RaceTrac has moved its shelf tagging and product labeling operations in-house with ColorWorks on-demand color label printers. As the 18th largest privately held company in the U.S., RaceTrac operates over 580 stores in 13 states, stocking more than 4,000 retail and grocery items. With its large database of products, varied store types, layouts and planograms, flexibility with label printing operations is critical.
RaceTrac transitioned from a one-size-fits-all printing operation to the ColorWorks on-demand color label printer, bringing all shelf strip production in-house. This switch reduced production time from weeks to less than two days. RaceTrac’s shelf strips are far from standard; these 2- foot or 4-foot synthetic tags feature vibrant colors, RaceTrac branding and detailed product information for an eye-catching, informative display.
“At RaceTrac, our business goals include identifying and optimizing merchandise planning and execution strategies to increase profit, and ColorWorks label printer technology satisfies our needs as a retailer while also enhancing the customer experience,” said Jonah Whigham, space management manager at RaceTrac. “Instead of costly individual product strips, we can utilize strips across an entire shelf that includes a barcode and UPC, ordering identifiers, a large price tag, and something that sets us apart from other retailers – a high-resolution color image of the product. Not only does the color product image make shopping and identifying product details easy for shoppers, but it also makes the process of stocking and ordering easy for merchandising and store teams.”
When RaceTrac realized they could significantly benefit from changes to their shelf tagging and product labeling operations, Kent Bailey, director of space and demand planning at RaceTrac, enlisted the expertise of Epson and Integrated Productivity Systems (IPSi), with extensive experience integrating automated data collection equipment and label printing systems. The three companies collaborated to create an advanced, seamless solution that integrates three ColorWorks CW-C6000A on-demand color label printers with Loftware Cloud software and IPSi’s custom label software. IPSi’s software plays a crucial role in bridging the infrastructure and hardware components.
“When the RaceTrac team came to us, they lacked flexibility and control in their shelf tag printing, which caused real business problems,” said Rick Schilling, president of IPSi. “They now have the tools and agility to print shelf tags internally when they need to and use a commercial printer when it calls for it, which is beneficial when you get into target marketing and A/B testing.”
“Our new system lets us view and adjust strip files before printing,” said Whigham. “This is a game changer. We eliminate waste and ensure accuracy, saving time and money. Even though our shelf tags are durable, they sometimes get damaged. Now, if a store needs a replacement, we can print and ship it the next day. What used to take weeks now happens in real time.”
The RaceTrac team now has complete control over their shelf tag process. They can monitor every step, make changes as needed and enjoy total flexibility. By bringing production in-house, RaceTrac eliminated reliance on a third party, saving time and money.
“In terms of total shelf tag labeling costs, we’ve saved around 50% of total costs over the past year with the new solution,” said Whigham. “That equates to more than $250,000 we’ve been able to save by bringing operations in-house.”
“We continue to see businesses find success and process improvements with the ColorWorks on-demand color label printers,” said Stevi Sterns, product manager, Epson America, Inc. “Integrating color and on-demand printing can allow companies to innovate, save costs and eliminate inefficiencies, and we are excited to see RaceTrac do just that.”
About RaceTrac, Inc.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, family-owned RaceTrac is the 18th largest privately held company in the United States and has been serving guests since 1934. RaceTrac has more than 800 retail locations representing the RaceTrac and RaceWay brands in 13 states offering guests an affordable one-stop-shop featuring competitively priced fuel plus a wide selection of food and beverage favorites, including freshly brewed coffee. RaceTrac employs more than 10,500 team members across RaceTrac, RaceWay and affiliated companies Metroplex Energy, Energy Dispatch and Gulf Oil.
About Epson
Epson is a global technology leader whose philosophy of efficient, compact and precise innovation enriches lives and helps create a better world. The company is focused on solving societal issues through innovations in home and office printing, commercial and industrial printing, manufacturing, visual and lifestyle. Epson’s goal is to become carbon negative and eliminate use of exhaustible underground resources such as oil and metal by 2050.
