Retail TNT

Pathfinder offers a range of software products and Retail Point of Sale software solutions which integrate a wide spectrum of customer requirements, streamlining business functions and increase organizational efficiency with a definite mark of quality with a ROI assurance. Pathfinder is a leading retail software solutions provider in India, APAC Regions & Middle East and provides end to end solutions for retail automation, retail sales and inventory management, products management and planning.

Pathfinder has a dedicated pool of IT professionals equipped with strong knowledge, rich experience and sound logic. This blend comes from diverse backgrounds, education in leading technical institutes, and track records from associations with leading IT companies. It is our strong conviction that every business Firm or Organization, irrespective of its size, has some common needs and some needs that are absolutely specific. Our team takes an approach based on these needs and adopts relevant strategies. We are an organization driving a huge clientele on a committed path of delivering quality products and a range of software solutions with core competencies in Retail Management, Point of Sale, Bar code Automation, Mobility solutions on PD_A / Hand Held Terminals, Enterprise Solutions and web services. We have a global and phenomenal presence in India, USA, Singapore, Malaysia, Qatar, and Srilanka spreading ever & across with more than 500 corporations as our business milestones.

XtreMe eSmartStore has intrinsic flexibility to suit multiple, diverse business models :

XtreMe e-Smart Store Point of Sale boasts speed, ease of use, reliability and an extensive range of powerful features designed for an array of diverse retail verticals ensuring your business is operational at all times. XtreMe eSmartStore Point of Sale and retail management tools ensure that you serve your customers effectively whilst maintaining tight control over business processes, performance and generates immediate cost savings. XtreMe eSmartStore provides your workforce with the necessary gears at the Point of Sale to deliver unmatched customer service. Processes are streamlined to eliminate confusion, decrease the time required for staff training and create a more efficient way of working. Features Easy to use application interface and configurable sales screen Fast multi-mode product look up feature (EAN

UPC

PLC / SKU) Support for split tenders – cash, card, cheque or voucher for a single transaction Support for multiple currencies configuration Support for custom bill id Support for Price over-ride Support for Deposit collection and utilization Manage Line item and overall discounts On-Screen alert of promotional items Suspend billing and resume Support to generate cost estimates at the till Support for Home Delivery, Rate based & Non Inventory sales Support for on-account sales Manage exchanges & returns On-Screen excess cash alert Alerts on exceptional transactions On-Screen shift settlement with denominations On-Screen verification for high value items Support for customer registration at the till Robust customer search options and customer history Issue and redemption of gift vouchers /credit notes Support for Warranty Tracking Manage salesman shifts & commissions Automated data collection from weighing scale Touch screen, Bar code scanning, Receipt Printer & POS keyboard support Cash drawer support (pops drawer automatically) Pole display support (displays purchase information to the customer) Supports portable hand-held terminals for Q busting Supports Shop in Shop formats On-screen help options Maintain real-time, inventory control for your stores with XtreMe eSmartStore: XtreMe eSmartStore inventory module comprises of a detailed management features including Product and Pricing Control, Stock Control, Staff Management, Point of Sale Configuration, Loyalty Rewards, Accounts, Audit Control and a comprehensive set of Reports and Analysis Tools. All information can be accessed in real-time both onsite and remotely over the web, so that business decisions can be based on precise timely information Features Easy to use, Windows-based management screens Create and manage products, departments and categories Support for 09 levels of SKU categorization Create & Manage custom unit descriptions Supports Auto-generated / custom product codes Ability to maintain multiple vendor / EAN codes Auto indenting based on MBQ, ROL & Lead Time GRN & Delivery Authorization Set product shelf life and expiry Tag products to a BIN location Derive selling prices based on MRP / cost price Price Mark up / Mark down Set multiple pricing levels Bar code generation and printing – all popular bar-code types supported Add unique codes for products without bar-codes Multiple barcodes per product code allowing for differing pack sizes Monitor and updates stock levels automatically in real time Track inventory by category classification, department and product bar code Apply promotions, including individual product discounts, fixed price, quantity discounts and product bundling Seasons, Schemes, Promotions, Mix and Match Manage packet sales Grouping and UN-grouping of products Stock Adjustments Transfers between warehouse and retail stores Material Resource Planning Ticket printing for shelf edges tickets or product bar codes Supports portable hand-held terminals for inventory counting and order entry One of our main strengths is our in-house retail expertise and support, which is second to none. The immense depth of XtreMe Retail Solutions coupled with its use of retail logic makes it an ideal choice for any specialist retail business, regardless of size. Whether you are a single shop or represent a large retail organization with nationwide branches, XtreMe Retail Solutions is the answer for your needs. Retailer Sales Reporting XtreMe Imperial – Retailer sales reporting, a centralized reporting system for a malls POS data. It provides access to detailed, consolidated reporting of all retailers. We collect your data, and deliver it through reports that are customized to meet your needs. XtreMe Imperil Retailer Sales Reporting allows you to Manage master information of all retailers Web based daily / optional intranet* reporting of POS data Accurate sales information from retailers. No Misreporting Analytical Information of brand & category performance Average spend size with daily trends MIS to strategist and implement Mall promotions How it works: It all starts with the client software running on each location’s POS server. This client is a small application that is set up to execute using Windows Scheduler. This gives you full control over how frequently the data is sent to the server. Once the data is loaded to the server, using secure FTP over a broadband internet connection, it is loaded in to a MS SQL database. Once there, it is available for reporting using an interface that is simple and easy to navigate. XtreMe Retail POS XtreMe eSmartStore Boutiques Gift Stores Apparel & Footwear Supermarket / Hypermarket Furniture XtreMe Foodie Fine Dining Kiosks & Takeaways XtreMe Axis Food Court XtreMe Bloom Wellness Centers Salon & SPA Our solutions help organizations operate with greater efficiency, integrating and managing business to streamline costs, boost sales and deliver the optimum buying experience to their customers. Can we help support your operations? Why not contact us today to discuss your requirements. To know more about our Point of Sale, email us or call us on +91 44 4394 6666. www.pftec.com

Retail Jewelry Stores

A common belief is that all jewelers are out to get you and that you’re going to pay too much for a diamond or engagement ring. This is true for all industries and businesses, not just the jewelry industry. There are good businesses and there are not so good businesses. There’s always a chance to pay more than you have to when buying a car, electronics, jewelry, or whatever. The key is to do your homework and find a jewelry store that you know is creditable; sometimes a referral from a friend is the best place to start. Now it’s true that most jewelry store prices will start off listing higher than many of the on-line businesses, but you have to consider all things. Who will size your ring when it needs to be done? How much will it cost when you have it done? How long will you be without your ring? There is a huge amount of convenience when buying local because many jewelers do all their work in-house. This means no waiting and sometimes you can actually have your ring sized or altered on the spot. Imagine proposing to your girlfriend and then telling her she has to wait 2-3 weeks before wearing it because it has to be shipped back to the on-line jeweler for sizing!

Other benefits are the warranties that come along with the purchase from a local jeweler. I had a customer come to our retail showroom not too long ago with a ring he bought from Bluenile. He brought his fianc in to be fit for the ring and we sized the ring for $75.00. 2 weeks later she came back and said that she chose to have the ring sized too small and needed to be sized again. Another $75.00! Now they’re up to $150 in additional fees and they’ve only owned ring 2 weeks. Imagine the expenses you’ll accumulate over the lifetime of the ring! Another issue is the replacement of missing diamonds; today’s engagement ring styles are very complicated and can be set with intricate diamond combinations. These tiny diamond accents are prone to falling out. When you need to have a small diamond accent replaced you could pay $75.00 to $150.00 in repair costs. Do you see the repair costs adding up? Most local jewelers value your business; in effort to keep you happy they’ll take care of any costs associated with the upkeep of your ring. If you think I’m being one sided don’t worry, I have a lot of positive things to share with you about buying on-line also.

One of the other benefits of shopping locally is the ability to see and examine the diamonds before buying. A big misconception is that all diamonds are graded exactly the same way and that an SI2 on-line is the same as an SI2 in a store. Truth is that every diamond is uniquely different and some diamonds are better than others even if the grades are identical. There are good VS2’s and there are bad VS2’s how do you know which one you have? I’m assuming of course that you know what a VS2 is, if you don’t you can visit http://therealscooponbuyingdiamonds.blogspot.com and I’ll be happy to explain it further to you. You really need to see the diamond first hand and look at it under a microscope to be able to compare one to the next. You can have two diamonds graded exactly the same but one may be poorer a version of the same clarity grade because it was graded by two different people with different opinions. This of course greatly affects the value of the diamond and you’re not aware of it unless you see them first hand. Shopping locally empowers you by allowing you to compare one diamond to next in real life situations.

Now if you say That’s all well and good but I still want the best deal I can get and the bottom line price is still you’re biggest concern then simply be honest with the people you’re shopping with. Truth be known, most jewelers are flexible in their pricing. You just have to communicate your needs with them properly so they know where you stand. They don’t read minds and if you want the best deal you can get for a diamond then say that to them. You can’t get what you don’t ask for and nobody is going to volunteer this unless you ask for it. If you tell the local jeweler that you have been shopping on-line and you want them to match the price, they’ll probably do it. The best strategy is to bring the Internet listing from the website that you are shopping with and give it to the jeweler. Ask them to show you a diamond of the same size, clarity and color, this way you are comparing apples to apples. In some cases they’ll match the price and you’ll get the best of all worlds including warranties, service, price and convenience.

There are no magical formulas or pixie dust that allows one on-line jeweler or retail jeweler the ability to buy a diamond for less than their competitors. Retailers and on-line jewelers pay the same amount for a diamonds and the going rate is the going rate. So your local jeweler has the ability to sell the diamond at the same price as the Internet jeweler, you just have to give him reason to. The best advice I can give you is Don’t make them jump through hoops; if they’re going to give you a great deal don’t make them work hard for it. Otherwise they may lose interest in the sale and say “No Thanks!”. Be honest and fair with them and you may be surprised at how helpful they can be.

Internet Jewelers

Ok I know you have been waiting for this, so here it is Yes you can buy a diamond for less on the Internet! You’ll also save the sales tax. But you need to know that not all Internet jewelers are created equal and you really need to become familiar with whom you are dealing with. Lets start with some important issues. First, you should know that most Internet jewelers don’t own their own diamond inventories. What they do is create computerized lists from diamond wholesalers and suppliers from around the country and place these lists on their websites. Now the problem with this is that these Internet jewelers have never seen the diamonds that they sell so they don’t know what they are giving you. If you see a diamond listed on their site and ask them to describe it to you they have to call the supplier who owns the diamond and have them describe it to them first so they can describe it to you. That’s fine as long as you are aware of the process.

Now, there are Internet jewelers who do own their inventories and actually hand select the diamonds that go on their website. The benefit is that these Internet jewelers have the ability to weed out problem stones because they get to see the diamonds before they buy them for resale. Allow me to give you an example of a problem diamond, take an SI1 diamond for instance. By definition, an SI1 diamond should not have imperfections that can be seen to the naked eye. However, I’ve seen GIA certified SI1 diamonds with imperfections that were plain as day when viewing the diamond to the naked eye. How does the Internet jeweler that’s selling computerized lists of diamonds know what kind of SI1 he/she is selling? They don’t! That’s why its important to choose an Internet jeweler who owns their inventory and hand picks each diamond personally. The benefit is that you can call them and ask them to describe the diamond to you to be sure that it’s not a problem diamond. When wholesalers have problem diamonds that retail jewelers and Internet jewelers (that own their inventories) won’t buy, they list them on Internet websites because there’s nobody to verify the problem.

In the end you suffer because you unknowingly buy the problem diamond. What’s the solution? Work with an Internet jeweler that can hold the diamond in their hand and inspect it for you. Or work with a smaller yet trustworthy Internet jeweler who has a pulse on all the suppliers that they work with so they can verify the validity of the diamond grade. The larger Internet jewelers like Bluenile undoubtedly have a harder time weeding out the problem diamonds because they sell so many diamonds from these published virtual lists. You’re diamond purchase is just another number to them while the smaller Internet jewelers can spend more time with you on the phone answering your questions and sorting through their diamonds. Another benefit to shopping online is the lack of pushy salespeople to deal with. As with many retail environments you’ll occasionally run in to the hard-core salesperson at local jewelry stores. If you’re the type of person who likes to move at his/her own pace and doesn’t like to be pressured then the Internet jeweler is a great option. If you find an informative site you’ll have the time to gather information about diamonds at your own pace without the pressure of having to make a quick decision. You’ll also cover a lot of ground very quickly because you can compare thousands of diamond prices with the click of a mouse. Shopping locally can be a long laborious process while spending hours at each location before going on to the next store.

If you choose to buy your diamond online require several things from your Internet jeweler. First is a no-frills return policy, the standard for an established and creditable Internet jeweler is 30 days. Next is gemological certification, this is important because you want to be assured that the diamond is graded as fairly as possible. I would only choose the Internet jewelers that display the BBB-Online Seal. The Better Business Bureau is a great consumer advocacy group and won’t allow any website to display the seal unless their identity has been verified. They’ll also remove the seal if the Internet site is abusing the use of the seal or is using unfair business practices. In the end you’ll have to decide what’s more important, price or guarantees. Some people would never buy a diamond from an Internet jeweler and some hate shopping locally. There are no secrets or shortcuts but you have to take the time to understand that there are pros and cons to both options. Nobody can say what’s best for you and your fianc but you.

Good Luck Shopping and feel free to contact me for any information about diamonds or diamond engagement rings!

Andy Moquin
President Andrews Jewelers Inc.
CEO Rokstok.com
http://www.andrewsjewelers.com

At Pathfinder, we aim to devise a methodology that helps your business venture, brand, and business expertise gain solidity and momentum. Key element of our methodology is modifying existing work culture and ensuring the growth of the company.
Introducing XtreMe Imperium, a technology solution that is designed for facility operations including space management and planning, operations, asset management and lease management.
XtreMe Imperium helps organizations to manage their complete cycle of workplace business processes, from space and facilities to assets, to leases, work orders and operations. XtreMe Imperium delivers the strongest combination of integration, collaboration and business value today for corporate real estate and financial executives, facilities and real estate professionals, and business partners.
Unlike other CAFM technology products, XtreMe Imperium was developed from the ground up as an integrated, Web-based solution. The XtreMe Imperium platform was architect ed specifically to address the three major shortcomings of traditional tools, namely ease of use, integration, and data access and collaboration.
Advantages & Benefits of XtreMe Imperium
A fully integrated solution with market-leading functionality to manage all workplace information & processes (space, leases, assets, operations, etc.)
Business process automation accomplished via a state-of-the-art workflow engine that allows clients to build, execute and refine manual internal and collaborative processes
Ability to access and analyze workplace data from disparate data stores and applications in one central location
Cross-enterprise integration for seamless information exchange with Finance, HR and other enterprise systems that drive real estate, facilities and operations
More out of the box capabilities, with fast and easy user configuration, in contrast to the steep learning curve and heavy customization required with competing products
Executive dashboards and real-time reporting to improve insight, planning and decision- making.
Professional services and solution partners that provide best practices in deployment and utilization to ensure and accelerate client success
Technology innovation and leadership in platform, product development and industry alliances to drive continuous value for clients
Retailer Sales Reporting:
XtreMe Imperium – Retailer sales reporting, a centralized reporting system for a malls POS data. It provides access to detailed, consolidated reporting of all retailers. We collect your data, and deliver it through reports that are customized to meet your needs.

XtreMe Imperium Retailer Sales Reporting allows you to
Manage master information of all retailers
Web based daily / optional intranet* reporting of POS data
Accurate sales information from retailers. No Misreporting
Analytical Information of brand & category performance
Average spend size with daily trends
MIS to strategist and implement Mall promotions

How it works
It all starts with the client software running on each locations POS server. This client is a small application that is set up to execute using Windows Scheduler. This gives you full control over how frequently the data is sent to the server. Once the data is loaded to the server, using secure FTP over a broadband internet connection, it is loaded in to a MS SQL database. Once there, it is available for reporting using an interface that is simple and easy to navigate.
XtreMe eSmartStore
Boutiques
Gift Stores
Apparel & Footwear
Supermarket / Hypermarket
Furniture
XtreMe Foodie
Fine Dining
Kiosks & Takeaways
XtreMe Axis
Food Court
XtreMe Bloom
Wellness Centers
Salon & SPA
It is our strong conviction that every business Firm or Organization, irrespective of its size, has some common needs and some needs that are absolutely specific. Our team takes an approach based on these needs and adopts relevant strategies.
Not only is the XtreMe eSmartStore Mall Management System easy to use, we will walk you through every step of our Go Live process until you are ready to put your systems to use
Call our sales team today and find out how XtreMe eSmartStore guarantees to simply your business and giving you more time on whats important, Your Customers.
We Constantly strive to achieve total customer satisfaction by delivering Error Free products and solutions on time, every time, providing timely technical support and imparting Quality training through continuous process and system improvement

To know more about our Asset management solution, email us or call us on +91 44 4394 6666.
www.pftec.com

Forrester Research Inc. conducted a survey of online retailers and in addition to finding that most online retailers are doing better so far in 2010, they also discovered some fascinating information about what it costs to operate an online business. This information is extremely helpful to you as an online retailer because it helps you place your own costs into perspective and may lead to improvements in your processes.

Revenues

It is useful to look at costs in the context of revenues. This information allows you to get a sense of the size and scope of the retailers in the survey, compared to your business. Forrester found that the average order value was $183 and average number of items per order was three, suggesting that the average price of an online item for retailers in the survey was approximately $61. The survey also noted that six percent of retailer revenues comes from shipping fees, and one percent of revenue comes from gift cards.

Clearly, gift cards have not yet made much of an impact yet and at least some retailers are finding it possible to actually gain some revenue on shipping. This strategy may or may not be possible for you as an online retailer. The shipping issue is a hot one as shipping costs often become the reason for shopping cart abandonment. Many retailers discount shipping or at least pass along solely the actual costs in order to lessen the effects of shipping costs on purchase behavior.

Costs of online retail

As you know, there are many more costs associated with selling online that just the wholesale cost of the products being sold. Managing these overhead costs can make or break your ability to turn a profit. Forrester discovered the following average costs for some online retail overhead costs.

Cost category | Cost (dollar) | (percent) of order value |

Marketing cost per order: $14.30 | 7.8%
Fulfillment cost per order: $4.30 | 2.4%
Customer service cost per order: $8.15 | 3.5%

On a per item basis, there is $8.92 in marketing, fulfillment and customer service costs associated with each item sold (at $61/item).

Comparisons and strategies

How do these figures compare with your own data?

Marketing cost

Marketing costs can include pay per click fees, banner fees, paid links, costs of newsletter writing and distribution, email server costs and so on. This category represents the largest of the overhead costs studied but obviously the most important in terms of getting traffic to your site. You need to market; the question is, is your marketing effective and can you do it more efficiently? You can generally consider your marketing effective if some of your other data matched industry benchmarks such as no more than a 27% bounce rate and a 3.5% conversion rate. If you are not achieving these averages, you need to look at effectiveness.

It is also useful to know if you could be marketing more efficiently. You might look at your own business habits for a clue. Are you testing keyword routinely? Are you conducting A/B testing on your pay per click ads? Are you analyzing your web analytic data on a routine basis? If not, it is likely that you could get more efficient if you spent more time fine tuning your techniques.

Fulfillment costs

Fulfillment is a tricky business. Some retailers conduct their own fulfillment using the kitchen table and their family to pack and send their products. Others use a drop shipper that handles the entire fulfillment spectrum of services at a fee. Yet other retailers use some combination of employed staff and outsourced services. Since fulfillment is not only a cost, it is also a huge customer service issue that can dramatically impact the possibility of return purchasing (the industry average is 28 percent return purchasing), you need to look at this issue both in terms of cost and in terms of quality.

Customer service

Customer service can be a staffed, 24 hour phone line, an email response within 24 hours or a set of FAQs. Your customer service costs can range dramatically depending on how much your customers need from you and that depends on the kind of product you are selling. The data here about customer service are interesting and a useful benchmark but this component of sales is very driven by your product. You can gauge whether you are spending enough to some extent by looking at your return rate (the industry average is 7 percent) and your return customer rate (shown above).

Benchmarking data is an invaluable way to understand how your business performs, and how you can improve it to generate higher profits.

A point-of-sale (POS) system is a computer automated replacement for a cash register. Point of sale equipment plays a pivotal role in the management of a business’ day to day operations. The POS system can perform various functions such as record and track customer orders, process credit and debit cards, and manage inventory. These systems contains a computer, which consists of application-specific programs and I/O devices designed for particular work settings. POS systems can be found in most businesses that serve customers such as restaurants, hotels, entertainment establishments, and retail stores.

In recent years, the technological advancements in the equipment have significantly improved the business operations. Although remarkable improvements have been made in the area of inventory and sales, there are a number of other areas that have shown significant advancements.

Point of sale allows businesses to know their customers. Point of sales software lets the businesses track the most popular products through various customer profiles. Retailers can quickly determine what products they should market based on customers shopping preferences. They allow businesses to track their customers so that they can understand their needs properly. This will allow them to cater to their customer needs, and in doing so, will increase customer loyalty.

Retailers have the ability to implement special promotions or establish customer loyalty programs to encourage customers to purchase popular items. It lends them a better sense of who are their best customers and why they are buying, to focus more on their needs and to serve customers. It provide them the ability to test pricing concepts and new products better.

For the food industry, there are point of sale devices that will allow food orders to be sent directly to the kitchen. This cuts down on food service delivery time allowing more customers to be served at a faster rate.

POS helps businesses in reducing the amount of accounting errors. By eliminating double-entry bookkeeping and integrating credit-card transaction with a Retail Management System, data entry mistakes and correction re-entry is greatly reduced. This makes accounting much easier than before and eliminates the need to maintain paper copy accounting records. There will also be less accounting errors so bookkeeping will less stressful and more accurate.

POS allows businesses to reduce labor costs. Simplifying transaction and record keeping, and eliminating the need for separate point of sale terminals, businesses will have more time to focus on customer service. As well, businesses can keep track of peak selling periods so they can adjust employee schedules based on the time of day when the volume of traffic is high. With integrated barcode readers, label printers, and receipt printers, manual labor is drastically decreased.

In today’s hard-hitting economic circumstances, losing just one customer impacts negatively on a business. Point of sale equipments are developed to help a business operate more efficiently, increase sales volume, and improve the customer’s shopping experience. Saving time and money is a key factor when acquiring point of sale equipment.

Loyal and happy customers are the important ingredients for a successful business. Modern point of sale systems make a business more efficient. Point of Sale equipment not only allows businesses to make improvements with sales and inventory, but also in all other aspects of daily business operations. The overall affect is a successful and profitable business.