Case study

Butcher shop Metzgerei Mengis uses digital retail scales to upgrade their sales counter

Intuitive, space-saving scales offering excellent value for money for the traditional butcher shop based in Nusplingen.
To meet fiscalization requirements, Mengis, a family business, invested in new Q1 retail scales from Bizerba. The practical models help them satisfy the latest hardware and software standards for cash register systems, digitalize their operating procedures, while the streamlined design also saves space at the counter.
  • Experience
M
etzgerei Mengis, based in the small town of Nusplingen, has been in business for almost 100 years. Founded by Franz Mengis in 1925, the family-run shop still runs its own slaughterhouse operation today. Master butcher Franz-Karl Mengis and his wife Ingrid, a butcher's shop specialist by trade, have managed the retail shop since 1986, which is currently under its third generation. They know almost every customer personally and are on first-name terms with most of them. Their butcher's shop has a reputation across the region for the quality of its products. Their customers travel up to 30 kilometers to shop here. In addition to fresh meat and cold cuts, their product range also includes cheese, fresh salads, and a catering service. As you would expect, everything is produced in-house or with ingredients from regional sources. The new legislation for cash register systems meant that this traditional butcher shop needed new countertop scales: After testing, they chose Bizerba's new Q1 retail scales featuring all necessary functions while optimally using the available space on the counter.
Company
Metzgerei Franz-Karl Mengis
The family-run Franz-Karl Mengis butcher shop offers fresh beef and pork daily from their own slaughterhouse operation, and their range of products also includes a variety of sausages, cold cuts, cheese, and ready-to-cook meals. The products are made primarily using local, seasonal ingredients. This traditional small speciality shop is well-known for its quality throughout the region.
  • 1 Butcher shop
  • family-operated since 1925
  • 8 employees
  • Nusplingen, Germany/Baden Württemberg
More information
We have been Bizerba customers for a long time and find the scales and slicing machines very easy to use. That is why we decided to buy our latest scales from Bizerba.
Franz-Karl Mengis
Owner of Metzgerei Mengis
Challenge

Digitalizing operating processes in a traditional food specialty shops

This small family business based in a regional small town was initially not looking for anything new and was still perfectly content with its current scales for serving and accepting payment. Bizerba's scales were, despite years of use, still reliable, however they could not be fiscalized.  

Transitioning the cash register system

After the change in law back in 2020, all electronic cash registers require a technical safety device. Just like many other companies, Metzgerei Mengis had to transition their cash register systems – in its case the counter scales, because they are directly linked to the cash register system. Special technical hardware and software requirements must be satisfied to ensure that every receipt has a valid signature. 

Space-saving & cost-effective upgrades

With the shop's limited space, ensuring that the scale took up as little space as possible on the counter was critical. Another important factor for the small business was the value for money that the Bizerba product offered. With one eye on retirement, the owners wanted to make sure that the financial load was not too severe. In order to find the best model for their shop, they looked at various models from several scale manufacturers, including some from the Bizerba range. „We have been Bizerba customers for many years and find the scales and slicing machines very easy to use. This is why we also took a look at the latest scales from Bizerba", explains Mr Mengis. 

Solution

Streamlined, digital all-around solution for all operating processes

Steffen Keinath, Product Manager at Bizerba, describes the initial situation: „Metzgerei Mengis needed new counter scales that could be fiscalized. During the course of several on-site visits, the Mengis family and their team were able to test several models in their shop. As is the case in many established companies, space at their retail location in Nusplingen was limited. The Q1 model was ideal given its streamlined design and flat load plate for operating processes on the counter, providing sales staff and customers a clear view. At the same time, it also features all the functions required for daily activities.“  

Metzgerei Mengis uses Q1 retail scales for every task required at a butcher shop:  

  • Weighing  
  • Labeling  
  • Paying 
  • Service sales 
  • Price labeling  
  • Creating delivery notes 
  • Material management 

 

The owners then agreed to be a part of an extended test phase as pilot customers for the Q1 retail scale. It began with training on a Wednesday afternoon, when the butcher shop is closed. Both Steffen Keinath, the Hardware Product Manager, and Norbert Glück, the Software Product Manager Software, performed on-site training of the butcher's sales team on how to use the Q1: They showed what was available and where it was located, performed operating processes and tested out all functions. While three of the retail scales were in use on the counter to serve customers, the fourth was used as a cash register.  

Nobert Glück was also on site the next day, the first day that the four Q1 models were in use, to provide support and directly respond to any questions. After the first morning passed successfully, Bizerba specialists were still available by phone for any additional questions. „Looking back, there were only a few teething problems that were quickly remedied on site or in fact even remotely, said the Manager for Global Product Management Retail Software. 

Benefits

Intuitive to operate with a practical design

Metzgerei Mengis chose the Q1 retail scale, a particularly streamlined model that helps them in their day-to-day processes and digitalizes these. They meet the latest fiscalization requirements and their design means more space on the counter.  

Modern design, smart & flexible 

The well thought-out design of the Q1 is not just reflected in the flat load plate, ensuring that the sales staff has a clear view of the display while customers can also clearly see the products on the scale. „Space on the counter is used extremely efficiently“, states Franz-Karl Mengis. The handles on the sides of the scale, combined with its low weight, make mobile use straightforward, for example when transporting it to a market place. 

Ease of serving customers  

The benefits of an intuitive touch screen as compared to a keyboard were quickly apparent to staff. The new scales are easy to use and can also be operated via a smart phone or tablet: Sales staff can swipe or use drag and drop to select items in the menu, search for items or navigate. Such support as provided by the Q1 quickly saved a lot of time after a brief introduction period. In the past,y, sales staff had to work with a book or file. Now, they can now search for items via the scale using the full text search option without having to interrupt discussions with customers. This makes work far simpler, such as when a customer asks for the exact ingredients that go into a sausage. Information about the product such as its origin, allergens or nutritional information can be accessed directly on the user interface. 

The RetailStore software means they remain very flexible in service sales or when carrying out price labeling in the butcher's shop. „It is very easy to amend the menu when we make changes to the product range“, says Ingrid Mengis. The labels are also ergonomically issued at the same level of the display with the Autocutter. At the same time, customers can follow the detailed order process on the customer display. 

A cost-effective solution

Plus, the four Q1 retail scales are a cost-effective solution for the owners of this family business. „In our opinion it provides excellent value for money with matching quality and service. The staff at Bizerba were always there during the transition phase“, says Mr Mengis.  

As pilot customers, the Metzgerei Mengis team was not only impressed with the performance of the new product – they also played a part in further improving it: Originally there were twelve sales buttons, yet the number was reduced to nine for greater ease of use when serving customers. This is now the standard for Bizerba's new Q1 retail scales. 

Let’s count

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Established
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Employees
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Retail Scales
In our opinion it provides excellent value for money with matching quality and service. Bizerba's staff was always available to us during the transition.
Franz-Karl Mengis
Owner of Metzgerei Mengis
The Q1 was the ideal model given its streamlined design and the flat load plate for operating procedures on the counter providing sales staff and customers an ideal view. It also featured all the necessary functions required in day-to-day operations.
Steffen Keinath
Product Manager at Bizerba
Components

The Mengis solution

Weighing & labeling
Paying
1
Software
Delivery note, cash register, fiscal app, e-cash:
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