In light of current developments and local efforts towards containment, local brick and mortar businesses (and wholesalers who supply them with products) may witness a steep drop in the number of customers visiting their store and in overall business volume. Businesses that have a presence online will not be affected that much, because their existing online solutions allow them to carry out business remotely even in these difficult times. 

Businesses that do not have a presence online have an opportunity to develop websites and mobile apps, so that they can move some part of business online, or making it an option because doing so is beneficial to their long term interests. These businesses can benefit from getting 

1. An iOS or Android app for promoting your products and services online.
2. A website that provides details about the services, products and special offers you provide.
3. In addition to a website or app, Local SEO services so that local customers can find your business.
4. An e-commerce website from where you can advertise and sell products, services and special offers.

For those that have a presence online, we can help you improve interaction on your websites and mobile apps by providing a quick turn around and deployment of solutions you need.

For Retailers

1. Adding eCommerce to existing catalog website, to collect orders and payments, or inquiries about products
2. Build iOS and Android apps for promoting products across additional channels.
3. Tailoring PPC and SEO campaigns to target key-words and phrases that are in trend for their business.
4. Schedule an appointment – for customers to join in for screen sharing and video conferencing.
5. Tailored pop up notes, Chat/Chatbots, SMS, push notifications, etc. – informing about the change in the availability of staff at the store or change in delivery schedules for orders received.
6. Integrating additional online payment gateways including pay over-time options.
7. Integrating social media sharing tools to build product and brand awareness and keeping customers informed.

For Wholesalers

1. Mobile App, for sharing New Arrivals, marketing media and latest price updates with retailers.
2. App or Web-Based Tools that your sales force can use to easily communicate with the retailers and help them manage orders etc.
3. Individual accounts with secure access for Retailers from where they can interact with products and place orders.
4. Online tools that retailers can use to sell merchandise online – like inventory in excel file with images, iFrames, Dropshipping module, etc.
5. Customizing Tools to manage and streamline workflow online – We can also customize these tools to work with existing office management tools currently in use by the business.
6. Schedule an appointment – for customers to join in for screen sharing and video conferencing.
7. Tailored pop up notes, Chat/Chatbots, SMS, push notifications, etc. – informing about the change in the availability of staff at the store or change in delivery schedules for orders received

Feel free to get in touch with us to know more about any feature mentioned above. We are happy to provide you with the support you need to rise above these difficult times.

At QualDev, we are closely monitoring and addressing the challenges of the corona-virus (COVID-19).

As the number of people affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to increase worldwide; and from our understanding of the critical role QualDev plays for your business, we have implemented best practices to ensure that we are ready to support you and your business needs, without compromising the health and the safety of our team members, who are the heart of our organization.

We Learn, We Prepare, We Take Action Read More.

The post How Retailers Can Mitigate Business Losses Due To Coronavirus Pandemic appeared first on QualDev.

Data privacy and data security have been at the forefront of discussions over the last couple of years. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) brought in a wave of change in May 2018 on this front. However, it was primarily applicable to businesses operating within the European Union or those having customers in the EU.

The California State Legislature passed a similar bill in June 2018. Post amendments, the act has been brought into effect at the start of this year, on January 1, 2020.

An Introduction to the California Consumer Privacy Act

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is a statewide statute and is also referred to as AB-375. While this is a state law, it has several larger implications for the rest of the United States, too. 

Passed with a view to bolster privacy and protect consumer data, the CCPA is revolutionary in many ways. Read on to learn more about this act and its implications on how you handle customer information. 

CCPA – What You Need to Know About Compliance, Provisions and Requirements

As a for-profit organization or enterprise that conducts business in the state of California, it is essential that you read up on everything there is around this revolutionary act. So, why should you care about this act? The California Consumer Privacy Act applies to businesses that fall under any of the following category or type:

• An entity that has gross annual revenues of over $25 million
• A business that deals in the buying or selling of 50,000+ Californian consumers’ personal data
• A business that earns over half of its annual revenues through the selling of Californian customers’ information 

If the above applies to your business, you must adhere to the provisions in the AB-375. Here are the most important requirements for your business to fulfill according to the California Consumer Privacy Act: 

• Streamlined data collection – The act requires businesses to put in place an organized structure and a streamlined process for collecting consumers’ personal data. 

• Full disclosure – Businesses must disclose what information they are collecting, the purpose for this data collection and which third-party businesses they share it with. You are liable to disclose 12 months’ worth of data collected if a consumer requests disclosure or deletion (free of cost).

• The option to opt out – Businesses need to feature a visible and clear link on homepage that says ‘DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION’. This link should not ask the customer to create an account in order to opt out. 

• Underage customers – For consumers under the age of 13 years, it is imperative for businesses to sell their personal data only if authorized by their parents or legal guardian. For those between 13 and 15, a business must first take opt-in consent before selling any data. 

What is personal information under CCPA?

According to the CCPA, personal information is:

Any information that identifies, relates to, describes or is reasonably capable of being associated with, or could be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular consumer or household.

When we talk about “personal” information or data, it may include things like:

• Cookies
• Phone numbers
• Account names
• Driver’s license
• Passport number
• Social Security number
• Insurance policy number
• Credit card number
• Debit card number
• Bank account details
• IP addresses
• Pixel tags
• Geographical location history 
• Internet browsing history
• Search history
• Personal preferences (sexual, religious, political, behavioral, etc.)
• Biometric information (facial recognition, retina, fingerprint, voice samples, etc.)

Other Important Things Businesses Must Remember About CCPA

1. The consumer has the right to demand businesses to stop selling their personal information to any third party. In such a case, the business in question must avoid selling any user information or face heavy fines.
2. The timeframe given to businesses to react or respond to an opt-out request is 15 days. They need to stop further selling of customer data in this period and also alert any parties who have bought such data in the preceding 90 days.
3. You are required to include a two-step process for the deletion of customer information. The first step involves request submission and the second one is where the user agrees to the deletion of data. 
4. You should also update your privacy policy and include the aforementioned particulars in detail. You can also provide a tollfree number or link through which your visitors or buyers can avail these rights. 
5. Businesses must ensure that customers wouldn’t be penalized with price hikes or substandard service when they exercise their rights.

Am I CCPA Compliant If I Am GDPR Compliant? 

The simple answer to that question is that GDPR compliance does not equate to being CCPA compliance. One cannot deny the fact that there are a few common factors that point towards the similarities between CCPA and GDPR. However, there are some key differences between the two under privacy disclosure, data collection, nondiscrimination, enforcement and more.

How is CCPA different than GDPR?

Here are the primary factors that make the CCPA different from GDPR:

• CCPA protects residents of California, whether or not they are currently in the state. GDPR safeguards EU residents. 
• While there is no grace period for businesses under GDPR, the CCPA gives you time to rectify any violations and inform your consumers about it.
• CCPA refers to businesses in general, while GDPR makes a clear distinction between “data collectors” and “data processors.”
• GDPR’s financial penalties are applicable for non-compliance, whereas CCPA fines are only applied if/when a data breach happens.

Feeling overwhelmed with all this new information? Don’t worry, we have got you covered. While you focus on the business side of things, you can leave the website bit to us. Make modifications to your business website or build one from scratch with Qualdev. 

With over 15 years of experience, Qualdev has served more than 400 clients across geographies and industries to deliver a suite of cutting-edge mobile and web apps, websites and digital marketing solutions. Get in touch with us to know how we can assist you or fill up this form to request a quote now!

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