Retail tech innovation sizzles at RetailNOW show

Keeping Up With Expanding Retail Technology

AI revolution calls for vendor/reseller partnerships

Keeping up with retail technology has never been more challenging. Tech innovators continue to improve management tools at an alarming pace, making it harder for retailers to decide what tools to invest in.  Big thanks to OptConnect for providing the KMA booth with wonderful WiFi!

As a result, decision makers at all steps of the retail food chain (no pun intended for the food industry) are realizing the need for partnerships that enable the multiple layers of expertise needed to harness the emerging capabilities of AI, IoT, data analytics, machine learning, RFID, edge computing, cloud computing, cyber security, biometric identification, blockchain and more.

Last week’s RetailNOW show sponsored by the Retail Solutions Providers Association bore witness to the rising importance of these partnerships as nearly 1,600 registrants converged on Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

“Many of the top challenges facing retailers today – labor shortages, improving the customer experience, data management, and more – are solved through technology,” Jim Roddy, RSPA president and CEO, told retailsystems.org in a post-show email interview. “With many of those merchants having unique requirements, they are best served working with resellers who can tailor solutions specific to their needs as well as provide fast, personal service.

“A pleasant surprise was hearing about the expanding AI-related opportunities for solution providers and their merchants,” Roddy continued. “AI will help merchants review customer data and trends faster and with greater accuracy, resulting in better-run operations. AI is not just a big company play – it’s accessible to SMBs (small and medium size businesses) as well.”

Kathy Crumley, global strategist at Intel Corp., a show exhibitor, concurred.

“As we all know, AI is no longer simply a buzzword,” Crumley said during a session, “The Omnichannel Opportunity; AI, Customer Experience and the Human Touch.” “It is something that we’re all experiencing. It’s coming in fast and furious, and a multitude of different capabilities.”

Exhibits on the trade show floor (totaling 174, the highest since pre-COVID in 2018) proved that AI and other technologies have delivered real-world use cases, offering real-world opportunities. During breakout education sessions, attendees gained insights on tech developments, team building, growth opportunities and more.

“Personalization is key,” said exhibitor and panelist Dean Reverman, vice president of marketing at Bluestar, a distributor of B2B electronic devices that sells exclusively to value-added resellers. “A lot of what’s driving some of the innovation that’s happening in retail is the personalization…and there’s a lot of technology that’s enabling that. Making it so that when I go to pick up my order, it’s not just the receipt that’s saved there, but it’s personalized to me in that whole experience…If it’s frictionless, that is something you (as a retailer) should seriously take a look at.”

Many of the conversations on and off the show floor focused on team building, as both vendors (tech providers) and attendees (tech resellers) sought partners to help educate retailers about increasingly multi-faceted technologies. Both the complexity of today’s technology and the service these technologies require have fostered the need for such partnerships. Several breakout sessions focused on creating, evaluating and managing vendor/reseller partnerships.

“Software has gotten more complex,” said session leader Anthony Presley, CEO of TimeForge, a provider of labor management solutions for the retail and foodservice industries. Presley, in a session, “Beyond POS and Payments,” described how solution providers can create ecosystems that align with retailers’ evolving tech stacks.

“You have to have expertise, you have to have know-how, and you really have to be able to drill it with dedicated team members.” Presley said. Gone is the time when retailers and restaurants had three software tools: front of store, back of store and payroll.

Beyond requiring more software applications, the post-COVID environment also poses new challenges for retail managers, Presley noted.

“If you think how complicated your restaurant (technology) stack is, how complicated the software might be, you now get to deal with (employee) turnover high rates,” he said, noting the average restaurant manager has been in place two years since COVID. 

Presley presented a graphic provided by Toast, a restaurant software provider, listing 19 restaurant functions that modern software can address:

• Integrated Payments
• Financial and Loans
• Banking Services
• Drive-thru
• Takeout
• Delivery
• Payroll and HR
• Benefits
• Scheduling
• Insurance
• Recruiting
• Reporting and Analytics
• Accounting
• Waitlists
• Reservations
• Table Management
• Kitchen Operations
• Inventory
• Supplier Management.

“Which of those makes sense to partner with?” Presley asked his software reseller listeners. “As an ISV (independent software vendor), what could I do to promote that for my customers? …As a VAR  (value added reseller), what could you do to promote these other offerings that you have, even if you don’t have 200 integrated partners?”

Attendees found a wide range of answers to these and other questions on the trade show floor.

“RSPA members are growth-oriented and entrepreneurial, so they are eager to find new partners to create new solutions with,” RSPA’s Roddy said. “Also, the competition from the VC-backed, 800-number POS providers without a channel has provided extra motivation for VARs and ISVs to step up their game.”

Following are highlights from the trade show floor in alphabetical order.

Advantech-Aures

Advantech-Aures presented its offerings under its new operating brand name (Advantech-Aures) following Advantech’s acquisition of Aures Technologies Group in October of 2024. The combined product line now includes POS and kiosk hardware and software, including AI and IoT-based solutions.

The company designs, develops and manufactures POS and kiosk solutions for the retail, commerce, hospitality (hotels, restaurants and food service), leisure, entertainment, transportation, public and other sectors. 

Based in France, Advantech-Aures has subsidiaries in the U.K., Germany, Austria and the U.S., as well as a network of partners, distributors and resellers in more than 60 other countries.

Auto-Star Compusystems

Auto-Star Compusystems demonstrated its Star-Plus kiosk module designed to enable retailers to improve product sales, customer service and loyalty.

Retailers can track inventory on hand in real time, manage orders and update records after physical inventory counts. The reports ensure sales history and margin values are accurate by tracking inventory quantity and cost on a first-in, first-out basis through the use of inventory buckets.

The module offers more than 40 standard reports that allow retailers to monitor and improve margins, review sales values and maintain inventory levels. Retailers can also customize these reports through the Star-Plus Report Builder.

The Star-Plus mobile delivery app allows retailers to track orders from the moment they are taken to the time they are delivered and payment is received. It also allows delivery drivers to view orders, map their routes and capture customer signatures.

The module also offers customers a convenient way to check product prices and loyalty level status. 

Beelta

Beelta, a kiosk and display manufacturer, presented its self-order kiosk with metal stand and 21.5-inch POS touchscreen.

The kiosk runs on an Intel Core processor and a Windows OS and can be countertop or floor standing. The countertop metal stand is 12.2 by 12.2 by 21.2 inches, while the floor metal stand is 21.3 by 14.6 by 53.7 inches, offering space for a 9.5- by 5.9- by 7.87-inch printer, camera or scanner.

A wire cover on the side of the kiosk prevents wires and switches from being damaged, while a cable routing hole enables the cable to run alongside the stand while charging.

The company also presented its advertising signage board digital signage display, 23.6 by 3.54 by 55.4 inches, running on both Windows OS and Android OS.

Bluestar

Bluestar, a distributor of B2B electronic devices that sells exclusively to value added resellers, presented a line of ADA compliant POS equipment under the Nexpoint name for both free-standing and countertop/wall mount designs.

Bluestar stocks, markets and ships self service, digital signage, RFID, mobile computing, edge compute, scanning, barcode, label and receipt printer equipment.

Bodega AI

Bodega AI presented its AI-powered POS for retail, featuring smart product recognition, dynamic pricing, margin optimization, SKU level tax automation, retail data analysis, dual pricing and cash discounting compliance tools.

Functions also include:

• inventory management
• customer management
• cash drawer and shift management
• multi store management
• bundle and pack item management
• lottery sales tracking
• loyalty and gift card programs
• automatic ID checking for age verification
• integrated security cameras
• integrated weight scale

The solution also offers multi-lingual oral and text support for 12 languages: English, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Bengali, Korean, Mandarin, Punjabi, Urdu, Gujarati, Hindi and Farsi.

Datacap/IDTECH

Datacap Systems, Inc., a payment hardware provider, and IDTECH, a payment solutions provider, exhibited next to one another and presented a payment kiosk with a touchscreen that displays product advertising at the point of sale. The companies teamed with Pamitv, a technology company that provides advertising at the point of sale.

The Pamitv PamiPOP terminal is an advertising and payment solution powered by the IDTECH VP3350 all-in-one payment reader that supports magstripe, EMV chip and contactless NFC transactions.

While customers complete purchases, they are exposed to curated marketing content and promotions, which deliver both impressions and engagement at the final stage of the shopping journey. 

Epson

Epson, a global manufacturer of printing solutions, demonstrated its EU-m30 kiosk thermal receipt printer in a REDYREF self-order restaurant kiosk. 

A button cover shields the power and feed buttons from accidental or unwanted access and the paper door lever can only be accessed with a small tool. For applications where the kiosk conceals the printer, an optional bezel can be applied which routes the receipt from the printer to the outside of the kiosk. It includes light guides for the indicator LEDs.

The printer features 150 kilometer printhead life and auto cutter life of 1.5 million cuts. It comes with a mounting kit for secure mounting that makes it easy to remove the printer from the kiosk for maintenance. 

Esper 

Esper, a provider of device management solutions, updated attendees on its Linux based device which it is beta testing and offering to select users. The Esper platform allows users to deploy, monitor, manage and update devices – kiosks, tablets, smartphones, IoT edge devices and more – from a single pane of glass.

Esper for Linux devices include:

• script-based provisioning
• seamless provisioning
• single and multiple scripts in blueprints
• single and multi device actions
• custom actions to apply and reapply script-based settings and actions
• role-based access controls for remote terminal, scripting and more

Foodhub For Business

Foodhub For Business, a provider of restaurant POS hardware and software, presented its self-service kiosk, which comes in both countertop and floor-standing models. The kiosk features a 24-inch multi-touch display screen, swipe and debit PIN payments on the touchscreen, a built-in thermal dot receipt printer, end-to-end security encryption, Wi-Fi and Ethernet and LTE connectivity.

The menu interface is adaptable, allowing the venue to add or remove items, highlight promotions and change pricing. 

The system integrates with other POS systems such as PAX, Datacap and Dejavoo.

The delivery management app, Drive2Success, tracks orders in real-time as driver partners deliver the food.

A second, Foodhub Kiosk Lite version, features a 32-inch order touchscreen.

Wall-mount accessories are available.

Global Payments 

Global Payments, a provider of payments processing and restaurant management solutions, presented its Genius for Restaurants hardware and software POS for both front and back of the house, supporting on-premise, off-premise and online order and payment management. The solution also supports self-order kiosks, kitchen display systems, employee management, guest management, loyalty programs and third-party app integrations.

Features like scan-to-order, scan-to-pay and handheld devices keep lines moving, while data-driven insights help optimize workflow.

Payment options include debit cards, credit cards and mobile wallets.

Havis

Havis, a provider of self-checkout, mounting and mobility solutions, presented its SC-2000 series for self-service kiosks optimized for Zebra displays, available in countertop, tabletop and pedestal models.

The standalone pedestal mount allows for portable set up without floor bolting. 

The single and dual display mounts enable both portrait and landscape orientations.

Options include an integrated, enclosed printer and a payment arm compatible with the company’s FlexiPole mounting portfolio.

The company’s product line also includes drive-thru and QSR solutions.

HiStone

HiStone, a manufacturer of POS hardware, demonstrated customizable self-checkout solutions for foodservice and retail.

The company introduced its Luna X HK568 model to its all-in-one POS portfolio, featuring a 15.6-inch LED touchscreen that rotates 180 degrees and can be mounted for both countertop and free-standing use.

The kiosk is available in both single- and dual-screen options with multiple height adjustments and vertical screen rotation.

Illuminology

Illuminology, a distributor of digital signage and customer experience solutions, presented information about a wide range of retail experience enhancement products.

The company’s retail kiosks, called EZosks, feature single- and double-sided projected capacitive touchscreens and non-touchscreens with built-in Wi-Fi in 55-, 65- and 75-inch sizes.

The EZosk tabletop15.6-inch kiosk runs on Android OS and features multi-interactive touch and non-touch options.

The EZosk self-serve restaurant and retail kiosks come in 15.6-, 21.5- and 32-inch sizes, featuring an aluminum enclosure with a metal stand, projected capacitive touchscreen, 80mm thermal printer with auto-cutter, 2D barcode scanner, a speaker and multiple peripherals.

The EZosk outdoor touch and non-touch kiosks come in 55-, 65- and 75-inch display options, an embedded heater, and fans and sensors. The brightness automatically adjusts to various sunlight and night modes.

The EZosk drive-thru menu boards offer 55-inch single- or double-sided outdoor displays with operating temperatures between 20 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit. A light sensor enables automatic dimming.

The EZosk EV car charging stations feature a stretched bar projected capacitive touchscreen with a 32-inch outdoor LCD display.

The EZosk indoor twin screen kiosks feature a 14- or 15.8-inch projected capacitive touchscreen and a 29-inch stretched bar display and a USB drive plug.

The company also offers electronic shelf labels, static light displays, media players, interactive LED smartscreens, indoor LED podiums, LED showcase counter tubes and more. 

Ingenico

Ingenico Payment, a provider of payment equipment and services, demonstrated its AXIUM CX9000, an all-in-one cash register that provides payment technology in a simple device to handle any retail situation from checkout to inventory management.

Based on the Android 14 platform, the AXIUM CX9000 provides integrated payment security thanks to its PCI certification and EMV V3 compliance. Its customer tool integration can provide loyalty programs, digital receipts and CRM tools, as well as optional accessories including printer, cash drawer and bar code scanner.

The AXIUM CX9000 also supports third-party electronic cash register apps and is equipped with a dual display, featuring a 15.6-inch touchscreen with an Open Android that is GMS (Google Mobile Services) certified, as well as a second 8-inch customer-facing screen to facilitate payment and interaction at checkout.

Insight Touch Technology

Insight Touch Technology, a manufacturer of POS hardware, presented its 15.6-inch stainless steel POS station, available as a single or dual touchscreen. A second 10.1-inch screen is optional.

The touchscreen runs on Windows, Android and Linux operating systems and features 10-point projected capacitive touch, 1920 by 1080 DPI LCD, Intel J6412 CPU (optional RK3568 CPU) and aluminum alloy housing.

Accessories include a small size desktop stand, middle size desktop stand, large floor stand and wall mounts.

LOC Software

LOC Software, a provider of POS retail software, demonstrated its ThriVersA POS, a browser-based version of its hardware agnostic POS software, offering access to its 500-plus software features with the freedom to run the solution on virtually any tablet or mobile device.

The in-app Button Editor allows users to design POS screens to optimize workflows and add functionality to optimize customer-facing processes.

Mobile management enables both POS and back office endpoints across all locations. It also enables printing shelf labels.

Users can access real-time sales, inventory cost and other reports, and can import and export from Excel with copy-and-paste functionality.

The solution is Payment Card Industry and Visa security standard compliant.

Magtek

Magtek, a payment technology and security solutions provider, presented its DynaProx and Dynaflex solutions.

DynaProx contactless payment acceptance combines the controller and antenna in a small form factor design. The device comes standard with contactless EMV and near field communication technology, while DynaProx BCR adds a barcode camera for reading 1D and 2D barcodes.

DynaProx meets the requirements for contactless EMV 3.0, PCI PTS POI 6.x, and supports triple DEA and AES-256 encryption with CMAC authentication.

Compatible with Windows, Android and iOS devices (over USB iAP2 only) applications, DynaProx products are ready for use with Magensa L3 certified services, providing data protection, gateway services, applications and remote services. 

DynaFlex countertop products accept a variety of payment options for card-present, card-not-present, mobile wallets and QR codes. The products feature an integrated EMV card reader, NFC reader and magnetic stripe card reader. Additionally, DynaFlex products support Apple VAS and Google Smart Tap protocols, enhancing the versatility and compatibility with payment technologies. 

meldCX/Intel/Kiosk Manufacturer Association

meldCX , an enterprise platform dedicated to digital transformation, exhibited with Intel Corp. at the Kiosk Manufacturer Association booth. Meld/CX recently joined Intel’s open-edge platform initiative to drive AI innovation at the edge, helping businesses integrate AI into their existing infrastructure.

MeldCX demonstrated remote monitoring and self healing technology, along with smart boards, cable management and various peripherals such as a cash dispenser and an ID scanner.

The company also demonstrated a secure way to send and receive money internationally using a self-service kiosk.

Mettler Toledo

Mettler Toledo, a manufacturer of precision instruments for laboratory, industrial and food retailing applications, demonstrated self-service produce weighing scales. 

The company’s Freshbase C3 features a 12.1-inch projected capacitive touchscreen and LED backlit technology, as well as a 7-inch customer display, also with LED backlit technology. The unit also includes a 3-inch label printer and an optional external printer.

The company’s weighing scales are available in many versions, ranging from the compact checkweigher to high-performance touchscreen scales with various applications. Self-service scales’ displays can also feature advertising and marketing.

MicroTouch

MicroTouch, a provider of touch solutions, unveiled its product line for both indoor and outdoor commercial environments.

The Mach Mobile 10.1-inch Android Tablet is powered by the MediaTek MT8390 processor, featuring a 500-nit, full HD touchscreen with anti-reflective optical bonding to ensure visibility even under direct sunlight.

The unit also features an integrated barcode scanner, front and rear cameras, and a multi-color LED status bar. Optional accessories include a rotating hand strap, a multi-port docking station and side-mounted peripherals. 

The Mach-Outdoor Touch Monitors are available in 10-, 21.5- and 27-inch screen sizes and feature a metal enclosure, optically bonded touchscreen with etched anti-glare, and a 1500-nit brightness panel for readability in direct sunlight. When integrated into an enclosure, these monitors are IP66 rated and provide IK10 impact protection. Built-in features include ambient light sensors and UV protection. 

The Mach KDS is a 21.5-inch Android all-in-one touch computer that combines the power of the MediaTek Genio 700 processor with a fully sealed, stainless-steel enclosure designed for environments that require high hygiene and high heat resistance, such as commercial kitchens, food prep stations and industrial washdown areas. The unit also features Power over Ethernet support and an optically bonded 500-nit projected capacitive touchscreen while its IP-rated enclosure resists moisture, chemicals and grease.

National Retail Solutions

National Retail Solutions, a provider of POS and payment hardware and software for retailers, presented its suite of retail solutions.

The POS system offers sales, inventory and user tracking, remote store management via app and merchant web portal, a built-in customer loyalty program and more.

The POS touchscreen includes a customer-facing display, barcode scanner, thermal printer and metal cash drawer.

The company’s NRS Pay credit card processing integrates with the POS or can be used as a standalone.

NRS Petro offers a pump-integrated POS system for fuel stations and convenience stores as well as an EMV compliance retrofit for fuel pumps.

NRS Marketplace is a shopping platform for bulk purchasing of inventory and store supplies for retailers on the NRS POS system as well as on the website, nrsmarket.com.

NRS Funding offers cash advances from $2,500 to $500,000.

Nayax Ltd.

Nayax Ltd., a provider of a commerce enablement, payments and loyalty platform, demonstrated its POS retail management software, which integrates loyalty and payments with POS management. 

Nayax expanded its customer base from the vending market to the retail industry following its 2023 acquisition of Retail Pro International.

Nayax’s card readers accept EMV chip cards, digital wallets, mobile NFC payments, QR codes and prepaid cards. The readers also offer a multi-lingual interface and voice interaction. 

NCR Voyix

NCR Voyix, a provider of digital commerce solutions, presented its Aloha Cloud, an all-in-one solution supporting multi-site management, restaurant grade hardware and add ons. Features include front of house, back of house, payments, reporting and analytics.

Multi-store management features centrally manage configurations, reports, menus and employees, enabling the user to manage each location while also managing the business as a whole. 

The software has been designed to provide the same user experience on both fixed and mobile devices. Staff is able to take orders and payments at tableside and anywhere else in the restaurant.

NMI

NMI, a payment services provider serving merchants, financial institutions, SaaS providers, ISOs, software developers and payment facilitators, presented its suite of solutions supporting unattended self service, in-person payments, e-commerce payments, mobile payments and fraud prevention.

The company recently teamed with LANDI Global, a provider of smart POS devices, to introduce the LANDI M20SE, an all-in-one Android device as part of the NMI tap-to-pay portfolio, offering the benefits of integrating modern payment technology like SoftPOS, while minimizing complexity and upfront costs. When used with the Cloud Commerce app, M20S enables the merchant to add multiple line items to the sale, prompt for tips, apply discounts and taxes, send digital receipts, view transactions and void or refund payments.

Pamitv

Pamitv’s PamiPOP terminal is a payment device that provides video advertising at the point of sale. It works with existing POS payment software and supports all major credit card processors.

The PamiPOP terminal has a 10-, 15-, 21- or 27-inch screen which provides advertising at the point of purchase, so as customers are buying products or services, they are also seeing ads relevant to that particular store.

The terminal is a high-resolution Samsung screen coupled with a 3-in-1 OEM compact card reader. It features a built-in stand to install on a countertop.

Panasonic Connect

Panasonic Connect presented its EPIC solutions for optimizing retail operations. These include the following five product groups:

Kiosk solutions allow customers to search and browse products independently, featuring upsells, managing peak times and attracting new customers.

POS solutions allow retailers to serve more customers faster.

Digital signage solutions allow retailers to showcase new products and offers, drive sales with strategic promotions and stay agile with dynamic content.

Service and support solutions enable retailers to benefit from retail innovations, scale solutions for evolving retail needs and offer service and support.

Back office solutions allow retailers to make better informed decisions, be ready for peak shopping times, increase order accuracy and improve productivity.

Partner Tech

Partner Tech, a manufacturer of Windows- and Android-based self-checkout kiosks, presented two new self-checkout terminals.

One system leverages AI-powered computer vision to visually identify food and beverage products placed on a tray and instantly rings them up in a single transaction without requiring customers to scan barcodes. Customers place their purchases on the tray and complete the transaction using a digital payment method.

The other system is a more traditional self-checkout kiosk that integrates with LOC Software’s ThriVERsa POS. The system features an AI powered product pick list, theft prevention and real-time in-store analytics.

PAX Technology

PAX Technology demonstrated its Elys workstation that integrates with payment devices, kitchen display systems, printers, scanners and more. 

The company recently added a Windows platform to its portfolio through a dual- operating system that runs on both Windows and Android 14 for its Elys Station Pro Max (L1620). 

By leveraging Windows-on-ARM, the Elys Station Pro Max runs on both Android and Windows on the same Qualcomm CPU and hardware architecture with AI computing capability. 

The Elys Station Pro Max also features a 16-inch screen and integrates with the entire suite of Elys peripherals, including payment devices. 

POSBank

POSBANK, a kiosk hardware manufacturer, presented its MAZIC K-2150 kiosk that  leverages Android OS and Intel’s 12th and 13th generation CPUs, but also has a compact and aesthetic design that can be installed on a stand or a tabletop.

Payment functions, positioned on the front of the kiosk, include a built-in MSR, NFC, barcode reader and EFT terminal bracket. The input/output ports on the back allow for quick installation and maintenance.

The kiosk is 29.35 inches high and features a 21.5-inch display screen for promotional images and videos. Features also include an indicator light on the top, a motion detection sensor, a USB port, a built-in speaker and an optional custom stand. 

Posiflex

Posiflex, a manufacturer of kiosk terminals and peripherals, highlighted its tap-to-pay capability for several of its self-service kiosks, inviting the consumer to tap anywhere on the touchscreen to begin their buying experience. Offerings on display included the Mercury Series engineered for single-user assembly, ease of maintenance, cable management and component replacement. See KIOSK Information Systems

Available in floor-standing or countertop models, the Mercury Series features a 21.5-inch capacitive touchscreen, a 3-inch thermal printer, customer facing cameras, a proximity sensor and integrated peripheral options including a NFC/RFID reader, fingerprint sensor, 2D scanner, status indicator and a bracket for EMV payment devices.

Protech Systems Co. Ltd.

Protech Systems Co. Ltd., a manufacturer of industrial PC, POS and kiosk solutions, presented its KS-Y121 21.5-inch self-serve kiosk that runs on Windows 10 and 11 operating systems and comes in both countertop and floor-standing versions.

The kiosk is powered by Intel Core i5/i3 Celeron and features a hard drive display with a projected capacitive touch panel, an LED indicator light at the top, a card reader bracket and an embedded speaker. Add-ons include a thermal printer and a barcode scanner.

Retroworks

Retroworks, a provider of a cloud based, hardware agnostic restaurant management platform, demonstrated Posist, its front-of-house POS to streamline order management, payments and table layouts.

The multi outlet control allows operators to manage multiple brands, formats and clusters from a single dashboard.

The instant menu updates and promotions allow operators to immediately update menus, launch combinations and roll out promotions across multiple locations.

The system’s integrations allow operators to connect with selected delivery aggregators, payment gateways and loyalty programs.

Seiko Instruments USA Inc.

Seiko Instruments USA Inc. presented its label and receipt printers.

The RP-10 thermal receipt printers come in a 5.08-inch cube that prints 1.15 feet per second, providing a minimum 93 miles of printing and 2 million cuts. Top and front access models  are available.

The RP-F10 thermal receipt printers come in a 5-inch cube and feature 2-way paper eject and an attachable 4.3-inch color LCD option. The printer pairs with a Bluetooth host device via NFC.

The SLP720RT liner-free label, label and receipt printers offer both liner-free and linered label receipts. Partial and full cut options are available.

Shenzhen Meking Electronic Technology Co. Ltd.

Shenzhen Meking Electronic Technology Co. Ltd., based in Shenzhen, China, presented its M6 Series POS modules, combining a screen module with a system box module. The screen module comes in 15-, 15.6-, 18.5- and 21.5-inch configurations. The system box module is available as a Windows box module, an Android box module and a touch monitor box module.  Contact mia@mekongpos.com

Peripherals include:

• MSR
• Fingerprint reader
• RFID reader
• I-button
• 9.7-inch second display screen
• 11.6-inch second display screen
• 15-inch second display screen
• 15.6-inch second display screen

USB peripherals include a 5MP camera, a 2D barcode scanner, a fingerprint reader, an i-button reader and a magnetic stripe reader. 

The company also offers touch monitors, touch panel PCs, distributed screens, pole mounts and PC boxes.

SpotOn

SpotOn, a provider of POS software and hardware for restaurants, demonstrated an integrated suite of solutions that support flexible payments, menu management, sales reporting, self-order kiosks, handhelds, 15- and 10-inch POS hardware and a 7-inch guest facing display. 

Options also include marketing software, website management, a kitchen display system, DoorDash online ordering, QR ordering, loyalty rewards management and an image based menu. Labor management features include automated scheduling, payroll management and an employee app.

Square Inc.

Square Inc., provider of a financial services ecosystem, updated attendees on its latest releases, including a conversational AI assistant and bitcoin payment acceptance.

The conversational AI assistant allows a user to visit their dashboard and ask questions about their business using natural language and receive instant answers. Square AI interprets the question, digs through relevant data within Square, and surfaces the answer – saving users from digging to find the right report, knowing how to set the right filters, or spending time combing through rows of data.

Square AI can address questions about metrics, trends, transaction analysis, staff performance, labor costs, customer insights and spending patterns.

The company also recently introduced the Square MCP (model context protocol) server, which allows users to use AI agentw to interact with Square’s APIs. The servier standardizes how Square connects and provides context to large language models such as ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude. 

Block Inc., Square’s parent company, recently announced it will launch bitcoin payments on Square, showcased at Bitcoin 2025 in Las Vegas

By leveraging the Lightning Network, the Square POS app enables merchants to accept bitcoin payments directly through their Square hardware. The native Bitcoin For Businesses offering will build upon its bitcoin conversions feature launched in 2024, which allows merchants to automatically convert a portion of their daily sales into bitcoin.

Star Micronics

Star Micronics, a manufacturer of POS, cloud printing and retail technology, presented a host of solutions.

The mC-Label2 Multimedia Printer is a front-loading, 2-inch label printer that prints traditional and linerless labels, tags, die-cut labels and receipts. The printer features all four connectivity ports (USB, LAN, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi) in a single interface. 

The TSP143IV X4 and SK X4 Series thermal printers feature Wi-Fi connectivity, and support for linerless labels for online ordering, labeling and POS environments.

StarIO.Online offers a cloud printing service that manages an entire fleet of printers from a single dashboard, requiring no servers or custom infrastructure. 

The CD5 Max Series Cash Drawers offer dual printer-driven and USB connectivity options.

Star Blue Receipt Paper and Label Rolls offer BPA/BPS-free and Prop-65-compliant receipt paper and labels.

In partnership with eConnect, Star Micronics also introduced an automated credentialing kiosk to enable faster check in for employees, vendors and contractors. The badging system uses facial recognition that allows the vendor, employee or contractor to check in at a security desk with an ID. The system then enrolls them using facial recognition. As soon as the system recognizes the person’s face, it prints a badge with a photo, timestamp and company logo. The system creates an audit history for each user.

TDSynnex

TDSynnex, an IT distributor and solutions aggregator, presented offerings born of the 2021 merger of Synnex and Tech Data. The company has a workforce of 23,000 employees with headquarters located in both Fremont, California and Clearwater, Florida.

TD Synnex partners with more than 2,500 technology vendors, delivering a portfolio that includes cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, analytics, AI, IoT, mobility solutions and “everything as a service” (XaaS). The company’s focus is on transforming digital platforms, customer engagement, supply chain excellence and vendor relationships.

Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions

Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions presented its MXP Vision kiosk to enable retail grab-and-go. The unit, available in 19- and 24-inch models, leverages computer vision technology that eliminates the need for product barcodes and simplifies the checkout process.

The customer places their items on the tray and the system automatically identifies the items for self-checkout. Integrated loss prevention tools ensure a secure transaction environment, while edge computing allows operations to continue even during service outages. 

The MxP Vision kiosk is designed with Toshiba’s Elera IoT security suite to reduce shrink and friction at self-checkout. Integrated with smart pad and edge camera technology, the MxP Vision kiosk provides the ability to monitor customer behavior and potential loss prevention activities such as double stacking.

Touch Dynamic

Touch Dynamic, a manufacturer of kiosks, small form factor PCs, mobile POS tablets and touchscreen monitors, introduced a pair of self-checkout kiosks: The Summit designed for QSRs and the Pagoda designed for supermarkets.

The Summit features a 21.5-inch projected capacitive touchscreen with multiple CUP options, wireless connectivity and Epson printer compatibility. Optional features include an ADA pad, a 2D barcode scanner and various payment modules.

The Pagoda features a 19-inch projected capacitive touchscreen, an Android 13 option, CUP choices, wireless connectivity and an easy-to-access service door. Options include various payment modules, a 2D barcode scanner and a camera.

URway Holdings/Kiosk Manufacturer Association

URway Holdings, a digital consulting, customer engagement and experience company and a member of the Kiosk Manufacturer Association, presented its current solution, a unified communications product that leverages conversational AI in a self-order kiosk.  See Conversational AI Audio Gets a Leg Up with AI Connect Bar

The AI Connect Bar combines microphones with a tuned, amplified speaker system into a single peripheral with a single USB connection that attaches to most all-in-one touchscreen kiosks. The speaker and microphone deliver precision voice reproduction.

The system leverages a wave-forming architecture to optimize sound dispersion while reducing unwanted resonance.

In addition to restaurants, the AI Connect Bar is suitable for healthcare and hospitality check-in, interactive retail kiosks, digital signage, directory and wayfinding kiosks, drive-thru systems and transportation venues.

Verifone

Verifone presented several self-checkout devices running on the Android operating system to allow diverse payment options.

The UX700 self-service kiosk for high volume indoor and outside environments features a 5-inch touchscreen, payment acceptance, integrated barcode scanner, a Qualcomm quad-core processor, 4G LTE and Wi-Fi connectivity and POS applications.

The company also presented its M450 and M425 multi-lane checkout solutions that allow brands to showcase promotions on touchscreens. The devices come in two different sizes and feature Qualcomm processors and remote skimmer detection to safeguard transaction and card information. The devices also feature a camera to accept payment and support buy-online/return-in-store.

WTI Wireless

WTI Wireless, a provider of machine-to-machine connectivity, presented its wireless 4G and 5G routers for 2-, 4- and 5-port devices.

The router’s remote power switch automatically reboots a locked device. The RPS (redundant power supply) pings the assigned IP address once each minute, and if the equipment does not respond after 10 attempts, the RPS will turn off the outlet for 10 seconds and then turn it back on.

The routers feature magnetic antennas, power adapters, Ethernet cables, PCI compliance, split data routing, cloud monitoring, dual SIM, plug and play, and primary or failover capabilities.

Following are highlights from the trade show in alphabetical order: