How technology empowers businesses to prepare for the future of commerce

While every year we see new trends in commerce, we do not often experience the rapid, near-universal technological advancements we experienced in 2020 and into 2021. This acceleration in the digitization of commerce has made running a business even more complex, requiring them to stay on the leading edge of technological change so they can move with their customers—not fall behind.

"Our job is to empower commerce around the globe, safely and seamlessly," says Cameron Bready, President and CEO of Global Payments. "We do this by equipping our customers with the latest commerce technologies that help them run and grow their businesses more efficiently and effectively."

Keeping pace with the changing future of commerce

Stories like Anita Moore's, owner and head chef of Soiree Steakhouse in Kansas City, show the need for businesses to be agile, capable of changing to meet the needs of their customers in real time.

Pivoting her restaurant from a full in-house environment with live music events nightly, to curbside pick-up and delivery required some trial and error to find the optimal way of serving her customers in a new paradigm. "We learned what we needed to add and take away from our menu, how to address our customers, and how to offer better customer service."

Not only did Anita need to change the way she served her customers, but also how she transacted with them—adopting an omnichannel approach to ordering, delivery, and payments. The ability to shift from in-person transactions at the point of sale to transacting across all channels, locations, and devices enabled Anita to meet her customers where and how they wanted to be met and continue running her business efficiently and effectively.

Anita's story, and so many others around the world, illustrate the need for businesses to quickly change direction—and have the right commerce technology that evolves with them—to meet the needs of consumers like never before.

Seizing the opportunity to innovate

Restricted in-restaurant dining mandates required Golden Corral Buffet + Grill franchise Platinum Corral to rethink its overall operations. Typically known for its in-person buffet dining experience, the franchise knew it had to quickly adjust to the current needs of customers.

"When you look around, you see all kinds of places going out of business. As a business, we must evolve. If we don't, we risk closing, too," noted Charles Stafford, Area Leader at Platinum Corral.

With competitors closing their doors, the franchise made the decision to adjust to real-time changes. Rethinking how it served customers, Platinum Corral decided to fast-track expansion of its off-premises guest service options by launching a drive-thru and retrofitting its store with a to-go room. To enable drive-thru, walk-up, and phone orders, as well catering and third-party deliveries, the franchise needed innovative commerce technology that could not only support the digital ordering and omnichannel payments process, but could also support service time goals and enable real-time management of menu content and pricing on its new menu boards.

"Our guests are looking for value, as well as low-contact / no-contact service. We've achieved both, and our drive-thru adds speed to the equation. Safe to say, we're putting smiles on the faces of a lot of guests," comments Mike Cox, Marketing Director at Platinum Corral.

Stories like this from Platinum Corral provide a glimpse into the ways forward-focused businesses are propelling themselves into the future of commerce.

Technology fuels the future of commerce

These examples from Soiree Steakhouse and Platinum Corral demonstrate how the right commerce technology enables businesses to quickly adapt to meet the needs of consumers like never before. Anticipating and adapting to future market trends is critical for future-proofing business and winning customer loyalty. And all businesses—from micro-businesses to large enterprises and multinationals—should have access to the technologies that will help them keep pace with the future of commerce. No matter what form it takes. No matter where it happens.

How can this happen? By making the same technology that powers the largest enterprises available to all businesses through a single integration point in the cloud. At Global Payments, we deliver commerce enablement solutions that seamlessly integrate omnichannel payments, point-of-sale solutions, rich data and analytics, email marketing, advertising, and more. With simple-to-use tools and seamless commerce technology at their fingertips, businesses can more easily run and grow.

Not only can the scalability and flexibility of cloud-based technology enable small businesses to access the same solutions as larger enterprises and multinationals, it also allows all businesses to tap into the global commerce ecosystem—so they can reach their customers across all channels, through any device, anywhere in the world. All through a single partner.

These are the types of innovative solutions that are fueling the commerce ecosystem.

For Anita Moore and her restaurant, she's connected with our Heartland point-of-sale technology that allows her to adapt to omnichannel ordering and delivery. These capabilities have transformed her operations, while also reinforcing the essential customer relationships that have helped Soiree Steakhouse weather challenging times.

And Platinum Corral? Based on a recommendation from their architect, the franchise selected our Xenial drive-thru technology to provide their centrally-managed digital menu boards and portal support. Deploying these solutions in less than four weeks helped the company quickly change their operations to better serve the needs of its customers. The franchise has increased revenue by extending their serving hours through typically slow periods of the day, and they can now compete with quick-service restaurants with their 120-second drive-thru service times.

Building the future of commerce—together

As businesses continue to evolve to meet the needs of their customers in an increasingly complex commerce ecosystem, Global Payments is there to help ensure their success—with cutting edge, innovative solutions that help propel them into the future of commerce. These solutions not only help ensure an optimal customer experience, but they also help businesses large and small operate more efficiently and effectively.

“Our job is to empower commerce around the globe, safely and seamlessly. We do this by equipping our customers with the latest commerce technologies that help them run their businesses more efficiently and effectively." - Cameron Bready, President and CEO of Global Payments  

By investing millions in technology innovation every year, we remove complexity and deliver future-forward solutions that keep businesses at the forefront of innovation, delivering a competitive advantage like no other. Anticipating shifts in preferences, we help businesses stay ahead of change so they can continue to serve the needs of their customers, no matter how fast commerce technology advances.

Building the future of commerce together—that's innovation that delivers.

Every day, our 24,000 team members around the world dedicate themselves to supporting our purpose in their work to provide the capabilities and expertise to thousands of businesses of every shape, size, and ambition, across more than 100 industries.

For more information on our Heartland POS and Xenial digital menu board solutions that enabled the customer success stories above, visit Global Payments companies Heartland and Xenial today.