The Green Sheet Online Edition

December 26, 2016 • Issue 16:12:02

New Products

Omnichannel platform for in-store, online commerce

Product: Lightspeed eCom
Company: Lightspeed POS Inc.

Lightspeed POS Inc. is a global POS solutions provider, established in 2005 and headquartered in Montreal, with offices in the United States and Europe. The company launched Lightspeed eCom, a cloud-based commerce solution for small to midsize retailers and restaurateurs designed to manage in-store and online transactions. The ecommerce platform includes digital tools and analytics and can be integrated with other cloud-based POS solutions, the company stated.

"Retailers want the freedom to sell across all channels, whether in-store, online or mobile," said Jean-Paul Chauvet, Chief Revenue Officer at Lightspeed. "No matter the platform, it's all part of one continuous experience with a brand."

Merchants can use Lightspeed eCom's centralized management system across multiple devices and channels, efficiently managing online and in-store transactions while providing customers with a consistent shopping experience, Chauvet added.

Multiple channels, features

Lightspeed eCom's omnichannel retail platform is designed to free merchants from the need to manage separate systems for brick-and-mortar and ecommerce business applications. By providing a single access view and source for managing online and in-store payments, the platform can help retailers reach more customers in more targeted and personalized ways, company representatives stated.

Following are several examples Lightspeed pointed out of how Lightspeed eCom can help North American merchants build, manage and grow their businesses:

• Brand recognition and online presence: The platform's SEO, blogging and social media integration employs rich snippets, product tags, links and meta descriptions to help merchants increase organic online traffic.
• Customization and templates: A variety of easy-to-use, responsive designs adjust automatically to connected and mobile devices.
• Dynamic app marketplace: Merchants can expand the functionality of their online stores with an array of third-party applications. More than 150 partners have integrated with Lightspeed eCom's expanding app marketplace.
• Multinational, multicurrency processing: Lightspeed supports numerous currencies, including automated calculations of delivery methods, zones and shipping costs for international orders.
• Advanced product setup: Merchants can easily customize fields, matrices, related products, technical specifications and product reviews.

Omnichannel in one click

"Modern consumers want to buy online but pick up or return at the store," wrote Levan Truong in a March 2016 blog post. "They want to browse product information on their laptop or smartphone, get coupons or discount codes, even make a purchase on their mobile phone while in a store. New consumers are naturally combining channels as they browse, research and buy." 

Effective omnichannel solutions use real-time inventory insight and customer visibility to reach all touch points of the shopping journey and create a continuous experience for customers as they shop online and in brick-and-mortar stores. The Lightspeed platform enables merchants to quickly launch an online store and automatically sync their inventory, sales and customer sales data, the company stated.

Retailers can use Lightspeed eCom to transfer inventory between channels and gain performance insights. Following are some examples:

• Retail-to-eCom integration: Set up an online store in one click to connect Lightspeed eCom with Lightspeed Retail.
• Update inventory: Add products, photos and product information from Lightspeed Retail to Lightspeed eCom in a few easy steps for a unified view of inventory.
• Instant notification of new web orders: Fulfill web orders from a single inventory pool, and receive instant notifications of online sales.
• Integrated reporting: View online and in-store sales data in one place, including integrated sales history and customers.
• Centralized transaction information: Download online sales to Lightspeed Retail, facilitating a single-access view of ecommerce and in-store sales data.

Lightspeed eCom is designed to enhance efficiencies by blending online, mobile and in-store experiences, devices and systems. The company and its resellers are committed to providing a truly integrated experience. More than 36,000 retailers and restaurateurs use the Lightspeed platform to manage inventory, customer preferences, sales and analytics, Lightspeed reported.

Website: www.lightspeedhq.com Contact: resellers@lightspeedhq.com

The Green Sheet Inc. is now a proud affiliate of Bankcard Life, a premier community that provides industry-leading training and resources for payment professionals. Click here for more information.

Notice to readers: These are archived articles. Contact names or information may be out of date. We regret any inconvenience.