Perhaps the famous lyric more aptly applies to a grocery chain in northeastern Alabama. For over three decades, Bruce’s Foodland has been the hometown, family-owned store built upon one simple philosophy: deliver outstanding customer service, and good things happen. And happen they have. Now with five stores, the chain provides quality groceries, full service floral, deli, and bakery, plus the finest meat departments in the region. With utmost dedication to customers in mind, Bruce’s required a solution that provided needed operational information, yet kept managers out on the floor serving customers.
Service & Reliability – Bruce’s required a store management solution that worked as advertised and provided quality, on-time support when needed
Reporting & Analysis – Bruce’s wanted to accurately capture and report on POS data, but more importantly, use the data to better serve the customer and run the operation
Wholesaler Connectivity – Automation was one key Bruce’s was looking to leverage, driving efficiencies when interacting with its main supply chain
After evaluating for 12 months, Bruce’s Foodland Stores decided to deploy LOC Store Management Suite throughout their five stores. The system includes point of sale, advanced maintenance, purchasing, DSD, integrated credit, mobile controllers, and gift card. Bruce’s also consolidates communication and reporting with all stores via SMS Host.
The initial roll out of SMS was completed in late 2010. Bruce’s first priority was to solve the service and support issues they experienced with previous systems. The company looked no further than DCR, a certified SMS dealer based in Nashville, Tennessee. DCR’s dedicated and knowledge staff took the necessary time to not only show the benefits of SMS, but to earn the trust of the management team at Bruce’s. With service and support now available 24/7, Bruce’s Foodland struck a major challenge from its list.
By implementing SMS tools, Bruce’s now captures, reports, and analyzes summary data from every point of sale transaction. The beauty of the new system, though, is that store managers no longer spend hours per week typing spreadsheets or comparing hand written reports. Rather managers now access item movement data and financial data as needed, and on the fly. Whenever they need it, the information is available at the touch of a button. Getting information is so much faster, that one store manager commented he no longer spends 20 minutes gathering weekly reports. The same tasks are now complete in 5-10 seconds.
Store automation means a lot of things, and in some cases can result in a store losing touch with its customers. In Bruce’s case, the exact opposite was intended and realized. By design, SMS has the capability of easily customizing to specific needs, including supplier interfaces. Bruce’s main supplier, Mitchell Grocery Corporation, did not have an out-of-the-box electronic communication protocol with SMS. The technical team at DCR scoped and wrote an interface connecting SMS to Mitchell Grocery Corporation’s electronic ordering system. As a result, weekly item, cost and sale maintenance is now downloaded and updated automatically on a predetermined schedule. All purchasing and invoicing between the store and supplier are now electronic. The management team no longer loads weekly updates via disc, no longer manually types in new items, and no longer faxes orders. Instead, managers welcome customers and spend more time on the sales floor.
For more examples of how SMS can improve your store, click here or visit www.locsoftware.com.
Founded in 1979, in Ft. Payne, Alabama, Bruce’s Foodland Stores remain family owned and operated. The company has grown to five stores serving northern Alabama, and continues to offer the hometown service two generations have come to know and love. Chances are they will remember your name, and your kids too. Additional information about the stores, the departments, and their dedication to serving customers can be found at: www.brucesfoodland.com
For over five decades, DCR has served customers in the restaurant, supermarket, and retail industries. From the early days and mechanicals, DCR grew to become one of the largest independent cash register companies in the South. Today, the company has evolved into a value-added systems integrator, providing retailers with the finest hardware, software, and service solutions. DCR creates customized solutions designed around how their customers work, not how their systems want the customer to work. This custom centric philosophy started over 50 years ago and continues to this day for customers with just one site and customers with hundreds. More information about DCR and their team of specialists can be found at: www.dcrpos.com
LOC Software delivers solutions designed to fully integrate retail operations from the point of transaction to the accounting ledger. LOC Store Management Suite (SMS) is a complete set of applications for all independent retailers. Tailored into one seamless interface, SMS satisfies all of a retailer’s needs, including powerful merchandising and inventory controls, fully integrated loyalty programs and multi-store management. With 20 years of experience in POS software, LOC applications are designed for most hard goods retailers, with concentrations in the supermarket, convenience, pharmacy and natural products, and are available for foreign language markets.