The Co-operative Group is investing £8.3m in an electronic point of sale system for its expanded food store network.

The system consists of touchscreen tills with a customer-facing advertising screen and an integrated chip-and-PIN system.

The till also includes a stock and order replenishment system generating orders that are transmitted to Co-operative warehouses and suppliers, as well as in-store wireless technology for printing labels and price checking.

“This investment is significant for the group as it marks a key step in the process of integration of the societies and the ‘one business in one year’ goal that we have set ourselves,” said Co-operative Group’s director of IS food retail, Mark Hale.

With the new InControl system, the group expects to benefit from a reduction of operating costs and the creation of a single communication process for all food stores.

“We are confident that InControl provides the best solution for the enlarged food store estate,” he said.

Some 1,650 shops have been upgraded and the technology will be rolled out to a further 550 stores under the United Co-operatives brand, acquired by Co-operative Group last year.