Retail

Real Tönisvorst (D)

Metro Future Store opened

The 'METRO Group Future Store Initiative' is the world's leading company amalgamation for the modernisation of retail. Together with the METRO Group, partners from IT and consumer goods industries, plus science, develop practical technologies and concepts to make shopping in the future more pleasant and enjoyable for customers. The METRO Group opened the first 'real,- Future Store' in Tönisvorst in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany) at the end of May 2008. At this store, we are testing the interaction of groundbreaking technologies and innovative concepts for the retail of tomorrow. The company’s aim: to tailor product ranges and services to perfectly match the needs of consumers. Innovations of tomorrow for your shopping:   One of the most important innovations in the 'real,- Future Store' is 'Mobile Shopping'. To this end, we have developed the 'Mobile Shopping Assistant' (MSA), an application for mobile phones which allows customers to scan in their purchases whilst shopping. The MSA will make long queues at the checkout a thing of the past. Customers can also use the device to conveniently call up or read out additional product information. Even greater convenience is provided by the state-of-the-art payment options, for instance the new Pay by Fingerprint system. Customers merely need to place their finger onto a specially developed fingerprint scanner to pay for their purchases – without the need for any signature or PIN.

Modern encryption algorithms make this an extremely secure method of payment. The METRO Group is not, however, a research institution. Our core business is retail. We therefore need strong partners to support us in the development, testing and introduction of new technologies and concepts. It was for precisely this reason that we established the METRO Group Future Store Initiative in 2002. Accepting challenges: the retail sector is currently facing a range of challenges, including increasing competitive pressure, changing population structures, sustained consumer restraint and altered customer needs. To maintain their competitive ability, companies need to optimise their processes and reduce costs, while, at the same time, bringing their range of products and service more into line with the individual wishes of consumers. Innovations are the key to this. The METRO Group recognised this at an early stage, and established the 'Future Store Initiative' in 2002. The group now numbers more than 85 partners from the IT and consumer goods industries, the service industry as well as science and includes SAP, Intel, IBM, T-Systems and Cisco as well as Fujitsu Services, Fujitsu Siemens Computers and Siemens. They all share the aim of driving forward the modernisation process in retailing and developing practical concepts to make shopping in the future more enjoyable and eventful for customers.

Experience future stores live

As a partner in the 'METRO Group Future Store Initiative', Wanzl invited its customers to an exclusive tour of the new 'real,- Future Store' in Tönisvorst.

The following Wanzl products were available to see and experience:

  • 850 'Tango' plastic shopping trolleys with 90 and 160 litre basket volumes
  • 7 'Exit Gate' models for 'Paytower'
  • Double entrance systems, 'Railix' partitions, promotional sales tables and 'wire tech' displays for presenting sporting equipment
Experience future stores live

The 'real,- Future Store' in Tönisvorst is the 'METRO Group Future Store Initiative's' latest innovation workshop.

Here we test the applications we have developed, together with our partners, under practical conditions. The emphasis is on the sales approach as well as store and product range design. The main focus is the benefit for the consumer. This allows the METRO Group to test the acceptance of new technologies and concepts, and prepare for their blanket introduction.

Company-wide introduction of RFID at the METRO Group:

Another objective of the 'METRO Group Future Store' initiative is to assess the suitability and practicality of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and its numerous possible applications. This advanced technology is the key to greater efficiency along the entire process chain – and greater customer satisfaction. As early as 2004, the METRO Group commenced the introduction of RFID in the goods inwards area of individual test stores and distribution centres. The good results of these tests as well as the introduction of a new transponder generation encouraged us to extend the use of RFID in 2007. We have now equipped all 'METRO Cash & Carry' wholesale stores in Germany, over 100 Real Retail Systems department stores, along with the nine food warehouses belonging to MGL METRO Group Logistics, with RFID-supported goods inward and outward portals. This year, we have begun to equip a further 200 locations operated by the 'real,-' sales brand with RFID readers at their loading doors for incoming goods. Metro Cash & Carry is now also preparing the roll-out of the radio technology at its locations in France. We are also testing the use of RFID at article level in a pilot project started in September 2007 at Galeria Kaufhof in Essen. Under this project, all of the articles in the men's clothing department are fitted with transponders. This makes it easier for the sales personnel to keep an overview of the stock on the shop floor and in the warehouse and

to re-order new merchandise in time. Customers also benefit from the technology: the articles they want are easier to find and, above all, always in stock in all sizes and colours. Innovations such as the 'intelligent mirror' or 'intelligent changing rooms' increase service by supplying additional product information.

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Test opportunities for manufacturers:

The 'METRO Group RFID Innovation Center' opened in 2004 in Neuss, Düsseldorf and offers our industrial partners the opportunity to learn about the technology and to prepare for its introduction: almost 40 systems in the areas of order picking, stock management, warehousing, consumer market and private household show how RFID can optimise processes in practice. There is also an exhibition area devoted to 'Starter kits' developed by the METRO Group and its technology partners to simplify the introduction of RFID.

Exchange between partners:

The 'METRO Group Future Store Initiative' also presents the topics of the future for retail at international trade fairs and congresses such as CeBIT in Hanover, or the German Logistics Congress. In addition, the METRO Group also hosts its own events such as the RFID Congress. At these events, the co-operation partners in the initiative tell interested consumer companies about the potential of radio frequency identification and show where the METRO Group is using the technology. Members of the 'METRO Group Future Store Initiative' are also involved in various international committees such as the standardisation organisation 'EPCglobal'. Amongst other things, their experiences help to develop worldwide standards for new technologies. Together with our partners in the METRO Group Future Store Initiative, we have risen to the challenges in retail.

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AN ARTICLE BY DR. GERD WOLFRAM, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF MGI METRO GROUP INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GMBH.

Since mid-2002, Dr. Wolfram has headed up one of the most innovative projects of the METRO Group, the METRO Group Future Store Initiative. In co-operation with well-known partner companies, state-of-the-art technologies and systems are developed further and tested under real conditions.

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