1999 MARKS 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF RETAIL BAR CODE SCANNING
(PR Newswire; 05/03/99)
NCR Sold, Installed First Retail Store Scanner in the
Troy, Ohio, Marsh Supermarket in 1974
ATLANTA, May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- "It's the wave of the future, and I'm very
upbeat on the system." These were the words almost 25 years ago of Virginia
Knauer, special assistant for consumer affairs to the President of the United
States, when asked about the Universal Product Code (U.P.C.) and the growing
interest in retail bar code scanning.
Today, there is virtually no consumer product that cannot be scanned at the
checkout in a retail store.
When NCR Corporation first debuted its scanning system 25 years ago, there was
an "overflowing crowd" at the annual convention of the Super Market Institute
(today's FMI Supermarket Industry Convention) to view the then- revolutionary
equipment. Less that two months later, on June 26, 1974, history was made when
the first product ever scanned in an actual retail store setting -- a 10-pack
of Wrigley's chewing gum -- was moved across an NCR scanner in a checkout lane
at the Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio.
NCR and Marsh quickly made headlines in newspapers and trade publications in
the U.S., Canada, and many other countries.
"When that package of Wrigley's gum moved across the scan window, and a laser
beam 'read' the U.P.C. imprinted on the package, it was the beginning of a new
era for grocery retailing," said Don Marsh, chairman and CEO of Indianapolis-
based Marsh Supermarkets, Inc.
Indeed, the new system helped revolutionize the world of retailing. Bar code
scanning at the point of service soon brought faster checkout for shoppers and
gave retailers more information and control over inventory and other areas of
store operations. But the revolution didn't stop there.
Today, with sophisticated retail data warehouse applications, retailers can use
the detailed transaction data collected by scanners in ways only dreamed of 25
years ago. For example, NCR's industry-leading data warehouse solutions help
retailers manage each store as their only store, manage each product as their
only product and build one-on-one relationships with each customer.
In the years since 1974, NCR has introduced a steady stream of innovations that
set the standard for scanning systems in retail stores and made the company
today's market leader in high performance scanners. NCR scanners represent
more than 40 percent of all slot scanners sold.
Moreover, NCR continues to simplify retailing practices and revolutionize the
two things most people like least about shopping: waiting in line and paying.
For example:
* NCR Self-Checkout Express allows shoppers to scan, bag and pay for their
purchases without cashier assistance;
* NCR's Interactive Retail Web Kiosk, available with an integrated bar
code scanner, enables consumers to obtain the information they need to
make purchase decisions, virtually anywhere in a store;
* NCR DecisioNet wireless electronic shelf labels use the same price
lookup file as a store's scanners, virtually eliminating price
discrepancies between shelf and checkout.
"That first transaction on an NCR supermarket scanner, in 1974,
helped open the door to a new world for shoppers and retailers," said Dan
Bogan, NCR's vice president for Retail Industry Marketing. "It's a world
where, today, stores can use the sales and merchandising information captured
by store scanners to offer the kind of personal attention and service consumers
expect to find at their 'neighborhood retailer.'"
About NCR
NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is in the business of transforming
transactions into relationships. NCR is a recognized world leader in data
warehousing solutions, ATMs, point-of-service, high performance scanners, and
support services for retail, financial and national accounts markets. NCR's
business solutions are built on the foundation of the company's long-
established industry knowledge and consulting expertise, value-adding software,
global customer support services, a complete line of consumable and media
products, and world-leading hardware technology.
NCR's Retail Solutions Group, headquartered in the greater Atlanta area, is a
leading provider of retail data warehousing and store automation solutions
worldwide. More information about NCR and its products may be found on the
Internet at www.ncr.com.
NCR is a trademark of NCR Corporation. All brand and product
names appearing in this release are registered trademarks or trademarks of
their respective holders. SOURCE NCR Corporation
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