ECRS Announces Self-Checkout for Independent Retailers

ANAHEIM, CA - March 13, 2008 - ECRS today announced the complete integration between ECRS's enterprise retail automation software, Catapult and their revolutionary, stand-alone self-checkout solution, QUICKcheck. The merging of these two ECRS products creates a complete retail automation suite for small to mid-size retailers who want to delve into the growing, customer-centric self-checkout arena.

ECRS's QUICKcheck is a proven self-checkout solution used in some of the nation's premiere grocery establishments. The new QUICKcheck integration with Catapult retains all of the proven and patented features that originally set it apart from the industry standard, but will now interface directly with the powerful features of Catapult POS on which thousands of retailers already rely to manage their businesses on a daily basis. This convergence will allow retailers the best of both worlds and the highest standard in retail automation technology.

Helping Retailers Exceed Industry Standards

Self-checkout is quickly becoming the industry standard in today's fast-paced society. In a recent study conducted by the IHL Consulting Group, 98% of North American consumers polled have used self checkout. According to the same study, in 2006 consumers spent more than $137 billion through self-checkout transactions. This number is predicted to reach $450 billion annually in 2008. Consumers today simply demand the speed and convenience that self- checkout allows.

Apart from customer convenience, smaller retailers can also benefit from self-checkout technology by better allocating resources. Employees once used as cashiers stationed behind a checkout lane can instead be checking stock levels, entering inventory or working the floor to provide more direct customer interaction.

In order to meet customer expectation and compete with larger chain stores, small to mid-size retailers are faced with the daunting task of balancing new technology and true customer service. After years of development and market research, ECRS has created a complete self- checkout product that will not only meet, but exceed the unique needs of small to mid-size retailers in today's demanding marketplace. For the first time, retailers in verticals such as pharmacy, convenience, independent grocery, tobacco, liquor, natural products and pet will be able to take advantage of self-checkout technology.

Product Details

The ECRS self-checkout solution offers innovative features such as a self learning weight security system, a bilingual user interface, and an attendant workstation component which allows the attendant to monitor and control each station from across the room. QUICKcheck can also be quickly converted into a fully functional cashier POS station if needed. The QUICKcheck stations are available in a variety of customizable cabinet designs, colors and configurations. This flexibility allows retailers to control the design of their store. The Full Cash Express station is perfect for stores of all sizes and features intuitively grouped cash input/output devices. The compact, efficient 38”x 34”x 52” ePay Kiosk is ideal for smaller stores with limited square footage who wish to add a faster checkout option for customers paying with credit, debit or FSA.

“No longer is self-checkout only available to large format stores,” said ECRS President Peter Catoe. “ECRS continues to focus on solving real-world problems and developing paradigm shifting tools that allow our retailers to increase top and bottom line performance. Our Self- Checkout component is one such tool, allowing Catapult users to increase productivity in a real, measurable way while at the same time providing their customers with the self service and fast checkout option that they increasingly demand."

About ECRS

Since 1989 ECRS has been providing world-class automation solutions designed to help retailers of all sizes in a wide variety of markets. The ECRS retail framework includes point of sale, self-checkout, reporting and analytics, multistore, inventory management, auto replenishment, EDI supplier integration, warehousing, membership management, fuel pump interface, integrated video surveillance, digital customer billboard, gift card, signature capture, wireless hand-held, and a range of other retail automation components. ECRS products are delivered through a partner network and direct sales specialists.

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