SELGROS is an international wholesale network of cash & carry hypermarkets located in Germany, Poland, Romania and Russia. The stores sell food and goods to businesses as well as private customers. SELGROS has been in the Russian market since 2008. There are 11 stores there with the largest located in Moscow. All locations have implemented the Arca cash and coin automation solution in their cash offices.
Arca helped SELGROS cash & carry eliminate congestion and inefficiency in their cash office. Arca provided a solution that:
- Reduced the amount of cashiers counting cash in the back office
- Reduced the amount of time cashier were spending processing cash
- Reduced the amount of physical space needed for a cash room
- Saved two full time positions
The Challenge
Managing the large volume of cash and coin at SELGROS was a labor intensive chore requiring many cashiers to process currency several times per day. Counting and recounting the cash and coin was time-consuming, subject to human-error, expensive and risky.
Paying for goods with cash and coin, (rubles and kopecks) is a popular practice in Russia. Credit cards are widely accepted, but cash is generally a first choice.
This creates many challenges for retailers. The currency must be painstakingly counted by many cashiers, often at the same time. The labor expense adds up. It also requires a secure cash office with room for many people, wasting valuable retail space.
These are the many challenges cash creates for retailers everywhere. In Russia, SELGROS was no exception. The hypermarket network turned to Arca, along with their partner Profindustry, to find a better way.
The Solution
Implementing Arca cash and coin automation solutions improved currency handling efficiencies and got cashiers out of the back office.
Arca cash and coin recyclers streamlined cash handling operations,saving the store time and money.
At the start of their shift, cashiers use their unique password to sign in to the solution. The machines automatically dispense the start funds, dropping the coins into their specified location in the drawer.
At the end of their shift, cashiers place their bills into the cash recycler and pour coin directly into the coin recycler. In minutes the amounts are totaled and cashiers receive a receipt of their deposit.
The Results
Implementing an Arca cash and coin recycling solution has saved the store time and money and has allowed the store to improve efficiency in the cash room.
“We bought this machine and implemented it for the purpose of reducing the space where the cashiers work and to reduce the number of cashiers that work inside this room,” says Mikail Kiselev, Head of IT Department for SELGROS Russia. “This machine reduces the time cashiers spend counting. That’s why we don’t need so many cashiers in the room that spend time counting money.”
We have reduced two full time jobs totally.
Mikail Kiselev, Head of IT Department, SELGROS Russia
The Arca cash and coin solution created time savings and improved efficiencies that have reduced the amount of time cashiers spend in the cash room. It has allowed SELGROS to reduce the number of cashiers required to process cash by two full time employees. SELGROS also has been able to shrink the size of their cash room and use the additional store space for higher value purposes.
Click here to learn about another SELGROS success with Arca cash automation solutions in Zelenograd, Russia.