What is POS/Retails software?

Point of sale refers to the part of a store or business where customers can pay for their goods and services purchased from the business. POS or retail software records financial transactions in a business, and it makes it more convenient for businesses to keep track of their transactions and manage the financial side of things.

POS software also helps a business generate sales data, manages inventory and employee information, and generates reports. It stores the information in an organised system that you can access by date. You can also store inventory information and get alerts when it needs to be replaced.

Not all businesses require POS software, but they make running a business much easier. POS software doesn’t only help with financial information. They can also manage customer information that helps the business keep up with their regular customers, and maintain relationships with them.

Who needs it?

  • Restaurants

Restaurants need POS software to track cash flow, process orders, and keep track of orders and food ingredients. They also work as credit card processors and print tickets. Some vendors that serve restaurants are Epos Now, ShopKeep, and HungerRush.

  • Small business

Small businesses need retail solutions primarily to track inventory, store sales information, and minor bookkeeping. It eliminates human error and increases efficiency. Examples include Epos Now and NetSuite.

  • Grocery store

Grocery stores need POS vendors that can handle a large quantity of inventory that needs replacement regularly, handle customer loyalty, manage employees, and track large volumes of cash and card transactions. Comcash Retail ERP and Retail Market are some vendors that can handle grocery stores.

  • Retail store

Retail stores need POS systems that can handle in-store checkout, sales information, and marketing. They also need to manage customer history and loyalty information. Examples are Lightspeed Retail, Rain POS, and NetSuite.

  • Food truck

Food truck retail solutions needs to ring up customer’s orders, accept cash and card payments, accept offline payments, and track the inventory system. Examples are Toast POS, ShopKeep, and BPA Restaurant Pro.

  • Liquor store

Liquor store POS software needs to regularly track inventories, market to loyal customers, sell liquor online, and manage their most popular selections. Good choices are Lightspeed Retail, Korona POS, and Acme POS.

  • Convenience store

Convenience stores need POS tools that keep track of fluctuating fuel and food prices, manage inventory, and simplify the checkout process. Examples are ShopKeep, ACCEO Smart Vendor, and Korona POS.

  • Auto parts store

Auto parts stores aren’t compatible with digital transactions most times, so you need a retail system that integrates well with the store. Good choices are Agiliron, Epicor Eagle, and S2K Retail Management Software.

  • Bakery

In addition to the regular financial transactions and employee management, bakeries need a POS tool to handle issues like recipe management, customer relationships, and ingredient supply tracking. Examples are ShopKeep, AmberPOS, and Epicor Retail Solutions.

  • Cell phone store

Cellphone stores need retail solutions that manage multiple stores and ensures that they all represent their brand correctly. They also need to handle sales, discounts, employee management, and customer relations. Examples are Epos Now, and Rain POS.

  • Ecommerce platforms

Ecommerce platforms are all based online, so they need software that handle payments, discounts and sales, deliveries, and inventory. Examples are Agiliron, ACCEO Smart Vendor, and Shopify.

  • Florist store

POS tools for florists cater to particular needs like spoilage management, route planning, reciprocity tracking, arrangement inventory, and regular business dealings. Some of them are iVend Retail, Epicor Retail Solutions, and PayPal.

  • Furniture store

Furniture stores deal with varied inventory and purchases, but they also need POS vendors that deliver to customers. They handle these transactions, including employee management and customer relations. POS software like Ordorite, ShopKeep, Stripe are good examples.

  • Gift shop

Gift Shops sell specific items, so they need software that makes browsing easy for the customers, create discounts and sales for loyal customers, and easy checkout. Good choices are Lightspeed, Retail Pro, and Smartwerks_USA.

  • Jewelry store

Jewelry stores sell a wide range of designs and customised pieces, so they need retail systems to track inventory, target specific customers, and manage employees. Examples are jewel and ShopKeep.

  • Pharmacy software

Pharmacies require POS vendors to process prescription sales, minimise dispensing errors, and maintain private relationships with customers. Some good examples are NetSuite, Square POS, and Loyverse.

  • Bars

Bars need retail solutions to handle prices and customers, as well as split checks and multiple tabs. Examples are HungerRush, Talech Register, and CAP Retail POS.

  • Salon

Salons need software to manage transactions from different services, employee payroll, and customer relationships. They need POS software to handle the scheduling and other financial transactions. Examples include Talech Register, HelmBot, and Salon Iris.

  • Shoe store

Shoe stores need POS vendors to take the inventory into account. Shoes come in different sizes and designs, so payroll, customer relations, inventory, and sales management are more specific. Examples are Shoptiques POS, Heartland Retail, and iVend Retail.

  • Spa software

Spas need more specialised retail solutions because they offer different services like manicures, massages, and beauty treatments. Envision Salon and spa, Vagaro, and Mindbody cater to spas specifically.

Which free POS software is best?

  • Square POS

Square POS software works for a variety of businesses, including restaurants, retail stores, and Specialty stores. It caters to most point of sale needs, and you can customise it to work for your business.

  • Heartland retail

Heartland retail is a cloud-based software that caters to retail businesses, both small and large. They handle sales, customers, inventory, analytics, and payments.

  • Lightspeed Retail

Lightspeed Retail is more than a cloud POS software. It can handle all aspects of your retail business, including sales, inventory, customer relations, scheduling, etc. It is easy to use and allows you to combine multiple streams of income.

  • Lavu

Lavu POS software is popular among bar and restaurant owners because of its seamless and intuitive system that handles orders, customers, and inventory down to ingredient-size.

  • Vend

Vend POS software caters to retail stores and businesses with multiple outlets. It handles cash and credit transactions, as well as employee management and customer relations.

Where can I find comparisons and pricing information online?

Softwareadvice is a popular site that links business owners to the appropriate software to manage their business. It is a user-friendly site with easy-to-use search controls. The site is run by real people who offer the correct software using information submitted by the people searching for software solutions.

Softwareadvice makes shopping for POS software easy and straightforward. It has a retail POS system category with 42 sub-categories. The POS vendor category has over 450 POS vendor options and you can find a good match by customizing the filter options. Softwareadvice can also link you directly to a software advisor if you have more inquiries.

ITQlick is a leading free online resource site. The site offers thousands of in-depth reviews, comparisons, and customer reviews of POS software. You can retail solutions for food business, retail, sales, etc. There are reviews on each software featured on the site, all written by professionals.

They currently have the top 431 POS software vendors, and each one has a detailed review with several customer reviews. The reviews on the site are written by experts, and they provide information about the features, pricing, and functionality of the software vendors. ITQlick provides up-to-date information and is currently one of the biggest online directories for software and tools reviews.

G2 is an online resource site that gives buyers and consumers an option to rate software and tools based on their performance and value. Over 1 million people have posted reviews on various software in various categories on G2. G2 allows you to hear from other buyers before you commit to any POS software online.

G2 has a dedicated retail POS category with over 450 retail solutions to choose from. You can narrow down your search using the advanced filter option or the G2 assistant. Every category comes with a resource page that guides you in making the right choice.

GetApp is a community platform that links professionals to the best software and apps for their career and business operations. GetApp advises professionals on the right tools to buy and software to use to move their businesses. You can find several great retail options among its 92 POS system options by using their filter and assistant option.

GetApp also offers comparisons between retail solutions and other products, as well as trends, insights, and analytics on the performance of various retail software.  GetApp features customer reviews and research on each POS software to help buyers make informed decisions regarding their business and organization.

Capterra is a free online resource site that gives people options when looking for a software to fit their organisation’s purpose. The site features customer reviews, trends, and ratings of several POS software and retail solutions. Capterra has 172 POS software options for you to choose from, each one with a detailed review and rating.

You can also request pricing information and valuable data concerning any retail solutions you have in mind. There are options to filter your searches on the site, and compare them with similar POS software. Capterra also has ratings on each category, showing the top 20 in each one.