Business Needs:

Flexible and easy to access reporting solution

Solutions:

SM-6000

Benefits:

• Suitable reporting solution
• Linerless
• Compact
• Affordable
• Easy to use interface

The Newitt family has been located in Thame since 1810. In 1965, Michael and Susan Newitt bought the 17th-century butcher’s shop on the high street and were joined by their son Tom in 1990.

Today, Newitt’s has an enviable reputation. Their produce and service have achieved numerous awards and accolades, including Britain’s Best Butcher’s Shop Award. They are also extremely proud of some exciting developments that are helping to extend their reputation and brand to larger markets and wider audiences. Creating new products and constantly adapting to the changing eating habits and lifestyles of their customers has kept them ahead of the competition.

In June 2020, it became clear that there was also a need for Newitts of Thame to update their existing scale system and, in particular, the back-office reporting software. “I wanted a system that is modern, gives me flexibility regarding future legislation, and has the potential to grow and adapt with my business, driven by software that saves me time and allows me to focus on driving the business forward,” Tom said.

After considering the alternatives, and a short trial of the system, Tom chose the new SM-6000 touch screen scale. DIGI Europe Ltd. supplied four counter scales for use as tills and two prepacking scales for labelling product, which link to DIGI’s cloud-based software.

“I was becoming frustrated. I wanted to be able get the reports I wanted, when I wanted them, and that was a key factor in making the decision to go with DIGI,” said Tom. “The software pulls sales data back automatically throughout the day, meaning that I have the information I need at a glance, and don’t have to think about manually pulling back data or filtering multiple reports at the end of the day. I can view it from anywhere I have an internet connection and make changes on the move if necessary.”

“For us the product has to be right, but also the service and the backup,” Tom said. “DIGI has a very personal service support who will be with you from the beginning, assisting you with training and set up of your purchase, as well as modifications and repairs if required.”

Another key requirement is the ability to become compliant with Natasha’s Law regulations, which are set to be enforced by autumn of 2021. Natasha’s Law will ensure that all food packaging is correctly labelled with full ingredients, and any potential allergens are clearly marked. Smaller retailers as well as large supermarkets will all be required to abide by this new law.

The solution to this, and a key feature of the SM-6000, is a linerless printer with cutter. Labels are produced on a continuous roll of adhesive-backed paper, and cut to size dependent upon the amount of information produced on the label.

“For pork chops, I have a small label, and for a chicken dish that has a marinade, which may need different cooking times and more information, in way of ingredients and declarations. I can expand what we do and I’m not governed by a label format,” Tom said. “And with the cooking times now being clearly marked on each pack, this means the customer no longer needs to contact Newitt’s in order to ask questions regarding serving suggestions and cooking directions.”

“We have had the e-commerce website for many years, but the functionality was really never accepted by our customers, until the last six months when things have taken off completely and we have dramatically increased our number of products and orders. Potentially, those people have come from supermarkets to support local independent businesses, and they are so used to buying products in the supermarkets that have got cooking instructions and a guide to how to cook it…so having this new system has allowed us to offer a better service and put a label on everything we do and every product we do, so every product has got a packed-on and use-by date.”

He continued, “Changing the labels can be a tedious job, especially when they all run out and you have a shop full of people, but not anymore – it’s now a five-second procedure with no waste to throw away either.”

This is a theme that’s becoming more common in today’s fast-moving, convenience- and consumer driven-world.

“As we move forward into new legislation, having the ability to print a label that’s as long or as short as it needs to be to suit both your packaging and the information printed, is a powerful tool,” said Paul Murthar, Head of Retail at DIGI Europe Ltd. “Linerless paper can be plain white or coloured if an element of branding is required. It has no backing paper (or liner) to be thrown away, is easier to load, produces more labels with less roll changes and is a far more cost-effective solution as well. There are so many benefits, and with the cutter on the SM-6000’s 300 dpi printer, you then have a really powerful solution for all retailers concerned about managing their product branding and label size.”

Finally, the screens are high luminosity 15-inch LED displays, which are mounted on the operator and customer sides. The operator display uses touch screen technology, with easy-to-operate features in full colour. The customer screen can display adverts and serving suggestions, as well as current promotions to push add-on sales at the time of purchasing. As Tom emphasized, “People eat with their eyes.” Using the 15-inch screen on the customer’s side, Newitt’s is able to advertise their tailor-made photos and videos to customers and bystanders.

“The screens can even advertise when we are not here, meaning you can continuously draw in future customers by pushing the products and promotions, even whilst out of hours.”

There are so many benefits to the new range of SM-6000 scales and the software suite that supports them. DIGI is dedicated to further developing our systems in order to support our customers

Customer Profile