Trophy win for J2 and ECR Concepts

New Cardiff City Stadium kicks off its first season with their EPoS solution

J2 Retail Systems and ECR Concepts, a provider of EPoS systems for retail, catering and cashless operation, have revealed that their combined solution is driving point-of-sale operations in the new Cardiff City Stadium (Stadiwm Dinas Caerdydd).

The duo has provided the hardware, software and services for an integrated front-office and back-office till system installed in the Stadium’s retail superstore, bars, corporate hospitality suite and concourse kiosks. A total of 56 units were installed in time for the Stadium’s opening match, a pre-season friendly against Celtic FC, which took place on 22 July.

Pontypridd-based ECR Concepts secured the technology contract after a lengthy and competitive process of tender and evaluation. This included working with stadium consultant, David Spencer, who has managed the entire project from the foundations upwards.

Explains Sean Hosking, Managing Director of ECR Concepts: “We supply systems to a number of football and rugby clubs, so were easily able to demonstrate our track record. The hardware solution was important too and, with J2, we could put forward a reliable system that is proven for both retail and catering use.”

Adds David Spencer: “We couldn’t fail to be impressed by the credentials of ECR and J2. They came up with a competitive package and, given ECR’s location, could guarantee us a responsive technical support service.”

ECR has deployed the same three-in-one solution across retail, hospitality and kiosks, with each variant configured for the particular environment. “In terms of functionality, the solution offers Cardiff City Stadium everything it needs in the front office, plus it provides full-blown stock control,” says Sean Hosking.

Hosking boasts that the ECR software is “written quite tightly so we don’t need vast processing power.” He describes the J2 tills that he has installed as “a perfect fit for us.”

ECR Concepts also interfaces its system with a provider of smart card technology. Corporate visitors and season holders are given smart cards to access the Stadium and to identify themselves and their purchases in the retail superstore, so the business can profile them. In future, this will be extended to cashless ‘e-purse’ facilities across the Stadium.

Cardiff City Stadium can accommodate some 27,000 spectators in its all-seated ground. From the start of this 2009-2010 season, it will be the home of Cardiff City FC and will also host home matches of the Cardiff Blues rugby union team. After the Millennium Stadium, it is the second largest stadium in Wales.

Other local venues which have installed a combined ECR Concepts and J2 Retail Systems solution include the new stadium at Scarlets Rugby (Parc y Scarlets) in Llanelli, now the home of Welsh Rugby Union.