Dutch Grocery Chain Upgrades Connectivity

November 2012 Integrated Solutions For Retailers

By Bob Johns, associate editor

Sixty-two-location supermarket chain, Hoogvliet, connects over 4,000 devices across a secure wireless network that covers devices used by customers as well as associates.

Self-scan checkout has not been fully embraced by retailers and customers in the U.S., but in Europe, it is taking off. Hoogvliet, a leading Dutch grocery chain, needed to be able to connect more than 4,000 devices, including shopper hand-held scanners, mobile printers, laptops, and tablets, inside its network of 62 supermarkets to allow self-checkout at the time of decision, when the customer places the item in the basket.

Hoogvliet IT Manager, Albert Cornelisse, had attended a partner seminar on hand-scanning and decided that it was a fit for the company. Beginning a search in 2011, Cornelisse looked into various solutions, eventually settling on the Motorola MC17 retail mobile computer scanner, managed by Aerohive’s network. This solution was piloted at the home office and one nearby store in 2011, with a full rollout in November of the same year.