Convenience stores (C-stores), quick-serve restaurants (QSR), small-format retailers, and niche specialty shops have seen a recent boom in popularity. This category of stores offers greater convenience for shoppers, a faster shopping experience, and products tailored for a specific audience. C-stores, QSRs, and small-format shop customers often use cash to complete their purchases, so an efficient cash management system is essential. Traditionally, small retailers have relied on cash registers and smart safes to manage their cash. But now, there are exciting new options available for this retail segment.
Compact Cash Recycling Offers a Solution
Once only available for larger retailers, cash recyclers are machines that count, authenticate, store, and then re-dispense cash for retail operations. Recyclers are more feature-rich and functional than cash dispensers or smart safes because the cash can be deposited and dispensed based on the immediate needs of the store. Until recently, small retailers have not typically utilized cash recyclers because of the steep price point and large size of the machines.
New cash recycling machines on the market have lower price points, smaller footprints, and more user-friendly features than ever before. These improvements make them a viable option for small format retailers and can help address many cash management challenges:
Labor: Staff no longer need to count cash at the start of shifts or at the end of their shifts. They can access their floats/tills right at the recycler. They can also deposit all of their funds at the end of the shift without manually counting. This saves a significant amount of time, allowing cashiers to be more customer-facing.
Space: The compact size and configurable specifications of the latest cash recyclers mean that C-stores and QSRs can implement secure cash management without dedicating valuable square footage to cash operations.
Security: Numerous security features protect the recycler from theft, robbery, errors, internal shrinkage, or counterfeiting. When inconsistencies occur, tracking and identifying exactly how much, when, and who was involved is easy.
Visibility: Managers and owners can have a real-time view of how much cash has flowed in and out of the location, as well as reporting and analytics. Granular data such as which denominations are being used, how many transactions were made, or peak business hours can help managers make effective business decisions.
CIMA’s Compact Cash Recycler
Imagine the functionality of a back office cash recycler with the space-saving footprint of a smart safe. CIMA designed the INLANE 300 DEPO PLUS with C-stores and QSRs in mind. This revolutionary compact recycler has a fully integrated screen and printer, surplus coin/note management, and innovative self-sealing stacking bag technology. The INLANE 300 DEPO PLUS is a game-changing product that finally allows small retailers to enjoy all the features of a cash recycling system. It is small enough to be installed under the counter and offers immediate benefits:
- Automates the cash-handling process
- Easy to use for staff and improves productivity
- Simplifies floats and reconciliation
- Fewer trips to the bank because cash is recycled
- Increases security from theft, robbery, and counterfeit bills
- Easy integration in any store format
- Bundle note feed for deposits
- Flexible coin management
- Self-sealing stacking bags instead of cassettes
- Communicates with third-party services and platforms
Say Goodbye to Cash Cassettes
The INLANE 300 DEPO PLUS features CIMA’s innovative self-sealing stacking bags instead of traditional bulky cassettes. Cash cassettes are prone to damage and require time to remove notes, bundle, and pack into plastic bags. For retailers, the time needed to remove and prepare cash from the machine can be a point of vulnerability.
With CIMA’s technology, the notes are packed in a tight stack, and the bag is heat-sealed inside the machine. Every bag has a unique, trackable barcode. The retailer removes the sealed bags and stores them for CIT pickup. When the CIT arrives, they scan the bags, grab them and leave. This streamlined CIT pickup reduces vulnerabilities and saves time.
Gain Visibility and Insight Into the Business
The INLANE300 DEPO PLUS is fully compatible with CIMA’s leading software suite. CIMA’s on-device software, CAOS, ensures that operators perform daily functions with ease. Through integration software, it also provides several pathways to deliver data from machines to third-party applications. CIMA’s device management platform, C-LINK, allows the enterprise or service provider to manage and update a fleet of devices from a central location easily while providing rich analytics on device usage and transactions.
CIMA understands C-stores, QSRs, and other small-format retailers’ unique needs. Contact us to learn how CIMA’s cash automation solutions can take your business to the next level!
