McKenzies group of five pharmacies installed their first MPS Retail system in December 2008. With 4 shops currently using the software, they are over halfway to full implementation. Peter Rice, of McKenzies, explained why they took the plunge and made the investment in EPoS and in Mclernons in particular.

“We decided to invest in an EPoS system for reasons of economy – having grown rapidly from 3 to 5 pharmacies we needed to run the business as a group, and not a collection of individual shops. In order to do this, we needed the tools to help us implement group buying policies and over-ride individual purchasing habits.”

McLernons – proven track record

“As a business we have had a long history of working well with McLernons – they are a known entity, and we know that you get the support and assistance that you need – when you need it. We have the MPS dispensing system in our pharmacies and currently use their CEDAC head office system; both systems have proved stable and secure and MPS Retail simply follows on as an addition to this proven track record.”

“We looked at a few EPoS systems and found that, essentially, there are several functions common to all. One advantage of MPS Retail is that the staff are already familiar with the ‘yellow brick road’ type of layout, and the touch-screen technology is very similar to that which we already use in the dispensary.”

“Even though we now have 5 pharmacies, a warehouse is not viable so we use our EPoS system with CEDAC as a ‘virtual warehouse’, where buying policy can be directed and controlled to take advantage of deals that have been agreed centrally. Primary ordering for promotions and certain lines is done centrally using current sales data, but each site has the ability to order stock individually, giving important local variability while removing the need for central invoicing and logistics.”

Cutting costs

“Since installing MPS Retail we have dramatically cut down the number of lines we keep, and by focusing on our core lines we have cut costs while turnover has been unaffected. Stock control is also much easier, we had been running out of stock half-way through a month, thereby losing the opportunity to sell twice as much, but using the sales data we are able to order just enough stock.”

“There’s no doubt that having to put each product onto an EPoS system makes you look more closely at the reasons why you sell it, and it strips out any sentimentality over ordering. The information from our EPoS system now helps us to know what can sell, what will sell and what we still have on the shelf to sell – it is invaluable!”

Peter concluded, “It is difficult to put a time-scale on how long it will take for the system to pay for itself but I believe that it is an essential tool for anyone who is serious about retailing. The information that the system can provide, in such a useable form, is invaluable. I can access MPS Head Office from my laptop and see the busiest times for each shop and who is selling what. The information helps us schedule staff levels, concentrate our buying on special or linked offers and merchandise the shop to appeal to the customers’ needs and wants.”

“Using the scanners greatly speeds up the sales transactions and my staff – who are wonderful – took no time at all to find their way around the system. MPS Retail gave us the tools necessary to increase the profitability of our front-of-shop.”