Schnucks Adopts New Technology to Boost Associate Productivity, Shoppers' Experience

Midwestern grocer Schnuck Markets has adopted new technology for data capture, mobile computing and printing to help associates become more productive while improving the customer experience.

The St. Louis-based grocer is transitioning to 2D from 1D barcodes and scanners to embed additional data into barcodes and ensure accurate data capture while enhancing store productivity and efficiency. The MP7000 grocery scanner scale and DS8178 cordless scanners are reducing double-scans and improving checkout speeds for Schnucks shoppers.

Schnucks is also using the MP7000 to capture virtually every electronic and printed barcode in any condition, and can scan GS1 Stacked DataBar barcodes for fresh products, increasing the efficiency of both cashiers and shoppers.

According to Zebra's "11th Annual Global Shopper Study," most store associates (56 percent) agree that shoppers are better connected than they are, and more than 70 percent believe that they could improve the shopping experience with handheld mobile computers and scanners.

Schnucks teammates are equipped with Zebra's TC70, TC51 and TC20 mobile computers, with Android running the Schnucks Shelf Management (ShelfMan) application to manage store inventory, order products and transfer items between locations. The TC70 and TC51 are used by teammates throughout the store, while the TC20 is used in the pharmacy.

"One of our core values is putting the customer first," said Dave Steck, VP of IT Infrastructure and Application Development for Schnucks. "Zebra’s innovative, reliable grocery solutions have improved the efficiency and performance of our teammates, which has led to better customer service."

Schnuck Markets Inc. is a third-generation family-owned grocery and pharmacy retailer operating 119 stores in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa. The company is No. 31 on Progressive Grocer’s 2018 Super 50 ranking of top grocers in the United States.