By Dax Dasilva of Xsilva Systems*

Once seen exclusively as a niche computer for creative types, the Mac has experienced record market-share gains in the last decade and its appeal has attracted customers across a broad spectrum of industries.

Thanks to the combined influence of a number of computing trends such as the growing popularity of the iPhone as a viable business tool, the Mac is forging paths into new sectors, riding a growing wave of end-user affinity for the Apple experience.

Macs, which now cost about the same as business PCs with the same configurations, are easier, and hence cheaper, to support, a compelling selling point as IT departments increasingly are challenged to do more with less.

And now, the retail sector is also coming around to the Mac’s unique strengths. With the right software, the Mac makes a compelling retail technology platform, perfectly matched to a new generation of savvy retailers looking to achieve an Apple-style business lifestyle for their outlets. Mac-based retail is now a price-competitive option for PC-based dealers who want to appeal to the next generation of retailers by offering them point-of-sale solutions built around the Apple products that they really want to use in their businesses.

The iPod generation

Retailers who are new to the market, often young entrepreneurs right out of college, have grown up with iMac, iPod and iTunes and are often keen to continue their love affair with the Mac technology platform in their new retail ventures. These retailers are looking for POS and web store features that are easy to use and visually appealing, as well as multi-store setups that are easy to configure and manage. Today, they can achieve those objectives with Mac hardware and software designed for the unique requirements of the retail environment.

But there is more than just brand-loyalty at play in the retail market; many of the Mac’s additional benefits are as compelling in retail as they are in other sectors.

For a start, there is the security factor. The Mac operating system, Mac OS X, is immune to the thousands of PC viruses and security hacks that plague Windows users on a daily basis. Such vulnerabilities are an especially big risk for retailers whose POS transaction data is mission-critical. Couple this with the fact that Macs and Mac networks are, by design, much easier to maintain and are generally far more reliable than PC-based systems, and retailers can expect to significantly reduce the continuous and costly downtime and expensive IT staff that go hand in hand with running a PC environment.

Attention to detail

In addition, there is ease of use to consider. Because the Mac and Mac software are designed with the end user in mind, users need less training and will likely make fewer mistakes. And, of course, the look and feel of the platform cannot be underestimated. Much of the Mac’s enduring popularity is due to the aesthetic qualities of the Mac hardware and software. Apple pays a lot of attention to detail when designing its products and user interfaces, and this has garnered significant loyalty from its customers as a result.

The combination of safer data, happier users and lower IT costs is, for many retailers, a no brainer.

One such company is Becker Minty which has two eclectic lifestyle stores located in Potts Point, Sydney. The first store opened in June 2007, with product lines that include furniture, art, ceramics, glass, antiques, clothing and jewellery. These products have all been selected for their quality and uniqueness. The owners, Christopher Becker and Jason Minty, are artists and collectors and they have travelled extensively in search of unique objects and cultural experiences. Becker Minty is a celebration of these discoveries.

With 12 employees, the stores have been using Lightspeed, a Mac-based POS system from Xsilva Systems, since they first opened. The Mac’s slick presentation was a key factor in the store’s decision to go with the platform.

“Not only is it a fantastic-looking POS system, but the fact that it is Mac compatible is wonderful,” said Becker. “It suits our boutiques very well and has an incredibly positive effect on customers when they see the images of each product on their invoices or quotes.

“Most importantly, it is super easy to use, so training staff is a breeze,” he added.

The owners came across Lightspeed at a branch of Australian Apple dealer My Mac, and have never looked back. The product’s real-time inventory and sales reporting allows for quick and accurate forecasting of reorders, and automatic calculation of margin percentages maximizes profit and sales. In addition, the tight MYOB integration incredibly streamlines the store’s accounting process.

“We love the ease with which the system allows us to locate products, as we have so many individual items, and the ability to add so much information on each product, which really benefits our sales staff when selling unique products,” said Minty. “We also love the ability to drag and drop images, and our customers love this too.”

InstrAmental Music Centre bills itself as “the best little music centre in the heart of central Victoria.” With stores in Castlemaine and Kyneton, it caters to the full range of musicians’ needs from professional to educational to entry-level beginner. Owned and run by Vivienne Hamilton, the five-person operation opened in October 2007, and has used Xsilva’s Lightspeed POS system for the Mac since day one.

For InstrAmental, the ease with which Lightspeed allows customer orders to be tracked often means stock comes in the door and back out again the same day, sometimes even the same hour. The stock-level control means the store always has the right amount of the most-popular products on hand and multi-store lookups allow inventory to be transferred within a day to satisfy customer requirements. Invoicing for recording and tuition from the same program means that all aspects of the business can be tracked and reported from the POS.