iVend Retail Summit, 2013 was a resounding success. The partner event which spanned for 3 days had a good mix of sessions covering growth drivers by Kamal Karmakar, CEO CitiXsys Group of Companies and interesting sessions on the new innovations, product trainings, product roadmap for iVend Retail Management Suite and informative sessions on Marketing and Joint Marketing with partners.

iVend Retail Management Suite from CitiXsys has matured from an application to a Retail Platform where the constituent complementary applications of the suite are now available in their individual capacities to be integrated into standard ERP and Accounting applications.

The recent innovations make iVend Retail Management Suite firmly substantiate the organization’s goal of bringing technology innovations to make profitable retailers and happy customers. This was emphatically reflected when CitiXsys announced iVend Passes and iVend Mobile.

iVend Passes is a platform for retailers to deploy Digital Passes on Apple Passbook and Android devices helping retailers stay connected with their customers and enhancing customer experience.

iVend Mobile is a POS on an iOS device or an Android tablet, equally suited for small format retail chains and large format retailers and is used for faster expansion or as a queue buster.

The cornerstone of the sessions was the announcement of CitiXsys Knowledge Portal, which will serve as the central repository of knowledge for all partners, customers and CitiXsys employees to collaborate better. The CitiXsys Knowledge Portal, which immediately got the name CKP was very well appreciated by the partners as the portal aims to provide a single window to address all queries of partners through its comprehensive forums section, knowledge base repository, wikis, marketing collateral, etc.

Breakout sessions on Sales and Consulting were held in parallel. All the sessions whether related to sales or consulting & implementation were extremely interactive and helped partners not only understand the applications and their positioning better, but also gave them an opportunity to clarify their queries related to consulting.

The consulting & implementation track covered detailed sessions on implementation methodology, product trainings and how can partners effectively utilize the CitiXsys Support Infrastructure to better serve their customers.

The partners also got to understand how CitiXsys can help them better market iVend Retail Management Suite in their respective markets by leveraging the Joint Marketing initiatives of the Marketing Division at CitiXsys.

The session concluded on a “high”, with a commitment to host a similar session early coming year.

It was a grand one at Thailand last year and continuing the trend let’s meet again at New Delhi, India this year. CitiXsys invites all its partners to iVend Retail Summit 2013 with a focus on Strategizing Sales and Team Enablement. Along with exhaustive sessions on Retail Sales, Implementation Learning and Knowledge Sharing, we would showcase our hospitality and passion to the attending Partners.

A once in a year opportunity for your Sales force and Implementation teams to learn about iVend Suite’s newest products & features, share best practices, experience the latest product innovations, and learn new skills and techniques. Series of meetings, group discussions, product demonstrations, and welcoming partner meets made this event a grand success.

Let’s meet, interact and rediscover our passion to excel in the world of Retail. CitiXsys is overwhelmed to have a global network of committed, reliable, and trusted partner Network and who deliver ‘Quality’ software services to the Retail & Wholesale Distribution space of the ERP segment globally.

The event shall be abuzz with activity where CitiXsys employees & proud Partners from USA, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, China, Thailand and India shall be attending parallel Sales & Implementation Tracks where the products will be showcased and the roadmap ahead will be shared.

We look forward to meet all the associates and anticipate their valuable participation and their inputs to improvise and further strengthen our systems.

Not to miss the cocktail dinner party towards the end on 19^th April 2013, looking forward to see you there..

E-commerce is a valuable and often essential aspect to any business, regardless of what is sold and what services are provided. Allowing customers the ability to obtain goods over the Internet is necessary in this day and age, not only to offer the best services for clients and customers but also to stay relevant. Without these services the competition is more likely to move forward and take advantage of the lack of e-commerce business. From the overall importance of an integrated e-commerce system to the overall facets of a multi-channel system, this all is able to go to great lengths to ensure the business is running at its utmost capacity.

Having everything fully integrated into a single retail system is incredibly important, as it makes the entire system work flawlessly. All aspects of the business need to run through one main hub, otherwise it becomes difficult to know where all sales and products are coming from. The point of sales system, or POS, is the point of any transaction in which a customer actually pays for the product. Knowing where each of these sales comes from through the help of a single system makes it easier to track sales, which in turn shows what form of service is working the best, what product is selling best using online, mobile or in person sales services, not to mention it makes it easier for the client themselves to make and order. If they have an in person account it is easier for them to log into their account online, view past purchases and buy similar content without ever entering the store. These helps keep the client satisfied and you never have to look around wondering what products they bought during their last visit.

Having shopper engagement at the point of sales is very important also. They need to be directly involved, as it makes them feel appreciated and even a sense of appreciation. The customer must feel as if the store or website appreciates their business. Not only telling them this is enough, as producing effective loyalty systems during the point of sales contact helps promote your store, reward the client when they are shopping with you and even want to purchase more products from the store. The point of sales system can work through a credit card like service, or it can simply work through a clients log in information, such as an email account or phone number. This way, whenever the client logs in they receive points for their purchase, and eventually these points add up to discounts, free prizes or other gifts you wish to present with them. Having the ability to obtain new rewards and products makes it more likely for the client to return to the store and purchase even more goods and services from you. It is all about bringing the client back, whether it is through the in person store or via e-commerce. This way, they can buy from you in multiple ways, no matter the time of day.

This integrated system works throughout a multi-channel retail system, so no matter what store or department the client purchases products from, it is all connected to a single system. This way, if the client buys a product in a different store, they are still able to return to your current store, without a loss of profits or merchandise to your store. On top of this, it makes it easier to track rewards points, thanks to the e-commerce system. With the integration of this system, it is far easier for the entire company to work well together.

These days, the whole world is online and e-commerce is changing the way that SMEs do business. Making use of efficient and effective retail integrated e-commerce models, you can significantly grow your business into something more successful than you could have ever imagined. Here we will take a look at just four of the many ways that integrating e-commerce into your retail enterprise can be to your benefit.

Benefits of Retail Integrated E-Commerce

1. Attract New Business

Gone are the days when small businesses had to hope for passerby’s to notice their boutique or rely upon word of mouth in order to make sales. In the online world, it has never been easier to attract consumers through successful keyword optimization strategies. Because every single one of your products, categories, departments, etc. can have their own customized search engine meta tags (ie: titles, keywords, descriptions), your business is far more likely to show up in your potential customer’s search results and capture their attention. With integrated e-commerce programs you can also monitor which key words seem to be drawing in the most clientele so that you can maximize the usage of those tags.

2. Keep Customers Coming Back

Once you have attracted customers to your page, it is important that you keep them browsing through your products and returning for more. The beauty of retail integrated e-commerce is that it simplifies the process of keeping consumer’s attention. By utilizing features and coding that suggest related or alternate products, product upgrades or add-ons, verbiage like “Customers who bought A also bought B”, customer ratings, ads for coupons and special offers, etc. are all great ways to keep consumers browsing through your online store. It’s also a smart idea to allow customers to obtain “e-coupons” that can be utilized within your actual retail location via their smart phone or tablet.

3. Operate in “Real Time”

In this fast-paced society, your consumers expect quick transactions and real time operation. By integrating e-commerce models into your retail business you can instantly make updates to your product inventory, descriptions, availability, and prices. Not only is this ideal for making online sales, but it also plays a huge role in your ability to make on-site sales at your physical retail location. 73 percent of consumers have admitted to utilizing their smart phones or tablets while shopping and 47 percent of these use them to more closely investigate a product prior to purchase. More surprising is that 93 percent of those people who utilize apps in store will make a purchase on-site, the same day. These figures make it clear that quick and accurate product updates and descriptions are critical to making sales.

4. Understand Your Customers

One of the greatest attributes of retail integrated e-commerce is that it enables you to continuously get to know your customers better. Each time your consumers log into your website, you will get a better picture of what it is that they are interested in and how to better meet their needs. By “remembering” previously viewed or purchased products, your online system can present buyers with customized suggestions and offers that will yield a higher response rate – leaving both your business and your customers satisfied. Online purchases and in-store purchases can also be integrated through web based customer loyalty programs that will enable your buyers to accumulate points that lead to further savings by making purchases either on the internet or at your physical location. By being able to access their loyalty points through mobile apps, your consumers will also be more likely to spend more while visiting your store.

For details on Integrated Retail solutions and how can it help your business write to us on info@citixsys.com

Trade regulations aside, retailers heavily rely on imports from Far East at extremely competitive prices. Not only is the logistics of delivery critical, it is equally critical to source the right mix of style, size and color. Ability to collate, analyze and act on consumer buying patterns, sales trends and changes in fashion industry are imperative to succeed in the footwear industry.

A Footwear Retailer is faced with the challenge to:

• Keep in touch with the fashion industry – ensuring that the stores have the right mix of styles, colors and sizes

• Manage inventory levels cautiously and judiciously

• Periodically run promotions & campaigns to increase footfall and decrease slow moving items

• Remain closer to the consumer and analyze his buying patterns and sales trends.

Such a balance requires an integrated business management solution that allows flexibility to cater to the diverse & unique demands of Footwear Retailers. A system that seamlessly integrates all business processes from the POS at store to the planners at the Head Office lowering the overall cost of operations, simplifying expansion and enabling the Footwear Retailer maintain his unique proposition and positioning.

iVend Retail – a complete retail management suite offers to footwear retailers ability to address these business and operational challenges. The application suite allows footwear retailers to:

• Stay connected with business operations

iVend Retail comes as an end-to-end retail management solution for footwear retailers, seamlessly integrating point of sale, in store inventory management, logistics, back office store and head office operations.

iVend Retail has certified integrations to SAP suite of business management solutions and also integrates to other ERPs and accounting applications through its APIs. This failsafe integration with an ERP / accounting application keeps the head office always connected with store operations across the complete retail chain.

• Inventory control and replenishment planning

Head office operations get complete visibility of stock across the retail chain and can effectively replenish stocks rather than relying on store requisitions. Additionally the merchandising department can raise purchase orders in time to avoid stock out situations.

Store Managers and POS operators can gain complete visibility of stock across stores or at the main warehouse / distribution centers right from the POS interface.

• Promotions that maximize profitability

Manage targeted promotions in multiple formats by easily analyzing detailed customer trends at individual stores and across the retail chain.

• Retain customers and manage customer communication

iVendLoyalty allows retailers to define flexible / attractive campaigns, ensuring customer loyalty.

Visit iVend.com to know more about how can iVend Retail Management Suite can help you before more profitable and your customers more engaged.

COUNTRY : Chandigarh, India

INDUSTRY : Retail – Footwear

Milano Impex Pvt. Ltd owns two brands EGLE & LOUIS ALBERTI and has been successfully selling them in the Indian market. Post carving a niche in European market, Milano Impex Pvt Ltd introduced brand EGLE in India in 2003 followed by introduction of LOUIS ALBERTI.

Milano Impex initially followed the dealer & distributor business model which contributed to a major chunk of their revenue. Company had presence in the domestic market with the help of their dealers. Hence to set its footprints in the Arena of high street retail, company ventured to set up their first Retail outlet at Chandigarh, India.

Challenge

Milano Impex Pvt. Ltd., a fast-growing brand name in high-end casual and formal footwear, appointed Merino, a CitiXsys partner to implement iVend Retail Management Suite with SAP Business One.

Milano began implementing at stores that gave the company limited visibility and reporting of in-store stock and warehouse. With ambitious plans to grow the business, Milano chose iVend Retail Management Suite to manage their Retail operations with SAP Business One as backend ERP. The need was to have a system that could manage a fast growing business and be easy to use & maintain with limited IT resources.

• Management of inventory and consolidated view of existing stock was unavailable
• Inefficient stock monitoring and movement
• Implementation of discounts & promotions was impossible due to inadequate information
• Complex and inaccurate sales & invoicing process
• Unmanageable data consolidation

Solution :

iVend Retail Management Suite with SAP Business One

Benefits:

• Unified view of inventory at POS helped in Rapid stock turnaround
• Overall employee efficiency increased due to availability of integrated data at store and Head Office
• Synchronized data transfers between Stores and Enterprise ensured operational accuracy across Retail chain
• Reduced shrinkage due to operational transparency
• Considerable reduction in invoicing & stock-take errors and replenishment planning errors
• Achieved faster order processing

“With iVend Retail we have a modern, secure, fast and scalable solution with integrated inventory management, promotions management and much more. The implementation process and the post implementation support from CitiXsys and the implementation partner, Merino has been excellent. A professional team of consultants and subject matter experts really understood our business and helped us in further improving our business efficiencies.”

Prem Kumar,
CEO, Milano Impex Pvt. Ltd.