Give your retail EFTPOS a boost.

Watching Malcolm McCullough behind the counter at his Victoria Market delicatessen, it’s hard to believe that just seven years ago, this same apron-clad shopkeeper was sitting comfortably, suited up in a corporate office. A natural-born trader, you’d be forgiven for assuming he’d been serving customers his whole life. And in a way, he has. After cutting his teeth at Target in the late 80s, Malcolm went on to open the very first Bunnings store in 1994, later assuming the title of Managing Director for the Disney stores across the Asia-Pacific. After a stint at Starbucks in the USA, he was eventually headhunted for the role of CEO at the Queen Victoria Market where he was instrumental in putting together the plan for the market’s new redevelopment. However, a desire to get back to his roots sparked a career change, and when he got the inside scoop on one of the market stalls going up for sale, it was all the convincing he needed. In 2017, Malcolm and his wife Anna took over Bill’s Farm – a stalwart of Victoria Market’s iconic deli hall that’s been dispensing cheese and cold cuts for nearly three decades. When asked what it was like swapping an executive office for a cosy 32-square-metre shopfront, Malcolm says the move was natural: “Managing 600 stores and 6,000 staff is obviously more strategic as opposed to hands on, but you're still in the stores. Most of my roles have been operational, spending time on the ground, seeing the staff, talking to them about what's working, what's not working. So none of that was any different other than the fact that I’m actually spending a lot more time with customers.” Measure twice, cut once. While you can take the man out of the strategy, you can’t take the strategy out of the man. Malcolm’s approach to business leans heavily on his years of corporate retail experience. From customer service to stock rotation, staffing and business development, nothing is left to chance. When COVID hit, Malcolm was quick to come up with a strategic roster: “We had two teams of staff with two different weeks. One week on, one week off, but we still paid them every week. It just meant that if one of the people on one team got COVID, that whole team would go away to isolate, and the other team would come in and run the business. So, we were never in a situation where we had to close.” This highly considered approach is implemented across every facet of Malcolm’s business and it shows. “We manage our stock extremely well to the point that we have 26 stock turns a year. So we turn over the stock in the whole store every two weeks. We have very minimal wastage.” An enviable result and one that Malcolm and Anna have achieved through employing the ‘open-to-buy’ approach, a common retail strategy that ensures your inventory remains balanced at the perfect level to meet demand, and avoid over or under stocking. “We know exactly how much dollar value we can spend each week. We're not just going and buying. We also take the kitchen pantry approach: we have 510 products, but we're not going to get Kellogg's cornflakes in until we've taken Coco Pops out.” Going with the cash flow. Closely following every dollar that goes out and comes in, is one of the keys to the deli’s success, but Malcolm doesn’t do it alone. His armada of tech tools – Xero, Zeller and Atria point-of-sale – integrate together, allowing him and Anna to track every transaction and expense down to the cent. “With the POS, we know how much margin we make per product per day. It's just phenomenal the data that you can get.” he explains, “I think there are a lot of businesses out there that don't understand how much things cost and don't have an opinion on how their business performance is going. We look at it every week. We know exactly where our profit is going to finish at the end of the financial year, and then we'll forecast for the next financial year. We'll measure it every week to see how we're going against that budget.” For Malcolm and Anna, a key component of this analysis was unlocked when they transitioned their EFTPOS to Zeller Terminal . “Our merchant fees in the 2019-2020 financial year totaled $28,000… it was just out of control.” explains Malcolm, who became exasperated by the banks’ lack of flexibility especially when cashless payments skyrocketed during COVID. Thanks to their new EFTPOS solution, they’re spending less on merchant fees and saving money through strategic staffing: “The Zeller Dashboard is really handy for giving us information about when those transactions are happening. If they are varying at certain periods of time in the day, it means that we've got a requirement for less or more people. So we use it to help our rostering.” A changing demographic. If the ebb and flow of customers are worth monitoring anywhere, it’s the Queen Victoria Market. From the sudden halt of tourism at the beginning of the pandemic to the surge in people working from home, and the swelling local population living in new high-density developments, customer trends have changed significantly in recent years. “We no longer get that regular lunchtime customer who’s working in the city… and there aren’t as many tourists as there used to be. But we’re finding that we’re picking up new customers every single week from people who are moving into town, especially young university students but also just people living in the city.” Malcolm explains. Despite the market’s near 150-year history, running a successful business within it comes down to understanding the value it brings to today’s customer. The shifting demographic is having an impact not only on when customers are coming, but what they are buying. “We're finding that customers want to see what the new cheese is, what the new product is… they're looking for something different. They don’t necessarily want to do what they did yesterday.” says Malcolm. Having worked in other densely populated cities such as Hong Kong and Singapore, the retail specialist understands exactly why this is: “When people live above the shops they shop in, you need to constantly change your offer to make something different, better, put new stuff in.” he explains. Think big, act small, start now. Looking ahead, Malcolm has no plans of slowing down. He’s closely following the five-year business plan that he established when he took over Bill’s Farm, which includes growing their online orders and corporate catering. In-store, he’s intent on continuing to keep his customers and staff happy, and for that, he’s always prepared to change tack. “One of the things I love about retail is that you can change something today and see the results immediately. In other businesses it sometimes takes a long time to get through that process of strategy becoming reality.” Indeed, agility has proven to be the pillar of success for Bill’s Farm, which has held steadfast through a pandemic and now a cost-of-living crisis. “All you have to do is think big, act small and start now.” Coming from a retail veteran whose strategies have served him at Disney as they have in the deli, his maxim is one worth remembering. To read about other Australians growing their businesses with Zeller, head to the Zeller Business Blog and sign up to our newsletter to receive stories straight to your inbox.

in.cube8r is a one-of-a-kind Melbourne retail gallery that breaks all the rules of traditional retail, enabling hundreds of local artists to sell their creations and keep 100% of the profits. We spoke with in.cube8r’s owner, Elle-May Michaels, to learn how her unconventional business model works, the challenges of running a bustling multi-artist marketplace, and how partnering with Zeller has eliminated payment friction while supporting her mission of artist empowerment. Incubating a creative marketplace for artists. Walking into in.cube8r, you never know what to expect. With two locations (a long-running Fitzroy gallery and a newer Melbourne Central store), in.cube8r is home to around 280 “Cubers” – local painters, jewellers, fashion designers, and makers of all kinds, each renting a literal cube of space to showcase their work. Unlike a typical boutique that carefully curates stock and takes a hefty commission, in.cube8r flips the script. “It’s like an artist market, but in a retail store. Retail, but not retail.” Elle-May says. “It breaks the rules where you’re supposed to have a niche and so on. I like that it's a little bit chaotic, it makes it fun.” in.cube8r’s model puts artists in charge of their own micro retail space. They pay a membership fee and a small daily rent for a cube, but keep all the proceeds of every sale – a novel arrangement compared to traditional retail. For Elle-May, this approach creates a safe sandbox for creativity. “There’s security in the model – we rent a space to the artist like a market stall, and they keep 100% of sales,” she explains. “Unlike a curated homewares store that has to worry about price points and trends, we can say, ‘If you want to try that weird green, go for it.’ That doesn’t really exist anywhere else.” Over nearly two decades (and under Elle-May’s ownership for the last nine years) in.cube8r has grown into a creative community. Artists renting cubes are fondly called “Cubers,” and many stick around for years. Elle-May and her team actively mentor their makers in marketing and business skills to help them thrive. “Before in.cube8r, I worked in marketing & communications, which helped me advise on things like marketing, systems and growing their business, and people started staying longer as Cubers,” she recalls. It’s a successful if unconventional retail ecosystem built on artist empowerment, but it also comes with some unique operational challenges, especially when it comes to payments. High-volume sales means no room for payment friction. On a busy day, hundreds of purchases flow through in.cube8r’s registers – from $5 handmade cards to $500 artworks – creating a high-transaction, high-noise environment. With so many sales and such a unique commission-free model, it’s essential that every transaction is seamless. Covering in.cube8r’s running costs relies on rental fees, since artists keep the full sale amount of their goods sold. For Elle-May, ensuring payments are seamless and transparent has always been mission-critical – but her previous payment systems weren’t up to the task. In the past, Elle-May used a Square card reader that left her constantly on edge. “We do 200 transactions a day and the store is noisy – I’d miss declined payments because I didn’t see the screen,” she says, recalling how her old EFTPOS terminal lacked audible alerts. “The Square terminals were inconsistent with making a noise when payments declined, and I lost money because of that.” Other issues piled on too, like intermittent disconnects and clunky hardware that chewed up printer paper. Processing payments had become a point of friction for both staff and customers. “I tried other terminals too, but they kept disconnecting. The thermal receipt paper left dust everywhere. It was a mess,” Elle-May says. For a fast-moving creative hub like in.cube8r, these hiccups were costing time, money and patience. She needed a better solution, one that could keep up with a bustling store and not detract from the shopping experience. A seamless switch to a solution that just works. Elle-May began searching for a payments partner that could not only meet in.cube8r’s needs today, but also grow with her vision for the future. With plans to expand to more locations, she knew any new system had to be easy to use, reliable, and innovative. “I was really looking for a provider that could meet our needs in the present but also continue to innovate as we grow,” she explains. “Having something easy to use, looks good, is cost-effective and shares our values is really important to us.” Those requirements led her to Zeller – and the decision to switch was cemented by an outstanding first impression. From the moment she reached out, Zeller made the transition smooth. “Zeller’s customer service was brilliant,” Elle-May says. “I enquired, got a call within an hour, and they came to the store that day with the terminals.” The quick, personalised service meant in.cube8r was up and running with Zeller in no time. Elle-May was also struck by Zeller’s modern, small-business-friendly approach. “Being local matters. It didn’t feel like an outdated company pretending to be modern,” she laughs, comparing Zeller to some legacy providers. “A lot of others feel like old services in a shiny new box. With Zeller, someone just came out and set everything up, added our logo, did it all.” Once Zeller Terminal was in place, the benefits for in.cube8r became clear immediately. The devices fit right in with the store’s busy environment, including bright, full-colour digital displays and clear audio alerts to communicate the transaction status. “Zeller is much better. The terminal lights up and makes a noise when something declines,” Elle-May notes, meaning no more missed payments even on the busiest days. Transactions process quickly and reliably, without the dropouts that plagued her old machines. And unlike some older EFTPOS machines, Zeller Terminal doesn’t grind to a halt if the receipt paper runs out. In fact, Elle-May has configured her Zeller Terminal not to print a merchant copy at all, cutting down on clutter. “You don’t have to jam paper into the terminal to keep it going after the roll runs out. It just works.” Making the day to day easier? There’s an art to it. Zeller has smoothed out many other day-to-day kinks in the payment process too. Refunds (even partial ones) are straightforward, so Elle-May’s team can quickly assist customers without having to phone for help. “It’s saved me time and stress. My staff can use it without needing to ask questions, and refunds are easy. If someone is over- or undercharged, it’s simple to look up the transaction in the Zeller Dashboard. Fewer problems in the store means fewer things distracting me from the pottery wheel on my day off!" Simplifying expenses with Zeller Debit Card. For Elle-May, managing small business expenses has also become significantly easier thanks to the Zeller Debit Card. Petty cash used to be a necessary inconvenience for minor daily purchases, but now those days are behind her. “Being able to use the Zeller Debit Card has been really good, it means no more need for petty cash. If we need something for the store, like stationery for example, we just take the Zeller Debit Card – no more messy petty cash.” Zeller Debit Card also streamlines in.cube8r's recurring digital payments, providing clarity and organisation to the business's finances. Elle-May explains: “I’ve also set up a digital card which I use for our online subscriptions so that all goes through one account. So I've been able to segment transactions in a way that's been really helpful.” Focusing on business, not payments. With Zeller handling the heavy lifting at the counter, Elle-May can focus on what she cares about most – supporting her community of artists and continuing to grow the in.cube8r concept. The reliability and ease of Zeller’s all-in-one financial offering means she spends less time troubleshooting payments and more time curating collections and planning events, activations, and future expansions. “The best feedback I can give is: there’s no friction,” she says of the payment experience now. “With Zeller, people don’t notice the payment process, which is exactly how it should be.” Her experience has meant that Elle-May has become an advocate for Zeller among her network of small business owners. “Would I recommend Zeller? Yes. I already have,” she laughs. “I tell them the terminals are great and the customer service is fantastic. It just works.”

If you were wearing a vintage pair of Levi's in the early '80s, there's a strong chance they were sourced by Tina Lowe and Ross Waddington. The founders of vintage clothing store, Route 66 , were arguably the first to bring second hand American fashion to Australia. Forging a community of devotees not just through clothing, but through the musical subculture it serves, the couple has created a 40-year legacy that continues to thrive in Sydney's inner west. Today run by their son Leroi, Route 66 has no plans of slowing. We sat down with Tina and Leroi to talk about selling old school fashion in the age of technology. From America’s heartland to Greville St, Prahran. Route 66 started on the eponymous mother road that crosses North America, connecting the East to the West. Cruising through beautiful grasslands and sun-scorched landscapes, Tina and Ross spent six months in their Chevy station wagon chasing swap meets and collecting vintage treasures through America’s heartland. Back in Melbourne they opened their first shop on Greville Street, Prahran. Far from the clean, gentrified image the street exudes today, the run-down highstreet of 1983 boasted cheap rent and a community of musicians, artists, students and hippies: a market primed for their haul of anti-fashion. Route 66 was one of the very first retailers to introduce Australians to classic vintage American fashion, and helped change the public’s view on used clothing, which until this point was exclusively available at the Salvos or St Vincent de Paul. “I wanted to get people to understand buying vintage clothing. Clothing that’s been imported and selected as opposed to opp shop clothing. So I made sure that everything was absolutely clean, presented on really good hangers, and displayed really well” Tina explains. Ross’s passion for American roots music, from pre-war blues to '60s garage, drew in even more people, helping to make this iconic store much more than just another clothing outlet. “It gave us a point of difference, by creating a sub-culture around the music we played. So, it became really popular and that’s what we became renowned for. It was about sharing the things we loved.” says Tina. The winning sartorial strategy. Following the overwhelming success of the Melbourne store — Tina moved to Sydney five years later, in the summer of 1988, to open Route 66’s second store on the iconic Crown Street strip in Surry Hills. Tina says it’s here that things really took off, in large part thanks to the Sydney-based magazines that featured them, but also owing to Tina’s more strategic approach, “In Sydney I started buying and mixing in new clothing with the vintage so that customers could buy a complete outfit. Because what’s difficult with vintage is finding the right sizing, especially with jeans and pants.” Well before the ‘buy better, buy less’ mantra entered the common vernacular, Tina was championing timeless fashion. “It’s always been about finding that classic item that you’ll love forever, it’s not disposable fashion. That’s why even with the new stuff I try to select items that still have a vintage, timeless feel, you know like Levi’s 501s. So, I guess that's always been my concept without even really thinking about it, I just did it instinctively. Retailing on the right side of history. “I didn't think I was going to last this long” says Tina, “but now with this whole movement away from fast fashion, people are more aware. Buying vintage has become much more accepted and people actually feel better buying things that are not going to landfill.” The growing environmental consciousness has led to a boom in the pre-loved clothing industry: a study by Reluv reported that about 75% of Australians purchased secondhand clothing last year. Yet even with this growing trend towards sustainable fashion, Tina knows they can’t rest on their laurels, “We still have to stay on top of a certain style, we can’t just sell any old second-hand clothes.” At Route 66, each piece is hand-selected, cleaned and pressed, offering customers not only a collection of unique styles from eras gone by, but garments that have and continue to stand the test of time. “I love it when someone comes in and they've had their favourite jacket or pair of jeans for the last 10 years, I think that's fantastic” says Tina. Old threads meet new technology. Boasting the biggest supply of second hand 501 Levi’s in all of Sydney does indeed come with its difficulties. “With the dollar fluctuating all the time and shipping costs going up, that’s really very challenging. Not to mention rent and everything else that’s going up” explains Tina. To combat rising prices and streamline their operations, Route 66 has been using Zeller Terminal since April 2022. “I'm so old school, I used to do everything on paper… But I’ve found Zeller has made taking money so much easier, and having a record of it. I can log in at any time to see how they're doing at work. Which is really fantastic, I couldn't do that before” explains Tina. Additionally, being able to track sales has allowed them to optimise their rostering, “We can see what days are the busiest during the week, and make comparisons... it’s really good to be able to check when it’s busy when you're not there” explains Leroi. Having a system that can easily support refunds, work wirelessly, and provide additional branding also proves to be a boon for any business dealing in vintage wares, “if something breaks, I can refund someone and it’s very easy to do” says Leroi, “and it's great that it’s got a SIM card in it so I can go anywhere with it, which is very handy when we’re doing a market or an event. Plus having the logo on the receipt makes it a bit more individual.” Invest local, think global. When Ross passed away in 2011, it marked the end of Route 66’s presence in Melbourne. However his son Leroi has his sights set on reopening a second store in the brand’s founding city within the next few years. Until then, he is focusing on growing the online business and getting more people through the door in Newtown. Following the legacy that helped build the brand’s profile in the '80s, Leroi has been organising music events and free shows in-store: an out-of-the-ordinary marketing tactic that’s paying dividends. “The council helps us out a bit with putting on live music and then we partner with Young Henrys and Heaps Normal to provide the drinks. It helps to build a bit more of a community vibe.” And it’s not the only way Route 66 is investing back into the community, they regularly donate gift vouchers at the local pub’s spin-the-wheel competition to further embed their brand name into the local culture. In conjunction with an active Instagram presence, Route 66 has successfully built more than just a brand, it’s built a cultural institution, “We mostly get returning customers” says Leroi, “there are a lot of artists or musicians who hang around the area, and they’ll always pop in.” Paradoxically, by investing so heavily in their community and supporting the local arts scene they’ve garnered a loyal network of followers that extends much further than their postcode, “We get people coming in from Melbourne or interstate or even overseas… the Instagram presence makes a big difference." For a business dealing in old school clothing, Route 66’s approach to retail is far from dated. Keeping their offering fresh and accessible, fostering a community and embracing new technology have kept the Waddington’s family business alive and thriving for over four decades. A winning combination that you might just say, is the road to success. To read about other Australians growing their businesses with Zeller, head to the Zeller Business Blog and sign up to our newsletter to receive stories straight to your inbox.