On "Black Friday," Technology Makes Holiday Shopping Easier Than Ever for Consumers, Says Wincor Nixdorf.

New Technologies Also Streamline Operations, Enhance Profits for Retailers and Other Businesses During Their Peak Season

AUSTIN, Texas -- The make-or-break holiday season can account for roughly half of retailers' annual profits. But it's not only retailers who see their busiest time of year during the holidays. As retail spending surges, so does the number of banking transactions, as well as postal traffic and business at other shipping carriers.

On the Friday after Thanksgiving (dubbed "Black Friday" because it is traditionally the day that retailers finally begin making a profit for the year), technology will help harried consumers make the most of their time while shopping, shipping and banking. Technology advances will also help businesses boost productivity and profits during their busiest season. Here are a few examples:

* Faster debit and credit transactions. According to a recent National Retail Federation survey, 39.1 percent of consumers will pay for holiday purchases with debit/check cards - an increase of 15 percent over last year. To keep pace, many retailers have upgraded their networking, credit authorization and point-of-sale (POS) systems. This will allow them to speed shoppers through the checkout lanes faster - keeping the cash registers ringing up more sales and helping hurried shoppers avoid long lines.

* More self-checkout systems. Self-checkout systems have moved beyond grocery stores into home-improvement retailers and mass merchants. "The percentage of consumers who unequivocally prefer self-checkout is approaching 50 percent," said Lee Holman, analyst, IHL Consulting Group, a global research and advisory firm specializing in technologies for the retail and hospitality industries. "Consumers perceive that self-checkout is faster than other lanes, and they want to get in and out of the stores as quickly as possible during the holiday shopping season. Self-checkout can help."

* Do-it-yourself shipping. Many U.S. Postal Service customers will be able to avoid long waits at their local post office by using Automated Postal Centers, self-shipping terminals that allow customers to weigh and pay for shipments using automated systems.

* Protection for ATM transactions. Consumer traffic at ATMs is heavy during the holiday shopping season, making this a ripe time for ATM-based fraud. Many new ATMs are now equipped with security solutions that can help guard against common types of ATM fraud, protecting consumers' assets and identities.

"Consumers are on a mission during the holiday season, and new technologies can make their lives a bit easier during this busy season," said Brad Waugh, president, Wincor Nixdorf USA. "Wincor Nixdorf is focused on driving innovations in the retail, banking and postal markets, and the ability to process transactions quickly, securely and cost-effectively is at the heart of all these businesses. Retailers, financial institutions and postal carriers are using new technology to become more efficient and to deliver a better customer experience, and consumers are noticing the difference."

About Wincor Nixdorf

Wincor Nixdorf is one of the world's leading suppliers of IT solutions to the retail and banking industries. The company's extensive portfolio, consisting of hardware products, software, consulting, maintenance and other services, is aimed at reducing the cost and complexity of business processes while improving customer service. Wincor Nixdorf is the world's third largest supplier of POS systems and automated teller machines and the number one supplier of POS systems in Europe (source: Clarendon Report, April 2005). With over 7,800 employees and net sales of [euro]1,948 million last fiscal year, Wincor Nixdorf operates in over 90 countries with manufacturing plants in Germany and Singapore. Worldwide headquarters are in Paderborn, Germany and North American headquarters are in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit www.wincor-nixdorf.com/usa.

Technorati tags: Christmas, Shopping, Retail, Black Friday, Christmas creep, ATM fraud, ATM security, POS, Banking, Postal, Post Office, Self Checkout, Consumer security