Cybertill, the leading European supplier of software-as-a-service (SaaS) retail systems, has been shortlisted in the IT Europa Independent Software Vendor awards, beating off stiff competition from across Europe. Cybertill was shortlisted with its customer, Dove House Hospice, a charity retailer based in Hull with over 30 shops.
The nomination highlights how Dove House Hospice has further improved its retail fundraising arm by deploying Cybertill’s new cloud-based “Advanced Gift Aid” retail software in its stores. Some of the benefits gained include: increasing gift aid* revenues, reducing fraud in store and eradicating all missed gift aid sales.
Dove House Hospice was the first charity in the country to use Cybertill’s new Advanced Gift Aid Software. This version has superceded Cybertill’s previous gift aid software, which around one in three charity shops in the UK currently use.
Since deploying Advanced Gift-Aid Dove House’s Gift-Aid revenues have increased dramatically, in two years gift-aid claimed has increased by almost £50,000: 2012 saw an increase of 27% (YoY) in gift-aid revenue up to £122,240.
Advanced Gift Aid introduces retail best practice to the charity sector, in that every item sold has its own barcode, this is created when the goods are donated. Like other retailers Dove House defines stock in ‘categories’ (e.g. Menswear) and ‘sub-categories’ (e.g. Trousers). So when selling goods, by scanning the unique barcode, it captures every item sold. Marisa Haines, Retail Division Manager, explains, “We can now analyse exactly what we sell. We used to churn out shops, in that 40% was ladieswear, 20% menswear etc. Some categories don’t sell in some shops no matter what the price, so now we know we remove that category. Now we maximise sales per foot in each shop and look at sales in a mainstream retail way.”
With Advanced Gift-Aid every item is barcoded so shoplifters cannot swap ticket prices, eliminating ticket swapping in-store. Advanced Gift-Aid speeds up transaction time at the till point, as volunteers and staff no longer have to input the item and price but simply scan a barcode then take payment.
“Advanced Gift Aid is changing the way charities approach retail,” commented Ian Tomlison, Cybertill CEO. “Cybertill’s Advanced Gift Aid has helped Dove House significantly increase its revenues, as well offer many other benefits. We are now finding many more charities adopting Advanced Gift Aid thanks to Dove House’s pioneering spirit.”
* Gift Aid Explained:
When individuals (who pay UK tax) donate goods to a charity shop, that charity is able to claim back the tax that they have paid on the donation from the government, with the donors consent. This is called Gift Aid and it typically allows charities to claim an additional 25p in every £1 they earn when selling donated goods. The processes in reclaiming gift aid involve intensive administration, but Cybertill automates this process for charities.
