holidays – Page 2 – AVPS Accept Credit Cards Online

Holiday Economy So Far in “Treat” Mode; Plus: Credit Cards Like Candy Corn?

Our holiday posts give us map markers to see how the economy is faring, and if Halloween “spend trends” are to be believed, your customers seem to be in a pretty good overall mood right now.

“Americans take Halloween pretty seriously, and this year appears to promise some wicked spending,” according to the Ameritrade website. “More than 171 million people could celebrate the fall holiday, spending an average of $82.93, up from last year’s $74.34, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF). Total spending on Halloween could reach $8.4 billion, an all-time high and up 20% from a year ago, the NRF said.”

Small Businesses And Holiday Logistics Planning

With fall’s arrival, now is the perfect time to look ahead toward the upcoming holiday season and plan your sales strategies.
While larger corporations have extensive logistics procedures to handle increased holiday traffic, smaller businesses often struggle to adapt their operations effectively. As a small business owner, you know that one of the worst things you can do is create an environment that frustrates potential customers; long waits and lines for payment can cost you in both sales and reputation. While adding additional payment terminals seems like the logical solution, you also know that this is a lot of expense and equipment that you just don’t need for the rest of the year.
AVPS has the perfect solution through our mobile credit card processing options.
One of the reasons we love mobile processing technology is that it lets businesses adapt to their changing needs without having to completely rework everything. Imagine your current location, and the ability to check out customers quickly and easily beyond your existing register set-up. Your employees can accept payments instantly from around your location, which can help you better manage customer traffic, expedite transactions, and increase sales volume. When you are able to maintain a steady flow of transactions, you not only help boost your sales, but you also create customer goodwill which leads to positive reviews and repeat customers.
While it still may seem early to focus on holiday season sales strategies, remember that your small business does not have those professional efficiency experts like the big-box stores. It’s up to you to take an honest assessment of how you can improve your operations, especially when your customer volume increases dramatically.
AVPS wants to help, and with mobile phone credit card readers, we can transform this holiday season into your best one yet.
Save
Save

Study: Fraud Up Over 100% Since Last Labor Day

According to the latest AAA survey, “cheap gas prices are expected to boost Labor Day weekend travel as revelers pursue a last blast of summer fun before autumn weather begins. About 55 percent of Americans say they’re more likely to take a road trip this year due to lower gas prices.”

Economic Green Lights, as Summer Travel Plans a “Go!”

Memorial Day is here, and it’s once again time for our annual(ish) look on what the unofficial kickoff to summer means in terms of economic trends, etc. And if you’re about to head out the door, to either hit the road, the beach, or an unacceptably long TSA line, we’ll give you the short answer to scan on your phone:

Hearts to Be Celebrated This Weekend But Watch for the “Heartbreak of Hackery!”

If you’re not counting the Super Bowl, the upcoming Valentine’s Day weekend (which, by virtue of President’s Day making it a three day holiday!) is “the first major holiday of 2016, and retailers expect this Valentine’s Day will set a spending record,” according to one ABC report.

Long Noodles, Whole Fish, New Hacks, and Other New Year’s Business

And so we come to our last post (and newsletter !) of 2015, with 2016 just a couple of days away (or perhaps a couple hours, depending when you read this). From our end of the world’s affairs, we can report the economy has mostly held, and business has been pretty good.

East vs. West: Where Did Christmas in the U.S. Start? (And Where Is It Headed?)

As with sports and hip-hop rivalries, we enter the holiday week with a good-natured “throwdown” on which coast, and its culture, gets more of the credit for creating Christmas in the U.S. as we have come to know it.

The New York Times starts out by allowing that while “New York can’t quite take credit for Christmas.. apparently, several seemingly timeless holiday traditions were invented here.”

Holiday Snapshot: Shopping Goes Cyber, EMVs Go Slower, Customers Keep Going

As we hit the midpoint between the Black-and-Cyber shopping weekend, and the big event of Christmas itself, with Hanukkah now behind us and New Year’s (and the post-holiday sales!) still ahead, a few trends seem to be, well, distinctly trending, during this time of cold snaps and hot cocoa.

If Even Buskers Take Cards — Shouldn’t You?

A sweet holiday-themed news item comes our way from overseas, and not only is it too good not to share, but it may be a harbinger of things to come: Cards, and contactless and e-payments will increasingly be taken in places where no one ever expected the words “chip-and-sig” or “swipe” to be uttered.

More pie, more metrics, a little EMV, and other tasty holiday insights

It’s not just “Thanksgiving” that comes at the end of November for most Americans now, but also “Black Friday.” The latter is almost as much an alternate organizing metaphor for the long weekend’s meaning as the original day of breaking bread, pie slices, and wishbones together.

Category: holidays