How to Increase Liquor Store Sales A common question business owners ask is how to…
Differences Between Point of Sale Software
Differences Between Point of Sale Software
There are many point of sale systems on the market today. Some are marketed for every business while others are made for specific markets. When it comes to liquor POS systems, there are very few that are specific to the business, and they compete against the general ones. Here are a few things that can vary from company to company, and a couple key items to make note of for the beverage retail industry.
Software
When looking at software you will need to find out what system it runs on. Windows, Mac, Andriod, proprietary? If you find a software with proprietary hardware, you will need to find out about hardware support, and if it is usable if you change software. Also, does the software run on the cloud? Is the software still operational if the internet goes down?
Cost
Each company has different costs. Some are up-front, some are spread out over monthly. Before you knock out up-front cost companies, do the math, sometimes they are actually cheaper than the monthly cost! Also, see what it will cost for support, upgrades, and any integrations.
Usability
Is the software user friendly? Will new employees catch on quickly? Something that looks super modern can sometimes not be user friendly. Take notes when viewing a demo and talking to your sales person. Make sure they have a great support team and documentation available if you have questions.
Back Office
The back office should be separate from the point of sale. Why? Because it should be where you run reports, create purchase orders, update cost, view inventory, etc. Not everyone in your business should have access to these things, such as cashiers who should only have access to the register.
Beverage Specific
If you are looking for a POS software, your best bet is to look for one that caters to your business. Whether it is a liquor store, bakery, restaurant, clothing store, or more. The below items are specific to beverage retail and are a couple key items to look for
Age verification
Make sure you can either enter in the date-of-birth or scan drivers license.
Single/Case/Pack Management
Are you able to manage singles, cases, and packs under one item or are they seperate items? If you are unable to manage them under one item, you could be over-ordering inventory. When you are able to management under one item, it prevents over ordering product as it accounts for all sales.
Wholesale Module
In liquor stores, it is common to sell retail beverages to bars and taverns. Therefore, these customers have different needs than your retail customers. A wholesale module and customer management allows you to manage these accounts separately from the POS.
Conclusion
There are many variances between point of sale software, so make sure you do a lot of research. If there are ones specific to your industry, make sure you evaluate each one based on their capabilities.
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