March 2011 Issue 2

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Postec

Lunch N' Learn  

March 22 

Roswell, GA

MDI

 (Merchants Distributors Inc.)

April 20

Hickory, NC

 Microsoft Convergence

April 10-12

Atlanta, GA

 AWG

(Associated Wholesale Grocers)

April 13

 Nashville, TN

  IBM RS4 Conference

   April 4-7

Chicago, IL

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More Customer Interaction with Mobile Apps

We know what you're thinking, i-this, i-that, i-i-i. Sounds like sea talk! No, it's a new reality facing the grocery industry. Your customers are demanding a more interactive shopping experience. Read more about what's happening. Click on the link below.

Mobile Apps

Grocery IQ Mobile App

The reviews are in and Grocery IQ is a "brilliant grocery list application." It was also voted one of the five hottest iPhone apps, according to the USA Today.  Are your customers using Grocery IQ? Check out their web site.

Grocery IQ 

The cost-effective IBM SurePOS 300™ solution optimizes POS investment and lowers total cost of ownership. It offers retail-hardened design for extended service life and is built on open standards for POS application and operating system choice.

The outlook for 2011 is much brighter than it's been for the two previous years. Consumers seem to be back in the stores, and the average spend is up, based on reports about retail spending for the 2011 holiday season. However, there are still many challenges ahead. In the grocery industry, margins are shrinking due to competition from big box retailers like Wal-Mart and others. Additionally, shoppers have access to the latest pricing information via smart phones which enable them to price shop for items as they are shopping in your store. Given the tight margins and tough competition, you need to spot trends, control costs, and keep your customers happy in order to survive.

At Postec, our job is to help you do your job better. We offer new technology and programs that can help you to manage your business more efficiently and increase sales. Many of our latest innovations can be added to your existing system. Regardless of whether you want to increase revenue, improve security, or simply manage costs, our staff is here and ready to assist you.

Call us today to find out how we can help make 2011 a great year for your business.   

We look forward to working with you in the near future.

Best Regards,

David

Do You have a Technology Upgrade Plan?

Supermarket News recently hosted a panel discussion that centered on the need for independent grocers to "harness the power of technology in order to remain relevant and competitive." The study pointed out that independent grocers are starting to make a broad range of investments in technology from PCI compliance, to total retrofits of cash lanes and networks. Additionally, the study determined that smaller retailers quite often do not have the in-house expertise to move forward with IT projects, which sometimes prevents them from making investments in new technology. Ask yourself the following questions: 1- Am I taking full advantage of technological innovations that can help drive my business today, and into the future.  2- Do I have the in-house capabilities to implement IT projects? To learn more about how Postec can help with your technology needs please contact us at: grocery@postec.com.

Believe it or not, your customers know more about the products on your shelves than your employees. In a recent survey conducted by Motorola Solutions, 55% of the retailers surveyed said that, "their customers, were better connected to consumer information, than in-stores associates." More importantly, a staggering 28% of the stores visited during the survey ended with abandoned purchases that averaged in excess of $130. The main reasons cited for the lost sales are due to: 1- lack of helpful/knowledgeable store staff, 2-out-of-stock items, 3- long check-out process, and deal-habituated savvy consumers-deal hunters. Do you know your customers? Are you in the ranks of losing business? Postec can help with LOC Store Management Suite. Contact is today at grocery@postec.com.

Click Here to Learn More About LOC Store Management Suite

Retailers at the National Retail Federation's Big Show in New York City visited the IBM booth to learn about the company's new self-checkout system.

IBM Self Checkout System 6 has modular scanning, payment and bagging units, new cash-recycling capabilities and offers retailers a solution that can optimize front-end checkout and provide real investment protection. It's designed to help speed checkout, optimize floor space, and improve cash management and security, with a continued focus on quality, reliability and security, as well as compliance with PCI Security Standards. To learn more about the new IBM Self-Checkout System, contact grocery@postec.com.

Are you using GS1 DataBar symbols in your store? Did you know that the GS1 DataBar carries more information and is better at identifying small items than its predecessor EAN/UPC barcode? GS1 DataBar enables GTIN identification for fresh variable measure and hard-to-mark products like loose produce, meat, and other perishable items that are on your grocery shelves. Additionally, the new barcode carries GS1 Application Identifiers that contain information like lot numbers, and expiration dates. These data elements create solutions that support product authentication and traceability for fresh food products and couponing. Implementing the new format takes some planning and an evaluation of your existing scanners, POS software, scales, label printers, and bar code design software. If you're not ready, or have questions, contact Postec at grocery@postec.com. We're ready to assist you.

Greenville Meats, founded in 1979, provides fresh cut meats at wholesale to over 1,000 customer locations across the southeast, primarily fast food restaurants.   They operate plant facilities in Greenville and Columbia, SC, as well as 3 retail locations in the Greenville area.  Seeing the demand from customers in the original retail store, they added a full grocery line to it while expanding the store's square footage.  They have employed POSTEC to automate their POS system, which has helped to quickly identify their fast moving items so as to maximize the merchandising mix desired by their customer base. Watch owner Jamie Fuller talk about why he chose Postec.  They have since opened 2 additional stores and continue to implement POSTEC's LOC POS system at the store level.  The next phase of automation within LOC is to provide enterprise item and reporting management, while keeping the stores focused on serving the customers. Watch Angela Cothran, Director of Operations describe how LOC has helped streamline her job functions.