For Immediate Release
Piggly Wiggly Chooses Ai2 for Order Entry
Better Functionality and Newer Technology Fit Grocer's Needs
TweetCHICAGO - October 27, 2011 - Software development company Ai2 today announced the addition of several Piggly Wiggly grocery stores to its growing customer lineup. Piggly Wiggly will deploy Ai2's HERO solution to replace outdated handheld order entry devices.
Piggly Wiggly was experiencing various order entry problems with legacy devices, including the need to re-key orders received over phone lines and a lack of information that deprived stores of critical promotional information. "Nowadays, you can't get by with a handheld that just collects numbers," said Douglas Katich, CEO for Ai2. "Retailers need today's information, neatly organized, on an easy-to-use mobile device for ordering."
Handheld Entry for Remote Orders (HERO) is Ai2’s mobile order entry automation solution for retailers who must generate weekly or semi-weekly orders and obtain regularly updated customer and product information. Using a variety of handheld computers, HERO lets retailers scan barcodes, search a large item database, type, write on the handheld screen, generate orders based on par/reorder points, receive messages and manage their retail pricing with one convenient application.
Piggly Wiggly, which calls itself "America's first true self-service grocery store," was founded in Memphis, TN in 1916 by Clarence Saunders. Today there are more than 600 Piggly Wiggly stores serving communities in 17 states. All Piggly Wiggly stores are independently owned and operated, and are located primarily throughout the Southeast and as far north as Wisconsin. Piggly Wiggly, LLC’s corporate headquarters are in Keene, NH. For more, visit the company's website.
At the time of Saunders' death in 1953, he was developing plans for a fully automated grocery store. With the implementation of HERO, Piggly Wiggly will be one step closer to the dream of its founder.
Ai2 (formerly Access International) was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in downtown Chicago. Their applications are used by over 40,000 users each day to capture over 75 billion dollars in sales each year. Ai2 improves the order entry process for some of the nation’s largest distributors in foodservice, convenience store, grocery, beverage, hardware, medical, beauty and industrial supply. For more information about Ai2, visit www.ai2.com.
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Ai2 Media Contact
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