An investment in technology is giving Wakefern’s northeastern Glass Gardens ShopRite a considerable boost in meeting its meat department objectives. In 2016, the supermarket group installed METTLER TOLEDO 880 Auto Wrappers in four of its stores. As of May 2017, the four machines had weighed and wrapped more than 1.5 million packages.

Glass Gardens ShopRite is a family-owned group of supermarkets operating under the Wakefern banner in the densely populated and highly competitive Northeastern corridor. The company was founded 80 years ago when two Glass brothers started a small produce business. In 1955, the brothers opened their first store, and today operate eleven ShopRite stores under the umbrella of Wakefern – a member-owned cooperative which boasts 335 supermarkets in a nine-state area stretching from New England to the Mid-Atlantic states. Glass Gardens’ mission is simple yet ambitious – to quietly become the uncommon best: with an atmosphere that encourages productivity, job satisfaction, safety and cleanliness; with continuous growth fueled by competitive pricing and without compromising on the commitment to quality; and with an ever present goal of exceeding customer expectations and providing them with peace-of-mind.

A Model of Efficiency

Employees and operators at Glass Gardens’ Pearl River, New York ShopRite store have been impressed with METTLER TOLEDO equipment, which they’ve purchased through the support of METTLER TOLEDO Authorized Distributor, Winter Scale & Equipment. Their most recent equipment investment was the 880 Auto Wrapper.

Of particular benefit to Glass Gardens is the 880 Auto Wrapper’s efficiency – especially in comparison to that of other wrappers. “It’s a lot more efficient, and saves a lot of time,” said Meat Department manager Bill Scorzetti. Instead of requiring two associates to execute the wrapping process (one to load and one to unload), a single operator can perform both tasks simultaneously while standing in the same position.

The 880 Auto Wrapper’s compact footprint means it takes up less space in the backroom. Operators love having more space, and the front film loading option adds to the space-saving benefit. The small footprint also enhances the hygienic design. The 880 Auto Wrapper is very easy to clean, with removable trays and undercarriage release doors that collect debris and contain it to avoid any product contamination.

Troubleshooting Made Easy

A particular strength of the 880 Auto Wrapper, according to Pearl River ShopRite’s meat department employees, is the machine’s efficient, effective troubleshooting capability. Instead of simply showing an error code, the 880 provides clear, visual, easy to understand information about the nature of the error – and how, in most cases, the wrapping associates can correct the problem themselves. That’s why, in the six months since his store’s 880 Auto Wrapper was installed, meat manager Bill Scorzetti says his department has wrapped more than 300,000 packages without ever having to make a call for an outside service tech. “With the efficiency, the easy visual display, the easy troubleshooting and the way the packages look coming out of the machine, I wouldn’t trade this machine for anything. It’s the Mercedes Benz of auto wrappers.”

Cohesive Integration and Support

“Providing excellent support to my customers is my number one priority. By using METTLER TOLEDO as a single equipment supplier throughout the store – from their backroom operations, to their scales, as well as software such as METTLER TOLEDO’s WinDataBack – customers like Glass Garden benefit from cohesive infrastructure and a single point of contact for support. Profitability, uptime, and customer satisfaction are enhanced with this streamlined approach to system integration and support. And at the end of the day, I’m able to provide a positive partnership with my customers,” says Howard Ung of Winter Scale and Equipment.