Grocery stores are an essential service, but they’re not immune to the changing whims of consumers and the desire for convenient options and dynamic shopping experiences. The razor-thin margins they operate under can cause challenges to VARs hoping to pitch new technology, but Epson’s David Vander Dussen is back on the pod to emphasize the opportunities. Why are midsize & regional chains still seeing growth? How have grocers changed their offerings and workflow? Why is the demand for dynamic color labeling higher than ever? It’s the episode where we learn why Dean is banned from grocery shopping.

#VARValue - For VARs that work primarily with SMB grocer chains or local independents, what’s the pitch to implement tech like color labeling?

References: 

Why Grocery Chains are Outperforming Expectations Amid Inflation

FMI study: Private brands not just about price

How to Ramp Up Online Grocery—without Breaking the Bank

The State of Grocery in North America

TEConnecting with us:

David - World Cup Video Assistant Referee

Dean - The success of the DART mission and robotics companies commit to not weaponizing

John - New Apple devices might confuse rollercoaster for a car crash

Talk to us!

Twitter - @TEConnectPod

Email - [email protected]

Submit your ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html

Sponsored by:

Epson's New Mobilink Printers

We’re debunking some myths in this week’s episode…specifically, that commercial kitchens are no place for thermal printers. Star Micronics’ John Maieli, who has plenty of back-of-house experience, explains the importance of printers in the kitchen and why thermal is the best option. What’s the “state of the industry”? What’s the real difference between impact & thermal printing and why is the latter ideal for this use case? How should VARs respond to common misconceptions and pushback on these devices? It’s the episode where Dean busts out his “best” Super Mario impression.

#VARValue - How do you and Star advise VARs to approach existing and new customers about opting for thermal print in their operations?

Star Blog - Why Thermal Printers Have A Place In Today’s Modern Kitchens

TEConnecting with us:

John Maieli - 3D printing food

Dean - A future "AmAsia" supercontinent?

John Martin - Grammarly

Talk to us!

Twitter - @TEConnectPod

Email - [email protected]

Submit your podcast ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html

Sponsored by:

Star Micronics mPOP

In-store traffic is still vital to retail businesses, but simply getting them through the doors is not enough in a hyper-competitive market. That's where digital signage enabled with machine vision can change the game. Jay Hutton, Founder & CEO of VSBLTY, is on the pod this week to explain the growth potential of what they call “the store as a medium,” using dynamic, eye-catching displays to “entice, engage, and interact” with shoppers, ultimately driving more revenue and unplanned purchases. What data backs up this use case? What does it look like in-store? What do retailers get out of it? It’s the episode that’s dropping its vowels and going full Spielberg blockbuster.

#VARValue - How do VARs get in on this? What should they be looking for?

TEConnecting with us: 

Jay - The ethics of AI and "nano-nukes"

Dean - Ally Robotics

John - Invisibility cloak?

Talk to us!

Twitter - @TEConnectPod

Email - [email protected]

Submit your ideas for the pod - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html

Sponsored by:

Intel - Check out TEConnect Live from VARTECH 2022

Zebra TC53/58 Touch Computers

Elo Large Format Displays

“Identify a practical need and create a solution.” That’s a good mantra for any solution provider, but also the simple impetus behind the creation of self-service options in a variety of industries. Elo’s Luke Wilwerding is back on the pod to explore the early days of self-service through today. What slowed (and accelerated) adoption? What’s changed about form factors? How should VARs address concerns and misconceptions like installation issues, smaller purchases, and higher losses?

#VARValue - How does Elo help VARs bring self-service to SMB?

CNN Article - "Nobody likes self-checkout. Here's why it's everywhere."

TEConnecting with us:

Luke - James Webb telescope images

Dean (and Luke) - NASA DART mission

John - Why AI will never rule the world

Talk to us!

Twitter - @TEConnectPod

Email - [email protected]

Submit your topics for the show! https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html 

Sponsored by:

Elo I-Series 4

Elo Edge Connect

VARTECH 2022 is in the rearview, but what we learned there and what it means for our channel has just begun. Whether you attended and need a refresher or didn’t and want to know what happened, we’ve got you covered, from Opening Session to the CodeZone floor! What were the themes of the show? Who was the keynote speaker that brought tears to attendees' eyes? What is VAR 2.0 (and 3.0)? It’s the episode that condenses two exhausting days into an hour that’s much easier on your feet.

#VARValue - For VARs that didn’t attend, what did we learn that anyone can use?

VARTECH Event Highlights Video

US Breakout feat. CoCard's Dan Brattland

TEConnect Live feat. over 40 ISVs

TEConnecting with us:

Dean - Modular nuclear plants

John - Chicago simulates eVTOL (sky taxis) flights & infrastructure

Talk to us!

Twitter - @TEConnectPod

Email - [email protected]

Submit your ideas for the pod, surveys, marketing questions, etc...: https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html 

Sponsored by:

Elo M50 Mobile Touch Computer

Zebra WS50 Android Wearable Computer

After a long few days at VARTECH 2022, Dean & John happily turn over their marketing session for VARs to the incomparable James Korte, who helps us respond to survey responses from attendees about their current marketing situations and, most importantly, what you need help with to improve your marketing. How does an SMB market on a budget? What kind of content should you be creating? How can manufacturers help you fund your campaigns? What kind of marketing provides the best ROI and what should that ROI even look like? What are some best practices for LinkedIn?

TEConnecting with us:

Dean - LEGO Dunder Mifflin set

James - Midjourney AI

John - Playing video games w/his son

Talk to us!

Twitter - @TEConnectPod

Email - [email protected]

Submit your ideas for the pod, surveys, marketing questions, etc...: https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html 

Sponsored by:

Elo Healthcare Solutions

Zebra Tablet Portfolio

While we're off recording a new episode live at VARTECH 2022, we thought it was a great time to revisit last year's episode on properly utilizing LinkedIn for business. Next week, we'll be back with a new episode offering free and low-cost tips for marketing & content creation based on questions and concerns YOU gave us!

***

(ORIGINALLY RELEASED 10/21/21) It's the second of our live episodes recorded at VARTECH 2021 in Orlando Florida! For this one, James Korte, unofficial third host, joins us to discuss how VARs and TSCs should be utilizing LinkedIn for their business. What should you emphasize for personal and company pages? How important is it to post and share content? What does the LinkedIn algorithm seem to "reward"? Is it useful to market on the platform? Finally, what about other social media platforms? It's the episode that wants you to acknowledge your age!

Many healthcare providers (and patients) finally embraced telehealth and virtual visits in recent years, but that’s just one aspect of what has become known as a “continuum of care.” VeeOne Health’s Kevin Leal joins us to explain this concept and how virtual care technology is really allowing everyone to access healthcare at home or in local facilities, including specialists not normally found in rural communities. How does virtual care help close gaps in healthcare? What are the benefits of remote patient monitoring (RPM) and building a community of care that includes family or other caregivers? How can resellers start a conversation that leads to this broader solution? It’s the episode that reminds you to take your medicine and schedule your annual checkup.

#VARValue - What does this mean for VARs? Where should they start looking for opportunities and how does VeeOne help?

Zebra/VeeOne eBook

TEConnecting with us:

Kevin - Biostickers for continuous patient monitoring & autonomous robots in healthcare settings

Dean - China seeding clouds and a restaurant run entirely by robots

John - Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation" is crashing hard drives

Talk to us!

Twitter - @TEConnectPod

Email - [email protected]

Submit your ideas for the pod! - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html

Sponsored by:

Elo Healthcare Solutions

Zebra Tablet Portfolio

“Smart cities” has been a popular concept for most of the 21st century and yet, very few cities can make the claim that they’ve achieved the status. Few experts will even agree on what it means and many smart city projects have hit dead ends due to costs, privacy issues, and challenges related to scope. Thankfully, Advantech’s Charlie Wu returned to the show and help us break down where cities can start to get "smart," first by explaining the difference between machine vision & learning. How will future cities manage traffic and autonomous vehicles? How about resource management like sewage, water, and parking? Finally, we dig into the public safety angle and the privacy issues that come with it.

#VARValue - For VARs that aren’t certain where they fit in the smart city discussion, who should they be talking to and what should they be keeping an eye on?

Scrapped Toronto Smart City Article

TEConnecting with us:

Dean - How much radiation does your smartphone emit?

Charlie - Not watching as much TV

John - The odds of dying by space junk

Talk to us!

Twitter - @TEConnectPod

Email - [email protected]

Submit your topic ideas and get a FREE t-shirt! https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html 

Sponsored by:

Advantech's Newest Products

In the summer of 2021, a survey of retail apparel executives’ biggest challenges found that 48% said out of stocks and 42% said unclear inventory. Supply chain woes obviously contributed to that, but another issue is the continued reliance on barcodes for inventory counts, especially at the bulk level. This week, SML Group’s CTO & SVP of RFID Solutions, Dean Frew, is on the pod to explain the necessity for retailers to start tracking inventory down to individual items using RFID. What is BOPIS 2.0? How does RFID tagging improve customer experience? How are retailers rethinking distribution and manufacturing?

#VARValue - Is item-level RFID right for all types of retail? Where does it make the most sense?

SML's State of Retail Reports:

• Part 1

TEConnecting with us:

Dean F - Battery-powered snowblower

Dean R - Russia departing the ISS

John - Fossil fuel emissions are messing up carbon dating

Talk to us!

Twitter - @TEConnectPod

Email - [email protected]

Submit your ideas for the pod - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html

Sponsored by:

Elo Cannabis POS Solutions

Zebra RFID Portfolio