SafePay wins award for most innovative in-store solution

A number of awards for outstanding in-store innovations were presented by “European Retail Solutions 2006 Awards” at a recent international retail exhibition in England. Norway's COOP Sör and Gunnebo's SafePay™ were the winners in the category most innovative in-store technical solution. COOP Sör installed the SafePay totally closed cash handling system at its store in Arendal in November 2004, including an intelligent deposit unit (IDU) and a cash transfer unit (CTU) incorporated into a theft-resistant safe. The system ensures that the cash is kept secure in a totally closed system from point of sale to bank. The panel of nine judges from different segments of the retail trade in Europe unanimously agreed not only that the SafePay system was the most innovative solution but that it also saved labour as well as eliminating shrinkage at the point of sale. “We expect annual savings of around 700,000 SEK as a result of more secure and faster cash handling in our stores,” says Kay Arne Nedrejord, manager of the COOP Obs store in Arendal; “however, the main benefit is the safer and ergonomically sounder work environment in our stores,” he added. The award was accepted on behalf of COOP Sör by Rolf Wathne, Coop's IT Manager, and Gunvor Nygaard, its Checkout Manager, and on behalf of SafePay by Paul Dobson, Sales Manager for Great Britain. The awards were presented at a dinner arranged by Retail Solutions Exhibition during the Retail Solutions Exhibition in Birmingham last week.