If you are in New York City, and lucky enough to stop into one of Westside Market’s five grocery stores, a few things are sure to grab your attention, starting with the impressive display of colorful, fresh produce and beautiful flower arrangements that greet you from the sidewalk. Then, there’s the jam-packed, yet remarkably organized store that makes you stop in your tracks and say ”wow”.
On average, over 20,000 transactions are processed daily within their stores – with numbers like that, you’d better have a point-of-sale system robust enough to keep up.
Next, is the fact that no one seems to mind maneuvering around each other in tight spaces or waiting in rather long lines that stretch and meander through the storefront and down the aisles, in spite of 10 registers humming along with precision and highly-skilled cashiers serving each customer. And of course there’s the scent of bountiful fresh baked sweets and savory dinners that lure you in as they lay waiting to be scooped up and taken home to be devoured upon their arrival.
Yes, when you enter a Westside Market grocery store – you instantly know, this isn’t going to be your typical grocery shopping experience (unless you’re lucky enough to live nearby).
So, how do they do it? A fifty-year old, family-owned and operated grocery chain competing (and winning) against industry giants?
While their dedication to catering to the communities they serve and incredible focus on detail ultimately create and maintain their success, their store systems and processes must keep up with the success they’ve created. On average, over 20,000 transactions are processed daily within their stores – with numbers like that, you’d better have a point-of-sale system robust enough to keep up.
For over 10-years, the Westside Market enterprise has relied on CATAPULT retail automation, developed by ECRS, to efficiently process rapid-fire customer checkouts and assist with back office management. The system has proven flexible enough to meet Westside’s demands for growth and will continue to support their needs as they look beyond their current locations and focus on further expansion.
ECRS recently inquired of George Zoitas, who runs the stores, and is the son of owners Ioannis (known as Big John) and Maria Zoitas, why CATAPULT is a good fit for the busy Westside stores.
It is a must-have for all grocery stores in today’s high-paced and competitive markets.
George Zoitas
CEO, Westside Market
George explained that CATAPULT is a very effective and user friendly system. The system is easily updated when new software versions and hardware components are released, it offers reliable performance in a high-volume retail environment, and cashiers can be easily trained and ready-to-go in only a few days. George also finds our Enterprise platform and Business Intelligence tools provides him the ability to make timely and accurate decisions as it relates to business trends. Latin Market Development – LMD (ECRS’ New York-area partner) provides the majority of support and service for the Westside Market locations, and, according to George, they are excellent. He praises the fact that they are always available and arrive at the spur of the moment when needed.
When asked if he would recommend CATAPULT retail automation to other high-volume grocery stores, George summed it up by saying, “Yes, it is a must have for all grocery stores in today’s high-paced and competitive markets.”
So if you are looking for an unexpected, delightful grocery shopping experience while in New York City – look no further than the closest Westside Market.
And if you’re looking for a specialist in optimizing grocery performance and profitability, look no further than ECRS and its award-winning CATAPULT retail automation platform.
