It’s a scary situation: after all the meetings, evidence gathering and reviews, the compliance assessment comes back with red flags. Regardless of the type of compliance assessment (PCI, SOX, SOC-2, etc.) the prospect of fines and/or business interruptions can put a dark cloud over any organization. So what do you...
Leveraging Payments to Enhance Your Business Model
The subscription-based business model offer clear advantages, and many merchants may be overlooking opportunities for their business to grow in this space. Companies like Netflix and Hulu naturally lean toward a subscription revenue model, but less obvious products have found their way into the subscription space as well. The Subscription-Based...
Subscription-Based Revenue: It’s Time to Reevaluate Your Business Model
Subscription-based revenue models offer clear advantages to businesses, and many merchants may be overlooking opportunities for their business to grow in this space. Companies like Netflix and Hulu naturally lean toward a subscription revenue model, but less obvious products have found their way into the subscription space as well. The...
The Annual Expedition – A Look at NRF's Big Show
The following story is reposted from Convenience Store Decisions and is written by W. Capra Executive Consultant, Ed Collupy. Innovation in 2018 will be about retailer & solution provider collaboration, thinking about not only the new, but extending what’s in place today. It’s a journey that more convenience/petro retailers and...
2017: Observations in Review & What’s to Come
The following was re-posted from Convenience Store Decisions. The original posting can be found here. As the year ends, it’s a time for reflection and to look into the future. By Ed Collupy It’s that time of the year when it’s always good to take time to look back, reflect,...
The Lifelong Value of Retail Experience
Run a register before you run a company 13 years ago, I traded in the manager’s keys of my gas station for a computer, a cubicle, and title of Operations Analyst. Many titles and office-based jobs later, I continue to call on the skills and experiences from my job as...
To PIN or Not to PIN?
A PIN— a Personal Identification Number. A customer’s PIN is the number that can verify a customer’s identity during a transaction. Most consumers and merchants believe that a PIN should be the de facto method for validating a cardholder’s identity. The question of whether or not a PIN will be...
Know Your Decision Makers and Build Your Community of Support
Having trouble getting a project or initiative in motion? Are people your biggest challenge? Regardless of your level or position within a company, you need to gain support for your effort and get the commitment to the next steps. Knowing how people respond to change and how they make decisions...
Approaching Consumer-Facing Programs: Asking the Right Questions to Deliver Maximum Impact
Earlier this year on CAPRAplus we discussed ensuring that the wants and needs of the consumer are put first when developing any consumer engagement program by asking the question, “Do my consumers really want this?” This time around we will look inward to the merchant to ensure consumer engagement programs...
Unlocking Security Issues
The following article has been re-posted from Convenience Store Decisions. The original posting can be found here. A multi-faceted approach to store security—from locks and cameras to smart safes and best practices in data security—is necessary to keep c-stores safe from theft in 2017. By Ed Collupy Around-the-clock business like...
The Dust Has Settled On Equifax. What Now?
On September 7, Equifax, one of the “big three” U.S. credit bureaus, announced a massive data breach impacting an estimated 143 million Americans. Now that preliminary information related to the breach has been released, this CapraPLUS post reflects on what happened, the impacts of the event (both immediate and long-term),...
Should I Care About The Blockchain? Part 2
This is the second piece in a 2-part series dedicated to blockchain technology. If you would like to read the part 1, which covers what the blockchain is, and how it works, you can do so here. When Will The Blockchain Affect My Business? All of the promises made by...
