Keyless cash registers will soon be on trial

Press, 17 June 1982, Page 13

Keyless cash registers will soon be on trial

They do everything except hand over your change and pack the groceries. They are the first JCR “keyless" cash registers which will start test runs insome Christchurch supermarkets later this year ,as part of a public relations exercise. The trials were suggested at a NCR 255 users’ meeting last year. Installation of an electronic scanner at a check-out counter in each store will complete the already working computerised system. Local goods carrying an identifying code, which the scanner “reads” as a price tag, are appearing on shop shelves and as more manufacturers switch to bar-cod-ing their products New Zealand will follow other countries with automatic pricescanning.

No overcharging and shorter check-out queues is the picture painted by Mr Gary Haora, the manager of Food Distribution Systems NCR (N.Z.).

The bar-code scanner is set into the check-out counter and attached to the electronic cash register.' The scanner “reads” the barcoded symbol printed on each item as it passes, and the pattern of parallel stripes is fed to a central computer which stores stock information.

Then the price comes out on the register, leaving the operator with little to do except give customers their change from the bill. The code will eventually replace individually priced items. Instead only a price ticket on the shelf is needed while the scanner does the rest at the check-out. “From the consumer's viewpoint the number one point is its accuracy." said Mr Haora. Check-out opera-

tors no longer had to remember price lists, particularly specials, and the whole process speeded up. Customers also received a "real ripper" docket describing each purchase and its price. Many American ladies used their last week’s docket as a shopping list and compared prices — “I’m not sure whether that is an advantage or not.”

Store management had up to-date data on sales and price changes which would give them better stock control. sales analysis and more efficient marketing. "Everyone is going cautiously at the moment because of the investment required," he said. Some of the bigger supermarket chains would need at least $2 million to outfit their stores, while a mediumsized supermarket with about six check-outs would pay about $50,000 for the new technology.

The NCR executive officer in Christchurch, Mr J. J. Robinson, said that demonstrations of the scanner had attracted a lot of interest. The first scanner would probably be installed in a Wellington supermarket next month, although test runs were not due to start in Christchurch until September. About seven Canterbury stores had nearly completed systems waiting for the installation of their scanners. G.U.S. Wholesalers, Ltd. hopes to start test runs at Super Value stores in Hornby. Merivale, and South Mall, by September. The company’s data processing manager; Mr Jim Miles, said that the trials would test the system and show the public that there was “really nothing to be afraid of.”

Computerised shopping

was inevitable. The grocery business was highly competitive and the scanners would allow stores to offer a better service at the check-out. New Zealand manufacturers seemed to be happier about the switch to barcoding than their Australian counterparts, and Mr Miles said it was hoped that enough goods would be coded to make scanning worth while early next year. The executive ’director of the Product Numbering Association which is co-ordi-nating the coding. Mr Brian Smith, said that up to 50 per cent of supermarket items could be bar-coded within a few months. At' least 200 items were. at different stages of coding and the association’s 140 members had the potential to cover 80 per cent of supermarket lines.

Labour-savings are one possible problem area which the association has considered.

■ A report released last year from a P.N.A. committee

said that while the new technology appeared to cause a net labour saving, overseas experience showed that its effect was less than expected. The labour saving depended on individual management decisions.

However, a recent item in the “National Business Review” said the association admitted that many statistics from overseas and local pilot studies left an unclear picture of the labour effects.

The Canterbury branch secretary of the Shop Employees'Union, Mrs M. Hilston, said the union was concerned but employers had already said that they did not believe the change would cause redundancies.

"We are not stopping it coming in but we have to be given notice of such equipment being introduced," she said. The union wanted a minimum one month’s notice of installation' and provision for staff retraining included at its award negotiations in October.