Restaurant And Hospitality IT News For VARs – June 18, 2014
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
In the news this week, a new report examines the current state of mobile POS (point of sale) and provides important industry forecasts and estimates. Also, a new Hispanic consumer study demonstrates that familiarity leads to patronage among this sector. And finally, a number of bars and restaurants have found that by keeping their customers’ mobile devices charged, they are increasing revenue at the till.
Mobile POS “Reaching Escape Velocity”
Mobile retail commerce is now a $7 billion global business, and IHL has a new report available, “Mobile POS: Reaching Escape Velocity — All Systems Go,” that examines the current state of mobile POS, the adoption rates of the various retail verticals, and the shipment and installed base details by type of device and provides forecasts for shipments and installed base of these devices, and estimates of the impact that these devices will have on the use of traditional POS hardware.
Familiarity Leads To Patronage, According To Hispanic Consumer Study
According to a new study, restaurants are getting better at marketing to Hispanics, though there is still room for growth, as discussed in this article from the National Restaurant Association. The study, commissioned by Hispanic media company Univision Inc. and conducted by Burke Marketing Research, showed that Hispanic Americans eating at casual-dining restaurants chose to dine at such brands as Red Lobster, Outback and Olive Garden because those companies were more familiar to them and they felt their patronage of those businesses was appreciated, said Peter Filiaci, Univision’s vice president of strategy and insights.
New Trend: Bars And Restaurants Keep Customers' Smartphones Juiced
This article from NBC news demonstrates that many establishments are filling up more than their customers’ glasses at the bar. As more and more consumers are using power-hungry mobile devices, they are requesting more support from their favorite watering holes, and restaurants and bars are trying to help. By recharging their customers' devices, bar owners find that patrons are lingering longer and spending more money, creating a win-win situation for everyone.
Restaurant and Hospitality IT Talking Points
The NRA reported that Labor Secretary Thomas Perez announced a proposed rule on Thursday to raise the minimum wage for certain federal contractors from $7.25 to $10.10. Following up on a presidential executive order in February, this increase would affect employees of restaurants operated under federal contracts that end on or after January 1, 2015, including those on military bases, within national parks, and in federal buildings. The proposal focuses on service and construction workers and applies to hourly employees.
Meanwhile, the job openings rate in the restaurants-and-accommodations sector soared to a post-recession high in April, according to the latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover (JOLTS) program. Now restaurant operators are reporting concerns about labor availability, suggesting that the industry’s traditional labor challenges will soon be back on the front burner.
This article from NRF.com describes a new app unveiled recently in New York City, called Cups. The app was created by an Israeli start-up and soft-launched in New York City last month. It seems that Cups has the potential to deliver generous content through monthly subscriptions. Partnering with nearly 40 independent coffee shops throughout the city, the app allows users to pay a monthly subscription fee for a specific number of caffeinated drinks. In addition to its monthly unlimited plans, Cups also offers X-cups-for-$Y deals, aimed at less severely coffee-dependent users.
For more news and insights, visit BSMinfo’s Hospitality Tech Center.