STORES Magazine - December 2008 - (Page 58)

NUTS AND BOLTS / SIGNAGE New Signs Go Up Down Under Pets at Home Australia automates its in-store graphics program BY KAREN M. KROLL W hen y ou n eed t o convey p roduct a nd ma rketing information to consumers through hundreds of signs and labels that are scattered throughout a b i g -b o x st ore, gene ra t i n g t h e m o n e -b y-o n e becomes tremendous ly time-consuming. Moreover , such a scattershot approach leads to an inconsistent look, and makes it almost impossible to respond effectively to price changes. Clearly, that’s not the impression a retailer entering a new market wants to make. So in its foray into Australia, Pets at Home is teaming with Episys, a provider of information technology solutions for retail and other industries. Pets at Home Australia is a joint venture of Pets at Home, one of the leading specialty retailers in the U.K., and Tribe Retail Development, a specialist in migrating successful brands. It currently has two stores, with several more expected to open shortly. In 2009, the new chain plans to expand across Australia. The company’s stores average more than 10,000 sq. ft. and stock just about anything a pampered pet would want, including food, accessories and gifts. The stores also feature clinics, hospitals, pharmacies and salons, affording pet owners one-stop shopping. The sign-making process previously used by Pets at Home required employees to create each sign individually, using a computerized graphics program that wasn’t intended for sign-making. As a result, employees first had to extract product information from a POS system that contained a limited number of characters and only abbreviated descriptions and provided no ability to elaborate on product features or benefits. That made it difficult to produce signs that actually would entice customers to make purchases. Moreover, the process “was a time-consuming and expensive exercise,” says David Herman, managing director, Pets at Home Australia. Rather than continuing along with this less-than-ideal system, Herman and his colleagues decided to implement Episys’ Retail Enterprise Suite for shelf-edge labeling and promotional signs. The company’s counterpart in the U.K. has been working with Episys for about a decade, using its applications for promotional signage, shelf-edge labeling WWW.STORES.ORG 58 STORES / DECEMBER 2008 http://WWW.STORES.ORG

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of STORES Magazine - December 2008

STORES Magazine - December 2008 Contents Executive Editor's Page President's Page Wrap Rage Unraveled What Shoppers Think Courting a Comeback 10 Things You May Have Missed Numbers Worth Counting Full Price/Markdown Retail People Cover Story: Navigating the Road Ahead Website Strategy Concept2Watch Online Customer Service International Marketing Green Retailing Online Merchandising Signage Operations Online Strategies Pricing Strategy Kiosks RFID Human Resources Loeb Retail Letter ARTS Update Point of View NRF News Retail Crossword Retail Industry Calendar Last Laugh

STORES Magazine - December 2008

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