BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, May 2007 – TOSHIBA TEC Europe, a leading retail and industrial automation solutions provider, today announced the successful completion of the second part of their EXPRESS POS Project, focused on RFID-tagged fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) in an integrated Supply Chain Management system.

On February 6, 2007, Japanese retail chain FamilyMart started a two-week trial of the EXPRESS POS system at two Tokyo retail stores, in cooperation with Itochu Mechatronics Corp., part of global trading company Itochu and TOSHIBA TEC. EXPRESS POS is actively supported by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

EXPRESS POS consists of a smart POS system, developed by TOSHIBA TEC that seamlessly handles credit cards, prepaid cards, mobile phones and cash for a portfolio of 800 of FamilyMart’s best-selling consumer goods that are each individually identified with RFID tags.

The TOSHIBA TEC set up consisted of a barcode printer at the manufacturing side to print RFID tags and the innovative RFID-driven Express POS terminal in the retail shop. The combination of barcode and RFID technologies allows a gradual integration of RFID into the retail organisation while at the same time protecting their ICT investment.

“This was the main purpose of the second phase of the project,” Yasunori Domon of TOSHIBA TEC in Japan explained. “We wanted to test the feasibility of handling an extended range of consumer goods throughout the entire Supply Chain from the manufacturer all the way to the customer in the retail shop. And we are pleased with the results so far.”

In practice, as both RFID tagged and non-tagged consumer goods are accepted at an ExpressPOS check out system, the entire product offering of a retailer can thus be handled at every ExpressPOS check out.

The EXPRESS POS project centres around larger throughput of retail customers during peak hours. Among 2,500 products sold at FamilyMart convenience stores, electronic tags are attached to those goods that are mainly purchased during lunchtime, (i.e. one of the store’s main peak periods). FamilyMart selected 800 of its best-selling products to carry RFID tags in this trial.

A wide range of everyday consumer goods from bread, sushi rolls, salads and soft drinks are sold in a convenience store using RFID tags to automate the check-out operation.

To Guarantee End to End Traceability

Itochu Mechatronics Corp. developed the RFID-based logistics solution in close cooperation with TOSHIBA TEC. As proof of concept, two types of RFID tags were used:

• a 13.56 MHz HF RFID tag was attached to item-level consumer goods before they were stacked onto a pallet for shipping.
• an EPC Gen 2 UHF RFID tag was added to each pallet to optimise the traceability of shipped goods from the factory back end, through the distribution centre to the front end, i.e. the convenience store.

Purpose of ExpressPOS

1. Automate logistics control at product level
2. Reduce handling time at the food processing facility and speed up supply chain process from factory to retailers
3. Increase customer service level
4. Reduce POS check-out times
5. Position RFID as retail technology with positive perception toward customers.

EXPRESS POS is an innovative technology design for retail industries that is attracting interest from strategy planners across the world because of its ability to both protect retailers’ ICT investments and yet move over to RFID-enabled Supply Chain Management solutions.

About TOSHIBA TEC

TOSHIBA TEC Europe (TERIS) manages product planning, marketing, sales, service support and distribution of point of sale systems, cash registers, scales, barcode printers, peripherals and software information systems throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. As a total solution provider, TOSHIBA TEC Europe offers a complete package from consulting and system design to system installation, operation and maintenance.
Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium TERIS has three divisions: the Retail division; the Auto ID division and the Services division.
TERIS is an independent operating company of Toshiba Corporation, the sixth largest electronics/electrical equipment company and the world's 72nd largest company in terms of sales. Ranked by Fortune magazine as the 9th Most Admired Electronics Company in the World, Toshiba Corporation is a world leader in high technology products with more than 300 major subsidiaries and affiliates worldwide. Fiscal year revenue in 2005 was approximately $54.5 billion.
For more information on TOSHIBA TEC point of sale systems, cash registers, scales, barcode printers, peripherals and software information systems, or for a dealer in your area, call +44 (0)870 890 7200 or visit the TERIS web site at www.toshibatec-eu.co.uk.

For media enquiries please contact:

TOSHIBA TEC Europe Retail Information Systems - UK Operations
Contact: Karen Harris
Campus 300, Spring Way
Maylands Avenue
Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 7GG
United Kingdom
Tel: 0870 890 7200
Fax: 0870 890 7350
E- mail: marketing@toshibatec-eu.co.uk.

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