For centuries, physical stores have been the medium of commerce around the world. Businesses have relied on face-to-face interactions to sell productions and deliver services to customers. However, the improvement in technology has opened doors to new forms of commerce.
Today, companies are able to deliver products to customers through interactive digital stores with payment gateway integration. Customers can simply visit the website of their favorite store and purchase their desired products.
Conventional business is increasingly learning about the benefits of online stores and adopting digital tools to improve business management. Julia and Jason Haussmann experienced the transition when they finally decided to take their bicycle store online.
Here is an insight into their journey and the differences they felt between both business models.
Unraveling the Impact of the Pandemic –
Driving the Transition
For the RTX Bicycle store, the beginning of the pandemic was an extremely rough period. Managed by the local elderly couple, the store experienced a steep decline in sales as a result of the lockdown imposed during the pandemic. The couple was desperate to find a way to keep their business going.
“For decades, we had managed our business through our store in Dallas. Covid 19 was a major disruptor for RTX. We lost the majority of our sales just a few months after the pandemic.” Julia said.
However, the couple wanted to persist forward.
This was the catalyst for RTX’s transition towards a digital presence. Starting with a basic Google Website, the couple started to list information about the local business online.
Integrating an Effective Retail
Solution – The Management
A key part of the management process was to integrate a digital solution that allowed the couple to automatically handle the bulk of the management responsibilities.
According to Jason, inventory management was a critical challenge faced early on by the company.
“Conventionally, we had always relied on a simple spreadsheet software to manage our inventory and accounts. The process was time-consuming and required dedicated account management to sort out our details every year. It would be fair to say that we didn’t have an accurate picture of how the business was performing.”
Shifting to a Retail POS system was a major gamechanger for RTX. The company adopted Clover eCommerce as its system of choice.
The key reason behind the decision was to have a streamlined digital management tool to track the company’s performance. However, the company started to notice significant improvements in performance fasted than they expected.
The eCommerce orders started to increase as customers realized the importance of staying healthy during the pandemic. The result was a 5-fold increase in orders for the brands. The real-time inventory management feature of Clover was a significant help that allowed the brands to manage the orders efficiently.
“We’re grateful that we had Clover Ecommerce to support us through our growth period. The system kept us alerted of our inventory levels and helped automate supply alerts. We were also able to keep a real-time tab on our accounts on a regular basis. Having that in-depth understanding is allowing us to optimize our marketing as well.” Jason added.
Elevated Performance After the Pandemic – Cash Register POS System
Since the end of the pandemic, RTX has noticed an influx of customers at its Dallas location. The company witnessed an average visitor count of 25 customers a day, a significant increase from its pre-pandemic numbers.
Clover’s Cash Register POS System is helping the company manage the increase in sales and customer activity.
According to Julia, “The Clover Cash Register really fits in seamlessly with the online system. We’re able to offer a ton of payment options to our customers. Especially in the millennial segments, customers appreciate the contactless payments we’ve added at our store.”
The integration of similar systems can be a great way for businesses to optimize their conventional physical stores and establish a hybrid system that provides real-time context on business performance. The analytics and reports feature is another tool that is helping business owners stay on top of periodic performance.
Capitalize on the Digital Boom
– Diversifying Options
Even if you’re still running a conventional store, you still need to look toward digital avenues. With the increasing rates of digital adoption in customers, it is necessary for businesses to transition to digital modes. Whether that is through ePayment compatibility or a dedicated e-store, technology is an essential tool to take your business potential to the next level.
Getting a Retail POS System can be a great way to get integrated management support for your business. Leading providers offer comprehensive support, including hardware and software systems, to increase efficiency and increase your revenue.
Avant-Garde offers across-the-board support to help you deploy POS solutions for your business. As industry leaders, we have proven experience in eCommerce solutions that help SMEs grow to the next level.
Get Started with Efficient Business Management, Explore a Viable POS System for your Business Today.