure the last-minute-shopping frenzy leaves your store profitable and your holiday bright!

Happy Holidays!

www.RetailPosCounterPoint.com

All New eBook available for FREE download on our website!

2008-12-03T14:59:00.000-08:00

One Step Retail Solutions has released a new eBook, "Succeeding in the Retail Business during Economic Stress" by Kevin McAdam which offers insight and strategies for retailers suffering at the hands of a struggling economy.

Looking at trends in retailing and current industry news spouting doom and gloom, Kevin McAdam gets to the bottom line with survival strategies that help retailers adapt to changing technologies and the new realities of the marketplace.

“This book is very timely because of the current economic conditions, and Kevin really gets into the necessities of what retailers should do during challenging times,” says Scott Kreisberg, CEO of One Step Retail Solutions. “His strategies point out how retailers can not only survive, but thrive during these conditions. I can personally vouch for the validity of his strategies, since I passed on these strategies to him and have watched my clients remain profitable during three economic recessions over the past 20 years as a result.”

This book is a compilation of articles from Kevin's column in a newsletter published by One Step Retail Solutions, advising its retail customers how to get through the economic climate of decreased sales numbers.

Alicia Kreisberg, Chief Operating Officer at One Step claims, “Retailers will find this book very insightful, particularly because the approach and principles outlined in Kevin’s book are taken from the same practices we use at One Step with our clients. No matter what the economic climate is, we make sure that our clients have the tools to succeed.”

Retailers will find in-depth methodologies for such matters as weathering a storm in the retail business, increasing sales through channels of retailing, having the right product at the right place at the right time, how retailers should focus on their core strengths, and adjusting a retail business to changing economic times.

The eBook version is now available as a free download at www.RetailPosCounterPoint.com/eBook.

What Happened on Cyber-Monday?

2008-12-02T08:44:00.000-08:00

Cyber-Monday ended yesterday and I found a great article on washingtonpost.com which gave a summary on how it did, you can read it by clicking here.

As you may already know, Cyber-Monday came about because it was noticed that sales boost when consumers returned to work from the holiday and indulged in online shopping.

I wanted to ask around to retailers and find out:

How well did your online store do?
Were your profits better or worse than Black Friday?
How much shopping did you do on Cyber-Monday?

The holiday shopping season has not finished yet!
Time is ticking for procrastinators to finish shopping for their loved ones and friends.

The countdown for Christmas has begun!

www.RetailPosCounterPoint.com
Check out and find out more about CP Online!

Here Comes Black Friday!

2008-11-24T15:02:00.000-08:00

The biggest retail sales day of the year is THIS Friday.

There has been much talk about how well it will do this year with the economy.

An article in The Motley Fool says it won't be as jolly as usual.

There is rising news of more and more retail stores filing for Chapter 11 bankrupcty.

However, another article in Yahoo! TECH called "Your Ultimate Guide to Black Friday" reveals guidlines to stock up and what are the special savings on popular electronics, in order to get the most out of this once-a-year shopping experience.
One reader is saying "I usually don't wake up early or camp out for Black Friday, but this year the sales will be hard to resist".

One Step Retail Solutions would like to offer an article which could help retail store owners everywhere get boosting profits on Black Friday (and all year 'round!) and avoid what other companies have had to go through.

Click here to read:

Bankruptcy or Boosting Profits...

www.RetailPosCounterPoint.com

How Tough Is It Going To Be This Holiday Season?

2008-11-21T14:26:00.000-08:00

In a recent BusinessWeek article, Retail Bankruptcy: Only the Strong Will Survive, it talks about retail sales taking a record 2.8% dive this month.

One Step Retail Solutions agrees that the strong will survive! And has a positive approach to retail businesses surviving the challenging economic conditions.

Read What Retailers Can Do in a Down Economy to help your business thrive!

www.RetailPosCounterPoint.com

Retail Webinar-on-Demand

2008-11-20T14:58:00.000-08:00

The recent live Webinar event hosted by One Step Retail Solutions is now available on-demand! In "How To Adjust Your Retail Business to Survive Economic Times," you'll hear the cold, hard facts on what retailers need to do to thrive in the changing economic conditions.

Watch Webinar now!

Live Webinar Event for Retailers

2008-11-06T09:42:00.000-08:00

One Step Retail Solutions Host Webinar to Discuss How Retailers Can Adjust Their Business to Survive Economic Times

Retail Pro Expert from One Step Retail Solutions™ present Webinar “How To Adjust Your Retail Business to the Economic Times”

In a special live Webinar event, “How To Adjust Your Retail Business to the Economic Times” on November 12, 2008, author and retail expert Kevin McAdam from One Step Retail Solutions will discuss the cold hard facts on what retailers need to do to thrive in the changing economic conditions.

“In today's volatile economic landscape it's harder than ever to create and maintain success. That is especially true in the consumer trend driven specialty retail industry where trends and therefore dollars can shift sometimes overnight,” says Kevin McAdam. “I don't think that anyone can argue that consumers have been pinched by the housing downturn, job losses, and higher costs for food and fuel. The difference is what different retailers are doing in response to that downturn.,” McAdam reports.

In this Webinar event, McAdam focuses on actions that will ensure good margins and work to maintain the bottom line, even in the face of a declining top line of sales.

The Webinar event takes place at 11:00 AM PT on January 22, 2008. For registration by phone, call 818-543-4777 Ext. 4121.

Click here to register online

Live Online Demos of CounterPoint SQL

2008-11-05T15:18:00.000-08:00

There will be live online demos of CounterPoint SQL every Tuesday in November from 2:00-3:00 PM Central time (November 11, 18, 25).

The demo begins with a general overview of CounterPoint SQL and then focuses on the easy-to-use touchscreen ticket entry, inventory management and purchasing features, and the powerful reporting tools.

Finally, you’ll get an introduction to the impressive Dashboard performance monitoring tool that gives you a bird’s eye view of your entire business.

Register now for your live demo:
CounterPoint SQL Live Demo Sign Up

CounterPoint Webinars

2008-10-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

The following live Webinars will be delivered to CounterPoint SQL end-users:

CounterPoint SQL Overview
Tuesdays, 2-3PM CDT
October 28, November 11, 18, 25

2B-Inventory for CounterPoint SQL
Wednesday, October 22, 12-1PM CDT

For information and registration, please contact One Step Retail Solutions to speak to a CounterPoint Representative: (866) 617-8183 toll-free

www.retailposcounterpoint.com

New Retail Survival Test Launched

2008-08-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

One Step Retail Solutions has just launched an online Retail Survival Test to help retailers measure their store's future success in the economic downturn.

The retailer will find out how healthy their store operations are and what their chances of making it through the next few years of business and come out the other side thriving.

Take the Retail Survival Test and see how your store measures up against the leading survival indicators and success predictors. You'll receive a score and analysis of your store's results by email immediately following the test.

Take test now >>

New CounterPoint Website Launched

2008-08-18T09:21:00.001-07:00

One Step Retail Solutions has launched a new Website for its newest product, CounterPoint SQL Enterprise.

http://www.retailposcounterpoint.com/

One Step's partnership with Radiant Systems presents many opportunities for retailers to get familar with the CounterPoint POS software system through Radiant's extensive training seminars, roadshows and Webinars.

Be sure to check out the upcoming Roadshow coming to Newport Beach, CA on August 26th at the Balboa Bay Club!

Radiant CounterPoint Kick-off Event

2008-08-14T19:58:00.000-07:00

The fun begins with the Radiant System's CounterPoint team at the Kick-off meeting and dinner August 12th and 13th. Here's a photo montage to share the fun ...

New Partnership with Radiant Systems

2008-08-13T14:52:00.001-07:00

One Step joined up with Radiant Counterpoint as Business Partners. See the photos:

More news on this to come!