More people are buying online than ever before. More content is being generated than most ever thought possible. And the people bearing the brunt of it, and who are sometimes struggling to keep up, are the retail marketing content creators and producers.

When we were kids, shortcuts were celebrated. Hearing from a buddy, You want to go play at that new field? I know a shortcut, was met with a smile. That get-there-as-fast-as-we-can mindset is often avoided in business because we assume the time-consuming, complex way is the best way. This is especially true with content marketing. Instead of focusing on creating quality content as quickly as possible, VARs and ISVs get bogged down in extraneous details, bloating the project to a point where the planned content never sees the light of day.

While the cashless movement gained momentum during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, advocates of the right to use cash are taking their fight to Congress. In July, Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-NJ, introduced a bill to prohibit businesses from rejecting cash payments for in-store transactions.

From account takeover to friendly fraud, phishing, spoofing, counterfeiting, chargebacks and more, there are many ways for fraudsters to disrupt and derail ecommerce. This is a major thorn in the side for retailers and honest customers alike. However, despite some depressing trends in fraud, this is not a doom-and-gloom situation. There are many robust solutions and services available to retailers. Well take a look at some current fraud trends and explain the best ways to safeguard against those threats.

The COVID-19 pandemic raised safety concerns over cash handling, but those fears dissipated as the pandemic dragged on. By October 2020, cash had rebounded and reasserted itself as the top way to make a purchase throughout 2020, according to a report by Javelin Strategy Research for ATM operator Cardtronics.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a sudden 8.5% decline in adoption of mobile POS systems, but implementation will accelerate in the next four years. By 2025, the mPOS installed base will grow by 20%, according to an IHL Group projection.

The retail industry is witnessing significant changes in consumer behavior, driven by a desire for increased digital and omnichannel experiences. What hasnt changed is that consumers expectations for secure, frictionless, personalized shopping experiences remains high. These high expectations extend across the purchase journey, from discovery through to post-purchase support. Furthermore, consumers expect that the shopping experience is consistent no matter how and when they choose to interact with a retailer, including both peak and nonpeak seasons.

Prepare for a holiday season that will be like no other. Hear from fellow retailers on how they are preparing to navigate shipping and supply chain challenges, as well as labor shortages. Plus, merchants continue to make omnichannel and website performance investments to prepare for the busy peak season. Also inside, tips on strategies retailers can implement this Q4 and insights into what online shoppers say they want from merchants during the holidays, such as updates to return policies.

Agility was the buzzword of 2020 as retailers feverishly worked to adapt their business models, experiences and services amid uncertainty. The ever-changing customer behaviors we saw during the pandemic, coupled with a rapid evolution of industry dynamics, will continue to make agility key to competing and thriving in retails new era.

The COVID-19 pandemic created significant challenges for retail, and one that is likely to have long-term effects is to persuade consumers to return to stores. Concerns over the potential for infection have left many consumers feeling uncomfortable in stores. Retailers must take meaningful steps to earn the trust of patrons whose values and behavior have changed.

For more than 30 years, APG Cash Drawer has been designing and delivering cash drawers with a variety of size, color, interface, and integration options. An APG cash drawer will provide years of smooth, trouble free service with virtually no downtime, no service required, and no headaches. Our cash drawers are so well constructed and so reliable that our customers install them and forget them - even in the most demanding environments.

Radial, a bpost company, is a leader in omnichannel commerce technology and operations, enabling brands and retailers to profitably exceed retail customer expectations. Radials technical, powerful omnichannel solutions connect supply and demand through efficient fulfillment and transportation options, intelligent fraud detection, payments, and tax systems, and personalized customer care services.

Episode 56 of The Trusted Advisor features 2021 RSPA W2W Leaders of the Year Nell Alverson, the Director of Channel Marketing at ScanSource, and Breanna Brown, Global Marketing Manager for APG. Alverson, Brown, and the RSPAs Jim Roddy discuss opportunities and challenges for women in todays channel, actions both men and women can take to avoid bias and promote inclusion, and changes the retail IT industry should embrace to accelerate progress.

When the RSPA team talks business challenges with our value-added reseller (VAR) and independent software developer (ISV) members, we hear most frequently about one obstacle. Not cloud point of sale, not mergers and acquisitions, not vendor relationships, not shrinking margins, not the economy. The most mentioned hindrance to VAR and ISV growth is delegation.

When entering an emerging vertical, VARs expect to encounter a unique set of complexities, nuances, and obstacles. Thats especially true in the cannabis market because laws, regulations, supply chains, and business models differ from state-to-state, and a technology misstep can cost a dispensary owner their license.

While cashless payment methods are no doubt surging, cash remains a highly relevant factor in many retail environments across the world. Implementing cash in a modern, technology-driven retail environment poses unique challenges, which can have retailers scratch their heads as they try to balance efficiency in labour hours and practicality in daily use. Leveraging technology, both on the hardware and on the software side, goes a long way towards making sure cash transactions run conveniently, smoothly and securely.

Aaron Kirley, President of LugLess, answers questions about his companys partnership with LugLess that will enable holiday shoppers to send gifts directly from the store to any location in the U.S.

When it comes to marketplace innovation, time is of the essence. Over the last two decades, 52 percent of Fortune 500 companies have gone extinct. This statistic alone proves that very few businesses, even stellar ones, dont survive for an extended length of time without going through a reinvention of some sort.

Robert Banker, Director of SMARTtill and Partner Sales at APG Cash Drawer, is a retail technology veteran with extensive experience in solution sales of retail technologies. Before joining APG, Robert led the sales efforts around a variety of software solutions for companies including Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, IBM, and Tyco Retail Solutions. Robert spoke with VAR Insights about the impact the COVID-19 pandemic will have on the retail and hospitality industries, as well as the future or cash, contactless payment, and cash drawers.

The retail Guardiant is ideal for grocery, convenience and retail settings and is built to help reduce the spread of contagious, airborne germs commonly spread by coughing or sneezing. Create a protective shield in any place of commerce that requires direct interaction between employees and customers in close proximity such as POS checkouts.

The Arlo cash drawer delivers uncompromising performance and quality, providing a low cost of ownership for light cash use environments. Purpose-built for the entry-level market, the Arlo cash drawer is easy to use enabling efficiency throughout the checkout process.

Designed with a clean, stylish molding and steel construction that is both secure and light weight, the Minota Cash Drawer is a reliable, low cost robust cash drawer.