Grocery And Convenience Store IT News For VARs — June 5, 2014
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
In the news, grocery market growth slows in the quarter ending in May, marking the lowest level of growth in 11 years. Also, the NACS is among retailers and associations asking for a Supreme Court appeal on the swipe fee ruling. In addition, a study shows an ATM at your c-store customers’ locations can boost traffic and sales.
Data Reveals Grocery Market Growth Slows To 11-Year Low
The latest data released by Kantar Worldpanel of the supermarket share for the 12 weeks ending May 25, 2014, revealed a slowdown in grocery market growth to 1.7 percent — the lowest level for at least 11 years. Also, supermarket price competition is prompting another drop in the level of grocery price inflation to 1.2 percent.
NACS Asking for Supreme Court Appeal Of Swipe Fee Ruling
A coalition of retailers, including NACS, the Association for Convenience and Fuel Retailing, is asking the Supreme Court to hear an appeal on Federal Reserve rules that allow banks to charge “unreasonably high swipe fees” each time a shopper swipes a debit card. The 2010 Dodd-Frank law called for the Fed to cap the fees, and in 2011 limited swipe fees to 21 cents per transaction, but retailers assert the law intended the cap to be even lower, according to this article from NACS.
An ATM Could Boost Traffic, Sales For Your C-Store Clients
Installing an ATM at a convenience store increases loyalty, foot traffic and sales, according to a new survey of UK consumer habits commissioned by Cardtronics, Inc., the world's largest retail ATM owner and operator. The report demonstrates that by offering customers access to cash at the same time as purchasing gas, groceries or paying a bill, shop owners are more likely to encourage return visits and additional spend in-store, and cash is used as the primary payment method at local shops, with 90 percent of consumers choosing it over card payment.
Grocery and Convenience Store IT Talking Points
In this interview with Larry Lundeen, senior director, global investigations/GISAT (global investigations, security aviation, and travel) at Walmart, Matt Pillar, editor-in-chief of Integrated Solutions For Retailers, examines the steps that Walmart has taken to combat ORC recently, concluding that sharing information internally, with law enforcement agencies, and with competing retailers is the key to thwarting organized retail crime. In terms of technology, in particular, as the retail business changes at this intersection of the digital and physical worlds, with new programs and product offerings for customers, AP teams need to ensure their seat at the table to identify, prepare for, and mitigate the risks.
For more news and insights, visit BSMinfo’s Grocery and Convenience Store Tech Center.