via In Touch with Food Service | Convenience Store Decisions.

Need a LIFT?

The latest technologies being used to manage c-store food programs—from touchscreens and POS ordering terminals to digital signage—are allowing marketers to enhance communications and streamline operations.

Another technology designed to increase sales is LIFT Station, a suggestive-selling POS system that uses a terminal to display the store’s best offers to customers based on items they’re already buying. It is currently being used by of Indiana, Open Pantry Food Marts of Wisconsin and Tri Star Energy’s Daily stores in Tennessee.

LIFT Station hardware and software are products of LIFT Retail Marketing Technology of Atlanta. The application interfaces with a store’s POS cash register system and includes a two-sided terminal at the sales counter. When an item is scanned, LIFT identifies the best value-add offer based on the store’s promotional schedule, daypart and profitability and flashes that offer on the customer-facing screen. On the other side, the sales associate sees a message that should be read aloud to the customer, explained Jon Bausman, director of media and brand delivery for Ricker’s.

For example, a customer purchasing a bottle of Gatorade may see a message that reads “Did you know you can buy a second Gatorade for 40 cents more?” The sales associate will see a similar question that should be asked of the customer.

“Currently, the sales associate asks the question and the customer says yes or no,” Bausman said. “Eventually, the customer will be able to respond by touching a response on the screen, and the cost of the additional merchandise will be automatically totaled into the transaction.”

The LIFT Station is currently being tested in four Ricker’s locations. Although it is too early to report its impact on sales, “We’re excited to be able to roll it out,” Bausman said.