The Phoenix stores plan to upgrade their cash register technology by next year.

Business Systems Limited (BSL), a NCR AT&T business partner and distributor in Bermuda, has been awarded the contract to supply five Phoenix stores with new point of sales devices.

The Phoenix Centre on Reid Street will be the first store to be fitted with the new technology, followed by the chain's four pharmacies.

BSL will supply the software engineered for retail called Chainwear from Salt Lake City-based software development company Tomax.

Business Systems retail sales specialist Mr. Dan Kenyon said: "From the retailing point of view, there will be nothing of the size or complexity in Bermuda.'' Mr. Laurion McGehee, vice-president of the Phoenix Centre, said: "The real reason for upgrading the software is because the system couldn't access all the items we wished to include. We had to make the upgrade to accommodate toys.

"Part of the difficulty was finding a system that would link all the five stores, so they can share a common file, update the whole system, provide consolidated reports, and automatic reordering.'' The store may offer a frequent shopping programme, which rewards customers for purchasing.

Mr. Kenyon said the software would provide the Phoenix store with improved information about customer profiling, better inventory control and credit and debit authoristion. The consumer will be rewarded with faster and more accurate checkout service, he said.

The point of sales device has scanning equipment, a stripe for running through credit cards built into the register, and a full keyboard.

All nine cash registers in the Reid Street located Phoenix store are expected to be replaced with NCR 7052 point of sales registers by March 1994.

BSL employs 40 staff and also attends to hardware and software servicing.