FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHO ARE WE?
365 Retail Markets offers products and services for the design,
implementation, conversion, support, maintenance and expansion of
retail using RFID and non-RFID technologies. We specialize in unattended retail
and point of sale system solutions using Radio Frequency ID technology; for example an
unmanned convenience store that serves deli fresh foods, snacks and beverages 24/7 in a
hospital, health club or office building. You can offer endless product choices to shoppers with great
reductions in operating costs and the convenience of 24/7 and 365 days a year unlimited shopping.
365 Retail Markets offers products and services for the design,
implementation, conversion, support, maintenance and expansion of
retail using RFID and non-RFID technologies. We specialize in unattended retail
and point of sale system solutions using Radio Frequency ID technology; for example an
unmanned convenience store that serves deli fresh foods, snacks and beverages 24/7 in a
hospital, health club or office building. You can offer endless product choices to shoppers with great
reductions in operating costs and the convenience of 24/7 and 365 days a year unlimited shopping.
How do the RFID tags work?
Each item in the store is “tagged” with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag that consists of a very low level antenna and circuit board. The RFID tag itself looks like a common price tag, but contains a wealth of information that is used in the operation of the SmartShop™ store; e.g. price, expiration date, inventory, location, product info, etc. This tag is recognized by the self-checkout terminal which has RFID readers built in to it.
How does the customer pay for their items?
As the RFID tagged items are carried to the kiosk, product information is automatically transmitted from the tag to the self-checkout terminal. There are no barcodes to scan, the kiosk’s RFID reader automatically picks up all the items a customer brings to the kiosk. Depending on your kiosk configuration, the customer can pay by cash, debit, credit, thumbprint, magnetic strip ID, payroll deduction, etc. Once the payment transaction has been processed, the security on the tag is deactivated. Because the items are read automatically, not individually scanned, the speed of the overall payment transaction can be less than 5 seconds!
How is theft prevention handled in a 365 Retail Market store?
Each SmartShop™ is outfitted with security gates that also have RFID readers to recognize the tags. If someone leaves the store without paying for an item the security gates detect the potential theft, flag and log the event, and notify the operator with an email detailing the day and time of the event. The security cameras record 24 hours a day, using motion detect and a DVR. The system allows the proprietor to go directly to that day and time and review the video. In general, SmartShop™ stores are typically placed in closed loop environments such as an office or health club with badge entry or in high traffic areas such as a hospital.
Choice plays an important part in the unattended store’s success. Shrinkage rates at our current SmartShop™ stores are well below the national average, largely due to the theft deterrent measures and location of the stores.
What type of businesses are right for a 365 Retail Market SmartShop™?
Any retail situation where there is a need for an increase in efficiency and/or, reduction in costs:, businesses such as convenience stores, food service cafeterias, smaller clothing and electronics retailers, etc. are perfect fits for the SmartShop™.
Any store that offers items for sale is appropriate for a SmartShop™ solution. If each item for sale can be tagged with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag your store or business can utilize our SmartShop™ technology.
Can you use any RFID tag on an item?
Certain packaging and materials, such as metals or liquids, can have an affect on the reading of a tag, Therefore to make the tags more reliable on packages containing liquids or metal packages, we use an 1/8” layer of foam that elevates the tag to eliminates errors. For example, a bottled soda or candy bar wrapper might use the foam tag, while all other items would use a flat, printable tag.
Are RFID tags expensive?
No, we use a passive UHF tag, that keeps the cost to a minimum. The RFID tags are relatively inexpensive and the cost easily made up for with the increase in sales due to additional hours, increased customer service, reduction in labor costs and time savings.
Is there a limit to the number of SKUs available in a 365 Retail Market store?
The store is only limited by it’s size as to how many items it can carry.
What type of Point of Sale (POS) software is available and what types of POS is the system compatible with?
Contact us for detailed information about our Point-Of-Sale software solutions
What does a customer do if there is a problem or a question?
365 Retail Markets offers many different levels of support. Depending on the right solution for your business, we can provide everything from personnel training to full 24/7 monitored support. The kiosk also can be set up with a Live Help button, that uses VOIP to directly support a customer in need of help.
Each item in the store is “tagged” with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag that consists of a very low level antenna and circuit board. The RFID tag itself looks like a common price tag, but contains a wealth of information that is used in the operation of the SmartShop™ store; e.g. price, expiration date, inventory, location, product info, etc. This tag is recognized by the self-checkout terminal which has RFID readers built in to it.
How does the customer pay for their items?
As the RFID tagged items are carried to the kiosk, product information is automatically transmitted from the tag to the self-checkout terminal. There are no barcodes to scan, the kiosk’s RFID reader automatically picks up all the items a customer brings to the kiosk. Depending on your kiosk configuration, the customer can pay by cash, debit, credit, thumbprint, magnetic strip ID, payroll deduction, etc. Once the payment transaction has been processed, the security on the tag is deactivated. Because the items are read automatically, not individually scanned, the speed of the overall payment transaction can be less than 5 seconds!
How is theft prevention handled in a 365 Retail Market store?
Each SmartShop™ is outfitted with security gates that also have RFID readers to recognize the tags. If someone leaves the store without paying for an item the security gates detect the potential theft, flag and log the event, and notify the operator with an email detailing the day and time of the event. The security cameras record 24 hours a day, using motion detect and a DVR. The system allows the proprietor to go directly to that day and time and review the video. In general, SmartShop™ stores are typically placed in closed loop environments such as an office or health club with badge entry or in high traffic areas such as a hospital.
Choice plays an important part in the unattended store’s success. Shrinkage rates at our current SmartShop™ stores are well below the national average, largely due to the theft deterrent measures and location of the stores.
What type of businesses are right for a 365 Retail Market SmartShop™?
Any retail situation where there is a need for an increase in efficiency and/or, reduction in costs:, businesses such as convenience stores, food service cafeterias, smaller clothing and electronics retailers, etc. are perfect fits for the SmartShop™.
Any store that offers items for sale is appropriate for a SmartShop™ solution. If each item for sale can be tagged with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag your store or business can utilize our SmartShop™ technology.
Can you use any RFID tag on an item?
Certain packaging and materials, such as metals or liquids, can have an affect on the reading of a tag, Therefore to make the tags more reliable on packages containing liquids or metal packages, we use an 1/8” layer of foam that elevates the tag to eliminates errors. For example, a bottled soda or candy bar wrapper might use the foam tag, while all other items would use a flat, printable tag.
Are RFID tags expensive?
No, we use a passive UHF tag, that keeps the cost to a minimum. The RFID tags are relatively inexpensive and the cost easily made up for with the increase in sales due to additional hours, increased customer service, reduction in labor costs and time savings.
Is there a limit to the number of SKUs available in a 365 Retail Market store?
The store is only limited by it’s size as to how many items it can carry.
What type of Point of Sale (POS) software is available and what types of POS is the system compatible with?
Contact us for detailed information about our Point-Of-Sale software solutions
What does a customer do if there is a problem or a question?
365 Retail Markets offers many different levels of support. Depending on the right solution for your business, we can provide everything from personnel training to full 24/7 monitored support. The kiosk also can be set up with a Live Help button, that uses VOIP to directly support a customer in need of help.