In: Dropshipping|Last Updated:
What is a POS system and Why Do You Need One

Running an online store and exploring selling products in person? You’ll need a point-of-sale (POS) system to check out customers and accept payments.

But finding the right POS system for your business can be challenging. With a vast array of options, features, and reviews to compare, knowing which POS to choose can feel daunting. 

That’s why we’ve prepared this comprehensive guide to POS systems. Read on to learn everything you need to know to choose the best point-of-sale solution for retail selling.

Start selling online now with Shopify

Start your free trial

What is a point of sale?

A point of sale, or point of purchase, is the place in your retail shop where transactions are completed. Think of your store’s checkout counter—that’s your point of sale because it’s where you check out shoppers, take payments, and issue receipts.

What is a POS system?

A point-of-sale (POS) system is the software and hardware that helps your business make sales and accept payments from customers in person. It works just like a cash register, except that it lets you track sales, manage inventory, collect customer contact information, and much more. Modern POS systems also route funds to your bank account …

Read More

In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:

Launching a new brand is exciting – you’ve seen a gap in the market and you’re ready to take advantage. For creative business founders and managers, this is the moment to seize the opportunity with the right new product.

However, the best new product in the world won’t succeed unless you get the basics right when running a business. So, in addition to thinking about what will get your product flying off the shelves – from smart customer research to great marketing – you need to think about the basics. Below, we deal with some of the issues you’ll need to address when launching a new brand.

The insurance you need

Liability insurance – This  insurance protects your business in the event that someone brings a legal claim against it in various circumstances. For example, general liability insurance protects your business from claims that it caused injury to someone else or damaged another person’s belongings; it may also cover claims for other types of injury – such as libel or slander claims. Separately, professional liability insurance covers claims that you made some form of mistake when providing services; this cover is sometimes known as errors and omissions insurance.

Commercial property …

Read More

In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:
Combatting Waste in the CPG Industry

As I drove home a few days ago, I noticed the amount of litter along the sides of the roadway. Cans, coffee cup lids, wrappers, and empty water bottles decorated the shoulder where flowers would have been more pleasing.

Who’s to blame for this waste? The consumers who throw it out of their car windows, certainly, but can we also point fingers at retailers and the CPG industry?

Sian Sutherland

And what’s this waste made up of? Plastic, primarily, although you’ll certainly find a few metal cans too. If plastic were a country, it would be the fifth biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, reports Sian Sutherland, co-founder of the campaign group A Plastic Planet, in the U.K. And it gets worse: plastic production is forecasted to triple by 2040, she recently stated in an interview with the BBC, and 40% of that is for packaging. 

And although consumers have become used to the convenience of plastic packing, it’s not their problem, Sutherland told RangeMe. “The only way to seriously impact it is to take decisions away from the consumer. The industry simply need[s] to sell them something better, something different. And governments need to mandate that they do so fast.”

What are

…
Read More

In: Dropshipping|Last Updated:

The About Us page is one of the first and most important pages to build on an ecommerce website.

It’s a page that explains who you are, what you do, and what customers can expect from your brand.

For ecommerce businesses in particular, the About Us page should be anything but a placeholder. This critical section should be a place to answer pressing questions, a catch-all for recent highlights, and a space to explain company goals, mission, and overall impact.

Let’s explore 10 tips for constructing a successful About Us page, followed by some great examples from other websites in the ecommerce industry.

Start selling online now with Shopify

Start your free trial

10 tips for creating a successful ecommerce About Us page

The About Us page will be one of the most popular pages on your website. Besides curious visitors, the page will be visited by media professionals, leads, and potential brand partners. As such, it’s important to get it right. 

Following are some best practices for creating a unique About Us page.

1. Make it look and sound like your brand

The About Us page should reflect your brand’s personality. This means aligning all copy, images, and other …

Read More

In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:
Decoding Upcoming HFSS Regulations in the U.K.

Two for the price of one? Who can resist?

Consumers in England and Wales will soon be forced to resist, at least to some degree, with new legislation around food merchandising, starting in the coming months. The new rules will affect foods high in fat, salt, or sugar (HFSS) and are designed to thrust them less under the eye of shoppers and to not proffer them through special offers.

However, part of the new regulations have recently been pushed back. Here’s what we can expect to see:

October 2022: Retailers will no longer be allowed to place non-compliant foods (HFSS foods) in the most prominent places in their stores — such as endcaps and at checkouts — to boost sales. Small stores and specialty stores are exempt.

January 2024: It’s anticipated that retailers will no longer be allowed to offer Buy One, Get One offers and multi-buy deals on HFSS products. Commercials of these products will also be banned before 9 p.m. on TV; there will be a complete ban of paid-for advertisements for HFSS products online.

“This has the potential to be quite impactful given that products are put in those places for their sales impact,” says James Anstead, MD, …

Read More

In: Dropshipping|Last Updated:
Checkout Process Optimization: 8 Tips to Increase Ecommerce Sales

Your online store’s checkout process can make or break your ecommerce business.

For shoppers, it indicates the experience your store can provide. If your checkout process aggravates them or doesn’t fulfill their needs, they might develop a negative perception of your business and buy from elsewhere.

The good news is there are several ways you can optimize the checkout process to gain more customers and more conversions. Check out the eight tips we’ve shared to get shoppers over the finish line.

Start selling online now with Shopify

Start your free trial

What is checkout process optimization? 

Checkout process optimization is a strategy an online retailer uses to improve their conversion rate. The aim is to reduce friction and instill trust in the checkout flow, encouraging more shoppers to complete a purchase (and not abandon their cart).  

Why is checkout process optimization important?

Your online store’s default checkout process likely isn’t optimized to offer the best experience. Research Institute Baymard reveals that the average cart abandonment rate for ecommerce stores is 69.8%, indicating that online retailers have a lot of work to do on the checkout front in order to drive more purchases. 

Checkout optimization can provide several …

Read More