Self Scanning

Many supermarkets are beginning to introduce self scanning. The customer can either scan the price of their items as they walk around the shop or they can scan them when they reach the checkouts.

Interview- Shop Manager

What are the benefits of the self scanning service?

We don't have to hire as many staff to do on tills and queues are reducing so shopping for the customer is quickly. This normally makes the customer come back and shop with us again as they feel it isn't time consuming.

Are there any disadvantages?

I do have a fear that there won't be enough scanners for customers wanting to use them making them wait but so far this hasnt been a major issue. Also they are quite expensive.

Do you think that customers sometimes honest about what they scan and what they don't?

This is an issue yes, but i believe and a lot of other store managers believe that generally the supermarkets feel that the saving in staff wages will offset any losses. 

Do you use any other clever devices in store at the moment as well as the self scanning?

We use intelligent weighing scales. They contain a digital camera which can recognise an item such as apples, weigh it and print a bar-coded price tag

This there any other devices in the future you feel your store may need to benefit you and the customer?

I have heard about small computers which will be put into trolleys so if someone hasnt been to the store before they can input into the computer what they want to find and the computer will direct them. This does make shopping quicker for customers but the inital cost may be expensive.

Loyalty Cards

When a customer applies for a loyalty card, they have to fill in an application form which asks for personal details.

In return, they are issued with a Loyalty card that resembles a credit card in size and appearance.
The loyalty card only contains their customer membership number. 

The card is swiped when the customer buys something and they are rewarded' with a discount, typically 1p for every £1 spent. 

This would only seem to benefit the customer as the entire scheme is free of charge.  However, supermarkets also benefit in other ways.

• Increase the amount customers spend as they are keen to get their loyalty points
• Build up a profile of their typical customer e.g. age, gender, average spend etc.
• Track customer spending habits
• Offer special promotions in partnership with other companies e.g. hotel discounts
• Measure the results of special offer campaigns
• So the loyalty card allows the supermarket to build up a very accurate picture their customers.

Internet Shopping

Most shops such as Marks and Spencer, Topshop, New Look and Sainsburys have websites where customers can buy online. Goods are then delievered online. Through websites stores have a wider customer base meaning they make more money as their products can be bought from remote places or in different countries.

Here is how a typical store works. Hollister is a good example to use as although there are a few stores in the UK some of their products are not. Therefore you are using the site for the purpose they were made.

• You can browse through the products
• Change the colour of priducts
• Select your size
• View size charts
• Add items to bag which is where the running total cost of the goods is displayed
• Then go on to pay
• When you pay you will be asked to fill in your details so they know how you are paying, your name and where to deliever your items to.
• Once payment has been approved (normally by credit or debit card), the order is transmitted to the order fulfillment warehouse or local store where pickers pack your order ready for delivery in the agreed time slot.

When a business wants to sell using ecommerce they will need:

• A domain name e.g. Amazon.co.uk
• A website or webshop with all of their products displayed
• A secure way of taking payment from their customers
• An automatic way of sending an order confirmation by email
• A way of sending orders to the customers

When a customer wants to buy products using ecommerce they will need:

• A computer
• Access to the Internet
• Find the website / webshop they are interested in
• Choose the item they want to buy
• Add it to the 'shopping cart'
• Continue shopping or proceed to the 'checkout'
• Enter their personal details such as name, address and account number
• Enter their payment method e.g. credit card, paypal, cheque
• Confirm their order
• Wait for their item to arrive

EPOS and EFTPOS

EPOS- electronic point of sale
It is a computerised stock control system used by shops and supermarkets

• a bar code of the product is scanned
• the store database then matches the product barcode to the correct item.
• the stock level for this item then decreases by one
• when the stock level reaches a reorder value a message is sent to the supplier asking for them to send more

Barcodes-These look like a series of thick and thin black lines with a series of numbers below. 

Nearly all products have one.

Once the barcode is scanned using a barcode reader, the database can find the product details that the barcode relates to. Each type of product will have its own barcode.

A barcode holds the data about the type of product, size, manufacturer and the country of
origin. 

It also contains a check digit, so that the computer can validate that the data has been read in correctly.

The barcode does not contain price. The price is held in the database instead. This makes it easy to change if there are special offers or prices go up or down.


EFTPOS- Electronic fund transfer point of sale

This allows customers of a shop to pay for products using a debit or credit card.
The money has to be taken electronically from the customer's bank account and paid to the supermarket's account. The card is swiped through the magnetic reader on the till, which allows it to pick up the information. At that point, an automated request for approval is sent to the bank computer via the telephone network.