For American book retailers, added extras make the difference when it comes to competing in today's marketplace. Consumers will go to the source that provides the best service, whether they're shopping online or in the store.

To try to prevent losing track, misplacing or delaying a package because a bar code is non-standard, book giant Barnes & Noble purchased new fixed position bar code readers for its West Coast distribution center in Reno, Nev. This site distributes merchandise to all retail stores on the West Coast, as well as to Internet buyers in that region.

Reading and righting

The implementation included four new scanners and produced immediate results. Bar code read-rates throughout the entire facility improved. The retail shipping sorter went from 20% no-reads to 97% good reads with the new technology. In addition, the new scanners are able to read bar codes that are typically very difficult, including those in different colors or resolution.

“Servicing both retail stores and Internet customers makes B&N's distribution quite complicated,” explains project manager Fabio Peruzzi. “It's essential that bar codes are read correctly so that the right customer gets the right order on time.”

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