Lessons From The Road.

After visiting over 150 grocery headquarters, talking to over 1200 independent grocers, and traveling over 75,000 miles. You learn a lot.

Here is what we've learned and the solutions we have developed to address the needs of the independent grocer.

Overhead keeps going up.

Utopia Self-checkout will lower your overhead and has the lowest attendant intervention rate in the industry. This combined with the simplest and easiest customer interface, ensures higher customer satisfaction and increased customer loyalty.

Profits are being reduced.

Bank note recycling will improve your bottom line. The Utopia Innovation lane and the Utopia Cash Handling Lane each come equipped with the MEI Bank Note Recycler. The Bank Note Recycler greatly reduces float by up to 90% and requires less tills to be pre-made and counted.

Shrink is going up, sweethearting and employee theft on the rise.

Utopia Cash Handling Lane will reduce sweethearting and employee theft. It will also detect counterfeit bills. Plus the accuracy of automated equipment eliminates the need for cashiers, cash room personnel and managers to reconcile tills repeatedly due to cash counting errors and employee theft. The Cash Handling Lane also drastically reduces the amount of time required to reconcile tills before and after each cashier shift, providing substantial labor and time savings.

Counterfeit bill use is increasing.

Mei's Bank Note Recycler will detect and reject counterfeit bills.

Customer loyalty declining.

If you don't offer self-checkout over 20% of customers won't shop your store. If you are not currently offering self-checkout, you're already losing up to 20% of your potential customers. The old days of thinking that self-service would lessen your interaction with customers and reduce customer service are over.

Prepared meals to go, is growing.

In store sampling with the Pan-Oston Mobile Demonstration Unit increase sales by over 60%. Recent research and what we've seen on the road, shows that with the customer interaction of in-store demonstrations you not only increase sales, but that you increase customer loyalty too.

Need more room for merchandising.

We offer a wide selection of reduced footprint merchandising solutions throughout the store. From our bakery displays to our self-checkout units we are always developing ways to increase product while reducing the footprint of our merchandisers.

Need self-checkout and new merchandisers but I can't afford them or lending is too tight.

With your N.G.A. discounts and with leasing options available to you it's never been easier to afford new merchandisers and lanes. Plus with our direct from the manufacturer pricing you can now offer your customers the option of self-checkout for 1/3 less than comparable solutions. In fact we've been asked over and over how can we make our Utopia self-checkout solutions so affordable and the answer is that we are the only ones that aren't trying to lock you into a long term service contract, and the only ones to not go through a middle man to serve the independent grocer. When you cut out the middle man and make your solution POS neutral, you save a fortune! Plus with our leasing options there is no reason you cant afford self-checkout.

To schedule a stop by the Utopia Across America Tour at your grocery headquarters or to find out even more about Pan-Oston and all of our solutions visit us on the web at panoston.com or call us at 800-210-2302.

What would you call a lane that reduces float, theft, lines, employee injuries, and your overhead?

Introducing the Revolutionary Utopia Cash Handling Lane

Pan-Oston, where grocery store shop for all their grocery needs, is proud to introduce the Utopia Cash Handling Lane. Providing grocers with lower cash handling costs, improved security, increased ROI, ADA accessible for customer and cashier, and ergonomic design.

Built around the MEI Bank Note Recycler, the Utopia Cash Handling Lane will revolutionize the way you look at your front end. To see how much the Utopia Cash Handling Lane will help you with your overhead log onto to www.panoston.com and try our amazing patent pending Front End Optimizer. It will allow you to enter your store information to show what the ideal front end configuration is right for you and how much a cash handling lane will save. With over 40 years of experience developing innovative and overhead reducing solutions. We are proud to be the official self-checkout provider to the N.G.A.
To find out more about the Utopia Cash Handling Lane visit us at www.panoston.com or call 800-210-2302.

Utopia Across America - Week Two

We were back in Pan-Oston's hometown, Bowling Green, Kentucky, this week, which gave us time to reflect on the first two weeks of our Utopia Across America Tour. The response from independent grocers has been phenomenal; in many ways, even better than we anticipated. Everyone seems genuinely impressed with what they've experienced on board the Innovation Centers and are appreciative to not only see the products and technology, but to engage in meaningful discussions about their businesses, and discuss opportunities for improving customer service, as well as bottomlines.

Week two for Jeff G. and Derek aboard RV #1 was spent traveling Michigan and Indiana. They made stops in Ann Arbor, Lansing, Muskegon, Traverse City, South Bend and Merrillville, visiting with the welcoming employees of Busch's Fine Foods, L & L Foods, Plumb Inc., Oleson's Food Markets, Martin's Supermarkets and Wiseway Markets.

RV #2 took Allen and Jeff R. to stops in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. They kicked off the week at MEI headquarters in West Chester. MEI's Bank Note Recycler continues to be one of the "stars" of the UAA Tour and the MEI team were thrilled to see our mobile Innovation Centers showcasing their amazing cash handling and recycling technology. The rest of the week was devoted to visits with grocers - Fresh Grocers, Boyer's, Thomas Family Markets, Bill's Shop Rite, Mountain Fresh, Fetch's Foods, Village Supermarket IGA and Kilroy's Wonder Market - with the RV traveling the streets of Orwigsburg, Dallas, Moscow, Hunlock Creek, Plymouth, Ridgefield Park and Glenrock.

Day after day, we hear comments such as, "This is the coolest thing I've ever seen!" and "Every independent should take the time to tour the bus." Many people have been so wowed by what they've seen, they've called colleagues (even some from many miles away) to come visit the Innovation Center. People have often been surprised by what they've seen on the RVs and learned from their time spent with Jeff G., Derek, Allen and Jeff R.

We're excited to hit the road again on Monday and embark on Week Three of our tour. If you're interested in having one of our mobile Innovation Centers make a stop at your store or home office, please visit the NGA Utopia Across America website or call 866-296-2030!

Utopia Across America - Week One

We’re touring the country in two mobile Innovation Centers, introducing independent grocers to the latest in front-end technology and retail checkout products available from Pan-Oston. We officially kicked off our tour at N.G.A. headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Innovation Center #2) and in Wooster, Ohio (Innovation Center #1). Despite some gloomy weather along the way, we completed a very successful week one of our tour, setting the stage for what is sure to be an amazing summer on the road.

Innovation Center #1

Buehler Supermarkets in Wooster, Ohio welcomed the Innovation Center #1 team, Jeff and Derek, with twelve of their team stepping on board to experience the technology solutions, such as the Shop Hear assistive listening device and MEI’s Bank Note Recycler.

Day two in Youngstown, Ohio brought the local media – The Vindicator (read the article) and WYTV 33 (read the article) – out to see what Utopia Across America was all about. We met with HP Nemenz and the West Side Sparkle Market and both groups seemed impressed with all that Pan-Oston has to offer.

We continued our tour across Ohio, kicking off day three in Coshocton with a great meeting with Baker’s IGA (and a reporter from the Coshocton County Beacon; and made quite an impression on the locals as we traveled down Main Street) and then braved some narrow roads before reaching I-77 and I-70 to get to our afternoon stop in St. Clairsville. We met with more than a dozen people from Reisbeck’s representing management from Produce, Deli & Food Service, Meat, IT and Operations. By 4:15, we were on the road toward Columbus.

We wrapped up week one of the tour in Findlay, Ohio, with the Fresh Encounter team, parking in the lot of their downtown Great Scot Community Market. The Utopia self-checkout and the BNR were once again the stars of the show and we spent many hours meeting with Fresh Encounter – and they were even kind enough to let us videotape their feedback of the experience. (Check back for a link to the completed video.) We then head south to Lima to meet with Chief Supermarkets, and parked our Innovation Center in the lot of Ray’s Market, where it got a lot of customer attention. So much attention, in fact, that the assistant store manager said her customers were stopping her and asking when the new self-checkout lanes would be available!

Innovation Center #2

What an exciting way for the IC#2 team, Allen and Jeff R., to kickoff their tour – by visiting the National Grocers Association offices just outside our nation’s capital. The N.G.A. executives, including President and CEO Thomas Zaucha and Executive Vice President Frank DiPasquale, and their staff gave us an extremely warm welcome and shot some video to share with their membership.

We then traveled to Rockville, Maryland, the corporate headquarters of Magruders, where we heard so many positive comments about our Innovation Center. They were particularly amazed at the affordability of our Utopia EZ unit. We finished up our first day in Baltimore, with the team from Mars Supermarkets. We were able to share with them many of Pan-Oston’s innovations, including our “green bag” rack and C-Flex counter systems. They expressed a great interest in our Front-End Optimizer and Self-Checkout Cost Savings Calculator tools. (You, too, can benefit from these tools – just click on the hyperlinks to sign up!)

We spent day two visiting independents in the Baltimore area, including B. Green & Co., Santoni’s and Harvest Fare. Again, we received appreciation for our onboard tools, the Front-End Optimizer and Self-Checkout Cost Savings Calculator. One owner not only appreciated being able to learn how he might make his front-end more efficient (by using the Front-End Optimizer), but he also thought our mobile Innovation Centers tours were a terrific opportunity for independents to see the latest innovations without having to travel to trade shows.

Our third day started off bright and early with Klein’s Shop-Rite. Halfway through the tour, additional members of the management team were called to witness all the innovations we had on board the Innovation Center and we discussed calculating the right number of self-checkouts and staffing (the Self-Checkout Cost Savings Calculator really is a useful tool!). We had a great discussion about how customers really are driving demand for the convenience of self-service – banking (ATMs) and gas stations (pay-at-pump) industries were changed by self-service, and now the grocery industry is experiencing a similar call for self-service. Pan-Oston is helping independent grocers face the challenge of meeting customer demand by offering self-checkout at an affordable price.

We finished off week one by heading north of the Mason-Dixon line to visit with independents in the Lancaster area of Pennsylvania, including W.L. Zimmermans & Sons and Darrenkamps. In addition to showing them the solutions and tools on board the Innovation Center, we were able to talk about customer preference. After discovering that recent data suggests 80% of customers at least want the choice of self-checkout and that 20% of customers will actively seek out stores that offer the convenience of SCO, they began asking if we actually thought they could actually pick up additional sales by offering SCO. We offered this scenario: Let's image you have a gas station that is located in a convenient spot on your way to work. You always enjoyed getting your gas there, but have finally started going to another station because they offer the convenience of pay-at-the-pump. On your way home today, you notice the gas station you've always liked has installed pay-at-the-pump. Wouldn't you start using them again since they are the friendly gas station you like and they now offer the convenience you desire? SCO not only provides cost savings, but also competes for sales and market share by offering something customers are looking for. What a great way to finish off week one - makes us excited for the weeks ahead!

If you’re interested in taking part in the Utopia Across America tour, visit www.ngautopiaacrossamerica.com or call 866-296-2030 to schedule a mobile Innovation Center visit!

N.G.A. Best Bagger National Champion was Crowned at the 2010 N.G.A. Annual Convention

Kyle Perry of Martin's Super Markets in Osceola, Indiana is the winner of the 2010 Best Bagger National Championship. The contest hosted and emceed by Phil Lempert the N.G.A. SupermarketGuru and food editor for the NBC’s Today Show, was held February 11, 2010 at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel, at the 2010 N.G.A. Annual Convention and Supermarket Synergy Show.

The Best Bagger National Championship is a year-long, nationwide program in which the best-of-the-best grocery baggers in the country compete for great prizes and the title of America’s Best Bagger. Contestants are judged on speed, bag-building technique, weight distribution between bags, and style, attitude and appearance. As the winner, Perry takes home “bagging rights” as well as the $10,000 grand prize, the coveted “Golden Grocery Bag” trophy and the Pan-Oston “Best Bagger Golden Lane” for the organization.

This year’s winners are: Winner – Kyle Perry, Martin's Super Markets, Indiana First Runner Up –Danny Goodwin, J.H. Harvey Co., LLC, Georgia Second Runner Up – Andrew Hadlock, Maceys, Inc., Utah Third Runner Up – David Williams, K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc. (Food City), Kentucky Fourth Runner Up – Arcola Pointer, D'Agostino Supermarkets, Inc., New York
The second place winner received a prize of $5,000 and 3rd – 5th places received a prize of $1,000 each. This year’s competition also made a change in the type of bags used within competition, switching from paper and plastic to reusable bags. This was in response to the increase in consumer popularity of reusable bags around the country.

Twenty three states were represented at this year’s Best Bagger National Championship; a group that N.G.A. Executive Vice President, Frank DiPasquale says was representative of the collective spirit and work ethic of the baggers across the country. “With this competition, we aim to celebrate the bagger and the independent retailer. Watching the baggers compete with such enthusiasm, year after year, continues to reaffirm their commitments to this industry,” said DiPasquale.

Hitting the road with Innovation

It's the dead of winter in Bowling Green, but things here at Pan-Oston are really heating up. The finishing touches are being made to our fleet of Utopia Across America vehicles. Premiering at the N.G.A. Annual Convention in Las Vegas in February, these vehicles are packed with Innovative ideas that will help you improve your bottom line. Pan-Oston's remarkable Front-End Optimizer will run a diagnostic of your store's front-end and tell you what is the most efficient and profitable setup for your store.

Also inside you will find the latest information on cash management and self-checkout. Learn a number of new ways you can reduce front-end losses and lower your overhead costs. You will also see the world's most affordable self-checkout solution, Utopia EZ self-checkout. You're invited to try out this simple and customer friendly self-checkout solution that has made self-checkout affordable for all grocers regardless of size. You will see how easily Utopia,a s a POS neutral self-checkout solution, has been easily integrated to 99% of all POS solutions including IBM ACE, IBM SA, ISS45, NCR ScanMaster, LOC SMS and more.

Another innovative solution you will be able to see is the C-FLEX counter systems. The patented counter system whose modular metal frame construction gives you the flexibility to do everything from change a counter top, replace a damaged panel to reconfiguring your counter layout.

To schedule one of the vehicles to stop by your corporate office or stores, please call us at Pan-Oston 1.866.296.2030 or visit us online at www.panoston.com

Supermarket self-checkout

Well the holiday rush is over and everyone in the grocery business can get down to thinking about 2010 and what are they going to do to improve their bottom line. As most people know more and more grocery store customers prefer self-checkout to the traditional manned checkout experience. The reason a lot of grocery stores out there have not switched over to self-checkout is because of two reasons. First, they believe that their cashiers provide a unique and better experience that separates their stores from the competition. We have found this not to be true. In fact when you move the cashier out from behind the counter and turn this person into someone who can help the customer with their checkout needs, this greatly improves the customer's shopping experience.

The second reason a number of the independent grocers haven't even tried self-checkout is due to the perception that self-checkout is more expensive than an attended lane. This is categorically not correct. The Pan-Oston EZ Self-checkout lane costs less than a traditional cashier lane with POS. This cost savings doesn't even include the overhead savings you get with self-checkout. With Pan-Oston you can replace your old cashier lanes with self-checkout and it will pay for itself in just a few months. What better option do you have to increase your store's profitability in 2010?

Plus with self-checkout your cash management costs are reduced with less people handling your cash. In fact, using Utopia self-checkout has allowed our customers to greatly reduce the amount of cash the stores need to keep on hand, freeing up this money to be used elsewhere. If you'd like to find out more about self-checkout visit us at www.panoston.com or give us a call at 866-296-2030.