Restaurant And Hospitality News – January 26, 2015
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
In news this week, RCR Wireless offers predictions for 2015, a study predicts a 650 percent increase in EMV terminals in 2015, and the NRF expressed grave disappointment that the Supreme Court did not review the Swipe Fee Ruling. Also, some tips for leveraging the disruptive shift from desktop to mobile devices, and the rollout of a new shop design for Hӓagen-Dazs.
RCR Wireless Predicts Faster Wi-Fi and Smarter Smartphones in 2015
RCR Wireless News offers predictions for 2015 for Wi-Fi, indoor location-based services, and smartphones. Among the predictions are that in the hospitality industry, 802.11 ac access will become mainstream, and the wireless local area network market will continue to expand exponentially. And Smartphones will become “smarter,” by tailoring context and data to the users’ preferences. The result will be a “richer, data-driven approach that puts information into action”, according to RCR Wireless.
EMV Terminals To Increase By 650 Percent
A recent study conducted by the Boston Retail Partners found that the number of businesses who would update their systems to accept EMV payments would increase by 650 percent by October of this year, according to pymnts.com. October 1, 2015, is the date when liability will shift to the merchant for fraudulent credit card transactions if the merchant does not have an EMV-enabled system. EMV technology alone is not enough to stop fraud, but two-step authentication like tokenization and encryption, can make fraud more difficult at the point of sale.
NRF Comments On Supreme Court Decision Not To Review Swipe Fee Ruling
The National Retail Federation has expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court’s decision not to review the appellate court ruling concerning the 2011 cap set on debit card swipe fees. According to the National Retail Federation, swipe fees are too high, leaving the merchant and the consumer to pay far more than they should. Additionally, “fee-hungry banks” will continue to take advantage of the system to collect “unearned profits that ultimately come out of consumers’ pockets.” Organizations that brought the case are NRF, the National Association of Convenience Stores, the Food Marketing Institute, the National Restaurant Association, NRF member Boscov’s Department Store, and NACS member Miller Oil Co.
Advice For Leveraging The Disruptive Shift From Desktop to Mobile Devices
This article from Hospitality Net provides some advice for hoteliers in leveraging the disruptive shift from desktop to mobile devices. An irreversible trend, the shift means that hoteliers must find ways to take advantage of the changes. Some of the tips include investing in the company website to maximize revenue across devices; utilizing a next generation Content Management System for unlimited content control; adopting multichannel marketing to integrate across all three screens; and finding the proper website analytics to track customer engagement, conversion, and behavior across the three screens.
Hӓagen-Dazs Rolls Out Shop Redesign, Adds Tasting Station
The Hӓagen-Dazs Shops Company has announced that it is rolling out a new shop design that will premiere at its Bronxville, New York location, marking the national launch of the new design. Key elements in the redesign include simplification of the ordering process, creation of a tasting station to sample new flavors, and minimization of the “ordering pressure” to create the most enjoyable customer experience possible, according to a press release. The new store design also allows customers to watch their order being created, from a choice of 24 flavors of ice cream, gelato, sorbet, and frozen yogurt.