Tamper-Evident Labeling?  We Got Your Solution

 

August 2018

 

Credit card skimmers at the gas pump cost consumers and businesses millions of dollars a year in fraudulent card transactions.  It can even lead to identity theft for your customers!  Generic tamper evident labels may not be an adequate deterrent given they are available on line for anyone to purchase and use, including the bad guys!  By customizing your label design with barcodes, serial numbers, logos, and other unique identifying marks, you can make label duplication more difficult.

 

Brother's PT-P750wvp labeling tool provides a cost effective, customizable solution for creating unique tamper-evident labels.   Produce labels on demand, and only when needed, and eliminate the need to have rolls of costly tamper evident labels sitting “unsecured” in your stores.  The PT-P750wvp is an ideal solution for independent operators who want to quickly create labels specifically designed for their store and store brand.  In no time, operators can implement their own unique tamper evident labels in the fight against credit card skimmers.

 

These tamper evident labels are also ideal for securing other areas of your gas station and C-Store.

• POS systems

• Routers, switches & other in-store IT equipment

• Telecom & electrical panels

• Cameras and other surveillance equipment

 

Powerful Features

• Auto Cutter…for easy “one at a time” label printing

• Drop-in Smart Media Cartridges that are easy to secure and store

• Free Brother “P-Touch Editor” software for designing labels

• Near Field Communications (NFC) Interface and Optional Wireless Connectivity

• Multiple Power Options

 

Connect with us today for a demo of the outstanding PT-P750wvp tamper-evident features.

How are the different beer segments performing in your store so far this year?

 

May 2018

 

Fintech InfoSource™, the largest resource for Distributor to Retailer sales data, has partnered with the National Beer Wholesalers Association to provide case volume data in an index format. This index shows the weeks of the year that a segment is selling at a higher volume than its average for that year. Hard sodas and seltzers are the standout in 2018, staying on or going above index almost every week this year. See how the other segments are faring.

Craft Can Sales Rise

 

March 2018

 

Craft can sales are up! In a recent Brewers Association PowerHour, Bump Williams showed how craft cans were up 43%, while bottle sales were down 2.2% in dollars. In just a year, craft cans gained 6.1 share of craft to make up 23% share of all craft beer dollars.

 

So we wanted to take a look at our Fintech's InfoSource® data. Sure enough, it backs up these numbers. InfoSource data shows double digit volume growth in 8 of the top 10 craft can packages. These gains weren't just in your typical 12 ounce can sizes, either. The 16, 22 and 25 ounce cans all saw double digit growth in the Craft Can package assortment, as well.

 

We're continuing to see growth in these packages and the first quarter of 2018 is almost over! What are you doing to ensure you're keeping up with the latest trends? Do you have the right package assortment for your consumers?

 

To learn more about Fintech's InfoSource® and how it can help your business, simply click here, call us at 800-572-0854 ext. 3904, or send us an email today!

Providing Fresh Prepared Food Gets Innovative

 

February 2018

 

Convenience stores and Grocers continue to innovate on providing fresh prepared foods for their loyal customers. That's no small task in the midst of rising minimum wages, and new regulations on nutritional labeling and meat grind logging and traceability. Combine these variables with others like figuring out how to capture online orders for pick-up, what human resources are needed, and what technology can make it all work, can be daunting.

 

Store operators must figure out how to do more with the same amount of people, or fewer. As the old saying goes, 'How can you work smarter, not harder?' Regarding labeling and sorting tasks, most of these activities have traditionally been completed in the back office or warehouse. One way that is increasingly gaining ground is using mobile technology to move many store tasks to the front, on the store floor, in the aisle, and at the food counter. This enables workers to be closer to customers, allowing them to perform store tasks when not helping a customer, while maintaining visibility to customers when needed. This is very helpful on shelving resets and pricing updates, as you no longer have to depend on a printing service to ship the updated shelf labels or fresh food labels. You can easily print them on demand as needed, minimizing cost and waste.

 

Whether it's food labeling to meet the new Common Sense Nutritional Labeling regulations, or product/shelf labeling to track inventory more accurately, the Brother TD-2000 and Rugged Jet series printers are some of the best tools for grocers or C-stores to get the job done. In either a mobile or fixed configuration, it's easy to use, secure, and extremely flexible, with models which connect to iOS®, Android™ and Windows operating systems.

 

For more information on this mobile label printing solution, please visit Brother Mobile Solutions at www.BrotherMobileSolutions.com or call them at 800-543-6144.

Technology and Food Safety Syncing Up

 

January 2018

 

Smart technology solutions are becoming more essential when serving the retail customer.  As a retailer, you need to serve the customer when, where and how they want to be served, so you need tools which provide you flexibility to serve your customers, while also setting yourself apart from the competition.  When it comes to fresh and made to order foods, convenience and grocery store menus seem to be expanding daily.  Whether it's food labeling to meet the new "Common Sense Nutritional Labeling" regulations, or product/shelf labeling to track inventory more accurately, the Brother TD 2000 series printer is an amazing tool for grocers or C-stores to get the job done.  The label printer can operate in either a mobile or fixed configuration, can work with a scanner (like the Datalogic QD2430), mobile device or laptop, and can print receipts or labels.  For this label printer, flexibility is the name of the game!

 

Some key benefits this mobile labeling solution can provide you are:

 

Cost:  Low cost solution that fits the budget of small to large merchants with free software, that comes with a 2-year out-of-the-box limited warranty which includes the print head.

 

Simplicity:  Easy-to-use drag and drop design software, where a user scans the correct barcode and the label prints, and where menu items and ingredients can be easily updated via a simple spreadsheet.

 

Scalable:  Can operate as a stand-alone solution with no POS database connection needed, or utilize secure Bluetooth® wireless technology or Wi-Fi® wireless modules to connect to an ERP database or POS system.

 

Future Proof:  As label requirements change, label templates can be easily updated to meet new regulations without requiring new hardware or software updates.

 

For more information on this mobile label printing solution, please visit Brother Mobile Solutions at www.BrotherMobileSolutions.com or call them at 800-543-6144.

Are You Maximizing Your Revenue Potential in your Beer Coolers?

 

December 2017

 

Selling beer is important to your business, and is one of the best traffic drivers in the convenience store industry offering greater market basket opportunities.  The alcohol options on your shelves matter, and are also critical to moving product timely and increasing profit margins. You're tasked with deciding what products are best for your business, and these choices can make all the difference.

 

One of the most challenging parts of maintaining a desirable beer selection is to know what consumers are buying in your area, and adjusting your inventory based on market trends.  A recent study, brought to you by Fintech's InfoSource™, has identified a list of established beers growing across the country. These beers have shown positive growth in 2017 over 2016.  Which of these beer brands are you selling today?

 

Click here for InfoSource regional trends across the country.

 

In today’s world of diverse beer drinkers, ranging from big brand loyalists to microbrew connoisseurs, a combination of mainstream and smaller batch brews are necessary in keeping your business fresh and competitive.  Knowing what brands are trending paired with understanding your own purchasing habits are key to making the best product decisions to fill your cooler space.

 

Beverage alcohol management solutions, like industry leader Fintech® can help you evaluate your own alcohol purchase data and empower you with information to make smarter choices when stocking your shelves.  Fintech delivers cutting-edge, strategic solutions that range from purchase order, reconciliation, and data reporting, to price book management, payment compliance adherence, and regulatory resource connectivity.

 

When you become a member of RBG, you are entitled to a FREE 30 day trial and exclusive pricing of this OneSource® solution, so you can experience the benefits of Fintech’s full beverage alcohol management suite. Contact RBG today to learn how you can become a member and partner with Fintech at 888-728-3724.

Streamline Your Alcohol Purchases, Maximize Profits

 

September 2017

 

These days selling alcohol is what’s expected from many convenience store operators. Whether it's coming in to grab a case of beer or stocking up for a get together - the alcohol options in your store can be a critical piece of your profits.

 

Unfortunately the hardest part about maintaining your alcohol inventory is purchasing your products and many store managers don't realize there are simpler, more streamlined ways to restock inventory, pay invoices, and ensure they're getting the best price for their products.

 

Aside from the burden of ensuring invoices are paid on time and according to your state alcohol regulations, convenience store operators often deal with numerous complications with alcohol purchases including:

 

• taking time away from customers to manually write checks or obtain money orders for deliveries

• time consuming manual entry of invoices and searching for price discrepancies

• being placed on the state black/cash list for late or non-payment

• missing valuable credits and navigating problematic reconciliation processes

 

There are several ways to combat these problems, but the most immediate solution is to start automating purchases with electronic payments.  Solutions like industry leader, Fintech, streamline your beverage alcohol business and increase your operational efficiency by solving operational difficulties such as:

 

• no more cash, checks, or money orders needed for alcohol payments

• no more manual entry of invoices

• no more missed payments, keeping your store(s) off the black list

• no more lost invoices with access to payment data online

• no more lost time spent with customers

 

Electronic payment also alleviates several manual processes that convenience stores face on a weekly and sometimes daily basis, such as inventory control, accounting, and cost analysis.

 

Through Fintech’s partnership with RBG Club Services, users are entitled to a FREE 30 day trial and exclusive pricing of this OneSource® solution for your alcohol purchases.