European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 7, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 20the stars and stripes sunday july 7, 1991 Money matter Dollar watch shown below Are the highest Dollar Exchange rates for the week of june 30 july 6 compared with Dollar rates for the same period one year and five years Pound one Pound would Cost you $1 -65 .$1-76 $1.53 1991 1990 1986 German Mark one Dollar would buy you 1.79 1.64 1991 .1990 a military Exchange rate2.20 1986 italian lira one Dollar would buy you t.366 1,217 1991 1990 1,511 1986spanish peseta one Dollar would buy you 115 102 1991 i 1990 1986 i a amps Hopes for a Dollar Worth More than 1.85 Marks in european trading were dashed Friday with a report of rising unemployment in the United states. The Dollar which had moved sharply higher earlier in the week stalled in trading late Friday after it was announced that unemployment Rose by one tenth of a percentage Point to 7 percent last month and non farm payrolls for june fell by 50,000 jobs. The Dollar fell from near 1.84 Marks to 1.83 Marks after the report. A a in London the Pound gained against the Dollar trading at $1.61 late Friday compared with thursdays close of $1,604. The nations unemployment rate had been expected to creep up to 7 percent compared with May a 6.9 percent figure. But Market forecasts had called for a drop in nonfarm payrolls of Only 8,000 jobs. Gunter Teich economist with Bank of America in Frankfurt Germany said currency traders were surprised by the unexpectedly Large Job loss data. A the Dollar could still strengthen a Teich said a but first we might come Down to the level of 1.825 Marks. A the economic recovery is not As Quick or As easy As a lot of people thought and now we have to see what other figures come out a he said. Another complicating Factor for the Dollar Over the Long haul is the threat of Central Bank intervention. Military Exchange rates for the weekend Are As follows in Germany one Dollar will buy 1.79 Marks through monday a gain of two cents on the week while in the United kingdom one Pound is Selling for $1.65, compared with $1.66 a week ago. The Start and strip a computerized shopping carts come Wheeling into stores by times Garden City . When they enter the path Mark supermarket Here shoppers can pick up computerized grocery carts that display advertisements and other information while they push the carts along. Infrared triggers on the ceiling above the Entrance to each aisle working like television Remote controls Tell the Small computers on the carts to display programs about products As the shopping carts approach. At the end of the Day path Mark managers As Well As product manufacturers can study where customers took the carts How Long they lingered near displays and whether the advertisements displayed on the computer screens resulted in purchases. The system developed by vide cart inc. Of Chicago is being tested at nearly 50 supermarkets including such chains As Vonus in los Angeles Dominick a in Chicago and Winn Dixie in the South. It reflects growing interest in a Point of Purchase advertising a in which products Are promoted As customers approach or examine them. A this is a tremendous Boon to retailers because it enables them to better understand the flow through the store and better merchandise products a said Robert l. Mccann executive vice president of vide cart. Customers can also press buttons on the computer to locate products and see recipes that use the brands they Are examining. The computer can also display a map pinpointing the customers location in the store. A asked about the new system one recent evening in the path Mark Here Hank Rodriquez 68, said a if you re looking for sales the carts Are great. Everybody thinks they re Well not everybody. A a they re fun for the kids and everything but when i use them i tend to ignore the screen a said Cecilia Pacheco 24. A i know what in a going to buy when i come Here. Its just a toy but its not a help to vide cart began working on the system in 1986 when it was a unit of information resources inc. Of Chicago a company that tracks retail sales. Vide cart was spun off As a publicly traded company in october its first annual report issued this Spring showed a loss of $6.7 million for the fiscal year that ended in March on revenues of $4.9 million. Its executives have not predicted when they expect the company to turn a profit. Video cart a technologies remain largely hidden from shoppers because infrared and pm radio signals control the system. The carts look like Standard shopping carts except for a 6-Inch by 9-Inch liquid Crystal screen and computer perched on the right Side of the handle. The unit appears similar to a Lap top computer screen. Underneath is the computer. The system has no audio capability so customers receive information Only by looking at the screen. A rechargeable Battery under the cart supplies Power. A satellite dish on the supermarket roof receives advertisements and other data from vide cart Headquarters in Chicago each week. The information is loaded into the cart computers each week. Immediate changes can be made through the pm radio Channel that a Central computer in the store uses to communicate with the carts. The system works this Way As a customer enters an aisle the cart passes through infrared Waves transmitted by the trigger that Tell the cart where it is located. The computer begins to display a list of specials for products in the aisle. A amps Sharon Kilday for example As the shopper approaches the condiments Section a picture of Kraft salad dressing is shown along with a pitch for the Brand. At soft drinks the screen displays an advertisement for Pepsi. Vide cart recently unveiled another feature electronic coupons. When customers examine a particular Brand the computer tells them that they can save Money on the product by pressing a Button. If the customer agrees the computer sends a message to the checkout counter so that if the product is scanned at the Cash Register the Coupon value is deducted from the Bill. The computer keeps track and the discount is granted Only to that particular customer if the product is technology is not cheap. A system for a single store including 150 to 200 shopping carts is about $100,000, Mccann said. Ordinary carts purchased in bulk Cost about $100 each. Travel Industry fears it overdid it As americans get Back on the go new York apr americans Are vacationing again after the Gulf War and recession scared Many into staying Home. But the travel Industry Isnit completely overjoyed by the revival. Although travellers had plenty of company on the highways Over the fourth of july weekend businesses that depend on vacation dollars fear profits could be curtailed by costly promotions offered to lure tourists Back. The airlines enticed people into the skies by slashing fares. Many hotel chains desperate to fill empty rooms also offered bargain rates. Quot whenever you do something like that you re paying a Price a said David love spokesman for the american society of travel agents based in Alexandria Java. To be sure he said there is a sense of Relief Iii the Industry that the number of tourists is increasing. An estimated 22.5 million americans were expected to hit the Road for a trip of 100 Miles or More Over the fourth of july Holiday and another 2.5 million would travel by plane train or bus the american automobile association estimated. That would represent a 12 percent increase Over the previous Independence Day though aaa spokesman Jerry Cheske said much of the Rise can be explained by the Day of the Holiday. This year the fourth fell on thursday making it easier for people to take Long weekends than in 1990 when it was a Day earlier. Closures won t affect merchants accounts Frankfurt Germany a amps National Bank officials say the closing of five Bank branches in the next month due to pending . Base closings in Germany will not affect customers accounts. Service members who Are transferred to new locations in Europe will keep the same account numbers and continue to use Bank services As in the past. Customers records will be transferred to new branches but people can walk into any merchants Bank Branch in Europe to conduct business including making withdrawals deposits and new Loans. A the customers will not see a change in their banking relationship a said Yvonne Wise Bank spokeswoman. Customers Money machine cards will also continue to work and they will also be Able to use the checks they already have in Stock. Automatic payments on outstanding Loans will continue to be deducted monthly or customers who choose to May pay Loans in person Wise said. Wise said service members Bank records will be transferred As follows customers in Schwabish a mind were to have their records moved to Augsburg on saturday customers from the Hess Isch Oldendorf air station will have their records transferred to Karlstedt july 16, Wei Brincken a customers accounts will be transferred to the Wei Brincken array Post july 16, customers records from bad Tolz will be switched to Aschaffenbur aug. 5 and Neu him records will be shipped to Augsburg on aug. 5
