Perfecting point-of-sale presentation
Portrait
The company was already no stranger to innovation. Udo Voßhenrich founded POS TUNING in 1998 in his garage, where he developed the first prototype Systemtray, which was the first push-feed system to be incorporated into product packaging, giving higher visibility of products on the shelves and better orientation for customers. It was the first time that anyone had combined shelf-ready packaging with the push-feed principle.
It took a while to take off, but once the tobacco industry started using the POS standard push-feed system, enabling more cigarettes to be stored on an even shelf, the Systemtray idea was adopted by food manufacturers such as Unilever and Nestlé.
Mr. Voßhenrich patented the system and subsequently won many awards. A garage and a great idea were enough to create a prosperous company which is today active in 120 countries worldwide. The push-feed system is still POS TUNING’s flagship product.
“Without it, supermarket employees would have to walk through the aisles, pulling products forward so that they are in line,” explains Head of Marketing Kristin Kolbe-Schade. “Our product does that automatically, helping to reduce labour costs and improve the appearance of the shelves.”
POS TUNING also produces lighting and theft prevention systems for shelves, and has also introduced a glide system which allows heavier products to slide forward slowly. “We deliver anything that ‘tunes’ the point of sale, and can develop tailor-made solutions for our clients,” adds Ms. Kolbe-Schade. “Our activities in many different countries enable us to transfer good ideas from one country to another.”
“A garage and a great idea were enough to create a prosperous company which is today active worldwide.” Kristin Kolbe-SchadeHead of Marketing
So convinced is POS TUNING of its long-term quality, that all its push-feeds come with a three-year guarantee. Mr. Voßhenrich has stepped down from daily involvement in the company, although he still contributes new ideas and designs. His son Oliver has taken up the reins as General Manager, having sold his own software company to purchase half of his father’s business ten years ago.
With his expertise, POS TUNING’s standard systems are developing in a digital direction. “Last year, we presented our latest innovation, the stock beacon,” says the Marketing Manager. “This can be attached to our push-feed system, and through movement and distance to the back wall, the device recognizes how many products are still on the shelf. In the future, it will be able to transfer this data to the stock system and order new products. We tested this system with Nestlé and Tegut, and it provided them with product performance data which is usually difficult to collect. We will be running more pilot projects this year. Ultimately, this device will track what people have in their shopping baskets, enabling payment to be withdrawn directly from their debit or credit card as they walk through the barrier. These new digital services will be offered as a monthly subscription for our customers.”
Under Oliver Voßhenrich’s leadership, POS TUNING is exploring new fields of business in the area of digitalized shopping processes. “He is really taking the company into the future,” Ms. Kolbe-Schade underlines. “Our products have the potential to be a game changer for supermarkets, who need to persuade clients to shop in-store instead of buying on the internet. Our goal is to make our point-of-sale product presentation tools the clear choice for customers.”
