When Stephen Young opened IGA Windmill Hill Plus Liquor in New South Wales — a greenfield ~1,600 m² supermarket with a 200 m² liquor department — he launched it on EM Cloud™ and EM POS™, a platform his group had never used before. His verdict early into trade: "really, really seamless."
Everything was new: the site, the team, and the point-of-sale platform. Then the build schedule shifted and the opening date moved mid fit-out. We sat down with Stephen at the Metcash Food Expo on the Gold Coast — 800 km from his store — to ask how the launch went.
THE LAUNCH AT A GLANCE
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1,800 m²
Supermarket + liquor, live on EM Cloud™ and EM POS™
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On time
Opened on schedule despite the date moving mid-build
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Instant
Store-wide price and promo changes via electronic shelf labels
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24/7
EM Help Desk support, plus on-site help on opening day
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The challenge: a first supermarket, on a deadline that moved
Stephen is no newcomer to retail. He has run retail sites for eight years, with a group that includes several liquor businesses. But this was the group's first large-format supermarket — and the POS platform they knew well from their liquor stores wasn't built for one.
"It just wasn't compatible with a large-format supermarket — which is where we landed with GaP."
Stephen Young, IGA Windmill Hill Plus Liquor
Then the build schedule shifted, and the opening date moved — about five weeks into the fit-out. In independent retail, that is a serious test of every supplier on the project.
"The flexibility offered by the team at GaP allowed us to open on time, and ensured things were as smooth as possible from day one."
Stephen Young, IGA Windmill Hill Plus Liquor
Why GaP Solutions: service you can actually reach
Stephen's team evaluated providers for around twelve months. The deciding factor wasn't a feature list — it was access to people.
"The main draw to go with GaP was based around the service — the backup and the accessibility to their staff and technicians, as opposed to other providers. That direct contact to get back-of-house support was the main contributor to the decision."
Stephen Young, IGA Windmill Hill Plus Liquor
That mattered because, as Stephen puts it, his team aren't tech people.
"The GaP team walked us, as people who are not tech-savvy, through the entire kit and what each piece of hardware is there to perform. That was really reassuring."
Stephen Young, IGA Windmill Hill Plus Liquor
The GaP installation team were on site on opening day, and EM Help Desk support is available around the clock.
"The accessibility to the GaP team, especially in the early days for someone who's not used to the system, has been exceptional for us."
Stephen Young, IGA Windmill Hill Plus Liquor
The solution: EM Cloud™, EM POS™ and electronic shelf labels
The store runs GaP Solutions' fully integrated retail stack: EM Cloud™ and EM POS™ — a cloud-based back office and grocery point of sale managing pricing, reporting, invoicing and the liquor department in one platform.
Coming from a legacy system, the cloud model was a learning curve for the back-office team — but the payoff showed up fast at the checkout.
"The speed of the system, from back of house to being available at the front checkout, with the ESL ticketing, it's been really, really seamless."
Stephen Young, IGA Windmill Hill Plus Liquor
On a 1,600 m² footprint, paper tickets mean labour — every promotion loaded, printed, walked to the shelf, and walked back again when it ends. EM ESL electronic shelf labels remove that entirely.
"The ability to make amendments and offer our customers an instant price — as opposed to the time lag of loading promotions, printing the tickets, putting them out, then removing them when the promotion ends — it was a no-brainer. ESL is a good investment, especially on a greenfield site."
Stephen Young, IGA Windmill Hill Plus Liquor
Run the store from anywhere — even the expo floor
We interviewed Stephen 800 km from his store, and he had checked it that morning.
"We're actually accessing it while we're here at the expo — it's quite easy. The admins back home can also access it on their phones, which allows us to be more nimble and quicker than our competitors to action pricing and new lines."
Stephen Young, IGA Windmill Hill Plus Liquor
What's next
In the early days of trade, the focus is discipline: getting every product scanning and the data clean, then building on the platform's capabilities — and potentially beyond this store.
"Once we find our feet and understand the full capabilities of GaP, there might be an opportunity to transition the rest of our business to the GaP system as well."
Stephen Young, IGA Windmill Hill Plus Liquor
Results at a glance
- Brand-new ~1,600 m² supermarket + 200 m² liquor department, live on EM Cloud™ + EM POS™
- Opened on time despite the opening date moving mid-build
- Electronic shelf labels delivering instant, store-wide price and promotion changes
- Back office accessible remotely — including from the Metcash Food Expo floor
- On-site support on day one, backed by 24/7 EM Help Desk
A brand-new store, a brand-new platform.
"Really, really seamless."
Frequently asked questions
Can EM Cloud™ be set up in time for a new store opening?
Yes. IGA Windmill Hill Plus Liquor opened on time on EM Cloud™ and EM POS™ even after the opening date moved about five weeks into the fit-out. The GaP installation team was on site on opening day, with 24/7 EM Help Desk support available from the start.
Does GaP Solutions handle both grocery and liquor in one system?
Yes. EM Cloud™ and EM POS™ run a large-format supermarket and its liquor department in a single platform — managing pricing, reporting, invoicing and point of sale across both. IGA Windmill Hill runs a ~1,600 m² supermarket alongside a 200 m² liquor department this way.
What are electronic shelf labels (ESL) and why use them?
Electronic shelf labels replace printed paper tickets with digital displays that update automatically. Instead of loading a promotion, printing tickets, walking them to the shelf and removing them when the promo ends, prices and promotions change instantly across the store. On a large footprint that removes significant labour — and it's especially worthwhile on a greenfield site fitting out from scratch.
Can I manage the store remotely?
Yes. Because EM Cloud™ is cloud-based, the back office can be accessed from anywhere, including from a phone. Stephen Young checked and accessed his store from the Metcash Food Expo floor, 800 km away, letting his team action pricing and new lines quickly.
What support does GaP Solutions provide during and after setup?
GaP provides hands-on onboarding — walking non-technical teams through each piece of hardware and what it does — on-site support on opening day, and around-the-clock EM Help Desk support. For Stephen's team, that direct access to staff and technicians was the deciding factor in choosing GaP.
Aug 27, 2026, 8:41:39 AM