The Danby Group, Freedom Shopping and Zebra Technologies Honored

Zebra Technologies Corporation, the Danby Group, a value-added reseller specializing in automatic identification solutions, and Freedom Shopping, an RFID retail solutions provider, were recognized last month by Retail Solutions Provider Association (RSPA) and VerticalSystems Reseller (VSR) at RetailNow with the Innovative Solution Award for Quick Service.

RSPA and VSR honored the group’s work on the Fast Track Convenience solution for Sterling Services. The award pays tribute to VARs that have developed multi-vendor retail technology solutions for small-to medium- sized businesses.

“The Danby Group and Freedom Shopping worked with Zebra to develop a more efficient and cost-effective self-checkout experience for offices, schools, fitness clubs, hospitals and more,” said Fred Zaeske, vice president and general manager, Zebra Specialty Printing Solutions. “With Zebra’s RZ400 printers, Fast Track has seen a return on investment in less than six months as a result of the
rapid batch label printing which has reduced time and labor costs.”

Traditionally, vending machines limit customer options to a few dozen items, and staffed cafes are costly and have limited hours of operation.Sterling Services’ overall Fast Track Convenience solution utilizes RFID kiosks to provide retail customers with greater self service options, including lunch and snack items for customers that would otherwise have to go offsite to find refreshments.

Fast Track Convenience stores have expanded accessibility and provided enhanced dining options for diverse customers and locations – selling fresh foods instead of just vending machine items – doubling sales that traditional vending machines yield while offering larger, more varied items.

To achieve such great success, the solution called for collaboration from Zebra, Freedom Shopping, UPM Raflatac and the Danby Group to provide Fast Track Convenience with:
• Batch printing tied to backend software that expedites daily tagging by an hour or two.
• RFID tags that include complete information for customers and inventory management.
• Raflatac RFID inlay tags that cost thousands of dollars less per year.
• Easy-to-use Zebra printers that delivered a hard ROI in six months.

“At our volume, the Zebra RZ400 printer delivered a return on investment in less than six months,” said John McGlathery, general manager of Fast Track Convenience. “We’re very, very happy with the new addition to our processes, and it’s having a major impact on the way we do business.”