What is the best grocery store front end layout? 

Go to www.grocerystorelayout.com and vote for your favorite supermarket layout.

Grocery Store Layout [INFOGRAPHIC] - Pan-Oston/Utopia Technology Group

Grocery Store Layout [INFOGRAPHIC] - Pan-Oston/Utopia Technology Group

This truly is the best thing

since sliced bread.

The first lane designed to make everyone happy.

Customers love the shorter wait times, friendly service and accessibility. Your employees love the ergonomics, flexibility and customer friendly design. You will love the improved customer service, 24 cubic feet of additional merchandising space, less employee down time and lower operating costs. 

Here are some of the amazing benefits of this revolutionary new checkout lane, the last lane you will ever own.

•  Only carousel lane design that allows for the addition
   of a bagger if desired

•  Unique design allows the cashier to Scan & Pass,
   Scan & Bag or Scan Pass/Bag with over-sized,
   set-aside area for product directly over the
   carousel bagging area
•  True ergonomic design eliminates cashier twisting
   and turning, reducing lost time and fatigue
•  Cashiers are always face-to-face and able to
   present bags to the customer;  no more turning
   your back on your customers
•  Decreases customer wait time by 11% with higher
   cashier efficiency
•  Matches footprint of existing checkout lanes and provides 24
   cubic feet of space for merchandising
•  Certifications include International Organization for
   Standardization (ISO), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
   and Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
•  Provides multiple locations and configurations of POS
   equipment to meet your transactional flow needs
•  First checkout design to include an optional complete cash
   management solution in conjunction with a carousel style
   bagging system
•  Angled bagging cabinet provides seamless flow of customers
   from the checkout aisle to the store exit
•  Patent pending design

Features

•  Optional cash management system greatly reduces labor
   costs, shrink and cash float without changing the lane
•  First checkout design to include bag racks to accommodate
   plastic, reusable and paper bag options
•  Lane design also accommodates power pole entry or
   electrical stub-ups from the floor
•  Modular front end conveyor lengths in belted and non-
   belted formats with many additional checkout options
   allow you to customize your front conveyor to fit your
   store’s needs
•  Multiple standard paint/bumper color options
•  Electronic Photo-Eye belt control keeps the lane
   moving smoothly
•  LaneHawk, bottom-of-basket and camera provisions
   available upon request to ensure loss prevention
•  Isolated ground and standard power outlets provided
   for connection of all of your POS equipment and
   checkout power needs including optional cooler outlet
   circuit

To find out more about this amazing lane, please give us a call at 1.800.210.2302 or visit us online at www.panoston.com or at utopiatechnologygroup.com.

A History of Grocery

Many of the things we take for granted in retail today, came to us first from the grocery business. Simple things like the grocer in 1912 who figured out he could sell more product if he gave his customers a bag to carry them home in.  Or the grocer in 1937 that figured out he could sell a lot more if he provided his shoppers a cart to pile products into.  These are just some of the fun and entertaining facts you will discover in the "History of Grocery" info graphic.  http://groceryhistory.com

The History of Grocery

We are proud to be a part of the exciting, groundbreaking and vital business called grocery.  Here is an info graphic that we've created to share some of the highlights over the past 135 years. http://www.groceryhistory.com/#sthash.M2VAVVfK.BFvSjxgq.dpbs

Add caption

How much has your grocery store changed over the past 100 years?

Not a lot has changed in grocery checkout over the past century,

in the early 1900's it was all about customer service,

today it is still all about customer service.

To see our amazing FastLane X3 in action, checkout our video at this link:

http://www.utopiatechnologygroup.com

The secret to increased customer satisfaction, lower overhead and higher profits is here!

The number one complaint by customers today is the front-end checkout experience.  We have all been there, a few lanes open with the majority of lanes closed, resulting in long lines and aggravation.

That is why we developed the revolutionary Utopia Fast Lane X3.  It is the first and only checkout that incorporates PortalSorting, a record-breaking combination of high-speed portal scanning with contactless sorting in flexible modular configurations.

• One lane does the work of multiple lanes.
• It requires fewer employees while delivering improved customer service.
• The FastLane X3 delivers a faster and better shopping experience.
• According to DataLogic, the Portal Scan can handle up to 160 items a minute.
• SpanTech Sortation Technology is included, which directs items to the specified bagging area to assist customer flow.
• Multiple customer service style options are available, including assisted cart unloading and bagging service, or customer unload and bag.
• There are flexible payment options for your customers' convenience.
• The FastLane X3 integrates with your existing POS system.
• A dedicated employee is always present to assist customers.

To see the FastLane X3 in action visit www.utopiatechnologygroup.com

The Utopia Technology Group is a division of Pan-Oston.

Fox Business News PanOston Manufacturing Marvels

If you interviewed over a thousand different grocery store and convenience store owners, what would they tell you?

After being in business for over 40 years, you'd think that there isn't a lot you don't know about your customer's business.  But having spent over 2 years with buses traveling across the United States, talking to grocery store and convenience store owners and managers, we saw first hand how rapidly the retail business is changing and how quickly consumer expectations are evolving.

This tour provided us with more knowledge than could ever had been gained sitting in dark rooms and doing focus groups.  That is because we went to the headquarters, then we went to the stores, we talked to owners, we talked to cashiers and we talked to their customers.  No one, has ever gone to the lengths that Pan-Oston has gone to, to understand what our customers are facing, what their pain points are and how we can help
improve profitability and the customer shopping experience.

This has led us to developing revolutionary new products with our partners that speed transactions with portal scanners, provide more options with products like convertible lanes that can be self checkout or attended, and revolutionary merchandising units that can provide products as well
 as recipes and samples.

Our new video that we are releasing for the 2014 NRF and 2014 NGA shows captures the breath of our capabilities as well as demonstrating where we believe the future of retailing is going.

To find out more please give us a call 800.210.2302 or visit us at www.utopiatechnologygroup.com

NRF and Beyond. The future of retail.

We will be all over NRF having products at 7 of our partner booths including the Microsoft booth, the Digimarc booth, the Motorola booth, the Dell booth, the Datalogic booth, the Glory booth and the MEI booth.  But if you want to see our newest creation, something that has never been seen before, you'll have to come to the NGA show in February to see this amazing product in action!

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.

How is your bottom line looking and do you want to improve it?

1.5 net, are you happy with that? That's what the average grocery store is getting. With increases coming in labor costs, what are you going to cut to make up the difference? At Pan-Oston we have a very simple solution. It's time to stop thinking of self-checkout as a capx expense. Self-checkout will pay for itself in only a few months and the savings and increases to your bottom line will last for years. Plus it's what your customer want, with over 50% of them preferring self-checkout!

Self-checkout is also easier and cheaper then ever to install. In fact the Utopia EZ self-checkout lane costs less than a traditional cashier checkout lane. It's true for only $14,995.00 you can have self-checkout. Think about the impact that will have on your labor cost and on bottomline.

To find out more about how to improve your bottom line visit www.panoston.com

Phil Lempert "The Supermarket Guru" and the amazing C-Flex counter system

C-Flex Counter System. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, this video will save you tens of thousands of dollars. You've never seen a counter system like C-Flex because there's never been a counter system like C-Flex. But don't take our word on it, lets listen to the powerful and all knowing Phil Lempert "The Supermarket Guru" as he takes you through the benefits of this amazing counter solution with the incredible ROI.

Will Self-Checkout Replace the Traditional Cashier Checkout Lane?

With the introduction of EZ from Utopia, where you can now buy a self-checkout lane for less than a traditional cashier checkout lane you can't help but wonder how long will it be before the manned lane is extinct. Will the old-fashioned cashier lane go the way of the full-service gas station? There is no doubt that bottom line pressure and overhead concerns will accelerate the use of self-checkout, but what we see driving this trend even more is consumer demand for self-checkout.

Consumers are demanding self-checkout for a number of reasons. First because they want to have control of the checkout process and bag things the way they want. They also prefer self-checkout because of the speed of getting in and out of the store. They are also a number of people who prefer the privacy of self-checkout and a recent article talked about how some people choose self-checkout based on what they are buying (again a privacy issue).

Now there are a lot of stores that believe that their point of difference is their friendly local checkout experience, but there's been a lot of research that shows that regardless of store almost half of the customers would still prefer self-checkout. So if you are not offering these customers their preferred way to shop, are you at risk of losing them to someone who will offer it to them?

Now that Pan-Oston has taken the price difference out of self-checkout, you have to ask yourself why you wouldn't at-least offer your customers a choice. We are not saying you have to move to 100% self-checkout as some of our customers are testing, but to compete today both in terms of bottom-line and customer preference, you need to try self-checkout.

At Pan-Oston we are the Official Self-Checkout of the National Grocers Association, our Utopia Self-Checkout solutions are market proven with over $100 million in sales and Utopia is the only self-checkout solution that puts you in control of the self-checkout. Plus Utopia is very easily and simply integrates to your existing POS system. And with a price starting at just $14,995.00 you owe it to yourself to talk to us. Find out more about Utopia at panoston.com.