Canterbury Wholefoods gains Momentum thanks to BCP/Health Store partnership on EPoS

This article is brought to you by Retail Technology Review: Canterbury Wholefoods gains Momentum thanks to BCP/Health Store partnership on EPoS.

Health store retailer Canterbury Wholefoods is realising significant cost and efficiency benefits across its business following the implementation of an Accord Momentum retail system from specialist software solutions provider BCP (Business Computer Projects Ltd)

About Canterbury Wholefoods

Established in the early 1970's, Canterbury Wholefoods is not only the largest independent wholefoods retailer in the county, but the one with the longest pedigree. A key member of The Health Store wholesale group, the company operates a retail store and vegetarian café situated inside Canterbury's Cathedral Quarter. It boasts an extensive range of wholefood products, specialty ingredients and superfoods, as well as a huge variety of non-food sku's - ranging from environmentally-friendly household cleaners and recycled kitchen and bathroom products to toiletries - plus a full complement of top-of-the-range vitamins, minerals and other health supplements.

About BCP

With a pedigree stretching back over 35 years, BCP is one of the UK's top suppliers of specialist software solutions to the Retail and Wholesale industries. BCP's relationship with health goods wholesaler The Health Store stretches back several years. Recently they joined forces to offer retail solutions to Health Store customers to help them improve efficiency and customer service through the use of modern technology. Utilising the latest lean client technology, BCP's Accord Momentum solution offers a cost effective, easily deployable option for retail businesses.

Background to the investment

Canterbury's investment in a new retail solution was prompted by growth of the business, necessitating a better system to improve efficiency and customer service. The existing stand-alone electronic cash drawer, basically recorded sales and gave receipts, but provided no sales analysis, stock control or ordering functionality,

Key requirements were for a fully integrated retail solution with a proven pedigree in the food and drinks sector and the functionality required to improve efficiency and underpin future growth plans. Particular requirements included better cash management and better sales information to aid decision-making, improve stock control and ordering.

The Solution

Keen to strengthen links with its key supplier, The Health Store, and wanting to purchase based on SaaS model rather than a big upfront investment, Canterbury shortlisted BCP's Accord – Momentum solution. Fundamental to finally securing the contract were BCP's professional approach, clear understanding of Canterbury's business model and the quality and breadth of the Accord Momentum solution.

Canterbury purchased the complete Accord Momentum EPoS, Back Office and Central Management solution, including Stock Control, Suggested Ordering, Credit Accounts, Deals & Promotions, Electronic Orders & Invoicing and Central Management. It was implemented and fully operational, including full staff training, in less than 24 hours with trading continuing as normal throughout and absolutely no interruption to normal customer service.

The Results

The company is now enjoying all the benefits of a fully integrated retail solution:

• Accurate product and price information at the point of sale, together with scanning, means customers, are served quickly and can be confident that prices are correct.

• The previously onerous task of manual pricing with pricing guns has been replaced by shelf-edge labelling delivering a considerable saving in staff time.

• Ordering is now much more efficient - using hand held technology and suggested ordering to automatically create and send orders, rather than the time consuming manual methods employed previously. The change is delivering time savings of two–three hours per order, freeing up staff for more customer facing work.

• Detailed sales and stock data from the system mean stock levels and ranges can now be optimised, ensuring no sales are lost as a result of empty shelves while at the same time freeing up working capital previously tied up in overstocking. Roger Everatt, Director, Canterbury Wholefoods: "We are now able to access sales data on a daily basis, an extremely useful aid when making decisions regarding stock, pricing and promotions."

• The specialist Credit Accounts module simplifies the management of credit accounts for regular/loyal customers

Roger Everatt: "We are very pleased with the system and it is very hard to imagine life before the Accord Momentum solution. Technically, it is reliable and resilient – we don't worry about the tills going down or not being able to sell. The interface with supplier databases – The Health Store, in particular - has made ordering a significantly quicker and simpler procedure. Price-checking and stock-taking are both far less time-consuming, too. BCP provided an excellent service at all stages, before, during and after implementation, and continue to offer prompt and efficient back-up when needed."