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Letter from

the editors

aced with competition from online retailers,
who began nipping at brick-and-mortar retail
profits in the 1990s, traditional merchants
F established websites so that they, too, could
enjoy the immense reach of the e-commerce channel.
This marriage between online and in-store retail has
been successful for many. But advancements in mobile
technology have provided consumers with new options
for finding the best deals and payment methods. In
response, retailers have begun transforming their brick-
and-mortar locations to not only combat practices like
showrooming (when a consumer views a product in one
store and uses a mobile device to find a better price at
competing retailers) but to also work consumers' new
habits to their own advantage.

Our lead article discusses steps merchants are taking
so that their mobile, Internet and in-store channels
augment one another to provide customers a seamless,
integrated shopping experiences. For some, this entails
a revamp of the retail space itself. For others, the first
step is simply to make their websites mobile. This is a
time when visionaries are exploring new options, and
there is something for just about every retailer to try.
And ISOs and merchant level salespeople can be of great
value in helping their customers decide what will be a
good fit for their businesses.

This issue is also full of other ideas on how payment
professionals can best serve their customers.
Contributing writers discuss the importance of taking
leadership on card data security, the risks involved
in accepting bitcoin for payment, how to harness the
power of big data, how effective marketing begins with
a plan, and the pros and cons of a feet-on-the-street sales
program.

In other features and news, we bid a fond farewell to a
founder of the first regional acquirers association, who
is moving on to other payment and personal pursuits;
discuss new lawsuits and government actions affecting
the industry; and report on the coming end of support for
Windows XP. And, as always, we've covered many of the
latest industry milestones, partnerships, acquisitions,
appointments, new products and more.

We hope you find much of value herein. What do
you think about the job we're doing? Do you have
thoughts on our recent articles? Are you concerned
about a particular industry trend? Please email us at
greensheet@greensheet.com or phone us at 800-757-
4441. To post a press release, please email your news to
press@greensheet.com.

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