Small grocers get access to big POS technology through new agreement between Unified Grocers and NCR

Through cooperative’s Neighborhood Markets program, smaller independent grocery stores can buy NCR technology similar to large chains, but tailored and priced to meet their needs

DAYTON, Ohio – Unified Grocers, a leading U.S. cooperative grocery wholesaler, and NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) have expanded their point-of-sale (POS) technology relationship to provide unique technology solutions to smaller grocery stores through Unified Grocers’ Neighborhood Markets program. NCR worked with Unified Grocers to design solutions for independent grocers in smaller-footprint stores, which typically have three or four lanes.

In June 2008, Unified and NCR announced an agreement to promote the NCR Advanced Checkout Solution (ACS) POS software to Unified Grocers’ approximately 3,000 independently-owned retail grocery customers in the western United States . Today’s announcement expands the original agreement to now include an NCR ACS offering specially packaged for Unified’s Neighborhood Market retailers.

The new NCR ACS for Neighborhood Markets includes feature-rich software tailored specifically for smaller grocers, but at a price sensitive to the needs of those retailers. Two hardware configurations are available and are designed to:

* Reduce cashier training costs and errors with the NCR ACS cashier interface
* Enable a faster checkout and promoting in-store specials with the NCR ACS customer information display
* Readily implement powerful, flexible promotional programs with the NCR ACS consumer marketing module
* Manage frequent shopper, in-house charge and check management programs with the NCR ACS customer maintenance and accounts receivable module
* Quickly resolve business issues with the intuitive NCR ACS interface to its
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back-office applications and graphical representation of key store data
* Increase time spent with customers thanks to NCR ACS mobile applications that provide store managers access to back-office applications from anywhere in the store

“Unified’s Neighborhood Markets retailers now have access to the same industry-leading POS technology that large grocery chains use. However, the system has been tailored for their needs and price points,” said John Saccomanno, director, NCR Food, Drug and Petroleum Industry Marketing. “We’re pleased to provide this solution in collaboration with Unified Grocers, and we believe their retailers will benefit from the performance, scalability and reliability of this technology.”

Joining Unified and NCR in the strategic relationship are NCR RealPartners, SNCR and Team Business. These NCR resellers will facilitate the execution of the program, as well as the delivery and support of the NCR ACS solution deployed by Unified’s retail customers.

NCR ACS is designed to enhance customer service and help retailers improve labor productivity, retain profitable customers and quickly adapt to changing business environments. Offering superior promotional flexibility, NCR ACS can be customized for large retailers or packaged for small retail formats, such as independent merchants, making the software a strategic choice for Unified and its customers.

“NCR has proven to be a quality vendor, and developing an ACS POS program for our neighborhood stores will only help us achieve greater success at retail,” said Brian Legate, manager, Preferred Point of Sale Programs, Retail Technology, Unified Grocers. “Through this expanded agreement, Unified’s Neighborhood Market retailers will be able to leverage the same technology that NCR delivers to our large retailers. This is a huge benefit because it will result in faster and easier interactions for customers in their stores.”