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Team effort leads to smarter self-scanners
Pan-Oston, Hitcents aim for the Utopia of DIY checkout lanes
February
6, 2007
By AMEERAH CETAWAYO, The Daily News
In business, it's the little things that count.
For two Bowling Green-based companies, Pan-Oston
and Hitcents, the installation of the
first Utopia Self-Scan checkout lane in late
January signifies a small step in a venture
that takes on a very competitive market for
self-scan checkout lanes.
Houchens-owned IGA No. 36 in Morgantown opened
the lanes for Utopia on Jan. 23.
In 11 hours, Utopia completed 253 transactions
with more than 250 people using the
system, generating $4,116.29 in sales, according
to a news release from the company.
Since the store completed 469 transactions,
about 53 percent of the transactions
completed in the store were completed on the
self-scan units instead of regular checkout
methods, according to Hitcents.
Both companies were testing Utopia Self-Scan
last July after development began in
May. Utopia was patented as the first
convertible checkout unit, allowing a
traditional cashier lane to be converted into a
self-checkout unit (and vice versa) in minutes.
Last month, Hitcents President Chris Mills said
the installation was “the start of a long
and prosperous future of a very successful
Self-Scan solution. Hitcents started this
process with Pan-Oston in early May and we have
accomplished a daunting task in such
a short time frame. I can't wait to see what the
years to come will bring.”
According to Hitcents, Utopia utilizes biometric
authentication for store attendant access
and customer loyalty programs.
Instead of scanning cards, a cashier's
thumbprint is all that's needed to work at the
register.
The partnership between both companies also
highlights Pan-Oston's expansion
announcement last year - that it will invest $8
million to add 200 jobs at its 6944
Louisville Road facility in the next couple of
years and grow by 105,000 square feet in all
four directions, according to Jim Vance,
president of Pan-Oston.
Pan-Oston manufactures checkout lanes for
Wal-Mart, Target, Michaels and others.
Hitcents designs and produces the software for
Utopia Self-Scan.
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Copyright 2007 News Publishing LLC (Bowling
Green, KY)
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