Retail Archives - Joshua Bellendir

From Concept to Checkout in 7 Weeks: A Next-Gen POS Pilot in Airport Retail

Joshua — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 05:29:37 +0000

From project kickoff to live transactions in roughly seven weeks, this POS pilot moved from concept to in-store reality. The solution is fully integrated with our merchandising ERP, with up-to-date pricing and promotions, returns, and e-receipts. Not your typical POS, the MishiPay platform launched with multiple operating modes including Scan & Go, Mobile POS, and Self Checkout.

The timing could not have been better. This capability helped us scale effectively during peak demand around the F1 race weekend in Las Vegas, especially across high-traffic airport locations.

Huge credit to the MishiPay team and the WHSmith North America IT team for the focus, collaboration, and execution under tight timelines. Very proud of what the teams were able to accomplish.

This is what strong partnership and disciplined delivery looks like.

Special shout-out to Carl Woo, Steve Baltzer, Ron Silverio, Don Chaney, and Gary Yu for going above and beyond to make this successful.

Click here to see the device in action and read MishiPay’s LinkedIn post for a behind-the-scenes look at the pilot.

#RetailTech #POS #DigitalTransformation #Teamwork #F1 #AirportRetail #NewLaunch

The post From Concept to Checkout in 7 Weeks: A Next-Gen POS Pilot in Airport Retail appeared first on Joshua Bellendir.

Why Every IT Leader Should Read “Fostering Innovation” by Andrew Laudato

Joshua — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 17:02:00 +0000

Just finished my second read of Fostering Innovation: How to Build an Amazing IT Team by Andrew Laudato—a must-read for any IT leader or aspiring CIO.

Packed with practical lessons and strategies you can apply right away, it resonated so much that I bought copies for my team.

I first met Andrew at an event organized by Jumpmind’s CEO, Joe Corbin. Hearing Andrew share his journey from CIO at Pier 1 Imports to COO of The Vitamin Shoppe was truly inspiring. Beyond his impressive experience, what stood out was his genuine nature and positivity. Reading his book, you quickly see the kind of positive culture he builds and why his teams thrive.

For those in IT leadership (or aspiring to it), I can’t recommend this book enough. Get a signed copy here: https://andrewlaudato.com/

A special thank you to Andrew Laudato for the conversation, the book, and his Sunshine and Coffee newsletter (and yes, the mug too!).

The post Why Every IT Leader Should Read “Fostering Innovation” by Andrew Laudato appeared first on Joshua Bellendir.

Fireside Chat @ Oracle Retail’s 2023 Cross Talk Event

Joshua — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 19:11:27 +0000

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of speaking at Oracle Retail’s Cross Talk event. During this engaging fireside chat with Jason Gautereaux, I had the opportunity to share the remarkable journey of how our business and IT teams deployed the Oracle Merchandise Financial Planning solution. Impressively, we achieved this feat within a span of just 16 weeks!

It wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work, dedication, and collaboration between our business/IT teams and our partners RetSci and Columbus Consulting International. A big shout-out to Shelly Clausen, Serena Scibilia, Scott Bornstein, Alan Reyes, Don Chaney, Gary Yu, Jeff Fisher, Bill Zacher, De’Korey Sanders, David Floum, and Cindy Hitt.

As a first-time participant and speaker at Cross Talk, I was pleasantly surprised by the event’s format and the exceptional quality of the sessions. The content presented was laser-focused on retailers and was thoughtfully delivered by industry experts who share our retail perspective. The connections forged during the event were truly invaluable, and I look forward to attending next year!

Here is a link to the session details:
https://go.oracle.com/CrossTalk2023
Fireside Chat Recording

#WHSmith #WHSNA #Oracle #oraclecloud #merchandiseplanning #AI #oracleMFP #aifoundation #BusinessSystems #planners #retail

The post Fireside Chat @ Oracle Retail’s 2023 Cross Talk Event appeared first on Joshua Bellendir.

Panel Speaker at the Airports Council International (ACI) Business of Airports Conference 2023

Joshua — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 19:29:44 +0000

Last week, I had the honor of speaking at the ACI Business of Airports Conference. It was an incredible experience to share the stage with Carlos Ruiz, A.A.E., Hannah Meredith, C.M., Christina Apatow, and Valentina Ellison, MBA. Together, we engaged in a panel discussion on the future of retail technology and how innovation and automation are evolving the customer experience in airports.

I would like to thank Carlos Ruiz, A.A.E. for skillfully moderating such an engaging topic and providing me the opportunity to share a bit about autonomous stores and the amazing things we are doing at WHSmith North America. It’s exciting times ahead for those in retail and IT.

Airports Council International – North America – Thank you for the opportunity, it was a fantastic conference!

#futureofretail #autonomousstores #retailtechnology #JWO #AWS #retail #innovation #technology

The post Panel Speaker at the Airports Council International (ACI) Business of Airports Conference 2023 appeared first on Joshua Bellendir.

2019 Retail Industry Outlook

Joshua — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 02:16:39 +0000

What does 2019 hold for the retail industry? Deloitte’s latest report highlights six strategies that can help retailers strengthen their competitiveness and position themselves for long-term success.

Over the past two decades, many retailers have fundamentally shifted how they invest. Instead of relying on growth through new store openings, companies have redirected capital toward large-scale initiatives across the organization. These investments include expanding digital sales channels, acquiring complementary businesses, upgrading supply chain capabilities, and modernizing fulfillment operations.

These changes are essential for competing in an increasingly digital and customer-centric marketplace. However, they have also increased the cost of gaining market share. Retailers today face a more challenging environment, where agility, operational efficiency, and clear strategic vision are more important than ever.

To explore Deloitte’s full analysis and the six strategies shaping the future of the industry, you can read the complete report here:
https://www2.deloitte.com/tw/en/pages/consumer-business/articles/2019-retail-trend.html

The post 2019 Retail Industry Outlook appeared first on Joshua Bellendir.