Case study
F.Hinds
F.Hinds Jewellers Enhance Retail Efficiency with BOXTEC
F.Hinds, a heritage UK jeweller with 133-135 stores nationwide, has relied on BOXTEC POS terminals for nearly a decade. With a long lifecycle of more than 10 years per terminal and a consistently low failure rate, F.Hinds continues to choose BOXTEC as its trusted hardware provider and recently upgrade to the BOXTEC Core 3 POS system to optimise performance, reduce support overheads and future‑proof its in‑store technology.
Background
F.Hinds aimed to refresh its POS estate by replacing terminals acquired between 2016 and 2019, which formed part of the company’s planned periodic hardware replacement program. After conducting market due diligence which included exploring various alternative manufacturers they chose to remain with BOXTEC for reliability, familiarity, and strong supplier support.
Why BOXTEC Was Chosen Again
1. Proven reliability over a 10‑year lifecycle
F.Hinds reports extremely low hardware failure rates estimated at under 10% across a full decade, and almost always occurring at the end of life. This reliability reduces downtime, support burden, and replacement costs.
2. Balanced pricing within market range
Through market comparison, BOXTEC was found to be slightly higher than some vendors, lower than others but crucially the price did not inhibit the renewal programme. Known value outweighed minimal potential savings from unfamiliar suppliers.
3. Local presence and trusted relationship
With F.Hinds’ head office located near BOXTEC in Uxbridge, accessibility and personal support became meaningful advantages. For nearly a decade, communication has been smooth, efficient, and low‑friction.
What clients say
The Upgrade to BOXTEC Core 3
The roll out of the Core 3 terminals began in May 2025 and was managed by their internal team of only five people. Having an estate of 133 stores, most running two tills, combined with the simplicity and reliability of the terminal means in‑house installation and support remains a cost‑effective option.
Within no time the F.Hinds team saw:
1. Massive reduction in installation time
Previously, configuring an older POS terminal took 6 -7 hours due to multiple slow reboot and install cycles.
With the Core 3:
- Installation time dropped to less than 2 hours per machine.
- Deployment is smoother, faster with less errors.
- The productivity of technical staff increased significantly.
2. Dramatic drop in PDQ support calls
Older machines frequently lost the handshake with PDQ devices, disrupting customer payments and generating long support calls. With the Core 3:
- PDQ related support incidents fell sharply; almost to zero.
- Payment reliability improved, benefiting both staff and customers.
- Support team workload decreased.
3. Improved colleague experience and customer service
Replacing hardware with modern processing power has resulted in a better in‑store experience and reduced friction for staff and delivered:
- Faster screen transitions
- Smoother UI responsiveness
- Quicker customer transactions
4. Future‑ready technology (15:9 screen & customer display options)
The Core 3 introduced a move from the old 4:3 square screens to a 15:9 widescreen format; a big step forward for F.Hinds.
The model also supports:
- Larger customer facing display options
- Potential for in store advertising and richer product information
“We’ve stayed with BOXTEC for nearly ten years because their POS terminals are reliable, their support is efficient, and the relationship just works. The new Core 3s have cut install times from hours to minutes, reduced support issues to almost nothing, and given our stores a real boost in speed and performance. We know what we’re getting with BOXTEC, we trust them and we’d definitely buy from them again without hesitation.”
Matt Taylor, IT Manager, F.Hinds
F.Hinds’ long term partnership with BOXTEC continues to deliver reliability, operational efficiency, and technical confidence. From reduced installation times to significantly fewer support incidents, the move to the BOXTEC Core 3 has unlocked measurable improvements across the business.