Typically, the biggest barrier to any retailer taking on new retail technology is cost. However, Henderson Technology says it has taken this barrier away by offering all its products on a monthly lease agreement, from the installation of its EDGEPoS system, to electronic shelf-edge labels (ESELs).
Kristine Moore, retail technology channel manager at Henderson Technology, says: “We can install everything with no upfront costs, and all maintenance and support costs are included. Our support services are 24/7 365 days a year, which we understand is essential to any busy forecourt out there. We also include all EDGEPoS upgrades and unlimited remote training with our partnerships. As the contract is a fixed cost for the term of the agreement, retailers can be assured of their costs without any unforeseen rises which, in the current climate, is key for business planning.”
What is more, Moore says the return on investment is easily trackable for any retailer with any of Henderson’s products. “With the addition of a self-service lane, retailers can immediately allow customers to serve themselves and utilise staff in other areas of the store. With the implementation of ESELs, there is an instant margin increase due to wrong pricing being eradicated and no promotional changeover crossovers. Also, the saving on staff labelling the store and on paper labels reaps benefits from day one of installing them.”
Of course, retailers making an investment in technology, need to be confident that it is future-proof ed as much as possible and Moore says EDGEPoS is. “It will never be an end-of-life product. We develop our Epos system around convenience and fuel as Henderson Group is a retailer first and foremost. The food-to-go functionality such as scale integrations, allergens and nutrition information labelling through our partners at ADC, our fully integrated self-serve food kiosk and Deliverect integration are applicable to all retailers.”
She says Spar Mallusk in Newtownabbey is a great example of the important role retail technology plays on a busy forecourt/convenience site. “It brought the first-ever Barista Bar Coffee Drive-Thru exclusively to the local area. In the store, there are 10 lanes of EDGEPoS scanning, of which three are cash and card self-checkout lanes, delivering a massively positive impact of helping customers shop the store quickly and efficiently. Glory Cash Management solutions have been integrated into the cashier and self-checkout tills, as well as the back-of-house operations. And two self-serve kiosks were installed at the food-to-go counters in the store. Customers can come into the store, order and pay for their food on the self-serve kiosks, and go to the collection point in-store to grab ‘n’ go.”
Top 50 Indie WJ King made the switch to Henderson Technology’s EdgePoS systems earlier this year, across its eight Harvest Energy forecourts.
William King, owner at WJ King, explains: “We needed to upgrade our systems and we contacted Henderson Technology for an EDGEPoS demonstration. As soon as we formed the partnership, we knew we made the right decision. As well as the system being ideal for our needs, we have the comfort of knowing its origins are based in the convenience and forecourt market, built by independent and company-owned retail outlets for use in their own network.”
Pioneering solution
Credentials are important when investing large sums of money. CBE has those as UK director Clive Hughes says the company pioneered the concept of a fully integrated forecourt solution, and the company’s research and development team remains at the forefront of innovation.
An example of this is the fact that CBE’s FutaTill forecourt solution gives retailers the ability to process fuel transactions using self-checkout solutions (SCO). Implemented using the ‘fractional model’, the system allows consumers to pay for their shop goods and fuel at the same time, in one transaction, at the SCO while being monitored/assisted by an existing cashier.
“CBE’s forecourt solution enables you to make sure efficiency and productivity are at the highest levels. Designed for single-site or multi-site operations, the system boasts full head office capabilities, paving the way for expansion. CBE works with all the major fuel brands and oil companies, catering for all the leading fuel card providers including bunkering support,” explains Hughes.
He says CBE’s innovative integration with fuel price poles allows retailers to update their Epos, pumps and price poles simultaneously. “For multi-site retailers, this brings fuel price control to head office and eliminates possible delays when it comes to updating prices across the estate. For 24-hour sites, this opens the possibility of day-part pricing. For example, retailers are learning how to maximise margins and drive volumes based on specific day parts.”
CBE’s solution includes full report management for in-depth wet-stock and dry-stock analysis, which includes automated tank dips and suggested fuel ordering and is fully compatible with all major fuel monitoring services.
Hughes says CBE has developed a class-leading outdoor payment terminal (OPT) in conjunction with Gilbarco, as well as integrating with all leading OPT providers in the market.
For food to go operations, CBE can provide kiosk and online ordering, delivery management integrations and kitchen automation screens. These offer common payment processing platforms, loyalty applications, consolidated reporting and product set-up across all solutions.
And the CBE Cloud, hosted in Microsoft Azure, enables retailers to manage operations from anywhere, using any mobile device.
“CBE’s FutaTill solution, coupled with our unwavering commitment to innovation, offers forecourt and convenience retailers a transformative platform to meet the evolving needs of their customers and drive business growth. The integration of technology, efficiency, and comprehensive support positions CBE as an invaluable partner in the ever-evolving roadside retail landscape.”
Fuel card integration
Suresite Group has recently teamed up with ShopMate, one of the UK’s leading Epos suppliers, to bring integrated fuel card and payment processing to forecourts.
The platform means retailers can now offer their customers the option to pay using fuel cards, without any of the previously associated inconvenience. The partnership gives retailers the added bonus of processing their payments from just 24 hours, improving cashflow and freeing up valuable resource. Integration between Epos and fuel cards has previously been few and far between but after a successful testing phase, the nationwide roll out of the partnership has begun.
The integration aims to reduce both processing time and risk of keying errors; linking fuel pumps to ShopMate Epos and through to the Suresite terminal.
The main features and benefits of the new integration are quick and simple payment completion; reduced risk of keying errors; secure payments; acceptance of all major payment types including fuel cards; 24/7 customer service; payment processing from 24 hours; and competitive payment processing fees.
Nick Horne, sales and commercial director for Suresite Group, says: “Our reliable and cost-effective Orion device works in perfect sync with ShopMate Epos to provide customers and businesses with a seamless experience. Users will gain access to our online marketplace – Suresite Connex to ensure complete visibility of their transactions and invoices, as well as the benefit of a 5* Feefo rated customer service team and the option to have the transactions processed and in their bank from just 24 hours.”
Brian Eagle-Brown, managing director at ShopMate, adds: “Our partnership with the Suresite Group is a major development within integrated fuel card and payment processing for forecourts in the UK. The integration between ShopMate Epos and Suresite payment processing will undoubtedly make a real difference to our mutual customers, subject to brand agreements. We are continuously delivering improvements for our customers and this integration will certainly deliver new opportunities to save time and effort.”
