More than 230 retailers, technology suppliers, and distributors gathered today at the Marriott Grand Dunes Resort and Spa in Myrtle Beach, SC, for the Gilbarco Veeder-Root Retail Technology Conference.
After a welcome from Stephen Moule, President Gilbarco North America, Tom Nipper and Conrad Sheehan of Chase Commerce Solutions kicked off the conference with an engaging discussion on payment trends. With a deep knowledge of how payment requirements such as EMV rolled out in other markets, they went through lessons learned that can benefit US petroleum retailers and covered other related questions from the attendees.
Parker Burke, Director of Payment & Marketing Applications for Gilbarco, led a general session called “EMV 101,” designed to set the stage for the detailed technology workshops to follow over the next two days. New payment mandates, effective October 2015 for inside payment and October 2017 for fuel dispensers and other outside payment terminals, require upgrades to avoid a significant liability shift to retailers. Using a number of engaging videos to illustrate key points, the session simplified what the EMV upgrades mean for retailers’ businesses and what they need to consider in planning for this change.
Also headlining the Retail Technology Conference on its second day, May 20th, will be David Nelson PH.D., Professor of Economics at Western Washington University. Dr. Nelson will provide an overview of the U.S. economy, covering questions such as: How is the economy currently performing? What’s in store for the future? How have petroleum marketers fared? As an even greater value-add for the retailer attendees, Dr. Nelson will run a workshop entitled “Building a Performance Dashboard for Your Firm.” This workshop will explore key metrics to examine related to sales, margins, and gross profits, expenses, asset management, safety, and profitability.
To close out the conference general sessions on Wednesday May 20th, Gilbarco will welcome Scott Lachut, President of Research and Strategy, from PSFK Labs. Scott will address the Retail Technology Conference attendees on “The Future of Retail: Trends to Act On.” The seismic shifts in retail caused by mobile and social have taken place, and in the next few years we will witness the reverberations in the way shoppers behave. PSFK’s report will look at three key areas – Data As The Foundation of Modern Retail Strategy, The New Paths To Purchase, and Service Refreshed. Mr. Lachut will shine a light on the exciting possibilities and implications for convenience retailers that can be drawn from this original research.
Gilbarco’s Retail Technology Conference draws convenience retailers nationwide who are focused on investing in the right technology to drive success in a highly competitive marketplace. Participating retailers gain networking and engagement opportunities with fellow retailers and Gilbarco experts and partners. Retailers get deeper insights into EMV implications and implementation methods, new forecourt and in-store merchandising and loyalty technology, Gilbarco’s Passport POS functionality, as well as partner offerings for rich, flexible retail solutions. To learn more about the Retail Technology Conference workshops, click here. To read updates from Gilbarco experts on EMV technology and more, visit the C-Store Advisor blog.
