Independent Grocer Adopts Toshiba Self-Checkout, POS Systems

Southwestern grocery store chain Homeland has implemented the latest self-checkout and point-of-sale systems from Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions.

Homeland stores deploying Toshiba’s Self Checkout System 7 offer four open lanes throughout the day, helping fulfill the grocer’s main goal of providing various checkout options and faster checkout times. The system also gives Homeland customers a low-touch checkout option to ensure safe social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, while enabling store associates to concentrate on other essential tasks.

“Implementing Toshiba’s POS and self-checkout systems in our stores is definitively improving our shopping experience,” asserted Chris Smith, VP of IT at Oklahoma City, Okla.-based Homeland. “As a community-centric and employee-run organization, it is vitally important to deliver elite service to every customer. Toshiba is helping us accomplish this objective. Whether completing transactions through self-checkout or via traditional lanes, our customers appreciate the convenience and simplicity Toshiba has made possible.”

Of Toshiba Diamond Level Partner TRUNO Retail Technology Solutions, which integrated the new technology into Homeland’s existing systems, including Homeland’s loyalty solution, Smith noted, “TRUNO’s professional services team managed both the point-of-sale and self-checkout projects to ensure successful implementation into our operations and ultimately providing a seamless experience for our shopper.”

TRUNO also provided on-site training to reinforce Toshiba’s deployment best practices. This has resulted in a higher than 40% customer use rate, surpassing Homeland’s 30% objective.

Further, Homeland will deploy Toshiba’s SurePoint 4820 POS touchscreens, which TRUNO is slated to install within the year. The solution aims to boost associate productivity and reduce checkout times even more by enabling store personnel to input transactions more intuitively. TRUNO also services Toshiba’s POS and self-checkout systems within Homeland’s Texas and Oklahoma stores.

“Toshiba is thrilled with the opportunity to work alongside TRUNO to design, engineer and implement a retail solution to simplify and improve the shopping journey for Homeland’s customers,” said Bill Campbell, SVP, head of global sales at Research Triangle Park, N.C.-based Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions. “We look forward to continuing our close collaboration with Homeland and TRUNO to further enhance the grocer’s customer experience and front end operations.”

“TRUNO is proud to be the trusted technology partner chosen by Homeland in navigating technology solutions while providing superior professional services to enhance and optimize in-store experiences for their consumers,” said Steven Watters, president of Lubbock, Texas-based TRUNO.

The HAC Inc. grocery chain operates 80 grocery stores in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Georgia under such banners as Food World, Piggly Wiggly, Country Mart, United, Cash Saver, Ponca City Discount, Super Save and Homeland, which is HAC’s largest banner as well as Oklahoma’s largest locally owned grocery store chain, with 30 locations statewide. Homeland has been 100% employee-owned since 2011.