Next Week is 35th Anniversary of Retail Bar Code Scanning

NCR sold, installed first retail store scanner in a Troy, Ohio, Marsh
Supermarket
DULUTH, Ga.--(Business Wire)--
"It`s the wave of the future, and I`m very upbeat on the system." These were the
words almost 35 years ago of Virginia Knauer, special assistant for consumer
affairs to the President of the United States, when asked about the Universal
Product Code (UPC) and the growing interest in retail bar code scanning.

Today, there is virtually no consumer product that cannot be scanned at the
checkout in a retail store.

NCR Corporation first demonstrated its scanning system in 1974 to an overflow
crowd that attended the Super Market Institute convention to view the
then-revolutionary technology. Less than two months later, on June 26, 1974,
history was made when a 10-pack of Wrigley`s chewing gum became the first
product ever scanned in a retail store setting - with an NCR scanner in a
checkout lane at a Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio.

NCR and Marsh quickly made headlines in newspapers and trade publications in the
United States, Canada and other countries.

"Throughout its history, Marsh has been a technology leader in the retail
industry," said Lee Nicholson, vice president of MIS for Indianapolis-based
Marsh Supermarkets, Inc. "When that package of Wrigley`s gum moved across the
scan window, and a laser beam `read` the bar code imprinted on the package, it
was the beginning of a new era for retailing."

Indeed, the new system helped revolutionize the world of retailing. Bar code
scanning at the point of service soon brought faster checkout for shoppers and
gave retailers more information and control over inventory and other areas of
store operations. But the revolution didn`t stop there.

"That first transaction on an NCR bar code scanner launched a transformation
that is still being felt throughout the world of retailing," said Mike Webster,
NCR vice president and general manager, Retail and Hospitality. "It`s a world
where NCR has helped make shopping easier and faster for consumers with a stream
of innovative solutions that we intend to drive well into the future."

Today, retailers use the detailed transaction data collected by NCR RealPOS bar
code scanners in ways only dreamed of 35 years ago. For example, consumer
loyalty programs - like NCR Advanced Marketing Solution software - are linked to
data that is generated when items are scanned at the point of sale.

In the years since 1974, NCR has introduced a steady stream of technology and
software innovations that set the standard for scanning systems in retail stores
and made the company today`s market leader in high performance scanners.

Moreover, NCR continues to simplify retailing processes and revolutionize the
two things most people like least about shopping - waiting in line and paying.
For example:

* NCR SelfServ Checkout, from the global market leader in self-checkout, can
reduce checkout wait times up to 40 percent, greatly enhancing the shopping
experience.
* NCR SelfServ kiosks, available with an integrated bar code scanner, support
numerous retail self-service functions, including order placement, bill payment,
promotional information, gift registries and more.

In addition, the global standards community, led by GS1, is working with NCR to
introduce the first new bar code symbology introduced worldwide to retail since
the introduction of the European Article Number (EAN) format in 1977. The GS1
DataBar can be used for identifying small items, such as produce, and can carry
more information than the current EAN/UPC bar code.

About NCR Corporation

NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is a global technology company and leader in
automated teller machines, self-checkouts and other self- and assisted-service
solutions, serving customers in more than 100 countries. NCR's software,
hardware, consulting and support services help organizations in retail,
financial, travel, healthcare and other industries interact with consumers
across multiple channels. NCR is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia.

NCR is a trademark of NCR Corporation in the United States and other countries.

NCR Corporation
News Media Contact
Alan Ulman, 770-623-7998
alan.ulman@ncr.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009