Ready to open a new market, or take your existing store to the next level?
Look for a quality point of sale (POS) system designed for your business.
There are tons of options out there, but a specialized industry needs a system with specialized features.
Here are four features (and their benefits!) to look for when searching for the perfect POS solution for your market.
Inventory Management
Specialty grocers move lots of products, and need a market POS system with inventory management features that can keep up.
The ability to access a comprehensive list of every product you have in stock (and what’s selling and not) might be the most basic — but most important — feature for a market-specific point of sale system. To understand and make the most of your data, find a system with filtering options. Search your data by everything from date to department to tender type.
And with so many items to track, you need the ability to quickly and efficiently add products to your inventory. A quality point of sale system allows you to scan and add products — straight from your smartphone, tablet, or other mobile device. Add and update descriptions, price, and quantity on hand — all on the fly.
Because most inventory in markets is perishable, remember to look for specialized reporting that keeps track of all of your products — from meat to produce. It’s important to have a POS system that allows you to shrink inventory — like bruised apples or spoiled eggs — so you can keep your shelves freshly stocked, and reduce overall profit loss caused by under or over-ordering.
Look for a cloud-based system, too, so you access these features through an internet connection on an unlimited number of handheld devices, from anywhere, at any time — you’ll no longer have to worry about going offline with faulty store WIFI.
Scale Integration
Grocery stores carry unique inventory, and that often includes random weight items, like meat and cheese. To accurately price these products, you need the right hardware to integrate with your point of sale system.
Deli scales usually include a platter to weigh the items, a barcode label printer, and a keypad. The labels printed by the deli scale can be scanned by your POS. This way, you know that everything is accurately priced — and once your customer reaches the cashier lane, the checkout process runs smoothly.
Scanner scales are also an important part of the market checkout process, so they’re a must when it comes to market POS systems.
These scales are placed in the counter at the checkout register, and can be used as a traditional barcode scanner and to weigh specific items for pricing. Scanner scales are great for businesses that have high-volume transactions. Barcodes can be read at almost any angle, and you can quickly weigh and scan items like produce.
Make sure your POS integrates with hardware designed to streamline your market operations.
Self-Checkout
Market owners serve many customers who buy a lot of products — and when you have limited lanes, it can be difficult to keep up. A top-of-the-line industry-specific POS system will come equipped with the software you need to turn any point of sale station into a self-checkout kiosk.
This feature allows you to set up an all-in-one computer, PIN pad, and scanner scale as a station, and you can give customers limited access to functions — like scanning items, looking up produce, and paying with a credit or debit card or EBT. This way, you can be sure that your store is in your control, and not vulnerable to customers’ mistakes.
Easily amp up your market with additional lanes, without worrying about hiring more employees. This is a great way to save money on the back end, and it gives customers control over their checkout experience — it’s a win-win.
Remember to have a cashier readily available to troubleshoot any problems, and to verify age-restricted items.
Customer Loyalty
One of the best ways to boost profits? Turn your visitors into loyal customers — increasing customer retention by as little as five percent can increase revenue up to 95 percent.
Make sure your market POS system has a baked-in customer loyalty program that assigns points to every dollar spent. Over time, buyers will collect rewards that can be redeemed for discounts — try a $20 coupon for every 200 points earned.
Building relationships plays a large role in running a successful small business. Happy customers are much more likely to come back when they trust you and your business, and they may even spread the word about your market to their friends and family — word-of-mouth recommendations are an easy and effective marketing tool.
Reward your customers for their loyalty, and they’re sure to return.
Get Started With a Market POS System Made for You
Market owners and grocers face unique challenges when it comes to inventory management and checkout processes, but that doesn’t mean running your store has to be difficult.
A quality point of sale system that has features designed specifically for markets streamlines all aspects of your business, creating a better experience for you and your customers.
To get started with a POS system made for markets, schedule a demo with one of our Markt POS specialists today, or use our Build and Price tool to create your own custom quote!
