STCR

Shoppers seek health guidance, personal service: study

2014-02-14T09:05:00.000-05:00

Consumers are willing to shop at regional food chains and independents who offer significant points of competitive difference, according to a report conducted for the National Grocers Association by Phil Lempert, the Supermarket Guru and a contributing editor to SN.

“The more personalized the shopping experience at friendly, nimble regional supermarkets, the greater their edge over retailers less connected to communities and less empowered to please people as personal situations arise,” the study said.

According to the study, which was conducted late last year among the chief shopper in nearly 1,400 households, consumers want more nutritional support to help them eat healthier, with more professionals on the selling floor to help guide their buying decisions; time-saving checkouts; new products that help avoid meal tedium; a feeling of safety around the store; marketing and promotional programs tailored to their specific needs; and online ordering services.

“Regional mastery of these points helps overcome regionals’ lack of financial clout to strike deals as deeply as big-box, online and near-national competitors,” the study pointed out.

The survey’s findings included the following:
• The number of respondents rating “accurate shelf tags” as very important rose 5 points from last year’s survey, to 79.6%, “[which] shows how closely shoppers are watching their wallets.”

• Personal safety outside the store was considered very important by 64.5% of respondents, 3 points higher than a year ago, “[which] shows it’s not just what’s inside the store that counts.”

• The number of respondents rating “courteous, friendly employees” as very important rose 10 points to 59.2%, “[which] shows people want to be appreciated and respected for the business they give a retailer.”

• Those rating “convenient location” as very important rose nearly 17% to 53%, reflecting tight time constraints and high gas prices. “But location still provides no lock on consumers in a neighborhood [because] there is too much competition,” it noted.

• The number of respondents rating “fast checkout” as very important rose nearly 9 points to 48.9%. “People are tantalizingly close to the store exit and want to expedite this part of the shopping trip,” the report explained.

• “Easier store layouts” were cited by 51.2% of respondents, up almost 8 points from a year earlier, “[because] navigable aisles mean time saved for shoppers and fewer distractions from the purpose of their trip.”

• The number of respondents who said they spend more than half their fresh-food dollars in supermarkets rose to 85.9%, the highest total ever.

The survey said the strength of fresh foods dovetails with consumers’ desire to eat healthier and to seek advices from nutritionists and dietitians, who were rated behind the Internet as the most trusted resource for nutritional information, ahead of industry journals, magazines and physicians. However, it found 53.1% of respondents said the presence of dietitians was poor.

“If this reflects demand for a more visible dietitian presence on the selling floor, it suggests a way food stores could add to their wellness authority and help people eat smarter overall,” the report stated.

Among other findings:
• Asked about their preferred store size, 55.7% said they like stores of between 30,000 and 50,000 square feet.

• Asked what improvements they would like to see, 36.1% of respondents said price savings; 31.1% said more locally grown foods; and 25.2% said they wanted more variety.

• Asked whether they were more likely to shop in a supermarket that supports causes, 30.7% said no and 16.1% said yes, with others citing pricing and the specific cause as determining factors. However, 56% said they would not mind if prices rose to allow for donations “as long as the price difference was no more than 2%.”

The top causes consumers said they want supermarkets to support were relieving hunger; education; supporting people in disaster-stricken areas; environment; disease prevention; and veterans.

• Asked how to improve the checkout experience, 51.4% said they want more open lanes to reduce wait time; 21.8% said they wanted cashiers and baggers to be more careful handling merchandise; and 18% said they’d like more self-checkouts.

• Just over 20% of respondents said they spend more than $136 a week on food in all stores, with nearly one-third of consumers shopping twice a week and another third once a week.

• Asked what concerns them most about the foods they eat, 19.3% of respondents mentioned a desire to be healthy or to eat what’s good for them, while 16.1% cited chemical additives.

Reprinted from www.supermarketnews.com

Windows XP Support Ending in April 2014

2014-02-09T08:59:00.001-05:00

With Microsoft’s recent announcement that they will continue support for anti-malware for Windows XP through 2015, many are confused. To clarify the situation, Microsoft has not extended any support for Windows XP,
just their anti-malware that will run on it.

To be sure that you continue your PCI qualification you must upgrade or replace any Windows XP computers with an updated operating system like Windows 7 or newer at within 30 days of the April 8, 2014 deadline. Without security patches you will not be able to comply with the following PCI rule.

PCI Rule - 6.2 Ensure that all system components and software are protected from known vulnerabilities by installing applicable vendor-supplied security patches. Install critical security patches within one month of release.

Note: Critical security patches should be identified according to the risk ranking process defined in Requirement 6.1.

Please contact your STCR, Inc. salesperson for further information about any upgrades you may need for your point of sale system at sales@stcr.com or 607-757-0181.

The announcement from Microsoft can be reviewed here: http://blogs.technet.com/b/mmpc/archive/2014/01/15/microsoft-antimalware-support-for-windows-xp.aspx

Common Receipt Printer Issues: Prevention and Solutions

2014-01-31T13:50:00.000-05:00

One of the most critical components on your front end is the customer receipt printer. A properly functioning printer gives your customer a clear record of what they have purchased, where they have

purchased from, as well as any promotional messages you want them to receive. The IBM/Toshiba 4610 printer is designed to handle the demands of your business, giving years of reliable service.

You can ensure the print quality on your machines by following some of the easy cleaning recommendations from IBM/Toshiba. Clean the printer cover with a soft cloth and warm soapy water. Apply the soap to the cloth, not directly to the printer. Do not use abrasive materials or harsh chemicals such as ammonia or chlorine. The thermal and check printing heads can be cleaned by gently wiping them with cotton swabs soaked in isopropyl alcohol. Check the paper loading area for build up of dust and miscellaneous debris.
If you do have a situation where the printer will not function correctly, here is a list of common conditions and resolutions:

1)      Printer has no power: Check the printer cable and verify it is plugged into the printer and the register. Power off the register before restoring any connections.
2)      Paper advances but receipt is blank: Check to see that the paper roll is inserted right-side up.
3)      Document Insert Station is not printing: Verify that there are no obstructions where the check is inserted. Verify the ribbon is not in need of replacement.
4)      The printer-ready light is flashing: Ensure that the paper and ribbon doors are closed. Re-insert the paper roll, and advance a small length of paper.

When the printer does require service make sure to note the serial number on the unit. This can be found either on the front or just inside the check flipper area.

Remember to check your printer supply levels periodically. Using the best quality paper and ribbons will ensure premium print quality. Call STCR 800-776-6576 for your supply order today!

LaneHawk LH4000 Solution

2014-01-24T15:01:00.000-05:00

LaneHawk™ LH4000 is a loss prevention solution that turns the bottom-of-the-basket (BOB) into profits in real-time. The LaneHawk LH4000 unit detects and recognizes items as part of the
transaction, making sure stores get paid for their BOB items. The LaneHawk LH4000 unit reduces shrink, increases revenue and is designed to pay for itself in less than 12 months.

A smart camera is flush-mounted in the checkout lane at foot level, continuously watching for items on the bottom of shopping carts. Using Visual Pattern Recognition (ViPR™) software, the camera is able to detect and recognize items that pass by the camera and then send the UPC information directly to the POS. At tender time, the cashier verifies the items that were found under the basket, scans those items and then finalizes the transaction.

ViPR™ Software

A database of high resolution images (called a modelset) is created containing the product packaging of common BOB items. ViPR extracts key points (feature points) from these images that create a unique identifying pattern for each UPC, similar to a fingerprint.

When a product passes the LaneHawk LH4000 unit, an image is captured of the product and the ViPR software is used to extract feature points from that image. The ViPR software is then able to identify the product by matching the pattern of feature points in the image to the patterns of feature points stored in the modelset. These computations are streamlined to produce results in a fraction of a second, which allows the recognition to happen in real-time.

Advantages

Reduced Shrink and Rapid ROI: Helps boost profits per lane (per day) by up to 10%, leading to a quick return on investment (ROI) of less than 12 months.

Integration with Your POS System in Real-time: No other BOB solution is able to recognize a BOB item and then automatically send the item description and UPC information directly to the POS.

Flexible, Cost-effective Scalability: The LaneHawk LH4000 loss prevention unit leverages open, industry-standard technologies to allow you to easily incorporate next-generation retail technologies into your store infrastructure.

Training of Cashiers

LaneHawk LH4000 unit requires minimal cashier training and operates within the transaction workflow. The cashier is not interrupted until he/she is ready to process the BOB items. Productivity is enhanced and BOB items cannot be ignored.

Copied from the Datalogic ADC Web

Finding and Keeping Hardworking Employees

2014-01-16T16:05:00.001-05:00

In today’s world, it is difficult to find loyal, hard-working associates who will stay with the company for the long haul. Here are some tips for finding and keeping the kind of employee you are looking for.

A well-matched employee is going to be more loyal, and therefore will take less effort to retain. If you take your time and invest your efforts in hiring the right person the first time, it will also help in cutting costs of having to keep hiring people when one doesn’t work out. The perfect fit in a new hire should balance out your staff, and blend right in.

Practicing fairness is very important across all levels of employees within a company. Any person will react when they feel like they are a victim of unfairness. It is important to have a feel for how employees are reacting to they way they are treated.

Recognition is also an important key to keeping a stellar employee. Incentives for a job well done are always a great idea to motivate staff to be more productive. Although sometimes just telling an associate that they have done a great job on something as simple as making a customer smile goes a long way. People like to feel noticed in a positive aspect.

Managing Your Customer Service Department

2014-01-09T17:08:00.000-05:00

Customer service is often the trickiest department to manage. The positions rarely produce any direct income, and at many companies, those in customer service positions are often some of the lowest-paid, least-trained staff on hand.

Those same underpaid, under-trained team members are responsible for the majority of your company's interactions with customers. You can maintain high customer service standards by looking for these signs of serious trouble.

No Contact With Marketing: A smart company understands that its customer service department is the top marketing investment for the company. Keeping existing customers costs less, and brings in more, than finding new ones. Your customer service representatives should understand your company's key marketing message and how to incorporate it into a call.

A Wide Open Back Door: If your ratio of sales leads to actual sales is low, that means your sales force needs improvement. If your ratio of new sales to repeat sales is low—or you have a high cancellation rate in a subscription-based business—it's time to take a hard look at what's wrong in your customer service department.

Temptation to Forbid Social Media: If you're tempted to enact a policy like this, first ask yourself why your customer service representatives would be tempted to badmouth the job, the product or your company. If your customer service people don't believe in what they're doing, your problems run deeper than what they might say online about your business.

Too Few Complaints: Every company receives complaints. If you aren't hearing about many opportunities to improve, that doesn't mean everything's going great. It means that either your staff isn't telling you about them or your customers aren't bothering to contact you.

Too Many Escalations: Some situations are too delicate or complex for your front-line customer service people to handle. If they have to go to a higher tier of service that means your customer service people are either under-trained or under-empowered. Find a way to give them the knowledge and authority to fix the problems customers are bringing to them.

High Daily Absenteeism: If your unplanned absenteeism numbers are high, with a lot of people calling in sick frequently, that could mean your employees aren't happy at work. Unhappy customer service representatives quickly translate into unhappy customers.

Shrink the Shrink: Waging the Battle Against Loss

2014-01-03T09:01:00.000-05:00

Inventory "shrink" is the retail jargon for ceaseless loss of purchased inventory for sale. Interestingly, the Food Marketing Institute in 2011 found only 36% was due to theft, while the other 64% was discovered to be the result of deficiencies in store operations and procedures. There are both simple ideas and sophisticated solutions to address this challenge.

Overripe produce is something that needs to be monitored closely. Inspect stock routinely taking quick resourceful action sending select items to the deli or prepared foods to be used as ingredients. Find creative ways to display items at or near the checkout to lure last minute impulse purchases.

Theft deterrence is sometimes easily achieved by well placed employees stocking in high theft aisles at various times or floating around the store approaching customers asking if they need any assistance. This technique both discourages shoplifters while also improving your customer service image with your clientele.

Ongoing cashier training can go a long way to help reduce shrink at the POS. Simply not being able to differentiate cheaper mass-produced lettuce and higher-priced artisan lettuce negatively impacts the grocery store's profits, also impacting accurate inventory management. Some cashiers may find it easier to hand-key merchandise and coupons instead of following best practices of reporting and addressing scanning issues immediately to ensure accuracy.

Your POS exception reporting is a commonly underutilized tool in the fight against shrink. Personalizing the various data capture settings to your environment provides management with timely, accurate, relevant, and most importantly actionable information to audit and control the POS operations. It allows for management to standardize and evaluate performance expectations. If requirements are not being met, a report can be reviewed with the employee to decide on appropriate action to re-train, re-assign, or terminate as needed. They can also be used to identify top performers and goal achievements to promote quality and productivity.

Those are some simple techniques to combat the menace of shrink; however, today's world also provides a number of technological advances designed to assist merchants with controlling and reducing shrink. These innovations deliver a much more substantial and measurable return on their investment, making their purchase a no-brainer for savvy retailers. Take for instance Datalogic's LaneHawk solution that helps eliminate the bottom-of-the-basic loss all grocers abhor thinking about. Another cutting-edge solution called Hawkeye 20/20 Advanced Video Auditing and Reporting by Agilence is a real game changer. It offers an advanced managed service combining video, pricing, and transaction data analysis, moving far beyond current exception reporting capabilities; allowing retailers to not only identify more instances of fraud, but also to identify other sources of shrink, such as packaging, pricing, promotional, and operational problems, that are not written to the transaction log (Tlog). These common instances can only be discovered by integrating each line-item scan with a corresponding frame of video and having a powerful query tool to root out the causes of these losses. It's truly the dawn of a new era in loss prevention.

Let's face it, every Grocer must apply all the best practices in their arsenal to fight shrink in their business. New weapons are available. In today's hyper-competitive landscape these technologies are enabling the progressive grocers to leverage the advantages offered and win the war. You should always ask yourself what more can I do and look to realize these same competitive advantages to grow your business. Consult with STCR's knowledgeable representatives. They can help you get the solutions and the services needed to integrate these proven methods into your business and you can be the winner!

Addressing Shoppability Issues To Drive Sales

2013-12-24T14:15:00.000-05:00

Fine-tuning the design of the frozen department can bring significant sales increases, said Rajeev Sharma, chief executive officer, VideoMining Corp., State College, Pa.

Category insights derived from research into shopping patterns have shown that changing the sequence of products result in a 10-15% sales lift in that aisle, he said.

Using as many as 150 ceiling-mounted cameras in a store, VideoMining captures the in-store path to purchase of over 10 million shopping trips of individual shoppers, with on-site servers converting the images into data, which is later combined with point-of-sale data. “We then generate data for all the categories within frozen, as well as other categories within the store, so we can understand what is good and not good about each of the aspects of the behavior of shoppers,” Sharma said. Among the supermarket retailers participating in VideoMining’s ongoing research are Kroger, Safeway, Ahold, Giant Eagle and Schnucks. The company also runs a parallel study of convenience stores.

VideoMining turned its focus on frozen sections when, in the course of doing other research, it learned that there were issues with shoppability — that is, navigation and selection of products. This is more complicated in frozen because of merchandising that requires shoppers to look through glass to see the product and then open a door to make their selection. However, it is critical to resolve because frozen is trafficked by more than 40% of shoppers, making it one of the most visited departments in the store, Sharma said.

A primary question to be asked is: “What is the cost of shoppers browsing and then leaving?” For every 100 people who enter a supermarket, 38 visit the frozen aisle, with 22 actively engaging with product and 16 just passing through without stopping, according to VideoMining research. Of the 22 who stop, 17 convert into buyers, while five leave without buying, which Sharma describes as “leakage.”

This results in a numerical conversion rate of active, engaged shoppers into buyers. “The 78% conversion rate for frozen is pretty good compared to other departments in the grocery store. In some departments, like health and beauty care, it is as low as 20%,” he said.

“However, if you look at the 22% who shop and leave, that amounts to a very significant loss of sales because the average basket contribution by frozen is pretty high,” he said. Frozen represents an average $113.38 in revenue dollars, and $28.87 in leakage per 100 shoppers, according to VideoMining statistics.

“That’s the amount that is the low hanging fruit, because if you designed the footprint better, and convert the 22% who shop and leave into buyers, then you can cut into that leakage,” Sharma said.
Two ways to address this in the frozen section are through improving space organization and through navigational assistance to shoppers, he said. In some retailers, the need for this became apparent because of the excessive amount of time people were spending navigating the aisle and looking around. Some would just give up and leave, Sharma said. Better visibility of products, which involves high-quality doors and LED lighting, is a major factor in helping shoppers find what they need.
In terms of organizing the department, products that are likely to be cross-shopped should be near each other, such as entrees, vegetables and desserts that would be part of a meal solution purchase. “Once you are opening a particular door and shopping for an item, related products should not be far away.” Although it may not be make practical for the products to be adjacent, they could be placed across the aisle, or the retailer could use signage or cross-promotional material to encourage the purchase of complementary items. “If you have complementary items in two different aisles, it’s not going to help,” Sharma said.

One of VideoMining’s most noteworthy findings, which is true for all categories, is the importance of repositioning popular, price-sensitive products to the middle of the aisle, Sharma said. These may have been placed at the front or back of the aisle with the idea that more shoppers would look for them there, and then proceed further into the aisle. The research showed people don’t shop that way, Sharma said.

“We found that many people don’t like to stop at the first 3 to 6 feet of an aisle. It’s counterintuitive because most manufacturers probably want to be in the front or the back in terms of placement, but our data shows that shoppers don’t like to stop there, and many times, they just simply miss whatever is there,” he said.

Grocery shoppers are “mission oriented. They tend to grab whatever is on their list and then go.” If the faster-moving products are on the end, and the shopper happens to see them, they will go further into the aisle. By putting the faster moving products in the middle, it forces the shopper to pass higher-margin premium or impulse items on the way in or out of the aisle to get the item on their list. Signage may be needed to get the shopper’s attention. “So our goal should be to maximize the exposure of premium and impulse products. That leads to aisle flow design and placement of products in the proper sequence,” and to sales increases of 10% to 15%, he said.

The effective use of the limited number of end-caps in typical frozen departments was also studied by VideoMining. “Our understanding was most of the products are on end-caps because they are on promotion. So how much variety do you want to keep there? We looked at many different combinations of products and different numbers of products, and we found that the best practice is two different types of products. With more than two, people get confused and the productivity of the end-cap goes down,” he said.

The productivity of end-caps is not just measured in sales from the particular case unit, but whether the display encourages people to go into the aisle, he noted. “Many times we found people come and look at the end-cap display, and then went into the aisle and shopped for the same product, buying it there.”

Sharma sums up: “Our findings showed that frozen is of high interest in the grocery channel. Our data shows that people who come to frozen are very motivated. Frozen offers one of the biggest opportunities in the store because of that interest and the dollar value involved.”

Reprinted from www.supermarketnews.com

Automated Upselling On The Customer Display

2013-12-24T10:56:00.000-05:00

How would you like to use your POS system to advertise while your customers are in the check out lane? If you have the Toshiba/ACE or Toshiba/SMS system with the Java GUI (Graphical User Interface) customer screen you can change the pictures on the right-hand side of this display.

You can place pictures along with messages on the customer display for promotions and/or services that you provide to your customers. You can also have different screen configurations display at different times during the check out process. To generate income you can have your vendors advertisements appear on the customer screen. One import thing to keep in mind is that the more pictures you place on the screen, the more register resource it takes to run.

If you have the Toshiba/ACE system you do not need to know HTML or how to crop picture files to create you display for the customer screen. STCR’s ACE Java Screen program makes it easy for you to update and manage these displays. STCR ACE Java Screen runs on the Windows PC and is connected to your POS network.

If you have the Toshiba/SMS system, you may have the Advertising Module. With this licensed module you also are able to place pictures along with messages on the customer display for promotions and/or services that you provide to your customers. As with the ACE version, you can display different pictures during different stages of the checkout and tendering process.

For more information, please contact your STCR sales representative at (607) 757-0181.

Introspection: Six Tips to Self-Improvement

2013-12-20T15:35:00.000-05:00

Productivity and organizational growth work hand in hand to create a strong relationship. To put it simply, the productivity of a company’s employees measures their effectiveness and efficiency in performing their day to day tasks. Sometimes however, these lines become blurred and their description feels too broad, making it difficult to find practical methods for improving productivity.

The corporate environment in every industry is becoming increasingly challenging. This cold hard fact suggests a constant need for employees to strive to achieve greater productivity in their daily work. Here are six tips to help you increase productivity.

#1: Personalize Agendas
Employees who develop their own daily agenda typically perform more resourcefully than those who are provided with a rigid schedule to follow. In order to keep a schedule each day, we can simply jot an "activity list" on a piece of paper which can easily be referenced throughout the day.
#2: Clump Small Tasks Together
Every working individual has a list of routine tasks to be performed on a daily basis. In just a few minutes, you can break down each responsibility into small tasks. When each requirement is taken on as a set of brief tasks, it's sensible to pick out and "group" the related items together. This prevents us from having to jump back and forth to the similar duties, hampering productivity.
#3: Monitor Agendas
During a busy work day it is very easy to steer off the beaten path. When this happens it takes longer to recover and get back on track. Employees often find it helpful to prepare a schedule that he or she can follow through out the day. Once a set task is finished simply cross it out and continue on with the rest of your list.
#4: A Clean Desk Equals a Speedy Train of Thought
An untidy desk seems to have an impact on the owner's thought process. More often than not, finding things lost in the clutter also becomes time-consuming. However, there are some employees that firmly believe that they're more comfortable having a relaxed and casual way of working. The items on their desks aren't always a mess, and might actually be placed in a way that's easily accessible to them. Either way, the number of things spread around the desk should be neatly placed, rather than in a clutter, in order to expressively reinforce work principles.
#5: Finish Disliked Tasks Quickly
Procrastination settles in during a regular day at work for several reasons. One common problem is the requirement to complete least-favorite tasks. The best way to put an end to procrastination before it even comes into the picture is to complete the tasks that we dislike. As soon as those are done, the remaining day becomes less challenging or more exciting, with greater productivity.
#6: Revitalize at Lunch or Dinner Hour
With increasing pressure at work, many people ignore breaks completely. Taking a proper break for a meal offers positive medical and psychological advantages. The practice of taking proper breaks from work is the best way to get an instant energy boost for the remaining workday. Also if you can, go outside and take a short walk and get some fresh air. This will help get your blood flowing and take your mind off of work for a few minutes.
Using these six helpful tips will not only help productivity at work but will also make you a happier and more valuable employee.

PCI Security Revisited for 2014

2013-12-12T17:29:00.000-05:00

While the new PCI 3.0 requirements take effect on January 1st, 2014 existing PCI 2.0 compliant locations will have until January 1, 2015 to make the necessary changes to meet the new requirements. The new version of PCI has three types of modifications. They are clarification, additional guidance and evolving requirements. As part of the new document there are several places where clarifications are included to assist with compliance.

One of the points outlined in the new version of the PCI requirements is meant to clarify the common misconception that using a PA-DSS POS application guarantees that you are PCI compliant. This is mentioned in the PCI V3.0 document where it says: “Use of a Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS) compliant application by itself does not make an entity PCI DSS compliant, since that application must be implemented into a PCI DSS compliant environment and according to the PA-DSS Implementation Guide provided by the payment application vendor.” The POS application is part of 1 of the 12 areas of PCI compliance.

These are the 12 major areas of requirements for PCI compliance

1. Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect cardholder data

2. Do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters

3. Protect stored cardholder data

4. Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks

5. Protect all systems against malware and regularly update anti-virus software or programs

6. Develop and maintain secure systems and applications

7. Restrict access to cardholder data by business need to know

8. Identify and authenticate access to system components

9. Restrict physical access to cardholder data

10. Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data

11. Regularly test security systems and processes

12. Maintain a policy that addresses information security for all personnel

For further information and documents please visit the www.pcisecuritystandards.org website.

Have You Checked Your Backup Lately?

2013-12-09T14:44:00.000-05:00

In the wise words of Ben Franklin ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’. A good backup/recovery solution for mission critical systems is an ounce of prevention crucial to any business owner. The pain of a hard drive failure without a good backup could include irrecoverable data loss and avoidable, excessive downtime; both of which can prove to be very expensive and detrimental to you business. Not only are you likely to incur the obvious expense of required emergency services, but even more costly is the lost revenue and customers associated with unnecessary and extended down times.

STCR provides a full backup/recovery solution to all our customers, yet having a solution in place is only the first step. Routinely ensuring the backup tasks completed successfully is the second step and should be a high priority for every store. Some solutions are automated yet they too need to be inspected periodically. It would be a mistake to assume a backup will be there when needed only to find out, when it’s too late, it’s not. There is no better way to protect your investment and minimize potential down times, due to a hard drive failure, than consistently confirming your backups are completing correctly. This way you can be proactive and call the Help Desk if there are any issues.

If you don’t know if your system(s) are backing up or even how to check, please call STCR’s Help Desk at (607) 757-0181. One of our friendly, professional Retail Systems Analysts will be happy to assist you. Let us help you prevent the costly mistake of not periodically verifying the backup solution is working effectively.

Go Above The Advertising Noise

2013-11-29T13:58:00.000-05:00

There is no escape from advertising and commercials in our daily lives. From the moment you turn on the TV, pick up a newspaper or drive down the highway, there are advertising and marketing signs everywhere. Imagine if you live next to a busy street, the noise level would probably bother you when you first moved there. But over time, you would probably get used to it. Consumers are experiencing the same effect by all the commercials and marketing programs they are faced with daily. The intended purpose of these marketing efforts is often lost. So how does one get above the noise?

One of the strategies is to personalize the marketing materials to the targeted consumers instead of blasting generally targeted ads. The company needs to first identify the consumers who are most profitable. The company should create a multi-dimensional profile of their customers and not just looking at what they are buying, but also what they may be thinking of buying and how they are behaving online. As the growth of e-commerce and social media continues, information about consumer habits outside of the traditional brick-and-mortar store is increasingly more valuable to marketers. This information, analyzed correctly, could help companies get to know their consumers and personalize ad campaigns to create more sales and customer loyalty.

This may seem simple but the biggest challenge for a company is to know who its customers are and what their needs are. Without the correct information about their customers, a company’s ad campaign could easily miss its intended audience. It’s a known fact that about 20% of a company’s customer base brings the greatest profit and about half are only marginally profitable. The challenge is for the advertising effort to reach out to those customers who are most likely to drive in the maximum value to a company. Another strategy is to look into consumer behaviors beyond the past store purchases. This is referred to as a multi-dimensional consumer profile. Online behavior and past purchases could help to determine buying patterns more than just purchase history alone. With increasing number of people engaging in online activity and social media, it is important for marketers to not rely on one facet only to predict consumer behavior. When these information are processed correctly, consumers gets the benefit from being offered goods and services that they are looking for and companies profit from advertising dollars well spent.

Make A Good Last Impression

2013-11-25T16:54:00.000-05:00

The checkout process is the last interaction a customer will have with a store on a shopping trip. In the years past, consumers went to the store just to make the necessary purchases. Not much was expected from the checkout experience. Today, shoppers expect something different from each shopping trip. In the past, stores existed to satisfy a person’s need in a short period of time. But today, stores are becoming a destination where shoppers linger and browse, a great opportunity to upsell. Retailers are working hard to create an atmosphere not only to satisfy consumers’ needs but to create a positive experience that separates them from their competition.

Point of sale is more important than ever in creating the total shopping experience. You want your customers to have a good experience from the moment they walk into the store and to leave with a good last impression. To help create the last good impression, a retailer needs to consider maximizing checkout space to ensure efficiency with consideration on security, ergonomics and aesthetics. It’s common to see the space at the checkout areas are maximized with impulse-buy items such as candies, gums and small seasonal and novelty items as well as items that are frequently used by cashiers such hand-held scanners, item code sheets, and small bags for coupons. There is often no rhyme or reason for the placement of these items and the cumbersome arrangement takes away counter space for both the customers and the cashiers. The setup is aesthetically unappealing and could potentially damage your brand’s image.

One solution to the limited space issue is mounting solutions. Consider mounting flat panel displays, cashier keyboards, touch panel monitors and PIN pads up off of the checkout. Another solution is to “hide” the POS equipment that does not require user interaction under the counter or checkout lanes. Making sure there is proper pace at the checkout line is important as customers usually get most anxious during the checkout process.

Don’t make the mistake that many retailers make by solely focusing on the store’s entrance and the grocery aisles and neglecting the final place of interaction, the checkout. With the proper design and placement of the POS system and checkout area, you could achieve efficiency, aesthetics and security for the checkout area that will make a good last impression for your customers.

Employee Productivity in the Workplace

2013-11-08T17:20:00.000-05:00

Productivity and organizational growth work hand in hand to create a strong relationship. To put it simply, the productivity of a company’s employees measures their effectiveness and efficiency inperforming their day to day tasks. Sometimes however, these lines become blurred and their description feels too broad, making it difficult to find practical methods for improving productivity.

The corporate environment in every industry is becoming increasingly challenging. This cold hard fact suggests a constant need for employees to strive to achieve greater productivity in their daily work.

Here are six tips to help you increase productivity.

#1: Personalize Agendas
Employees who develop their own daily agenda typically perform more resourcefully than those who are provided with a rigid schedule to follow. In order to keep a schedule each day, we can simply jot an "activity list" on a piece of paper which can easily be referenced throughout the day.

#2: Clump Small Tasks Together
Every working individual has a list of routine tasks to be performed on a daily basis. In just a few minutes, you can break down each responsibility into small tasks. When each requirement is taken on as a set of brief tasks, it's sensible to pick out and "group" the related items together. This prevents us from having to jump back and forth to the similar duties, hampering productivity.

#3: Monitor Agendas
During a busy work day it is very easy to steer off the beaten path. When this happens it takes longer to recover and get back on track. Employees often find it helpful to prepare a schedule that he or she can follow through out the day. Once a set task is finished simply cross it out and continue on with the rest of your list.

#4: A Clean Desk Equals a Speedy Train of Thought
An untidy desk seems to have an impact on the owner's thought process. More often than not, finding things lost in the clutter also becomes time-consuming. However, there are some employees that firmly believe that they're more comfortable having a relaxed and casual way of working. The items on their desks aren't always a mess, and might actually be placed in a way that's easily accessible to them. Either way, the number of things spread around the desk should be neatly placed, rather than in a clutter, in order to expressively reinforce work principles.

#5: Finish Disliked Tasks Quickly
Procrastination settles in during a regular day at work for several reasons. One common problem is the requirement to complete least-favorite tasks. The best way to put an end to procrastination before it even comes into the picture is to complete the tasks that we dislike. As soon as those are done, the remaining day becomes less challenging or more exciting, with greater productivity.

#6: Revitalize at Lunch or Dinner Hour
With increasing pressure at work, many people ignore breaks completely. Taking a proper break for a meal offers positive medical and psychological advantages. The practice of taking proper breaks from work is the best way to get an instant energy boost for the remaining workday. Also if you can, go outside and take a short walk and get some fresh air. This will help get your blood flowing and take your mind off of work for a few minutes.

Using these six helpful tips will not only help productivity at work but will also make you a happier and more valuable employee.

Datalogic Skorpio Handheld Scanner

2013-10-15T12:37:00.000-04:00

The Datalogic Skorpio™ is a rugged mobile computer particularly suitable for mobile commerce solutions in the retail environment both on store shelves and in the stock room. Thanks to one of the

best ergonomics ever seen on the market, Datalogic Skorpio™ reduces operator fatigue with no compromise in terms of reliability and robustness, resisting harsh environments, multiple drops, strong shocks and repetitive tumbles.

Its wireless communication capabilities (Bluetooth®, IEEE 802.11b/g) enable fast transactions and complete interaction with information systems including the newest RF security protocols such as WPA™ and WPA2™. Moreover, Cisco Compatible Extensions CCX V4 certification permits all the advantages offered by the Cisco WLAN infrastructure to be exploited.

The Datalogic Skorpio™ offers the unique feature of integrated data capture technology combined with “green spot” feedback (Datalogic patent), providing a “good read” green dot directly on the code, where the operator usually tends to be looking.

The Datalogic Skorpio™ large high visibility color graphic display with touch screen helps users work more efficiently, while the practical 38-key “alpha & numeric” keypad allow data, codes and descriptions to be input very quickly.

Four Outlooks Every Leader Should Follow

2013-10-11T08:33:00.003-04:00

It's not easy to talk about performance with employees. It can be awkward and downright tough to focus on someone's weaknesses. Every leader has the opportunity and responsibility to be a catalyst for change within his or her organization, and that starts with knowing how to motivate and encourage employees. For managers, it's important to have the right attitude before having these conversations. There are four main outlooks that every leader should follow.

1. Lead with Behavior. Don't let emotions get in the way. Jot down a plan, that way, it makes it easy to stay on topic. Make a list of the problems you would like to discuss and then explain how the employee's behavior directly affects the company and productivity. Rather than telling the employee's what they should stop doing suggest to them what you expect of them.

2. Eliminate Judgment. When having these conversations you should put your judgment aside and focus attention on the performance issue. If you start the discussion by accusing the employee the only thing that will end up happening is the employee getting defensive.

3. Ask Solution-Oriented Questions. The savviest leaders allow employees to come up with their own solutions. When employees are given the opportunity to create their own ideas they feel like they play an important role. If there is something that you don't agree on you will be able to discuss the reasons why and be able to find a happy medium.

4. Give Them Ownership. Through these conversations, you want to help the employee feel a sense of ownership over their performance and ability to change. Putting the ball in their court gives them a better sense of control and responsibility. Asking questions and receiving feedback is the best way to come to this conclusion. Managers, as promoters for change, can help enable this by continually making expectations and goals clear and consistent and striking up these performance conversations regularly.

Dockside Seafood Marketplace Live With Store Management Suite

2013-10-01T10:59:00.001-04:00

Dockside Seafood recently installed a new STCR-SMS Solution. Dockside specializes in fresh seafood and meat with an assortment of groceries. The store operates year round and features a fresh catch of the day.

In speaking with owner Tom Patrick, he noted how much easier it is to train his front end staff. “Our cashiers picked up the register in 5 minutes” Says Patrick. The ease of use has helped to make the store operate more efficiently.

Dockside will be expanding this summer to add a short order food stand. Customers will be able to order food made from the same fresh ingredients that are found in the store. Seating will be outside in a picnic area.

Data Protection - To Backup or Not To Backup

2013-09-24T08:04:00.002-04:00

As the technology evolves, more aspects of our daily lives intertwine with electronic devices. Most people nowadays use some form of electronic device daily and interact with them for just about everything that we do. All these electronic interactions leave a “footprint” of the person using or

interacting with and through these devices. That is the reason for the on-going emphasis of businesses to protect personally identifiable information of the consumers. These electronic footprints also represent data that could be analyzed to produce valuable information for just about any purpose. This is why data protection is vital in this increasingly electronic world.

So what do you, as a business owner, need to know about data protection? The basic step is to make a backup of your electronic data. The first questions for data backup is what to backup and how often. With the advance of data storage device, it may seem that we can backup anything and everything. That maybe true for home and small businesses. However, as your system collects more data and your information pool increases, this may not be the best way. A few things you should consider. First, how do you control the ever increasing data that are being backed up? You might want to take into consideration what information is valuable for your reports and analytics. Take some time to come up with a parameter and build your data backup and protection strategy. Another thing to consider is how to contain the increasing need for data storage. The simplest way is to increase the size and the number of storage device. If you do so at the time when your existing storage space is near capacity, you may not have the time to plan for the best strategy. Take time to plan your data storage need for the next few years and re-evaluate the need periodically. This could provide you with a more efficient system that allows for modular growth. As your data grows, the managing of the process and data analytics could become more time consuming. When possible, consider automation for every process with a way to audit these processes to ensure completion. The last thing you need to consider is the method for system recovery. Invariably all electronic devices fail. It’s not how it fails that impact your operation, it’s how you recover from a system failure. You want to treat this like a drill so that you have a way to recover quickly from a system failure. It is a good investment for you to test and verify your data recovery process periodically. This will not only validate your recovery process but also the backup process to ensure that when the real system failure occurs, you already have a proven solution for a quick and hassle free recovery.

Gryphon™ Desk General Purpose Corded Handheld

2013-09-16T12:20:00.000-04:00

With rich feature sets and extensive model options, the Gryphon product series from Datalogic Scanning represents the premium level of data collection equipment for general purpose applications.

The Gryphon series of corded linear imagers offer outstanding reading performance in an ergonomic form factor. Extremely versatile and durable these readers are the ultimate solution for applications in retail and light industrial environments where low resolution and/or damaged codes need to be read with consistent and reliable performance.

The Gryphon Desk products are available in several model options. The Gryphon D1X0 set offers standard support for 1D codes including GS1 DataBar and offers two multi-interface options: D110 for RS-232/IBM 46XX and the D130 for USB/RS-232/Wedge/Wand Emulation. The Gryphon D130 is also available with long range optics (D130 LR) for extended reading distances up to 43.0 cm / 16.9 in (13 mil EAN and 100% UPC codes). The Gryphon D230 standard range model adds additional symbology support for stacked codes including PDF417 and GS1 DataBar/EAN/UPC composite codes.

Featuring Datalogic’s exclusive patented ‘Green Spot’ for good read feedback directly on the code; it helps to improve productivity especially in noisy environments. When the readers are used in Stand Mode, the Green Spot remains on to aid in positioning the code for quick and intuitive reading. Datalogic’s patented PuzzleSolver™ decoding algorithm guarantees outstanding performance on poorly printed or damaged codes and advanced data editing and data formatting modes are available to format the collected data as required by the application software. The Datalogic Aladdin™ configuration program provides user-friendly features that simplify the start-up procedure, even for inexperienced users.

Note: Reprinted from Datalogic Web

IRUG EMV Announcement

2013-09-09T14:32:00.001-04:00

Last Month at the IRUG (International Retail Users Group) meeting in Anaheim, CA the IRUG’s

EMV/Mobile Payments Focus Group held their 3rd major event to review and discuss EMV and mobile payments and released an EMV retailer roadmap document located at the link below:

At this meeting there were many discussions regarding to the ROI of implementing EMV in the members’ retail store locations and they all ended up concluding there is no ROI to implement EMV at the current time. Since there are still very few compatible cards that have been issued and implementation of EMV would need at the minimum new pinpad terminals to read these cards, a large expense with a small downside, leads one to not implement EMV. It will be interesting to watch as the responsibility shift date of October 15th nears to see if any of the landscape changes.

http://www.ibmretailug.org/EMV/04-05-2013%20IRUG%20EMV%20Retailer%20Road%20Map.pdf

The Value Of Maintenance On Your POS System

2013-09-03T12:29:00.003-04:00

As an Independent Grocer always looking to improve your business and cut costs it can be tempting to see your annual maintenance expense on your POS system as unnecessary. Understanding the

mindset and the temptation to reduce maintenance expenses, there are many third party service organizations trolling the market offering plans with a significant cost reduction.

However, the technicians are not trained by the manufacturers and are not as highly skilled and capable of resolving issues quickly. Also, the quality of replacement parts are not equivalent and there is a reduced service level and dedication to issue resolution.

Choosing a service provider like this can be a costly mistake. The POS system is mission critical and some unfortunately don’t perceive the value of quality support until it is too late. Below is a breakdown of the three types of maintenance offered by STCR:

Hardware maintenance: Consists of Contract Management, Asset Management, Remote Diagnostics, Call Dispatch and Coordination, Call Tracking, Call Resolution, Incident History

Software maintenance: Consists of Access to software developer support and are entitled to upgraded software levels (upgrade implementation services not included)

Remote Help Desk Support: Consists of 24x7x365 access via phone internet and email, Remote diagnostics, Call tracking, Call resolution, Remote program upgrades, Answering 'how to' questions, Software personalization changes, Some setup and configuration changes, Tax table updates, Backup verification, Disaster recovery, Incident reporting, Closed call automatic notification, Satisfaction follow up call backs, Online Help Desk portal access to open new calls and review call history.

As you see the list of valuable benefits is extensive and the costs are fixed. Without this coverage you run the likely risk of costly excessive down times and service bills on an as needed basis, software upgrade license fees, and all the other intangible costs of your system not performing properly and tying up your personnel. Typical to most service organizations, resources are prioritized for maintenance clients. Don't make the mistake of leaving your business exposed to these unavoidable situations, and remember as your equipment ages the likelihood of these failures increases. By using a service oriented company with a customized coverage plan in place that provides peace of mind and allows you to focus on the other important aspects of growing your business. Protect your investment and know you are covered bumper to bumper. If you have any questions or needs regarding STCR maintenance offerings speak to one of our knowledgeable Sale Representatives.

Honest Weight Food Co-Op Opens New Facility

2013-08-26T14:08:00.001-04:00

The Honest Weight Food Co-Op opened their brand new environmentally sustainable grocery store at 100 Watervliet Ave. in Albany, NY.

The new store offers an improved shopping experience for their member-owners and customers by providing a larger and more expansive store, greatly increased parking and expanded services and amenities. The Co-Op also increased the number of checkouts to increase throughput and expand on their customer service.

Leadership In The Workplace

2013-08-20T13:20:00.000-04:00

There are two types of leaders, those who can motivate people, and those whose motivation comes from within. When we try to motivate people, what we're really doing is encouraging people topresent ideas in a way that furthers the organization's mission. Encourage and applaud great ideas.

Open and maintain dialogue about critical areas. Allow idea sharing, both formal and informal. Conduct meetings in a formal presentation with detailed action plans. In addition, accept pitches via e-mail, and hold gatherings for brainstorming.

Don’t disparage bad ideas. When people are encouraged, great ideas will present themselves. It’s inevitable that there will good and bad ideas too. When starting a new project or assignment, even the most enthusiastic and conscientious employees need to understand your direction. To keep moving forward and keep people engaged, clarify results desired.

When people see clearly how certain actions will take them down their desired paths, they take action and make good decisions without hesitation, on their own, by drawing upon their internal stores of motivation.

Is Your POS System Ready For Summer?

2013-08-13T10:39:00.000-04:00

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of the summer season. Before the temperature hits the summer time high, you may want to take a few moments to go over this POS system maintenance checklist to make sure your POS system is ready to handle the summer holiday rushes and the summer heat.

UPS, especially the battery backup side of the UPS, is critical to keep your POS system running smoothly. During summer seasons, power consumption is at its highest, increasing the chance of power interruption in the form of blackout or brownout. Blackouts are easier to detect but brownouts may not be easily felt. Power fluctuation could also cause power surges. Any one of these power outage scenarios could damage your POS system, or any electronic devices that are not protected by a surge protector or UPS. If you have a UPS and do not remember when it was installed or replaced, you should replace them. You don’t want to wait until any part of your POS system sustains damage before you install or replace your UPS.

Your POS system is equipped with backup devices and media. There may be automatic file backups but there is always a removable backup device and media in the form of external hard drives or DVD discs. This should be your daily or weekly routine to make sure your system is backed up to the removable media, and the removable media is swapped out regularly. This will allow for the quickest way to restore your system after a hard drive replacement. Don’t learn the hard way, make having a removable backup part of your operational routine, just like counting cashiers and running reports.

All electronic equipment will have vents for cooling; make sure your POS equipment has room for cooling. Look at the vents and make sure the vents are clear of dust and are not blocked. Although your IBM POS systems are designed to withstand the toughest conditions in the retail environment, it is still a good practice to help keep your system running at peak performance.

These are just some of the regular maintenance practices that you should do to better prevent any system down time. Your POS system is the mission critical part of your operation. It pays to follow simple maintenance practices to ensure you and your POS systems have a great summer. Contact an STCR Representative to discuss how the latest in retail hardened technology is achieving extended system life.