The ScanSource team recently journeyed to sunny, beautiful (and hot) San Antonio, Texas for what was an action-packed four days spent at RSPA’s RetailNOW 2019. The show was loaded with great keynote presentations from RSPA’s leadership, education sessions from industry experts, and several networking receptions, providing ample opportunity for attendees to not only talk business and solutions, but to learn about the latest trends in the POS and payments industry and catch up with industry peers.

ScanSource was privileged to be featured in two educational sessions on Monday morning, just prior to the Expo officially kicking off in the early afternoon. One of these sessions featured Ansley Hoke, ScanSource’s Senior Vice President of Marketing for North America, who offered up some valuable insight as she shared the importance of listening to the “Voice of the Customer.” Simultaneously, ScanSource Director of Channel Development, Kevin Kent, was next door participating in a panel discussion that focused on the innovation of retail technology for small businesses.

A highlight of Ansley’s “Voice of the Customer” presentation was the unveiling of recent research ScanSource conducted of small- to medium-sized business retailers across the country in an effort to gain a better perspective on the day-to-day challenges they face in relation to customer experience and the implementation of emerging technologies in their stores. The session attendees seemed eager to hear more about this research as they learned that owner/operators understand the importance technology plays in the success and growth of their business, as well as the role it plays in creating an excellent customer experience. Ansley shared that 84 percent of retailers like trying new things for their business, and 89 percent like being in charge when it comes to business decisions. However, many struggle when it comes to the actual implementation of these solutions. Furthermore, the findings revealed how SMB owners face several challenges when it comes to tech, including identifying a supplier partner to work with, a need for better training, unknown ROI, and a lack of specialized staff. Ansley explained in her presentation that this is where the big opportunity lies for our partners, and how ScanSource can help our partners become a trusted advisor to their customers by delivering solutions that move the needle.

Shortly after Monday morning’s sessions, the RSPA Expo – which ran through Tuesday afternoon – officially kicked off. The show floor was packed with interactive displays from dozens of the industry’s leading suppliers, as well as several newcomers to the payments and retail space. ScanSource’s booth was filled with partners both days, featuring fun giveaways and a treasure chest that offered attendees the opportunity to try their luck at opening the trunk to win one of several amazing prizes, many of which were sponsored by ScanSource’s supplier partners. On Tuesday, as the Expo came to an end, Casey Huffling, ScanSource VP of Sales, alongside Gina Lee and Peter Allen, both ScanSource Business Development Managers based in Canada, had a special opportunity to present to a full room at RSPA’s Canadian Community event. The three gave an update on the latest trends in the Canadian retail market, touching on the importance of a flawless customer experience, as well as the trends driving tech decisions for Canadian retail store owners, such as customer demand, the need to increase productivity, boost sales, avoid obsolescence, and increase innovation. The presentation proved to be a great finale to what was yet another successful and action-packed year at RetailNOW for the ScanSource team.