Home & Gift, Harrogate - Gift Focus magazine

all the answers
Our experts tackle your retail-related queries
Stephanie Jerome is a founder of the Intelligent
Retail Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
programme and has optimised many retail
websites over the years. She is closely tapped
into the UK and worldwide SEO community and
conducts her own research into SEO techniques
as a specialist in SEO for e-commerce and retail.
Call +44 (0)1635 517 923 or email sjerome@
intelligentretail.co.uk for more information.
Gift wrapping expert Jane Means has her own
workshops based around the UK and travels
nationwide running private gift wrapping courses.
She has featured in numerous glossy magazines
and television programmes and is a popular
demonstrator at events and exhibitions up and
down the country. For more information visit her
website www.janemeans.co.uk or email info@
janemeans.co.uk.
Barbara Aspin is the business development
manager at SiteWizard.co.uk. She has 10 years'
experience within the website design industry.
SiteWizard.co.uk has been trading for 15 years
and has designed websites for thousands of
companies. She can be contacted on
+44 (0)1622 200 045 or email barbara.aspin@
sitewizard.co.uk for more information.
Q
A
smartphone payment
What does the introduction of smartphone payment
mean for retailers? Do I need to pay for new terminals? Is
it worth it?
Kevin Harrington says: Smartphone payment will become
a reality in the UK this year. The iPhone 5 is expected to
incorporate payment technology when it launches in July
and MasterCard already offer watch2pay (the first watch
that can be used to make payments worldwide). In the US
Starbucks has been one of the first to announce that they
will accept payment via a mobile app. The app then deducts
the purchase from their prepaid Starbucks account.
Smartphone payment will offer your customers the
advantage of avoiding queues or having to ensure that they
have the right cash on them. I think it will consequently
catch on really quickly. The only issue, that might hold it back,
is security concerns. However I think people will quickly
become reassured that it offers no more risks than other
payment methods. Sophisticated encryption technology
helps safeguard personal information and providers that
offer a direct connection between a mobile device and
point of sale system offer minimal risk by cutting out as
many intermediaries as possible.
Smartphone payment also has huge advantages for
retailers as it allows you to serve many more people per
hour without the need for more shop staff. The cost of
introducing the technology is similar to card payment
methods. Whether you should be an early adopter, or wait
a while, I think therefore depends on the volume and size
of the individual transactions you make in your shop. If
you sell high volume/low value goods I think you will find
the small initial investment well worth while, particularly if
you have pronounced peaks in customer volumes (such as
experienced by shops near stations and at events).
Further information on this subject can be gained from
American Express, MasterCard and Visa (all Global Prepaid
Exchange members).
Kevin Harrington has advised a number of top
companies including Argos, Boots, Comet, Harrods,
House of Fraser, Waterstones and WH Smith. He
is now managing director of the Global Prepaid
Exchange, the widest reaching prepaid industry
Q
wrapped to go
organisation. His mission is to help all sectors of For the forthcoming festive season I am looking to
the economy understand the potential of prepaid.
introduce a gift wrapping service for the first time. I am
Qgiftfocus
a complete novice and don't want to get in over my
head. Could you give me some tips for simple yet stylish
If you have a question about any aspect of the gift retail industry, simply write
Agift wrapping that's cost effective too?
to: Q&A special, Gift Focus Magazine, Broseley House, Newlands Drive, Witham,
Jane Means says: Firstly I must say this is definitely a good
Essex, CM8 2UL. Alternatively, send your queries to editor@giftfocus.com. way of getting customers through the door. It will help
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q&a special