IST/ICT/8.3Name:

8. 3 ICT in Supermarkets

In supermarkets, tills (checkouts) are now called Electronic Points of Sale (EPOS)

A laser scanner (bar code scanner)at the EPOS scans the barcode on every product and sends that code to the store’s main computer

A description and price gets sent back to the EPOS to be printed out and totalled up on the receipt. These are called itemised receipts because each item has a description.

The EPOS can recognise discounted products and offers like “buy two, get one free”

The bar code contains the name of the product, its size, its maker and its country of origin, but not its price.

Self-scanning is where the customer carries around a small scanner, scans in their own barcodes and simply hands over the scanner at the EPOS. The supermarket trusts customers not to take things, but may ask some customers to go through the normal checkouts.

The main computer keeps records of what has been sold (stock control) and can re-order when stocks get below a certain number (a sales-based ordering system) – especially important for fresh produce. In some supermarkets, the computer e-mails the warehouse directly, so sometimes no one at the supermarket knows they are low on stock until the delivery lorry arrives!

Price labels need only be put on the shelves and prices can be changed very quickly on the main computer. Some supermarkets have tiny screens on the shelves for the prices and a WIFI network that changes the prices automatically.

Electronic Fund Transfer at Point of Sale (EFTPOS) means the customer can use a bank card to pay and the money is taken straight from their bank account into the shop’s account. No need for cash or cheques!

Customers may apply for loyalty cards which allow them discounts if they buy over a certain amount. The shop will use loyalty card information to plan special offers and to send out information.

Big supermarkets have telephone call centres, where operators provide customer service – ICT is used to route the calls, plan how many operators are needed, provide information over the Internet and even to talk to customers directly using interactive voice response (IVR) computers.

- 1 -08 November 2018