TRUNO, the national leader in integrated retail technology solutions, is excited to announce a new partnership with Zebra Technologies, a global leader in data capture, workforce mobility, and intelligent automation systems. As a Zebra Premier Solution Partner, TRUNO combines over 40 years of retail expertise with Zebra’s innovative technology to provide retailers with tools that maximize performance from the back of the store to the point of sale and everywhere in between.
This is critical time for retailers. Long-range trends and pandemic-related disruptions have created a critical inflection point that has driven many leaders to reevaluate their technology solutions. And there’s nowhere where this is more apparent than the grocery industry, where customers’ desire for more safety, speed, and convenience drives a new focus on online shopping, self-checkout, and pickup/delivery options.
The pace of change makes this the perfect time for grocery businesses to leverage the expertise and solutions that TRUNO and Zebra offer. Together, we recently prepared a white paper that looks at five technology workflows that are supporting new levels of customer service in grocery operations. Here’s a brief recap:
Self-Checkout
For many shoppers, self-service checkout is no longer an option; it’s an expectation. In fact, 35% of today’s grocery shoppers regularly choose self-checkout, with two-thirds saying they do so because it’s their fastest option. This makes self-checkout a win for businesses and customers. Customers love the shorter lines that result when stores employ technologies like innovative scanner scales that use high-resolution cameras to instantly identify grocery items. Likewise, store operators love the way the same technology helps them optimize floor space, trim manned checkout lanes, and improve cash management and security.
Mobile Point of Sale
Nearly 1 out of 5 grocery shoppers say long lines and poor checkout experiences would prompt them to shop elsewhere, so it pays to consider anything that helps customers get in and out of the store quickly. One way to keep store traffic moving is with mobile point-of-sale (POS) technology that moves checkout options outside checkout lanes to other areas of the store. These mobile POS solutions include handheld computers and rugged tablets that integrate barcode scanning and combine with mobile printers to create flexible checkout stations that can be deployed quickly wherever they make sense.
In-Lane Scanning
Few things disrupt the performance of cashier-manned checkout lanes more than large items that are difficult to pass over a fixed scanner. To keep lines moving and make cashiers’ jobs easier, many stores are adding corded or cordless handheld scanners to their checkout lanes. These scanners reduce the need for extra handling to position heavy items, and extended range scanners even let cashiers can capture barcodes on items in the cart without leaving the register.
Inventory & Shelf Management
As grocery shoppers embrace omnichannel shopping, stores are focusing more than ever on inventory and shelf management processes that help ensure inventory availability and pricing accuracy. Since full-service grocery stores may change thousands of prices every week, they simply can’t afford to be weighed down by legacy systems and labor-intensive processes that eat into profit margins. Some chains are implementing electronic shelf labels, but many more are using mobile computers and printers that make it easier for workers to manage inventory with greater accuracy and update prices more quickly.
Click & Collect
With online/mobile sales expected to top 20% of all grocery sales by 2026, today’s store operators must have efficient click and collect solutions that support a variety of pickup and delivery options. With the right technology, small- and mid-sized chains that can’t afford to fulfill online orders out of dedicated warehouses can build fully integrated click-and-collect systems that allow workers to easily locate items and collect customer orders efficiently. The best solutions rely on mobile tablets and handheld computers that offer multi-modal picking tools and built-in barcode scanners to ensure the accuracy of every order.
These five workflows barely scratch the surface of the solutions that TRUNO and Zebra offer retailers. From innovative hardware to unique software solutions, we can deliver the integrated technology solutions that businesses of every size need to keep pace in today’s competitive retail market. Click here to get our complete white paper Five Workflows that Drive Customer Service in Today’s Supermarket or contact your TRUNO representative to learn more.
