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Client: Lake Region IGA
IGA Inc. is a global supermarket network consisting
of more than 4,000 independent stores. The company prides
itself on the fact that the grocery stores are owned
by individuals who live in the communities they sell
to.
The Lake Region IGA is located
near Lake Wallenpaupack in Hawley, Pa., and services
a versatile clientele due to its proximity to the neighboring
resort spot.
Problem / Opportunity
Tourists make up for 90 percent of the store's
business from May to September. After summer tourism
ends each year, the Lake Region IGA no longer has the
luxury of constant business. The winter months around
Lake Wallenpaupack are considerably less busy, and the
grocery markets all vie for the locals' business.
Solution
Lake Region IGA recently installed a new point-of-sale
(POS) system that enables them to find out who their
consumers are, manage their labor better in busy times
and slow times, and improve their overall customer service.
In November 2002 the store implemented
a combination of IBM's ACE application and SurePOS 730
hardware system. STCR provided both the installation
and tech support for this solution. STCR installed the
solution after store hours one night, and the next day
it was online.
Results
James Shook, co-owner of the store, says, "IBM
is a great system and we're thrilled to have it, but
if it wasn't for STCR to be there to explain it to us
and work it through for us, I don't know where we'd
be today. They've got the greatest support a store could
ask for."
Aside from the ability to bring
in business during the winter months, Lake Region IGA
has also experienced savings since implementing the
new system. They are using a back office system from
BR Data called Retail BOSS that was installed and supported
by STCR Business Systems. This system is a fully integrated
application consisting of database management, customized
order entry, account receivables, account payables,
DSD, file maintenance and more. This back office system
integrates seamlessly with the IBM POS. IGA store manager
Rick McElroy believes that the combination of the back
office system, tied in with IBM's total POS solution
along with STCR support, is unbeatable. "The flexibility
that the system provides is overwhelming. It's unlimited."
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