vestwell vestwell vestwell
  • About
  • Contact
  • Testimonials
  • More
    • Demographics & Advertising Rates
    • Terms & Conditions
Monday, May 23, 2022
No Result
View All Result
CALIFORNIA BUSINESS JOURNAL
  • Front Page
  • Business
  • Finance
  • People
  • Featured
  • Technology
  • Law
  • News
  • Food
  • Art & Culture
  • Human Interest
  • Education
  • Insurance
  • Real Estate
  • Health & Fitness
CALIFORNIA BUSINESS JOURNAL
SharaPathak-PC

Price Chopper Wristbands Acquires Glownet to Form the Only Wristband Company to Own and Develop an RFID Software Platform In-House

by Susan Belknapp, Senior Writer, California Business Journal
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

She followed her gut, took a timely risk and now her company is poised to become an industry leader for touchless technology that could revolutionize events, trade shows, entertainment, theme parks and retail.

Shara Pathak, president of Price Chopper Wristbands, took time with her research but when it was time to move, she made her company’s acquisition of Glownet Inc. happen quickly and seamlessly.

Glownet Inc. was the North American arm of a United Kingdom software developer that creates radio frequency identification (RFID) solutions, Glownet, Ltd. Glownet Inc. is now is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Price Chopper Inc., which now makes it the only wristband company to own and develop RFID software platforms in-house.

Price Chopper produces a wide variety of wristbands, including healthcare, fabric, silicone, Tyvek and lanyards. Most can be adapted with an RFID-credential chip, enabling the company to provide touchless solutions that can be used in many ways, including cashless management, access control, and data tracking and reporting.

“The purchase of Glownet Inc. broadens and expands Price Chopper’s offerings in the wristband and identification market,” Pathak says. “This deal came together so quickly. It was incredible timing.”

Pathak’s roots go deep in the printing industry, particularly in the Caribbean, where her extended family owned the largest printing company in the islands. Her father, who was the CEO, decided he wanted to further his education and entered an executive master’s program at Stanford. When he was done, he decided not to return to the family business but instead to build a new company in the United States. Shara was 15 at the time.

Her father’s decision to leave resulted in forgoing his severance. His sister believed in what he was doing and extended the new company a loan and they launched their wristband business, which is a niche of the printing industry.

The company that started in an apartment in 1997 now works out of a 44,000-square-foot plant in Orlando and exhibits at over 30 domestic and international trade shows every year.

Now the president of the company and an industry expert, Pathak saw the demand for RFID-enabled products continuing to grow. “There is so much buzz around RFID,” she says. “I knew the generic wristband industry, which is our core business, but we are in a market that now needs more. With changes in technology, there is incredible demand for ‘smarter products.’ I had to decide what that meant for the growth of our business.”

She set her sights on partnering with a software company and, because of geographic crossover, she wanted an international company to make sure it was not a direct or even possible competitor. Her research began with asking industry partners who they knew and trusted worldwide.

“That search took about 18 months,” she says. “There are a lot of companies doing RFID, but most came with their own set of challenges. At this point, we were manufacturing bands with chips in them and I went to our chip supplier and asked for a recommendation. They highly referred two providers, both of which were growing rapidly in Europe, and one was Glownet.”

She picked up the phone and was connected to a representative for the company in California. This first conversation was on a Monday and three days later on Thursday, she was flying to the development office in Madrid. She quickly learned Glownet had done more than 1,000 events worldwide and it had a tried and tested product.

ADVERTISEMENT

Because these technologies are so new, many of the providers hadn’t worked out product bugs and challenges. Pathak’s brother, a software engineer, consulted on the acquisition and through the serendipitous arrangement, she was able to bring on the original software developer.

So now Price Chopper Wristbands owns the technology in the U.S. and the creator can continue to innovate. “I did not want to gamble on a company with an untested product,” she says. “Once I learned about Glownet, I saw all the possibilities. The platform provides a sophisticated analytics engine, allowing greater data collection and consumer insights. This is fast becoming a key requirement from leading consumer brands that support major establishments and events.”

These features are extremely useful to the events industry and the companies that spend billions of dollars sponsoring them. For instance, now traffic and data for every attendee can be tracked and analyzed. Event sponsors can now know where every attendee spent time, how traffic flowed, how much money they spent, where they interacted with vendors.

“It completely takes the guessing game out of consumer behavior for events and trade shows of any size.”

Also, cashless systems are already in high demand and in the wake of COVID-19, touchless cashless systems are likely to become the only acceptable option. Attendees can preload a set amount of money into an account linked to a debit or credit card and they’ll only need to wave their wristband to pay. No touch. No cash. No germ exchange.

“One of the big selling points, in addition to data collecting, consumer tracking and cashless transactions are the ‘breakage’ possibilities,” Pathak says. “Every time human hands touch cash there is a potential loss and now a potential for spreading disease. If we can eliminate cash transactions, there are no change mistakes. In fact, our clients almost always get a windfall with breakage. Most people will not take the time to get a refund of a few cents or even a few dollars after an event.”

Pathak uses the example of a family who might preload a budget of $200 for a day at an amusement park. When it’s time to leave, there is still $2 in their account. They can go online and get a refund, but how many people are going to take the time and effort to get $2 back? If you have tens of thousands of families per day, and each leave $2, that’s a significant cash back possibility for our clients and no money is lost through incorrectly counted change or other risks of a cash transaction.

The Price Chopper in-house development team is currently developing an app that can be used to order and pay for a drink, snack or other item from your smart phone and have it delivered right to your seat. Integrations with Point of Sale, Fan Based Marketing and Membership and Loyalty Technology Providers are also diligently in the works.

“Our belief in maintaining our core values is what sets us apart in our industry,” Pathak says. “It’s passion and consistency and that has allowed us to enter into this space. It took us a lot of time to find and evaluate the platform. It is extremely versatile and fully customizable. Eventually, what we’ll be able to do is sublicense the technology to other tech companies. From a Printing company, we have become a Technology company, a market that we didn’t dream we would be in, but this is how you grow.”

Copyright © 2020 California Business Journal. All Rights Reserved.

 

Tags: AmericanbrotherCaliforniaCEOCovid-19creatordeveloperdevelopmenteducationexecutiveGlownetGuthealthcareloanloyaltymanufacturingmarketingPrice Chopper WristbandsPrice Chopper Wristbands Acquires GlownetStanfordtechnologytradeTraffic
ADVERTISEMENT
Susan Belknapp, Senior Writer, California Business Journal

Susan Belknapp, Senior Writer, California Business Journal

Susan Belknapp is a Writer, Editor and Corporate Communications expert with 15 years of professional writing experience across a wide variety of disciplines, including monthly print and digital magazines, social media, marketing and brand development. A graduate of University of Southern California with a degree in Fine Arts and Filmic Writing, Susan was Editor of OC Metro Magazine, which became part of the Orange County Register. Susan is also the Founder of Chonubusu Toffee, an online/direct-sale English toffee company specializing in custom orders, events, personalized labeling and dangerously delicious product prepared with the finest ingredients.

advertisement
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram LinkedIn

Advertise With CBJ

1REALTOUR-SAN DIEGO-WEB DESIGN
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn LinkedIn Instagram
C B J   LOGO  SVG-01
  • About
  • Contact California Business Journal
  • Testimonials
  • Demographics & Advertising Rates
  • Terms & Conditions

Categories

  • Art & Culture
  • Business
  • Editor's Choice
  • Education
  • Featured
  • Finance
  • Food & Dining
  • Health & Fitness
  • Human Interest
  • Insurance
  • Law
  • Marketing
  • Medical
  • News
  • Newsletter
  • People
  • Popular
  • Real Estate
  • Social Media
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized

CBJ Partner Firebrand Media

Laguna Beach Independent Newspaper
 Laguna Beach City Guide
 Newport Beach Independent Newspaper
Newport Beach Country Club Magazine
  Montage Magazine
 Omni Escapes Hotel Magazine
 Bespoke Concierge New York
 Evans Hotels
 Laguna Beach Magazine
 On The Menu Laguna Beach
 Newport Beach Magazine
Coastal Real Estate Guide (NB,LB, CDM)
Monarch Beach Resort Magazine
 Pacific Coast Magazine (SoCal)
Sea Island Life Magazine
Salamander Hotel & Resorts Magazine
 View our entire portfolio

 

Most Viewed

  • Gavel, scales of justice and law books

    Lawsuit Basics: How Much Does It Cost to Sue Someone?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • NFL Paychecks: How Do NFL Players Get Paid?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Impact of Covid: Racing to Buy Second Citizenships

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • What to Do When an Online Casino Refuses to Pay Out Your Winnings

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • New Study: California’s 10 Universities That Produce the Most CEOs

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Five Reasons Why The Government Does Not Like Bitcoin

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Only Way

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Is Virtual Financial the Future of Financial Services?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • How to Start a Telecommunication Business: A Step-By-Step Guide

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Best Crypto Faucets You Can Try In 2021 and 2022

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Latest Articles

Chicago

What You Should Not Miss When Visiting Chicago

Personal injury

What can I expect my personal injury protection to cover

las vegas

3 Tips to Win More Money When Visiting Las Vegas

How Can You Put Green Papua Kratom To The Best Possible Use -- Pexels.com

How Can You Put Green Papua Kratom To The Best Possible Use

arbitrage betting

How to Find the Best Arbitrage Betting Opportunities

Santa Monica, California

The Middle Class: 5 Best Places to Live in Los Angeles for Families

high heels banned in carmel, california2

Some of the Most Unusual Laws You’ll Ever Experience in the UK and California

Contractor

How To Find a Trustworthy Contractor

Online Bingo Tips

Online Bingo Tips For Beginners: How To Play And How To Get Free Spins

John Cooke, Partner, Bergston LLP

The Legal Side of Things: Business Profile on John D. Cooke, Bergeson, LLP

California Business Journal | California Business News, California News Media, California business articles | Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, Inland Empire, Northern California, San Francisco | Huntington Beach CA 92649 | (949) 648-3815
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY CALIFORNIA BUSINESS JOURNAL.
Site Design by 1REALTOUR

No Result
View All Result
  • Front Page
  • Business
  • Finance
  • People
  • Featured
  • Technology
  • Law
  • News
  • Food
  • Art & Culture
  • Human Interest
  • Education
  • Insurance
  • Real Estate
  • Health & Fitness

California Business Journal | California Business News, California News Media, California business articles | Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, Inland Empire, Northern California, San Francisco | Huntington Beach CA 92649 | (949) 648-3815
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY CALIFORNIA BUSINESS JOURNAL.
Site Design by 1REALTOUR