COME BY CHANCE, Newfoundland -- North Atlantic Refining Ltd., which owns approximately 100 North Atlantic and Home Town gas stations in Newfoundland and Labrador, has rolled out a checkout solution for 36 of its retail outlets through a deal with Dayton, Ohio-based NCR Corp. and Vancouver, B.C.-based AM/PM Service.
In addition to POS technology from NCR, the solution includes a satellite communications component to speed up the processing of credit, debit and loyalty card transactions in North Atlantic stores where dial-up communication is not practical and high-speed dedicated subscriber [image-nocss] line (DSL) or cable connection is not available.
North Atlantic turned to AM/PM Service, a member of the NCR RealPartner reseller network, to provide NCR RealPOS 70 POS terminals and NCR RealScan 92 bar code scanners for the gasoline retailer's province-wide chain of stores. About 90% of the outlets are convenience stores and all are independently operated. AM/PM is also providing service and support for the NCR RealPOS solution. Running on the NCR hardware is the Store Management Suite Fuel Management System from Loc Software, a software application specifically designed to handle retail gas station and convenience store POS transactions.
"Before we implemented the new NCR RealPOS solution, a number of our stores were operating with outdated technology that provided very limited functionality," said Glenn Sullivan, retail manager for North Atlantic Petroleum, based in Come By Chance, Newfoundland. "For example, some of the systems were not POS based or user friendly, nor did they feature touchscreen terminals or scanning capabilities. In addition, we didn't have a common software platform throughout our retail network, which further compounded the problem at the store and head office levels."
To remedy this technology dilemma, AM/PM developed a POS solution designed to be easy to use and easy to learn, and that featured an industry-specific, common software application.
According to AM/PM's Eric McGill, POS sales manager for Atlantic Canada, "Checkout speed and efficiency are paramount particularly because cash, debit and credit card transactions, as well as data from North Atlantic's YAY!Rewards loyalty points program, are transmitted every six to seven minutes from each NCR RealPOS 70 POS terminal to the gas retailer's main server in St. John's. In more remote locations, a satellite communications component from HughesNet allows these stores to transmit purchase and loyalty card data through the Internet."
Sullivan added, "With the new NCR POS solution from AM/PM Service, North Atlantic customers are now able to receive the same fast and efficient checkout service no matter where the store is located. We are also using the NCR RealPOS 70 terminals to display advertising and promotional messages to enhance our chainwide marketing efforts."
So far, North Atlantic has invested more than $800 million in upgrades and new equipment "to ensure the safety of our people and the integrity of our refinery," it said. North Atlantic contributes more than $160 million a year to the provincial economy, including $76 million in wages and employee benefits and $84 million in local business procurement. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Calgary, Alberta-based Harvest Energy.
AM/PM Service provides POS systems, POS software and POS support. NCR is a global technology company. Its solutions and comprehensive support services address the needs of retail, financial, travel, manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, hospitality, gaming and public sector organizations.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.