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Retail Systems '05

Chicago's sprawling McCormick Place played host to this year's Retail Systems Conference & Exposition, and although the show focused largely on supply chain, inventory management, CSR and POS, a number of exhibitors were on hand with new self-service gems.

June 19, 2005 by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Chicago's sprawling McCormick Place played host to this year's Retail Systems Conference & Exposition, May 24-26, and although the show focused largely on supply chain, inventory management, CSR and POS, a number of exhibitors were on hand with new self-service gems.

IBM's Personal Shopping Assistant, seen in a grocery application

The crowd seldom parted around the IBM booth, facing the entrance to the hall; front and center was a shopping cart equipped with the new "personal shopping assistant," a pint-sized kiosk that upsells and promotes products, allows customers to scan items and maintain a running "cart total," and manages loyalty program information. When integrated with ceiling-mounted infrared devices, the system can detect shopper location and advertise products and specials as the customer walks by them - for instance, offer up a discount on coffee when the customer is standing next to the grounds.

Hand Held Products' new Image Kiosk 8560

Hand Held Products was also on hand with a "micro-kiosk" of their own, the new Image Kiosk 8560 unit. According to senior product manager Nick Daddabbo, not only is the unit less expensive than its predecessor (about $900 cheaper, he estimated), it marks the company's foray into Windows CE 5.0.

"We recognize that about 80 to 90 percent of the market are Windows developers," he said. "Our transaction teams are moving toward Windows. Currently, we're a mix of proprietary systems and Windows, but Windows is where we're heading."

Daddabbo said that the Image Kiosk 8560 is build to be especially rugged, right down to the disposable screen covers.

"We took a look at the behaviors of the customer at the POS, and realized that their behaviors are going to be the same at the point of decision," he said.

Some other highlights from the show:

A number of self-checkout systems were on display, including units from NCR, Wincor Nixdorf, and Fujitsu.

The Touch&Go Paigezilla, from Micro Industries

Micro Industries showcased its new Touch&Go Paigezilla computer, a small-footprint unit sporting a 10.4-inch LCD touchscreen, stereo speakers, built-in receipt printer, barcode scanner, magnetic-stripe reader, multi-format media card reader and CD burner. Chief executive officer Michael Curran said the unit is ideally suited for photo CD applications, although it could just as easily be used for other products like pay-and-burn music.
Netkey was on hand, demoing the new version 6.5 of its flagship software platform. Borders, which used Netkey for its original Title Sleuth kiosk deployment in 2000, recently announced that it would be using the full version of 6.5 not only for its existing kiosk network but also for new self-service initiatives in development.
Integrated Business Systems and Services had their tech on display in BMW's "Wave & Win" program, which saw several of the car maker's "surfboard" kiosks set up throughout the exhibit hall; guests were given cards that they waved over a touchless card reader for a chance at prizes.
Retaligent showcased its Clarience and eSP wish-list and registry suite, which features POS, Web integration, touchscreen look-up and wireless handheld devices. According to president and CEO Bryan Amaral, the Clarience suite integrates tightly with the retailer's back-office, which he said is the only way to run such a program. "We don't believe point solutions are the right answer in the long term," he said.

RFID figured heavily in the show mix, as well - countless companies were on hand with their proposed solutions for what looks to be retail's next "holy grail."