365 Retail Markets will launch the latest version of its SmartHub at the National Automatic Merchandising Association OneShow in Las Vegas, April 25 to 27, 2012.
"We're thrilled to be back at this year's OneShow," said Joseph Hessling, 365's CEO, in a prepared statement. He explained that the company has grown by 800 percent since last year's NAMA show. 365 took gold in NAMA's 2012 Innovation Awards, winning for the second year in a row, for its SmartHub Gen II. The new 365 SmartHub completed development in early 2012 due, in part, to a seven-figure round of venture funding completed in December of 2011.
The company's primary micro market solution, known as the 365SmartShopSM , is capturing attention and winning business from large and small vending operators alike. "Among many other reasons, when customers replace existing vending operations with a 365SmartShop, they report a 50 percent increase in revenue and a 23 percent increase in profit within the first 90 days," said 365 COO Matt Caston. The company reports that it is strategically aligned and finalizing deals with a number of the industry's leading players, and will be announcing those deals very soon.
With the release of 365's SmartHub Gen II kiosks, operators will see more than 20 new technical enhancements. The new SmartHubs are smaller in design, mountable to countertops or walls, and allow operators to customize both the exterior skin and the touchscreen software with their own branded look and feel. Arguably one of the best features of SmartHub is that it offers the greatest number of payment options, including both mobile technology and biometric (thumbprint) technology. It accepts credit and debit cards, a branded market card, and can be integrated with payroll deduction systems. Unlike any of its competitors, SmartHub also can be configured to accept and dispense cash and coins.
"Our touchscreen allows users to scan their items' barcodes or press the corresponding button on the screen itself,” Hessling said. "Voice commands and visual cues make the checkout process the absolute easiest in the industry."
365 Retail Markets is enjoying unprecedented success in its category, in part, because of its commitment to incorporating the newest and most innovative technology into its SmartShops solution. The company has developed proprietary software technology, rather than using off-the-shelf point of sale (POS) software like their competitors, thus allowing 365 to continuously improve it and adapt it to a customer's functional needs, whether it's back-end reporting or upfront POS design.
365 Retail Market's SmartSecurity solutions are among the most advanced in the industry, offering Web-based 24-hour surveillance that enables operators to access live feeds at any time of the day or night, or view recorded footage as necessary. The proprietary SmartHQ system provides operators with direct access to SmartSecurity footage, plus an array of backend benefits, including sales reports, inventory reports, and a host of customizable reporting options that help operators work smarter. 365 also offers a smart phone or tablet-enabled app allowing operators to access backend solutions on the go.
As experts in planning, design and implementation, the company's team follows a proven six-step process to create a customizable and easily adoptable 365SmartShop for each customer. Those steps include a site survey, revenue modeling, 365SmartShop market design, planogram development, marketing program creation and Go-Live support. 365SmartShops have the ability to offer customers hundreds of preferred snacks and premium beverages options, including a wide-variety of healthy and energizing choices, such as deli-fresh sandwiches and salads. With 365, consumers will experience fast payment transactions, in some cases requiring less than five seconds, which addresses Gen Y's preference for instant gratification and high-tech payments.
365 Retail Market's 365SmartShops offer a unique comprehensive customer service support, from onsite training of personnel to 24/7 offsite, monitored support. SmartHub features on-screen Live Help to promptly assist users in need of assistance at the point of sale. For instance, if the SmartHub kiosk cannot read a credit card because the magnetic strip is worn away, users can push the Live Help tab on the touchscreen to instantly speak to a live representative and resolve the issue.
"Once we made the decision to go with 365 Retail Markets, our MicroMarket was up and running in record time," said Patrick Meleton, COO of Automatic Chef, a Canteen franchise. "I can't think of any other installation in our business that went so smoothly and hassle-free, the support was outstanding. Plus, our customers love the new experience we can offer them through the 365SmartShop."
