Waitrose replaces ageing tills

Supermarket chain Waitrose is replacing ageing tills with new electronic point-of-sale (epos) devices to resolve problems with the integration of chip-and-pin systems.

The retailer encountered technical problems earlier this year and had to suspend use of chip-and-pin handsets when it tried to integrate the new devices with its old tills to meet the 14 February chip-and-pin deadline.

Waitrose was forced to bolt on an interim chip-and-pin solution to meet the deadline but is nor to install new electronic tills at 180 shops.

Epos development manager Sally Hodgson says the new tills will replace existing tills that are more than 12 years old.

‘Our ambition was to make the tills as easy to operate as we could, so cashiers can concentrate on helping the customer,’ she said.

‘We have designed an epos solution that minimises system training requirements and brings together products and cashier services in an intuitive interface, based on highly resilient hardware.’

A spokeswoman told Computing the existing chip-and-pin handsets will be phased out as the new tills are introduced in the next 12 months.

She says the new technology will provide a much stronger base on which to build in the future and includes features like touch-screen selection for its cashiers.

Wincor Nixdorf is providing the tills which have been designed using PCMS software. The vendor has also taken over support and maintenance of the existing estate.

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Further reading

Waitrose shops for greater intelligence

Waitrose slashes IT support queues

Waitrose back on track for chip-and-PIN