West of Ireland based retail management company, Retail Solutions, have just secured a €2million contract with UK group, Appleby Westward, the distributors for Spar UK, in the South West, to rollout their new progressive EPOS system across the Appleby Westward Group. The new EPOS system gives retailers a number of innovative options to create efficient IT management solutions for staff and a greater level of choice and service for customers. The system includes an E-Gift facility which can issue in-store gift cards removing the need for a third party supplier, and an innovative scanning feature to reduce queue times by allowing a member of staff walk through the store and pre-scan customers' items with a handheld scanner reducing transaction time at the till.

Speaking at the announcement, Tommie Quick, Appleby Westward's retail IT manager said: "This is a major investment programme geared to improve ease of use and reporting in store. Retail Solutions EPOS will represent a considerable advancement on our current system." Peter Ewing, manager of one of the trial stores in the UK said: "We were incredibly impressed with how easy Retail Solutions EPOS system is to use. The scheduled reports allow me to automatically print or email my key management reports on a daily and weekly basis." He went on to say: "We were really surprised with how well the staff took to the new system and how much easier it is to use."

Winning the Appleby Westward contract has immediately created jobs at Retail Solutions with up to six new positions in software development and support roles now available at their head office in Tuam, Co. Galway. It follows the company securing the contract for Spar Scotland earlier in the year. Plans are now in place to increase the workforce in 2016 as add-ons for the new system are in development. These will include mobile applications, allowing for remote EPOS access, a new embedded loyalty solution and a very inventive savings club function, enabling regular customers to save their change and redeem on their next visit.

Currently employing 30 people, Retail Solutions is headed up by General Manager, Jarlath Hennelly with founders Chris O'Neill as Sales Director and Seamus Quinn as Technical Director. While the company has developed substantially since its establishment in 1995, it continues to supply to all sizes of businesses – from an individual store with one till to multinationals with hundreds. The company currently has systems operating in more than 1,500 sites nationwide. While the Irish market remains its number one priority, in recent years the company has secured major contracts in the UK, Australia and South Africa.

Co founder and Sales Director, Chris O'Neill says: "We are delighted to securethe contract for the rollout of our EPOS system across Appleby Westward stores.The product is in continuous development at Retail Solutions adapting and developing to new technologies in order to meet the needs of today's retailer. It's a credit to the hard work and dedication of our software development team and opens up the UK retail, forecourt and off license markets to Retail Solutions going forward."