Page 10 - HW June-July 2021

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More to come from e-labelling pilot at Mitre 10 MEGA Albany
ALBANY MITRE 10 MEGA has gone from almost “zero to hero” in the last few years, following a significant expansion and rehashing of the store’s footprint and organisation.
Originally an underperforming corporate store but now part of the go-ahead Riviera Hardware Holdings network – comprising Mitre 10 MEGAs Albany, New Lynn, Warkworth, Mitre 10 Whangaparaoa (and soon Mitre
10 MEGA Whangaparaoa) – the Albany store is now one of the highest performing stores in the co-op.
Now, with Albany already seeing further increased efficiencies brought about by its pilot adoption of an electronic labelling system (and with much more to come), Albany might be seen as model for MEGAs nationwide.
We visited the store in June to find out about what’s behind the tens of thousands of e-labels that now adorn around 75% of the products on shelves around the store (note that larger materials in the trade area and drive-through aren’t e-labelled for fear of damage).
Billed as “so much more than a pricing system”, Mike Millward, Installation Manager for system supplier ESL worked alongside Patrick Britton, Riviera’s GM Ops, and Albany Store Manager, Kevin Balding, to get the system installed, bedded in, and working.
What are the key features and advantages?
Patrick Britton explains: “The
new technology brings more than automatic price updates, additional features including current stock on hand, secondary locations and product identification.”
And, he adds, once Mitre 10 NZ’s Support Office switches over to an SAP system, there’s a lot more to come from the ESL system as already installed and for no extra outlay.
“In the not-too-distant future, the system will give any customer with a mobile device the ability to find a product in our stores, through a simple search function that will guide them to the location.
“A digital map at the front of the
Seen at Mitre 10 MEGA Albany (L-R): Riviera Hardware Holdings’ MD, Cam Caithness; Patrick Britton; and ESL boss, Phil Burrett.
store will also pinpoint the aisle and bay location of a product through a search function.”
Very few changes were required to Albany’s existing system apart from an interface to the ESL Pricer system which sends information every 30 minutes on any product information updates via ceiling-mounted infra-red senders.
In terms of payback so far, currently, some 60 staff hours per week are released and diverted into customer service.
“The manual process of replacing price labels is both time consuming and a distraction. The physical removal of the old labels is an unavoidable task none of the team enjoy,” says Patrick.
“In addition, there is a requirement
to check the pricing accuracy, both following a price update and a continuous
audit. All of which are subject to human error.”
An additional 50 hours a week may also be saved in replenishment and stock picking for click & collect, due to the ESL system’s ability to highlight product locations.
For its part, already seeing tangible benefits and with the promise of more efficiencies to come, Riviera will be “full steam ahead” to install the ESL system across its current stores, including the new Whangaparaoa MEGA, says Patrick Britton.
And, as you’d expect, others in
the highly entrepreneurial Mitre 10 family have quickly cottoned on to the developments in Albany: “There has been a lot of interest from the network, and I am sure there will be more stores coming on board,” he confirms.
https://electronicshelflabelling.co.nz/
8 NZHJ | JUNE/JULY 2021
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