Hat trick for J2 Retail Systems, as Cineworld signs up for nationwide EPoS replacement programme
Cineworld, the UKs second largest operator in terms of screens and sites, has joined Empire Cinemas and Vue Entertainment as the third cinema chain to select J2 Retail Systems as its EPoS partner.
Cineworld has now changed its hardware vendor allegiance to J2. The new partnership has been sealed with a contract for 200 of J2s model 560 PC-based touchscreen which is fast becoming the de facto EPoS system in the cinema industry.
Cineworld operates some 1,200 point-of-sale tills in its box offices and at concession counters. This initial order of 200 will be rolled out during the next 6 months as the first phase of an estate-wide refurbishment programme. Whilst these units will used exclusively to replace older equipment at concession counters, Cineworld are also installing J2s in their box offices at new sites.
Explains Cineworlds Head of IT, Vincent McGann: The J2 560s are reliable and are delivering good performance. Our concession counters are quite a challenging environment at busy times, with heavy traffic and liquids being served. We need equipment that is hard-wearing and can cope reliably in these circumstances. The J2 560s have proved their worth and suitability.
Cineworld were favourably influenced by J2s 3-year warranty, and have opted to lease the equipment. The lease approach is better for our business and provides a replacement roadmap which we believe will work out at a lower cost in the long term. By initially replacing old equipment at our concession counters, were expecting fewer breakdowns and lower maintenance costs. The faster performance of the new tills will also undoubtedly increase customer spend, continues McGann.
Cineworld is the third cinema chain to opt for J2 EPoS. States Moray Boyd, Managing Director and co-founder of J2 Retail Systems: With Cineworld, Empire Cinemas and Vue Entertainment as our clients, Im proud to say that J2 is now used in 150 cinemas nationwide. Together, these cinemas represent some 1,500 screens and welcome over 100 million customers a year!
J2 attributes its success in the cinema sector to reliabilty, cost of ownership and performance. The J2 560s flexible mounting is particularly well suited to this environment, and allows tills to be counter-mounted, pole-mounted with screens swivelled towards the customer for seat selection, and fitted within self-service ticket and confectionery kiosks. Whenever they are used in cinemas, our J2 560s contribute to an uplift in staff efficiency and customer spend, concludes Moray Boyd.
About J2 RETAIL SYSTEMS
J2 Retail Systems is a specialist manufacturer of PC-based touchscreens, LCD touchscreen monitors and point-of-sale hardware to the retail, hospitality and leisure industries. With 50,000+ units installed worldwide, J2 products have become the EPoS hardware of choice for a wide range of retail trades, restaurants, pubs and cinemas. Its clients include Vue Entertainment, Greggs and Thresher Group.
By controlling its own design and manufacture, J2 has built a reputation for innovation, reliability and cost-effectiveness. Credited with introducing thin client EPoS to the market, J2 uses emergent technologies wherever possible to reduce the cost of hardware ownership.
Product sales throughout the UK, Continental Europe and the Middle East are managed from its UK headquarters in Warrington. Its subsidiary operation, J2 Retail Systems Inc., is based in California and covers the USA, Canada and South American markets. Product is developed under licence and manufactured in the Far East.
About CINEWORLD
The Cine-UK business, founded in 1995, has become one of the UKs leading cinema groups in terms of sites, screens and admissions. Cine-UKs first multiplex cinema was opened in 1996. Between 1996 and 2004, the Group opened 34 multiplex cinemas, with an aggregate of 384 screens; more than any other UK operator, and installed at a faster pace.
Following the UGC acquisition in 2005, the re-branded Cineworld has maximised benefits from the combined businesses and rolled out best practices from each across its expanded portfolio.
Today, the Group operates 74 sites, of which 70 are multiplex with five screens or more. Together, they represent 758 screens. In 2006, Cineworld accounted for 42.9 million admissions, or approximately 26.3% of total UK admissions. The Groups portfolio includes five out of the eight highest-grossing cinemas in the UK and Ireland, including numbers one and two (Glasgow and Dublin).
Cineworlds philosophy is to provide a modern, clean environment that makes cinema-going a pleasurable experience and encourages return visits. Auditorium space has been optimised to provide the highest levels of customer service and enables the screening of a wide choice of films designed to appeal to a variety of age groups.
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