store called Happy Pills, intro-

duced to me by Howard Saun-

ders, British retail trend-

tracker.

Stripped to its bare basics,

Happy Pills is just a lolly shop, a

pick and mix. Not much new

there.

Sweet shops have been around since God was a boy. But it‟s the

way a basic concept has been taken and re-packaged and re-

merchandised for the smart set

today that makes it noteworthy.

The proposition behind Happy Pills is pseudo-pharmaceutical

– sugar as therapy for a variety

of ills.

So it looks pharmacy-like; white

and clinical with a pink cross as

part of the logo over the door.

Inside, the customer simply

helps themselves to a selection

of sweets, and then chooses a pill bottle (or pill dispenser, or

emergency kit) to contain the loot, and a label to go on the

container.

Here‟s where the fun starts.

There is an endless variety of

witty labels prescribing cures

for a number of ailments.

They range from Happy Pills for

a bad hair day to pills for sexual

involuntary abstinence to a universal remedy for every-

thing. Instructions on the back include the dosage advice:

In this post-consumer era, it‟s

not about needs any more. We

all have pretty much everything

we need.

Beyond the basics – food, cloth-

ing, shelter – many people have

lots of stuff they don‟t really need, like multiple iPods. (Guilty

as charged.)

So these days, for retail to be

successful, it must be about creating and satisfying wants -

in other words stimulating

desire.

Poster child for the want gen-eration is Apple, of course. The

way Steve Jobs and his cohorts

stage manage product releases and control supply of our shiny

new electronic playthings is a

wonder to behold.

Zara also knows a thing or two

about creating demand. Buy now, they say, because that

must-have dress might not be there in a couple of week‟s

time.

In the back streets of Barcelona

last month, I came across a

great example of how to turn jaded consumers into salivating

customers. What I saw was a

Consume Cheerfully.

It‟s a lot of fun and before you know it, you have snapped up an

armful of Happy Pills as they

make great gifts.

The learning here is simple. In retail today the concept is as

important as the content. A

regular sweet shop could easily

be passed by on the street.

Happy Pills is a unique idea that

stops and engages customers,

and gets them to buy.

So consider the question: Just how good are you at creating

desire?

By Jon Bird

Posted Date: 29/06/2011

www.newretailblog.com

A sugar hit for retail

“ Today is a new

day. You will get

out of it just what

you put into it... ”

Mary Pickford

(1892–1979) Canadian actress, Acad-

emy Award® winner

July 2011

Inside this issue:

Why people don‟t buy 2,4

TSL raises the bar 2

POSperfect features 2,3

Digital signage 3

Monthly special 4

News, views and snippets from Today Software Ltd.

News of Today

Last week, I was reading one of

the many newsletters/blogs I get every week, when a title

caught my attention - “Why

people don‟t buy” by Dennis Price (26/06/11). In this post

he lists some of the reasons

that have influenced his shop-

ping choices in his new town .

Here are his reasons:

There is a single menswear retailer. The name, the shop-

front just makes me think that

way – so I have never even

entered the store. Reason for not shopping: Proposition. The place just does

not look like my kinda place.

There are a few coffee shops (or places that sell coffee).

Some I have never been into,

others I have entered but will never buy the coffee. Reason for not shopping: Perception: The machine is too small. A place that sells good

coffee is likely to be popular and makes a lot of coffee so

they will have a bigger machine.

There is only one supermarket. I do shop there but only if I have

to. (There is a bigger town

about 15 minutes up the road,

which we frequent often.) Reason for not shopping: Service. The service absolutely

sucks – the worst I have ever

come across in a supermarket anywhere in Australia. I feel the

staff take us for granted be-cause there is no competition.

This is reinforced by the fact

that the prices at the other supermarkets are lower.

There is only one service sta-

tion. Actually more like a con-venience store with a few

pumps. The price per litre is often 10c dearer than anywhere

else. I make a habit of stopping

on the highway to fill up as I Continues on last page

Portable Data Terminal - Ordering, price checking and stocktaking is actioned from the store floor

using a wireless hand-held device.

Multi-Store Chains are managed with; (for smaller groups) the Multi-Store Controller (MSC) or, for

larger groups, the Corporate Controller (CC).

Stock Write-off functionality will take care of stock items on or past “Use by” dates.

Sales of produce or self service bulk bin stock - POSperfect handles this simply and efficiently.

chased whole, then cut down

for market, is accounted for.

Perishable goods management of „Best Before‟ dates, and

subsequent discounting of

those items that are past these dates, are recognized concerns

and these concerns are man-aged through the stock data-

base to any or all stores. Dif-

ferential pricing and differential promotions can all be con-

trolled centrally leaving Store

Managers to concentrate on their own in-store marketing

and control.

Wedderburn Weigh Labellers can now be interfaced directly

with the stores‟ database to automatically upload any price

or date changes thereby free-

ing staff in the appropriate areas to concentrate on cus-

tomer needs.

Today Software / POSperfect

Inc have improved our already

successful retail management tools catering for the Super-

market, Grocery, Fruit & Veg,

and Delicatessen markets.

In conjunction with Wedderburn Scales Ltd. TSL has developed a

price and weight barcode

label system allowing the weigh areas (e.g. meat and fish)

exceptional accuracy in inven-

tory control. Coupled with this is a „wastage cost‟ that ensures

every part of an item pur-

Page 2

Star Micronics TSP 100

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POSperfect raises the bar for the Retail Grocery sector

POSperfect features

Why people don‟t buy?

“probably not

give me a

great

experience.”

“Perishable

goods

management of

„Best Before‟

dates”

In these competitive times

Digital Signage can help your

store to stand out in the middle

of the crowd.

Digital Signage is a form of

electronic display that shows

information, advertising and other messages. It can be found

in public and private environ-ments, such as retail stores

and corporate buildings.

In retail is could be use to

complement catalogues, pro-

mote specials, increase prod-

uct awareness, increase walk

in customers.

Other benefits are:

High impact "moving" adverts

get attention

Immediate & simultaneous

updating of all screens

No printing or distribution costs

Schedule different adverts for

different times of day.

One or many screens per loca-

tion

Show different ads on different

screens, or all same.

Less "clutter" in store from

multiple posters etc

Create income source

Setup and Requirements

LCD/ Plasma screen

A dedicated PC

Internet/ Network access

Scheduling "Digital signage

player software" Software

I will provide solution prices in

our next newsletter or you may

contact us directly for prices

SKU/PLU packaging – accommodation of packaged items, e.g. liquor, is a breeze with POSperfect.

Powerful Promotional Tools including Mix & Match, Loyalty Promotions and Customer Discount matri-

ces are managed alongside 6 price levels per item.

Touchscreen systems - POSperfect provides “user-designable” touch-screen for counter sales. Staff

finds it easier to identify a graphical item on the screen.

Page 3 July 2011

POSperfect features (c ont in uat io n)

Digita l s ignage

Different adverts

for different time of

the day

Dashboards reports by:

Any Period

Key Performance Indicators

Groups by Store, Dept,

Class and Subclass

Drill down thru Group or

Region

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Today Software Ltd (TSL) has offices in New

Zealand, Australia and in the United States. We

design, develop, distribute and support Point of

Sale and Retail Management systems interna-

tionally, under the brands of POSperfect and

Corporate Controller.

Building on a strong customer base within the

Pacific region, TSL has moved out to the global

market with multi-language versions.

More and more Customers, in a variety of Retail

markets around the world, are recognizing the

superior benefits, versatility and pricing of the

company's products, ensuring the strength and

stability of POSperfect for the future.

great experience. Word-of-

mouth works like this.

There is a chocolate shop that

also sells coffee. (A bad Max

Brenner knock-off.) This shop simply never enters my mind as

an option. I am not sure why. Reason for not shopping: Habit. All I can think is that the

shopfront is so bland that the place did not register – and my

coffee habits became en-

trenched; so they have missed out. (And they aren‟t doing

anything to change this.)

There is a bookshop – and I am an avid reader, buying on aver-

age 2 non-fiction books a month and I use the library for fiction.

head home. (Fuel is a grudge

purchase, so even if you can afford the extra few dollars,

most people avoid it if they can.) Reason for not shopping: Price. But especially because they blatantly rip you off. The

fact that they actually come out

and fill your car for you does not warrant the price.

Iconic restaurant with the best

possible views anywhere on the coast. I had heard at the local

chamber that the owner is (ahem) not a very nice guy. Reason for not shopping: Word-of-mouth. I don‟t want to give my money to someone who

will probably not give me a

I have browsed but I have never

bought. I tend to buy on impulse when a topic catches my fancy.

It is just so much easier on the internet… Reason for not shopping: Apathy. When I browsed there was not even an attempt to

connect/ interact/ sell. Ama-

zon (not Dymocks) is the default purchase option – and the habit

is becoming more entrenched. (I still prefer the physical book,

but not sure for how long.)

Now replace Dennis new town

with your store,. How is it

influencing your customers

purchasing choices?

Why people don‟t buy? (c ont in ua t ion)

P.O Box 991

Spring Hill

Brisbane QLD 4004

Phone: 07 3852 - 4177

Fax: 07 3852 - 4188

E-mail: eduardo@todaysoftware.com.au

Systems for retailers

www.todaysoftware.com.au

CALL US

Let‟s discuss anything POS

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