New impetus for the service station

Bad Salzuflen. (bre) How does a product that is located in the north of Germany sell compared to a product that is placed in the south? Which brand is preferred by shoppers? And how does placement affect sales? POS TUNING and four other cooperation partners have tackled these exciting questions. The result of this analysis was now presented to the public at the ECR Days in Düsseldorf.

HEM, Red Bull, Bormann and Gordon, neoalto and POS TUNING had set themselves the task of subjecting placed product groups in a so-called Energy Zone to a holistic analysis. The increase in sales of the placed articles was defined as the primary goal. Nationwide, data was scanned and analyzed at 15 test stations from July to December 2021.

The so-called Energy Zone has been placed in HEM gas stations nationwide. Various communication elements were also used. LED lighting, toppers and branding were designed to attract the necessary attention. Furthermore, attractive multibuy offers and fast-moving items from the dry food range were presented in the Energy Zone. In the cooler, which was equipped with products from Red Bull, feed systems from POS TUNING ensured perfect visibility in the front row. For a more meaningful analysis, the Energy Zones were equipped with different assortments. The High Profit range was placed 8x. The Share assortment has been presented 7x in HEM gas stations. Sales in the Red Bull Cooler were also tracked in three coolers using neoalto sensor technology.

The entire handling in the apron — thus from the development, the building up to the logistics was taken over by POS TUNING. With the ready-to-store concept, it was possible to have the Energy Zone delivered to the service stations fully assembled, so that they only had to be filled on site. Also the connection to the sensor technology of neoalto, has been organized and carried out by POS TUNING. RED BULL and POS TUNING have jointly taken over the personal implementation.

Bormann & Gordon, specialists in shopper and POS research, then came into play when tracking shopper traffic in the gas station. The measurement of the shopper frequency to the Energy Zone in comparison to the refrigerated shelf showed that there are no frequency losses at the refrigerated shelf due to the use of the Energy Zone. The placement of the test articles in the Energy Zone resulted in an average sales growth of 11%. Overall, sales in the beverages and snacks category grew by 3%.

In conclusion, the Energy Zone can be described as a real success project. With the additional themed placement of the Energy Zone, it was proven that more sales were made. Sales growth in the selected categories is impressive. Furthermore, there was no cannibalization of the other placements. neoalto’s sensor technology was able to fully automatically evaluate the exact placement of the goods being sold. Without this digital analysis, this would only have been possible through time-consuming and expensive selective observation. Thanks to Bormann & Gordon, there is a perfect new Mafo tool for this, which enables these analyses at reasonable costs. The success story continues as the Energy Zone is now being rolled out nationally at HEM.

Übrigens: Das Projekt ist unter den Top 3 des ECR Innovation Excellence Award 2022.

Only what is seen can be bought

Forward-looking intelligent systems — not only for the point of sale — continue to come from Bad Salzuflen.

Bad Salzuflen. (bre) For about 25 years, the name POS TUNING has stood for innovation and pioneering spirit. It is this pioneering spirit that is now — in the run-up to the anniversary of the market leader for goods presentation systems in 2023 — paving the way for a new chapter in the company’s history. With investments at the group’s headquarters at Meerbrede in Bad Salzuflen and a commitment to the industrial location of Lippe, the management is setting a clear course: Smart technology for the retail trade — and beyond — will continue to come from Bad Salzuflen in the future.

It is not only in retail that feed technology facilitates the work of many people today. Smart solutions from Bad Salzuflen can now also be found in industrial order picking and supply as well as in the healthcare sector. In Germany and meanwhile beyond the borders of Germany, POS TUNING has established itself as an innovation and market leader. In order to make room for new business areas, the company’s headquarters at Meerbrede are now to be expanded. Additional production halls are to be built at the headquarters of the Voßhenrich group of companies, expanding the area by a total of approx. 6,500 square meters.

“We are expanding in order to be able to expand further business areas,” explains managing partner Oliver Voßhenrich. He sees the retail sector in a transition and departure into the digital age. “The efficient management of inventory and the structured removal and storage of goods in supply stores or shelves is a huge issue that takes up a lot of time. Time will become more and more valuable. Employees would rather concentrate on their actual tasks. The automation and digitalization of goods handling creates the necessary scope for this,” explains Oliver Voßhenrich. POS TUNING will accompany this transformation and connect processes at the point of sale with future-oriented digital systems. Sustainable management will also play a key role in all investments and innovations. Oliver Voßhenrich: “The circular economy is becoming increasingly important, especially in the supply of goods, both in the design of products and their function and in the manufacturing process.”

In order to structure the planned activities of the Salzufler, POS TUNING Udo Voßhenrich GmbH & Co KG becomes Voßhenrich Invest GmbH & Co KG. The operational business is transferred to POS TUNING GmbH. Digitalization is served by the company neoalto and the health sector by the company AKVIGO — both sister companies of POS TUNING. Voßhenrich Invest thus provides an umbrella for existing and future companies of the Voßhenrich Group.

The managing partner Oliver Voßhenrich has a clear statement to make on this: “The new structure has created the conditions for us to set up our business activities in a broad and focused way. As shareholders, the Voßhenrich family stands personally behind all activities. Our customers, business partners and the employees can rely on the fact that we will tackle the challenges of the future together and in partnership.”

Senior boss Udo Voßhenrich, whose name has always been part of the company name since it was founded in 1998, is accompanying the change process and says: “As a family business, our name is a guarantee for the continuation of our values and works. The management team of Bernd Schäkel, Christoph Moser and my son Oliver has continuously developed the company over the past years and managed it well. The new structure creates space for the development of our ventures — also for future generations.”

On 02.09.2022 the opening of the“Competence Center Supermarket” of the food akademie will take place in Neuwied. For over 85 years, the food akademie has been the only industry college for the German food trade and focuses on the personal and systematic qualification of specialists and managers for the food trade. Since 1936, the guiding principle “From practice for practice” has characterized the company. The offer is primarily based on the transfer of action-relevant technical knowledge, which is based on an initial commercial training. This is supplemented by qualification modules to complete social, personal and methodical leadership skills.

The foundation stone for the new “Supermarket Competence Center” was laid on 15.01.2021. The previous teaching and sample supermarket will now feature a completely new teaching supermarket, a new teaching kitchen, new seminar rooms, and a new student dormitory. As a sponsor, we from POS TUNING were allowed to participate in the design of the new building. For this purpose, we have set up a recreation room, which, in addition to a comfortable sofa and other seating, also provides a table tennis table. Through the wall design the participants get a small insight into our company and can have a closer look at our products in the showcase.

Bad Salzuflen. (bre) Our image film won 2nd place at the World Media Festival. The film, which was produced last year with Vogelsänger Studios from Lage, was awarded silver in the Corporate Communications category.

Senior Producer Marc Hölscher from Vogelsänger Studios had the idea to enter the film in the competition. He says, “We entered the film because it is very modern and contemporary, and designed and produced to suit the target audience. We are convinced that this film sets standards in B2B corporate communications.”

The image film was shot last year in July at the company’s headquarters in Bad Salzuflen and at a supermarket near the Dutch border, among other locations. The preliminary work for the film took about six months. In several working sessions, our marketing team developed the idea and concept for the film together with the Lagens agency. “The biggest challenge in the project was the development of the conceptual guideline, which runs stringently through the project and serves all areas of interest from POS industries through the products while offering maximum entertainment value,” Marc Hölscher describes the special demands placed on the team.

For the shoot, Cara Hausdorf, Maren Brettmeier and Timm Becker from our marketing department at POS TUNING and an 8‑person team from Vogelsänger Studios were on location for four days. In addition to some professional actors who took on the main roles in the film, there was also the opportunity for a few of our employees to get involved in the shooting and participate in some scenes.

How shopfitting makes it from smart tools and digitization
to profit.

Bad Salzuflen. (bre) Have you said goodbye yet? Have you already shelved your ideas for modern shopfitting? No? Why not? Stationary retail is dying. And investing in store fitting is a waste. At least, this is how it has been repeated over and over again in all media for some time now. Shoppers now only shop online. Everything is going digital. Or?

How does that feel to you as a shopfitter? They are sure to have creative approaches and ideas for tomorrow’s store fixtures. The challenge facing the entire shopfitting industry is to bring classic shopfitting into the digital age.

The digital world is omnipresent. Just quickly order a new sneaker — I can put together the design online and if I order today, the sneaker will be with me tomorrow. I can also quickly add pizza and after-work beer to my shopping cart with a single click. Simply pay by PayPal or credit card and delivery can perhaps even be set for a specific time. What does this mean for stationary retail and thus for shopfitting?

Touch and try…

One thing is certain: The market share of online retailing has grown rapidly in recent years. But does that mean the end for brick-and-mortar retail? Will shopping transform completely? No! It is true that shopping behavior has changed and will continue to change. But according to a Statista survey, 86% of customers rate the opportunity to sample products in person by touching or trying them out as the greatest advantage of stationary retail. Personal consulting is a close second. This is the opportunity that brick-and-mortar retailers can and should seize. Especially you shopfitting experts will agree.

The stage for products!

Haptics, visual stimuli and personal advice are the driving arguments that draw customers into stores. 84% of customers aged 18–64 say they prefer to buy groceries in stores. For clothing and footwear, the figure is still 45%. The survey makes it clear that not every purchase is replaced by online offers. Food can be checked for freshness and appearance. Taking the cold Coke from the shelf and perhaps spontaneously deciding to also try another variety because it just feels so good can only be driven by animation of the senses. Or feel the leather of the bag and check the seams for quality, works only directly on the object. For shopfitting and retail, however, this also means: higher demands in store design. Products must be presented in such a way that they can be found. If the
Product presentation
appealing, customers may reach for it two or three times. With the right presentation solutions, this turns any shelf into a real
Stage
for every product. In the best case, products sell so well that shelves need to be replenished quickly. The Shelf in this case provides the presentation area. But it is also possible to turn the classic into a modern information tool with the help of digital sensor technology.

What makes production in East-Westphalia-Lippe so valuable.

Bad Salzuflen. (bre) If it were possible to choose a buzzword for 2022, the word “supply bottleneck” would probably be at the top of the list. Whether it’s raw materials of any kind, foodstuffs or materials from various industries — everything is in short supply and delivery times for some goods are delayed by up to months. First the pandemic — then the war in Ukraine — the circumstances under which companies have to produce and make delivery forecasts have not been as unpredictable for a long time as they are now.

Months of delivery time

In a survey conducted by DZ Bank in April, around 77 percent of medium-sized companies in Germany said they were experiencing supply bottlenecks at the time of the survey. Medium-sized companies were the most frequently affected. Here, the figure was as high as 88 percent.

Anyone currently looking to purchase a new bike or game console should have a long thread of patience. For these products, customers sometimes have to be prepared for delivery times of several weeks or even months.

These problems can be attributed, among other things, to factory closures in Asia or reduced freight capacity in the shipping industry. Shortages of raw materials and precursors lead to delays in the delivery of end products. Globalization as a blessing and a curse?

More difficult general conditions

For years, production abroad has offered itself as the perfect alternative solution for many companies. More difficult framework conditions in Germany and a lack of skilled workers versus reduced cost burdens and sufficient personnel are the driving arguments for companies to focus on manufacturing abroad. In order to be competitive and not to deteriorate economically in comparison with other companies, Germany has lost some of its attractiveness as an industrial location in recent years. So why should a company buck the trend and opt for domestic production?

An interview with our frozen food expert

“The secret is order” -

Willem Klein Zeggelink

The perfect tobacco presentation — How does it work?

Bad Salzuflen (bre). The history of tobacco and cigarette consumption goes back to the 16th century. Central American indigenous peoples rolled tobacco in corn paper and this is how the first cigarettes were rolled and smoked. Initially, tobacco was even only snuffed. So the choice was rather limited. A look at a tobacco shelf in 2022 shows how much this situation has changed. Countless varieties and products have now conquered the market and customers are spoilt for choice. Classic cigarette or e‑cigarette? Snuffed or vapourised? With flavouring or even as a light version? There are no limits to what customers want. But the only limits that now appear are as banal as they are concise: space is becoming scarce.

The usually limited shelf space in retail is a real challenge for an appealing tobacco presentation. Not only the ever-increasing diversity of varieties, but also the creativity of packaging design make many a retailer almost despair. Now, not only the classic cigarette pack has to be accommodated, but also pouches, leaflets or liquids. From square to round in large and small, everything is available. But in the worst case, the available space is only intended for the traditional cigarette pack.

What can be done? A new shelf is not an option!

We at POS TUNING provide the right solution. We have been the specialist for product presentation at the point of sale for years and are also the market leader when it comes to tobacco presentation. Push feed systems ensure permanent front presentation in a tried and tested manner. And these pusher systems have now been consistently developed towards the future. The Duplex Pusher is the answer to the space problem on the shelf.

Find out more about the POS‑T Duplex Pusher, the endless possibilities to make your tobacco shelf tidy for your customers and our solutions for round, square, NGP and many more products. On this page you will also find an interview with Heinrich Kreuder, Global Account Director at POS TUNING, who will give you further insights into the tobacco shelf of the future.

How does the Duplex Pusher work?

Simply install two feed systems on top of each other, thus doubling the space. These push feed systems provide a permanent front presentation in slow motion. The system is also infinitely expandable and flexible in width. This means that the Duplex Pusher can be used for all product widths from KingSize to Big Packs. Existing shelving systems do not have to be converted and can be turned into real space miracles with the Duplex Pusher. Up to 50 % more product facings are possible on the shelf with the same space. More overview and order combined with more shelf space — with the Duplex Pusher, this is now possible in every shelf. In no time at all, next generation products can be presented together with classic tobacco products.

“It’s easy to do!”

Bad Salzuflen/Bad Meinberg. (bre) How easy it is to make shopping simply better is shown by the new project that we at POS TUNING have now realised together with EDEKA Wiele in Bad Meinberg. A beverage cooler near the checkout zone has been equipped by us with our shelf-ready push feed system.

Bad Meinberg is a small, fine spa town in Lippe. About 17,000 inhabitants live here. There is a spa theatre and the Externsteine, which can be hiked in the vicinity. And then there’s also a supermarket. And it’s not just any supermarket. Edeka Wiele is located in the heart of Bad Meinberg. Andi Wiele has been running the market since November 2018 and is setting completely new shopping standards here.

A bright, friendly ambience, large wide aisles and especially much attention to detail in the individual categories, make the market a real eye-catcher. Andi Wiele has a real knack for market design and leaves nothing to chance. Even in the presentation of his focus categories, he relies fully on appearance and functionality. In the confectionery department, he has already equipped his shelves with POS TUNING. And not without reason.

That’s also one reason why he has now decided to turn his drinks cooler near the checkout zone into a real gem with us.