Liquor Store Retailers Fight Back Using Biometric Technology
Every liquor store or convenience store nationwide suffers the threat of fines, suspensions, even license revocation for selling alcohol to minors.
Until now, employee discretion, counterfeit IDs, and customer overflow have conspired against them.
But retailers are now protecting themselves and society from the dangers of underage drinking with a new biometric fingerprint identification technology that can verify ID in a fraction of the time it takes to "card" customers.
This speeds checkout while offering enhanced convenience and liability protection.
Return-on-investment for the technology has been as quick as four days.For years, Bob Zenner has battled ID counterfeiters supplying two local colleges.
Yet his liquor store in Alamosa, Colorado was recently closed for three days for a first "selling to minor" offense, involving a minor using fake ID.To avoid future "selling to minor" infractions, Zenner and an independent group of 20 stores known as the San Luis Valley Alcohol Retailers Alliance decided to "card" all customers buying alcohol and tobacco, removing discretion from the equation.
But this created problems.
Established customers found "carding" inconvenient.
Worse, checkout times slowed as customers dug through wallets or purses to locate ID, which clerks examined for alteration.
This added an average of 30-45 seconds per transaction.
Some customers "dragged their feet" taking an extra minute or two to complete a transaction.The sluggish checkouts became patience-trying.
During the holidays, customer "pile ups" of 20 to 30 per checkout lane sometimes occurred at Zenner's store.Zenner approached Kelly Gerards, a partner at the security systems/risk assessment company Blanca Peak Technologies.
Gerards found FSS, a biometric fingerprint identification system provider based in Altoona, Pennsylvania (www.biometricsolution.com). Gerards worked with FSS to tailor the fingerprint ID system for any liquor store or convenience store that needs fast, accurate age verification.
Customers register in a one-minute process where they volunteer their driver's license number, date of birth, license expiration date, and a finger for digital scanning.After initial registration, those customers no longer need to hunt through their wallets or purses to locate identification, and clerks no longer have to scrutinize photo ID to gauge authenticity.
Instead, registered customers simply press a forefinger on a small fingerprint reader by each register, and within a second one of three lights illuminate: green (indicating the customer is 21 and able to buy anything); yellow (indicating the customer is 18-21 and able to buy tobacco but not alcohol); and red (indicating the customer isn't in the system and must show ID).
The system can be adjusted for differing age requirements for each state."Fingerprint ID not only protects honest retailers from the penalties and liability of selling to minors, but also speeds the point of sale six-fold compared to manual ID checking," says Zenner.
"In efficiency alone, the system will pay for itself at my store in four days.
It would've paid for itself four times over had it prevented our first ?selling to minor' infraction."The fingerprint ID system enhances liability protection for any liquor store or convenience store.
"It'll help retailers sleep at night, knowing that poor employee discretion won't result in fines or suspension," concludes Zenner..
Handbags, Purses and Toolboxes, Oh My!
Never send a man to do a woman's job.
You'd think I would have figured that out by now, but I haven't made my quota of mistakes just yet.Somehow I got it into my head to buy my friend a handbag.
It seemed simple enough.
I've never had a problem buying toolboxes, cabinets or file folders, so how hard would it be to pick up a handbag?"I would like to buy a handbag for a friend, please.""What kind of handbag," the smiling sales lady asked helpfully."Uh...one that carries stuff in it, I suppose.
Is there any other kind?""There are very many kinds," SalesLady enthused.
"There is at least one for every occasion and several for every personality.
What is your friend like?"I tried to think.
Unfortunately, the only thought that wandered into my cerebrum was that maybe I should go across the street to the hardware store and just buy her a sturdy 205-piece socket set on sale for $74.99."Is she a bit wild?" SalesLady probed.
Handbags, Purses and Toolboxes, Oh My! 
Purses > Handbags, Purses and Toolboxes, Oh My!
What Your Handbags Say About You
You can tell a lot about a person from the clothes they wear, but you can also tell a lot about a person simply from the handbags they carry. Its hard to believe, but you can find out a number of things about a womens personality just by looking at the type of handbag she sports. Below you will find a number of handbag styles and colors as well as what each specific type of handbag says about the owner.Styles:Under-the Shoulder Handbags which are smaller and fit tightly underneath the shoulder indicate class and sophistication. A women working in an upscale office or someone of high stature would choose this form of handbag.Big and Bulky Big, bulky and oversized bags are casual and are often associated with younger individuals. These are used for individuals who carry a number of things (binders, books etc) and require a lot of space.
Down-to-earth, lower-maintenance women would carry this type of handbag.Designer Designer handbags often cost an arm and a leg and therefore...
What Your Handbags Say About You
Purses > What Your Handbags Say About You
14 Tips to Make Moving Day Easier
14 Tips to Make Moving Day Less PainfulCommonSenseLiving.com ? 2005 It's that time of year again for a lot of us. Here are some tips to make your moving day less painful, both mentally and physically.1. Lighten the load. Dispose of as much as possible before you start to pack. Donate to charity, have a yard sale or throw out.2.
Use the same size boxes. They will be easier to stack both while you are packing, and in the truck. No more spending time trying to figure out how to get all those different sized boxes stacked so they won't fall over. 3. Use smaller boxes.
Then you won't have big heavy boxes that will wear you out fast. You, and your moving team will be able to keep going without struggling. 4. Use a good quality tape and tape gun. The couple extra bucks will save you tons of frustration.
5. A couple of wardrobe boxes are always a good idea. They keep your clothes clean and ready to hang. Plus, you can throw boots, shoes, and purses in the bottom. 6.
14 Tips to Make Moving Day Easier
Purses > 14 Tips to Make Moving Day Easier
Designer Purse
Fashion has been an integral part of mankind ever since the first civilizations started dressing in their traditional attire. Over the years, fashion accessories have developed to add the extra bit of glamour and style to our lives. Of these, purses have been the most popular ones.
A purse is a small bag usually used to carry money, keys, makeup and other essential items. The concept of a purse has evolved over the years.
The first purses were restricted to being utility oriented carrying pouches. As the years progressed, these handy bags combined fashion with utility. With a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and designs, purses became a standard part of a lady's attire, whether casual, workday wear or a formal, elegant evening gown.
Today designer purses are in vogue. These items are some of the most sought after accessories by fashion conscious women around the world.
These bags add that extra zing to ones wardrobe as against a common handbag....
Designer Purse
Purses > Designer Purse
New Boutique Builds Schools in Afghanistan
Solace International's Afghanistan Girls' School Project opens their doors to the public in Portland today. The boutique is selling beautiful hand-woven carpets from Afghanistan and Turkey along with silk scarves, hand-spun and natural dyed pashminas, sweaters, purses, embroideries and much more. One-hundred percent of the proceeds from the boutique go towards the construction of six new girls' schools in Northern Afghanistan next year. Teaming up with local entrepreneur Michael DeLapp who is opening the new Events Company, C T Productions, Edward Merritt and Thomas Ruggiero of Solace Intl., build a showroom and boutique that will build an education on the other side of the globe. They are sharing space at 2045 SW Belmont." For every woman that becomes a doctor, a professor, an engineer or any other professional in the service of her country, we consider this project a success." Edward MerrittEdward Merritt503.358.8479-- Afghanistan Girls' School Project.
New Boutique Builds Schools in Afghanistan
Purses > New Boutique Builds Schools in Afghanistan
Three New Titles for the Crocheter?s Collection
Kernersville, N.C. (ContentDesk) August 12, 2005 -- Three new crochet books hit the shelves last month from designer Maggie Weldon.
Hand crafted accessories have been among the most popular projects in the needlework world this past year.
Weldon has taken her best fashion accessory designs and published them under the titles, "Ponchos," "Purses" and "Scarves."
Weldon has mixed texture, color and style to craft smart and fashionable accessories to the modern wardrobe.
There is a little something for every crocheter in these pattern collections, with projects for beginners as well as experts.
Weldon enjoys blending new novelty yarns with traditional standbys, making projects that both the traditional and the chic crocheter can enjoy.Weldon's goal has always been to publish easy-to-follow patterns, using yarn readily available in most craft and hobby stores.
These new publications are no exception.
With color pictures, diagrams...
Purses > Three New Titles for the Crocheter?s Collection
Strength, Support and Creativity: DivaTribe Steps Up
(ContentDesk) October 1, 2005 -- DivaTribe, an online women's community that has been on the web since late 2001, touts itself as a women's community of strength, support and creativity.
In October, DivaTribe is putting its money where its mouth is, donating a portion of its sales to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and highlighting other women-owned businesses that are raising funds as well.Jennifer Thompson, owner and manager of DivaTribe, says she wants DivaTribe to take an active role in finding a cure for breast cancer.
"I have a dear friend fighting breast cancer right now.
If my site can do anything to help her, and every other woman who will ever face breast cancer, then I have to try."DivaTribe's online boutique (http://www.divatribe.com/catalog/) will donate 10% of all sales in the month of October to the Susan G.
Komen Foundation.
In addition, Ms. Thompson will donate 30%...
Purses > Strength, Support and Creativity: DivaTribe Steps Up
Liquor Store Retailers Fight Back Using Biometric Technology
Liquor Store Retailers Fight Back Using Biometric Technology Purses
Liquor Store Retailers Fight Back Using Biometric Technology