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Retail Barcoding Applications

Retail barcoding has benefited retailers for years. New technologies enable applications which can further enhance customer service, increase efficiency and enable higher margins through pricing, product positioning and cross selling. Common retail barcoding solutions include self-service, point-of-sale, point-of-service, loyalty cards, customer relationship management (CRM) and price audits.

Self Service: Customers are increasingly choosing to serve themselves. Kiosks allow customers to determine/verify product pricing, view promotions and advertising and find product locations. Customers can view a much wider assortment of merchandise on a touch screen monitor than can be accommodated on the sales floor. More colors, sizes, flavors and options can be offered. Complementary products to standard store offerings are readily be sold. Customers also find where the products are located in the store. Additional product information can be provided, such as specifications, price comparisons and product reviews. Customers can buy a gift card, register for wedding gifts, apply for a job, apply for a credit card or perform other transactions. Portable data terminals read barcodes on products in the store, and calculate a running bill total as the customer shops. Fewer cashiers serve more customers quicker when self-checkout systems are implemented, providing large savings.

Some applications and services include:

• Self Checkout
• Job and Credit Applications
• Product Specifications
• Price Lookup
• Product Locator
• Gift Registry

Employee efficiency can also be increased with in-aisle access to product data, the ability to enter over/under stock alerts, obtain SKU details and report in and clock out of work.

	Point of Sale Products
	Barcode Printers
	Barcode Scanners
	Touchscreens

Point of Sale: Point of Sale (POS) is where the sale takes place, which typically has been the cash register. POS is flexible and a POS transaction can take place almost anywhere, including:

Point of Sale Stations: The traditional method, at a fixed location, which can consist of many different peripherals.

• Cash Drawer
• Cash Register
• Customer and Pole Displays
• POS Keyboards
• MICR Check Readers
• POS Monitors
• Credit Card Readers
• Point of Sale Software
• Point of Sale Terminals
• Receipt Printers
• Receipt Paper
• Signature Capture Pads
• Touchscreens
• UPS
• Surge Protectors
• Scales

Point of Sale Products

Line Busting: Associates can scan customer purchases while the customer is waiting in line with a wireless device and use a portable printer to print a ticket. The information is sent to the POS station for the line and the customer only needs to pay when they get to the register.

	Handheld Computers
	Portable Barcode Printers

Portable Point of Sale: Complete transactions can be performed anywhere with a portable data terminal or pen-based wireless data device, receipt printer and credit card reader. The merchandise is scanned using the wireless device, the credit card is swiped, the signature is captured and the receipt is printed. Wireless networks ensure the credit card is verified.

Portable Point of Sale:

• Assists with outside sales
• Decreases wait time
• Shortens lines
• Increases customer satisfaction

	Point of Sale Products
	Point of Sale Printers
	Point of Sale Keyboards

Point of Service: Providing associates with mobility enables them to interact with customers anywhere, with readily available information. Informed associates act in a consultative role with the customer. The customer appreciates the additional information and the sale is easier to close. Applications include:

Sales Assistant: The sales associate accesses information by scanning a product barcode with a portable scanner. Suggestions for options and accessories increase the initial sale. Employees more easily handle complicated, technical sales opportunities. Sales training is quicker and the sales assistant serves as an ongoing support tool.

Benefits include:

• Cross selling
• Increased customer satisfaction
• Technical questions easily answered
• Quicker employee training

Point of Sale Products

Inventory Movement: Barcoding helps track inventory, analyze product placements and track sales. Inventory quantities and locations are quickly tracked with barcode scanner simplifying warehousing and replenishing. Portable devices can provide sales information to assist in repositioning fast/slow movers.

Benefits include:

• Better product placement
• Inventory accuracy
• Reduced stock-outs

Inventory Tracking Products

Loyalty Card: Loyalty cards enable tracking customer preferences and facilitate the development of targeted marketing programs offering special discounts and targeted offers to specific customers and customer groups.

Benefits:

• Increased repeat business

Plastic ID Card Printers

Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Customer purchasing information is used to modify product offerings, pricing and marketing. CRM software collects information for retailers to analyze and act upon.

Benefits include:

• More effective advertising spend
• Higher margins through refined pricing

Point of Sale Software

Price Audits: Maintaining the same, correct price in all locations can be difficult and errors can lead to fines. Wireless devices integrated with scanners can scan the shelf barcode, access the price to be compared to the shelf price and enable a fast match. If the prices are different, a new label can be printed immediately and the existing label replaced. RFID technology facilitates immediate storewide matching and fixing.

	RFID Printers
	Handheld Computers
	Portable Barcode Printers

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