Store Systems

By Mike Poldino, Motorola Solutions

Unless you have recently upgraded your point-of-sale (POS) systems, chances are the bioptic POS in your grocery store today can only scan 1D bar codes printed on the paper labels placed on items or on paper coupons. While that met the needs of yesterday’s POS, times have changed. And in order to provide your customer with the best possible experience at the POS, your POS needs to change too.

Beyond 1D — the new types of bar codes appearing in your POS lanes

King Of Prussia, Pa. -- GSI Commerce, an eBay Inc. company, said it has extended its contract with PetSmart to support the retailer’s omnichannel strategy with webstore, fulfillment and customer service solutions. GSI has worked with PetSmart since 2007, and this contract will extend the relationship for three years.
   

Dallas -- Alliance Data Systems Corp., a leading provider of loyalty and marketing solutions derived from transaction-rich data, announced its Retail Services business has signed a long-term agreement to continue providing the co-brand credit card program for multichannel retailer Gander Mountain.

Bellevue, Wash. -- Coinstar has announced a new feature available at some Coinstar kiosks that enables consumers to deposit or withdraw funds from their PayPal accounts, as well as send money to another PayPal account.

The rollout began in February in Texas, Northern California, and Ohio, and will continue at select kiosks throughout the year, said the company.

New York -- RKF said it has arranged a 2,100-sq.-ft. lease for GNC at 302 Canal Street in downtown Manhattan.

The new store, which will consist of 1,050 sq. ft. on both the ground floor and basement of the building, is located less than one block east of Broadway near Mercer Street.  It will become GNC’s 47th Manhattan location when it officially opens this spring.

With this latest lease transaction, RKF has arranged five retail leases in New York City on behalf of GNC.

New York -- RKF announced that it has arranged four long-term leases for U.K.-based sandwich chain Pret A Manger.

The new stores are located at 655 Sixth Avenue, 319 Broadway, 350 Park Avenue and 303 Park Avenue South. With the addition of these new stores, Pret A Manger will have 36 Manhattan locations.

While the 655 Sixth Avenue location recently opened, the other three locations are slated to open in April.

Mississauga, Ontario -- Target announced that it is opening three pilot stores in Ontario on March 5 at Stone Road in Guelph, Milton Mall Shopping Centre in Milton and Gates of Fergus in Fergus. The three pilot stores are the first Target locations to open in Canada, and the first of 124 Target stores that will open across the country throughout 2013.
 

Chicago -- AWE Talisman and Macerich announced Monday that Fashion Outlets of Chicago will open on August 1 in Rosemont, Ill., featuring Bloomingdale's The Outlet Store, Last Call by Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th and 120 additional brands.

The two-level, 530,000-sq.-ft. outlet mall is the first fully enclosed, multi-level property with this level of amenities in the Chicago area in more than two decades, according to both companies.