STORES Magazine - December 2008 - (Page 60)

NUTS AND BOLTS / SIGNAGE and mobile applications. With the Episys system, sign templates can be designed at headquarters, and then electronically transmitted to each store, says Peter Lewis, vice president of marketing at Episys. That allows the system to be programmed to place information such as product names and descriptions, prices and bar codes in the same place on each sign, resulting in a consistent look across a store. Integrated with inventory The information is automatically populated within the signs from the company’s databases. Not only is the result more aesthetically pleasing, it makes it easier for consumers to know where to look for information. The system can be used for promotional signs and shelfedge labeling. Among the system’s other benefits: It can print signs in a sequence that corresponds to the store’s layout. This mini- mizes employees’ need to criss-cross the sales floor to post the signs, which can drastically reduce labor hours. The application also integrates with each store’s inventory system, so it will know not to print signs for products that are out of stock at a particular location. Store-level employees don’t need to spend time formatting signs, but the system can be configured to allow staff to create one-off signs to promote a sale or a product specific to their location. 60 STORES / DECEMBER 2008 The Retail Enterprise Suite is being integrated with the current IT infrastructure in place at Pets at Home Australia, eliminating the need for additional hardware. It is scalable, so it can grow as the chain adds locations. Moreover, the application will allow the Pets at Home team to quickly respond to price changes and support the company’s weekly promotional activities. And the task of preparing signs will require less managerial oversight and paper. Electronic shelf labels Once they’ve tackled this project, Herman and his colleagues plan to implement additional options within the Retail Enterprise Suite, such as electronic signs and labels. Interest in electronic shelf-edge labels is growing in response to the time required to update and replace paper signs, Lewis says, and digital signs can be an attention-grabbing marketing tool. For now, Pets at Home Australia is finding that the Episys signage system is a means to effectively communicate its unique offer to the Australian consumer, without requiring the same level of management involvement as the manual process. “At store level, our team will have more time to focus on providing great customer service with streamlined ticketing support,” Herman says. StORES Karen M. Kroll is a business writer based in Minnetonka, Minn. WWW.STORES.ORG 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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