Whittard implementing new till solution to enhance customer service
Beverages retailer and wholesaler Whittard is rolling out a new till software system that will give it real-time transactions at head office to enable better utilisation of promotions in-store and help it develop a loyalty scheme.
By Glynn Davis in Lisbon
Speaking to Simon Watson, senior business analyst at Whittard, at the Cegid Retail Connection 2011 conference in Lisbon this week he revealed that the company had selected the Cegid Business Retail (CBR) Point-of-Sale (PoS) solution and loyalty module and was rolling it out across its 77 UK stores.
Whittard has opted for the web-access version of CBR as Watson says this enables all transactions to be communicated to head office in real-time. “The advantage is that if customers earn loyalty points in one store then they are usable in another store straightaway. And it’s the same with redeeming points,” he explains.
The roll out of the PoS coincides with the replacement of the group’s till hardware with Aures equipment that was recommended by Cegid and comes with large touch-screens. Watson says Whittard has designed 11 screens that provide store staff with an intuitive experience.
In addition, the hardware allows staff to use swipe cards on the tills, which enables them to be identified so they can be given specific levels of authorisation such as being able to offer discounts to customers.
The CBR software also provides the company with “a lot richer promotion functionality” so Whittard can more effectively run three-for-two type promotions. “It also helps spreading the VAT across the items when we do mix and match three-for-two promotions,” adds Watson.
The over-arching benefit of the new till system is to improve customer service. “This was the key. It’s what we strive for, especially within the area of coffee where people need specialist advice,” says Watson. Although this was a key driver behind the upgrade of the PoS solution, the main reason was the need to be PCI-compliant. “The system comes with end-to-end encryption so this took the headache away,” he says.
PCI capability was one of a number of reasons for Whittard choosing the Cegid technology: “It fitted with the brand and we’ve worked with them before. They are also very competitive with their pricing structure. We know them and this is important when signing a five-year deal.”
