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Technology Trends 2022: A Retail and Pharmacy Industry Review

This past year was one to behold, and as we kick off the new year, it’s vital we look back … Read the rest

Auto-Star at the National Retail Federation Big Show 2023

Everything. Everywhere. All of the time. The National Retail Federation held “Retail’s Big Show” at the Javits Center in New … Read the rest

Traditional and Online Grocery Technology Trend Predictions for 2023

  Before 2020, most consumers considered grocery shopping an in-person activity. The COVID-19 pandemic forced shoppers online to get the … Read the rest

Retail Pharmacy Needs for Cold and Flu Season

  What Your Retail Pharmacy Needs to Prepare for Cold and Flu Season Cold and flu season is almost upon … Read the rest

Boost Gift Card Sales and Customer Loyalty

Boost Gift Card Sales, Just in Time for the Holiday Season In retail, customer loyalty is like the Holy Grail, … Read the rest

How Pharmacy Technology Can Transform Your Operations

How to Make Life Easier for Pharmacists Using Industry-Leading Pharmacy Technology Pharmacists are in high demand, as they play an … Read the rest

Miss a VARTECH. Miss a lot.

Auto-Star was excited to exhibit at the Annual BlueStar VARTECH 2022 Conference in Orlando, Florida this September 12th and 13th. … Read the rest

Overcoming Business Challenges in 2022

How Auto-Star Is Helping Our Customers Overcome Business Challenges Introduction Business challenges for our customers have been significant. For some, … Read the rest

Increasing Employee Productivity

Key Tips to Increasing Employee Productivity It’s been a tough few years for small businesses. Government lockdowns that disproportionately affected … Read the rest

The Best Point of Sale System for Grocery Stores

Finding the Best Point of Sale System for Grocery Stores When It’s Time to Upgrade People will always need to … Read the rest

How to Find Trending Products for Grocery Stores

Grocers and supermarkets carry staples that customers are always looking for. But how do you stand out among local competitors? … Read the rest

Upgrade Your Grocery and Supermarket POS System

If you’ve found yourself thinking about your supermarket POS system a lot lately, that might not be such a good … Read the rest

The Whys and Hows of Liquidating Inventory

The Retailer’s Guide to Liquidating Inventory For Maximum Profit Inventory is one of the cornerstones of any retail business. It’s … Read the rest

What’s in a Number? Top 10 Reasons for Inventory Management

By: Josh Wintoniak   What’s in a number? No, we’re not talking about your age, numerology, your lucky number, or … Read the rest

4 Habits of Successful POS Value-Added Resellers

4 Habits of Successful POS Value-Added Resellers The current economic landscape is not for the faint-at-heart. Businesses in every sector … Read the rest

2022 NGA Show Key Takeaways

Top Takeaways from the 2022 National Grocers Association (NGA) Show The National Grocers Association recently held their 2022 NGA Show … Read the rest

POS Reporting Your Pharmacy Should be Running

3 Types of POS Reporting Your Pharmacy Should be Running Running a pharmacy requires a lot of work; a constant … Read the rest

POS Technology Trends 2022

A Deep Dive into The POS Technology Trends of 2022 and The Future of Retail The new year has arrived, … Read the rest

Refreshing Your Grocery Loyalty Program

How Refreshing and Revitalizing is Creating The Best Grocery Loyalty Programs Yet The pandemic has created unprecedented changes across all … Read the rest

Boost Employee Retention with Retail POS Technology

3 Ways Retail Managers Can Boost Employee Retention with Retail POS Technology The current labor shortage has impacted many industries, … Read the rest

Key Pharmacy Trends For 2022

3 Key Pharmacy Trends that Will Continue into 2022 and Beyond The COVID-19 pandemic has lasted much longer than anyone … Read the rest

The Future of eCommerce and Curbside Pickup Technology

Pros and Cons of Curbside Pickup Technology: The Future of Buy Online Pickup In Store Before COVID-19 became part of … Read the rest

Retailers Going Green with Technology

4 Ways Easy Technology Can Help Retailers Going Green in 2021 As of now, the retail market is still floating … Read the rest

Adapting eCommerce Retail Channels

4 Ways Retailers Must Adapt Their eCommerce Retail Channels and Strategy Post-Pandemic During the pandemic, retailers rushed to accommodate consumers … Read the rest

Key Features for a Pharmacy POS System

4 Key Features to Look for in a Pharmacy POS System Running your pharmacy is unlike operating any other retail … Read the rest

4 Ways Retailers Can Compete Against Big Retail Brands Like Amazon

Even before the pandemic forced people to shop from their homes, many consumers already enjoyed the luxury of fast order … Read the rest

3 Reasons to Update Your Pharmacy POS Inventory Management System

Pharmacies are a staple to every town, and they have unique demands and struggles. It can be easy getting caught … Read the rest

Personalized Customer Experience with POS Software

5 Ways to Create a More Personalized Customer Experience Using Your Retail POS Software In today’s retail landscape, personalization is … Read the rest

Pointy from Google Helps Star-Plus Point of Sale Retailers’ Get Inventory Online

Independent retailers need to leverage all of the tools they can to compete against big box competitors in an increasingly … Read the rest

How Value-Added Resellers Can Support Clients with New Digital Technologies

3 Ways Value-Added Resellers Can Support Clients with New Digital Technologies As the world of retail continues to evolve, you … Read the rest

4 Ways Natural Health Retailers Can Reintroduce Customers to New Products After the Covid-19 Isolation

  After enduring over a year of social distancing and self-isolation, the emergence of normal life is just around the … Read the rest

3 Ways You Can Utilize Your Retail POS to Keep Employees Safe During Covid-19

Every year, businesses big and small take the necessary precautions to combat flu season. This year, however, businesses will have … Read the rest

4 Customer Trends Grocers Can Expect in 2021

  2020 rattled the grocery market. With a worldwide pandemic changing how consumers lead their daily lives, many grocers have … Read the rest

6 Health and Safety Procedures to Keep Your Retail Store Safe During the Pandemic

    As vaccines for COVID-19 start to become available to the general public, retailers are preparing for customers to … Read the rest

5 Rising Retail Trends to Watch in 2021

The year 2020 has come to a close—and what a year it has been. For retailers across all industries, the … Read the rest

3 Ways Grocery Retailers Can Boost Their eCommerce Presence—and Why It’s Important

Shopping online has become a popular and convenient option among consumers, with 30.2% of computer and electronics retail sales and 27.4% of apparel sales … Read the rest

Customer Retention for Your Pharmacy: 5 Ways to Increase Repeat Sales

The independent pharmacy store is one of the fastest growing and evolving businesses. According to an industry analysis by Boehringer … Read the rest

Retail POS Analytics: What Data is Hiding in Your Point of Sale System?

  Do you know what your point of sale system (POS) is capable of? For many, a POS is simply … Read the rest

3 Strategies for Providing Exceptional Customer Service as a Point of Sale Reseller

Covid-19 has changed the way the world does business. With limited contact orders in place, many industries have changed how … Read the rest

Transitioning to a New Normal: Effects of COVID-19 on Natural Health Food Stores

COVID-19 has taken the world by storm. Several months into it, and the virus still isn’t well understood. There is … Read the rest

Which POS System is Best for Your Clinical Pharmacy?

Clinical pharmacies are responsible for providing patients with important, life-saving products. They provide a necessary service to the general public. … Read the rest

4 New Norms for Grocery Retailers in the Wake of a Pandemic

COVID-19 has had quite a significant impact on the grocery industry. With shortages in your supply line, social distancing, and … Read the rest

3 Advantages of Promotion at the Point of Sale

While many business owners have the skills necessary to operate a business, they may not have a strategic mindset, or … Read the rest

4 Major Attributes of Successful VARs During the COVID-19 Pandemic

  The coronavirus pandemic has been an unpredictable and unforeseeable force that has temporarily caused value added resellers (VARs) to … Read the rest

4 Ways to Improve Efficiency in Clinical Pharmacies

Pharmacies are always looking for ways to do more with less—especially independent retail pharmacies as they face a unique set … Read the rest

Green Initiatives that Health Food Retailers should be Celebrating

Since 1970 Earth Day has been a global celebration with this year marking the 50th year of the holiday. The … Read the rest

Washington State Independent Grocers using the Latest in Supermarket POS Technology

Note: The following was written before the recent COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing efforts became the current challenge that they … Read the rest

How to Prepare Your Retail Pharmacy in the Event of a Pandemic

The role of the pharmacist is integral in our communities now more than ever with the new strain of coronavirus … Read the rest

3 Key Ways VARs can Boost Revenue in 2020

2020 brings new opportunities and challenges to everyone, especially POS value-added resellers (VARs) working to grow their businesses within software … Read the rest

Auto-Star Showcases Technology Solutions to Independent Grocers at NGA 2020

The Auto-Star team was excited to exhibit at the annual National Grocers Association (NGA) Show 2020 in San Diego this … Read the rest

How Inventory Management Software Can Transform Your Health Food Store

Customers are more health-conscious than ever before, and health food stores are facing a lot of opportunity, as well as … Read the rest

The eWIC Deadline is Approaching: Is Your Grocery Store Ready?

Are you still accepting WIC checks? Are you using a stand-beside WIC terminal in your store?  Independent grocers have known … Read the rest

Growing Your Grocery Store: What Trends You Need to Know in 2020

You might think advances in ecommerce don’t affect your grocery store, as households will always need groceries. That may be … Read the rest

NRF Big Show 2020 Kicks off the New Decade by Enabling Experience Driven Retail

Auto-Star attended the annual National Retail Federation (NRF) 2020 Big Show again this year in New York City. This is … Read the rest

4 Benefits of Offering Pharmacy Delivery Services

It’s the year 2020, and there is almost nothing you can’t get delivered from the touch of a button on … Read the rest

4 Health Food Store Trends Retailers Need to Know for 2020

Holistic, mindful lifestyles have been a growing trend over the last decade—from more wellness activities to a big shift in … Read the rest

The Importance of Off-Site Data Backups

Image Source: CBC News As a technology company, we have seen the problems that can arise when businesses fail to … Read the rest

4 Ways Retailers Can Connect with Holiday Shoppers this Season

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go! With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday … Read the rest

3 Reasons Why Grocers Should Offer Grocery Delivery Services

  Living in the digital era, consumers are accustomed to having online shopping options for everything from electronics to socks. … Read the rest

4 Ways Retailers Can Prepare for Black Friday

Since the early 2000’s, Black Friday has held its title as the busiest shopping day of the year, and 2019 … Read the rest

4 Benefits of Linking Your Chain Store Operations

Managing a chain store is no walk in the park. As a retail chain store manager or owner, you have … Read the rest

3 KPIs Health Food Stores Need to Track to Drive More Business

  Running a retail business is no easy feat, especially if your retail business is in the health food store … Read the rest

5 POS Security Tips for Your Retail Pharmacy

As the world becomes increasingly connected, there are more and more chances for things to go wrong; especially when it … Read the rest

3 Reasons Why Retailers Need an Integrated Payment Processing Solution

  If your retail business currently operates without integrated payment processing, you’re likely spending a lot of manual time entering … Read the rest

4 Common Sales Objections and How VARs Can Overcome Them

As a value-added reseller (VAR) of point of sale (POS) solutions, it’s likely that you experience a variety of objections … Read the rest

4 Crucial Reasons Why Grocers Should Invest in Self-Checkout

  Over the past several decades, the standards of customer service have changed, especially with the push towards more technology-driven … Read the rest

Solve these 4 Natural Health Store Challenges with Ecommerce Inventory Management

  For natural health store owners, maximizing sales will always be a constant goal. One of the most effective ways … Read the rest

Selecting a Vendor Partner: 5 Things to Look for As a Value-Added Reseller

  Everyone knows that relationships can be tricky, especially when it comes to value-added resellers and their journey to find … Read the rest

5 Ways to Use the Star-Plus POS to Enable Your Omni-Channel Business

As an independent retailer you’re faced with competition from other brick and mortar businesses, online sellers, subscription services, delivery services … Read the rest

How to Use Data Analytics to Grow Your Retail Pharmacy

  As consumer prescription spending rises and margins grow tighter, competition is becoming more and more intense for retail pharmacies … Read the rest

Is it Time to Upgrade your Retail POS System? 5 Questions to Consider

At some point it’s bound to happen. You’ll step back and take a look at your current retail point of … Read the rest

PxP2019: 5 Tips for Canadian Pharmacies to Survive and Thrive in an Amazon World

We recently exhibited at the Pharmacy Experience Pharmacie (PXP) Conference in Toronto. PXP2019 is the inaugural event that replaces the … Read the rest

Retail Inventory Shrinkage: 3 Steps to Prevent Grocery Store Theft

Inventory shrinkage is a growing threat to retail businesses, with over $47.8 billion lost in 2018 alone. Out of all … Read the rest

Advanced New Technology for your PharmaChoice Pharmacy

PharmaChoice is Canada’s fastest growing pharmacy banner. With over 800 locations across Canada, their promise to celebrate independent pharmacy is … Read the rest

3 Tips to Improve the Customer Loyalty in Your Retail Pharmacy

  In any business, one of the top ongoing priorities is expanding and strengthening your customer base. A community of … Read the rest

Retail Sustainability: How Your Natural Health Store Can Help

Retail sustainability is a key competitive advantage in today’s industry landscape. In fact, CGS reported that 68% of consumers consider … Read the rest

5 Benefits of POS Ecommerce Integration for Grocery Retailers

Online grocery sales are quickly gaining traction in the industry, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. In 2018, … Read the rest

POS Reseller Tips: How to Discover Your Grocery Retailer’s Needs

These days, grocery store owners have a wide array of point of sale (POS) systems to choose from. In this … Read the rest

Independent Grocers Embrace Technology at NGA 2019

We all have an image of our local grocer. You know the one. That smiling person wearing an apron seemingly … Read the rest

The Biggest Mistakes to Avoid When Selecting Pharmacy Retail Technology

By: Josh Wintoniak   Pharmacy Retail Technology Overview In today’s retail pharmacy industry, competition is fierce. As consumers become accustomed … Read the rest

4 Ways Retail Inventory Management Improves Your Bottom Line

When making efforts to grow business, retailers often begin with adjusting factors such as price and materials. Although important, these … Read the rest

Everything You Need to Know About Retail POS Software

Retail POS Software Overview What is a Point of Sale System? A point of sale system (POS) is a combination … Read the rest

4 Retail Pharmacy Trends for 2019

The pharmaceutical industry is constantly growing and changing, and your retail pharmacy needs to evolve with it to stay ahead … Read the rest

4 Retail Strategies for Successful Pharmacies

The pharmacy industry is growing, and retail pharmacies should ensure that their business strategies are aligned to gain the greatest … Read the rest

The Health and Natural Product Retailer’s Guide to Leveraging Retail Technology

  The Health and Natural Product Retailer’s Guide to Leveraging Retail Technology Evolution of Retail Technology Retail technology has come … Read the rest

4 Ways to Take Retail Gift Card Programs to the Next Level

Don’t hate me for bringing this up but there are only 40 days until Christmas. If you are like me … Read the rest

The Essential Guide to Retail Technology for the Grocery Manager

  Retail Technology Overview Point of Sale: The point of sale (POS) system is the backbone of any grocery retail … Read the rest

4 Affordable Ways Managers Can Speed Up the Grocery Checkout

The grocery checkout aisle: It’s your last chance to leave a good impression on shoppers with a fast, efficient point … Read the rest

Data Security for Retailers: A Checklist to Help Minimize the Cost of a Data Breach

By: Ivan Long     Do you carry fire insurance for your business?  Most retailers do, and they also put … Read the rest

4 Benefits of a Unified POS and Back Office Management System

In today’s retail landscape, having an integrated point of sale (POS) and back office management system is essential.  A unified … Read the rest

4 Ways Natural Health Food Stores Can Win Market Share When Competing with Amazon

Competition from e-commerce in the natural health food stores arena is stiff, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to … Read the rest

4 Food Trends in 2018 that Grocery Retailers Need to Know

The farm-to-table movement, consumer demand, and changing technology are contributing to the lightning speed changes of the food industry. Grocery … Read the rest

Blog Post: 5 Tips for Spring Cleaning your POS System

By: Josh Wintoniak     It is the first day of spring as I write this and I don’t want to … Read the rest

Blog Post: New Year’s POS Resolutions

As the year winds down, it’s an opportunity for us to take stock of what we have achieved in the … Read the rest

Blog Post: The Value of Quality

By: Jon Higgins     We all love a good deal.  The difference comes down to what is being sacrificed … Read the rest

Blog Post: 5 Tips to Make Your Next Trade Show the Best Ever

By: Jon Higgins     We just came back from the Canadian Health Food Association East trade show hosted every year … Read the rest

Blog Post: Pharmasave National Conference & Buying Show – Inspiring to Say the Least

By: Jon Higgins   We have been working closely with Pharmasave and had the pleasure of exhibiting at the recent Pharmasave … Read the rest

Blog Post: CHFA West – The Unofficial Start to Spring

By: Josh Wintoniak     The first day of spring may have been in March, but for us the unofficial … Read the rest

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