TechTrends Media’s Post

IPF is pleased to welcome the NewsXpress to Independent Payments Forum. Together we will be advocating for a fair go in payments for Australian hoteliers and their customers. They join AACS (Australian Association of Convenience Stores), Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association (ACAPMA), Australian Restaurant & Cafe Association, Australian Lottery and Newsagents' Association and MGA Independent Businesses Australia, and Australian Hotels Association NSW at the IPF forum. IPF aims to affect real change in the payments system by listening, working with, and representing the voices who go unheard, including small businesses and their customers. Currently in Australia small businesses pay a lot more than big businesses in unfair fees for basic debit card payments. Debit cards are used by the vast majority of Aussie consumers to access their own money for everyday shopping. Debit is "the new cash" and fees should be as low as possible. Find out more about joining IPF here: https://ipforum.com.au/ Mark Fletcher Ellis Connolly, Brad Kelly, Russell Zimmerman, Peter Drennan, Gabby Taylor, Mark McKenzie (BEng,MBA,GAICD), Theo Foukkare, Matthew Addison, Wes Lambert CPA, FGIA, CAE, MAICD, Robyn Sanders, Stephen Jones, David Inall, Warwick Ponder, Ben Kearney Jerome Laxale MP #Payments #SmallBusiness #Competition #FairGo

We are thrilled to welcome MGA Independent Businesses Australia to Independent Payments Forum. Together we'll advocate for a fair go in payments for independent grocery and supermarkets, independent timber and hardware, and independent liquor retailers and their customers all over Australia. They join AACS (Australian Association of Convenience Stores), Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association (ACAPMA), Australian Restaurant & Cafe Association and the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) at the IPF forum. IPF aims to affect real change in the payments system by listening, working with, and representing the voices who go unheard, including small businesses and their customers. Currently in Australia small businesses and their customers pay a lot more than big businesses in unfair fees for basic debit card payments. Debit cards are used by the vast majority of Aussie consumers to access their own money for everyday shopping. Debit is "the new cash" and fees should be as low as possible. Find out more about joining IPF here: https://ipforum.com.au/ James Eyers Ellis Connolly Brad Kelly Russell Zimmerman Peter Drennan Gabby Taylor Mark McKenzie (BEng,MBA,GAICD) Theo Foukkare Matthew Addison Luke Achterstraat Wes Lambert CPA, FGIA, CAE, MAICD The Hon Bruce Billson GAICD Robyn Sanders Stephen Jones Ian Rogers Byron Kaye Peter Ryan OAM GAICD David Inall Jonathan Barrett Julian Bajkowski Warwick Ponder Ben Kearney Jerome Laxale MP #Payments #SmallBusiness #Competition #FairGo

🚨 The hospitality sector in Australia is facing a severe financial crisis, with insolvencies up 41% from last year and 145.7% since 2022. One in thirteen businesses is at risk. 📉 High-profile closures and mounting debts are wreaking havoc, impacting not just venues but also food and beverage suppliers. If you are a supplier in the hospo space, check out our latest article to learn how you can help secure your payments and support your customers during these times. Check it out - https://hubs.li/Q02Bv6jc0 #Hospitality #Insolvency #CashFlow #PencilPay

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has voiced its concern over the decision of the New South Wales Government to ban trading for large retailers on ANZAC Day from next year. The new legislation will see retail trading restrictions extended to midnight on ANZAC Day – banning larger retailers from operating. The ARA made a submission to the NSW Government’s consultation last year opposing changes to trading hour restrictions on ANZAC Day. ARA CEO Paul Zahra says the ARA does not support changes to the current ANZAC Day trading hour regulations in NSW, which currently allow all stores to open after 1.00pm. “ANZAC Day is an incredibly significant day of remembrance for Australians,” he says. “With morning services and marches across the country, retailers in NSW have consistently honoured ANZAC Day commemorations by remaining closed until 1.00pm. Rather than detracting from ANZAC Day commemorations, retailers support community activities and consumer needs." Read more: https://lnkd.in/e3qthrie

Would you like to offer More Rewards points to your customers? More Rewards benefits businesses by enabling them to join a vast network of partners that issue points, leveraging loyalty as an incentive to retain and grow their customer base. This partnership with More Rewards allows businesses to access millions of active members and over 700 partner locations, enhancing customer retention and engagement. Check out the details below #loyaltyforsmallbusiness#customerloyalty#morerewards#growyourbusiness

The AIB Merchant Services Spend Trend Report for February 2024 unveils some record breaking statistics. ⁣ ⁣ In anticipation of escaping grey skies, Irish consumers propelled airline bookings to unprecedented heights, marking the highest spend ever in the first two months of the year. A staggering €210 million was spent with airlines in January and February!⁣ ⁣ Additional highlights from the latest report include:⁣ ⁣ - Pub spending was up 27% in February as fans supported Ireland in the 6 Nations Rugby Championship⁣ - Electric Vehicle (EV) charging spend increased by almost two thirds⁣ - Grocery shopping increased by 10% after the January slump of - 24%⁣ ⁣ Overall spend rose to 4% for the month of February, suggesting a promising outlook for 2024.⁣ ⁣ For more information how AIB Merchant Services can support your business in 2024 log on to www.aibms.com⁣ ⁣ #poweredbyaibms #backedbyaib #spendtrend First Merchant Processing (Ireland) DAC, trading as AIB Merchant Services, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.⁣ ⁣

Food Producers of Canada (FPC) is pleased to share an important milestone in what has been approximately a three year process to bring all five major Canadian grocers to participate in the voluntary, industry led Grocery Code of Conduct. Today, the FPT Ag Ministers announced that Walmart and Costco have agreed to join the Code at their annual meeting in Whitehorse. Now, with the support of all five major Canadian retailers, the collaborative efforts of the entire industry will ensure that small and medium size Canadian food based businesses can manage the complexities of the Canadian grocery market. As our industry works toward bringing greater fairness, transparency, and contractual certainty to its commercial dealings, we believe that the improved culture within Canada's food value system will ultimately benefit all Canadians. We wish to thank FPC member company Crosby Foods Limited for their significant contribution, leadership, and investment in the process of negotiation. #MadeinCanada #CanadianQualityandValue #FoodandBeverage

"HOW MUCH IS YOUR DATA WORTH?" Well, quite a lot according to Tesco (and many other supermarkets). They're not the only retailer to charge less if you're part of their loyalty scheme or more if you're not.. BUT when I saw this at my local store I was shocked. Clubcard price - £28 Non Clubcard price - £42.75 So £14.75 (a whopping 52%) more if you don't have a Clubcard. So what's the "real" price? Are Clubcard customers getting a discount? Or are those without a Clubcard being charged more? Forget cash is king (or queen). Looks like data has taken the crown 👑 What do you think about this? Should we all just get a Clubcard (insert all other loyalty schemes here) and deal with it? I'd love to hear your thoughts...feel free to share them below ⬇ #Money #SupermarketLoyaltySchemes

Will The Weather Play Ball For The Trade This Early May Bank Holiday Weekend? The hospitality sector is hoping for a repeat of 2023 is bank holiday uplift in sales. Last year the weather didn't quite behave as we'd hoped across the first bank holiday weekend in May, but thankfully the trade still saw an uplift in sales across the board. The question is are we going to see a repeat of this in 2024? According to data by the Oxford partnership the first May bank holiday weekend of 2023 saw drinkers consume 54.1 million pints of draught beer and cider across the UK, which was an increase of +8.5% versus 2022. In individual pub terms, that equated to an extra +112 pints sold per pub versus the same period in 2022 and, most importantly £504 extra in the till. Even more significantly, the weekend sales were up +4% versus 2019, which demonsrated a strong sign of recovery for the hospitality sector, even with the limitations of the rising bills in the Cost of Living crisis. Saturday was the biggest day of the weekend for sales with each pub selling an average of 449 pints of draught beer and cider. Across the entire weekend, the average pub served 1,430 pints of Draught Beer & Cider, helped by a little bit of sunshine here and there, and these sales equated to a £6,435 income generator. This year, the weather is forecast to be better in places so there is real hope of some pub garden action for the On Trade, particularly with Saturday ending off the championship with the final decider at lunchtime. Henry Powell, Managing Partner at Oxford Partnership, comments: “The first May bank holiday looks like it will see mixed weather but history tells us people like to mark the occasion with a visit to the pub. Throw in some decent sporting fixtures and the trade should still expect to see a boost in sales across the weekend.” Read More:

💈💳 Interesting insight from a barbershop in London! It’s not just barber shops that are tired of having their profits cut by Visa and Mastercard. I completely agree! The push towards a cashless society by card schemes like Visa and Mastercard can limit options for businesses and consumers alike. Having the freedom to accept cash means businesses can keep 100% of the value of their sales and gives consumers the choice to use the payment method they prefer. I'm excited about the prospect of the UK Payment Choice Act coming into force before the end of 2025. This act will give the public the right to spend their cash when and where they choose, providing a necessary balance in the payment landscape. And it's not just happening in the UK! Similar payment choice acts are being introduced by states in the USA, highlighting the growing movement towards preserving cash as a payment option. Until then, let's support businesses like this barbershop by paying with cash whenever possible. It's a small way to push back against the dominance of card schemes and ensure businesses and consumers have options. 💈💼 #CashIsKing #PaymentChoice #SupportLocalBusinesses