Vertical Specialties for Various Retail Point of Sale Systems

As July is not a big month for point of sale news and information, I thought that I would pass along some information related to what vertical markets various point of sale programs focus on. This is not meant to say that the program will not work in a different vertical - just that the program has an established presence in the verticals listed below.

If you recall, my point of sale workshops stress that you should focus on point of sale programs that are designed for your type of business.

NCR Silver

• Small general retail stores and food service businesses like food trucks, counter serve restaurants/cafeterias/coffee shops, and concession stands.
• Temporary or seasonal retail businesses
• Mobile retail or service only businesses
• Kiosk businesses
• Thrift and second hand stores
• Clothing and Apparel Stores
• E-Cig Stores

First Data Clover

• Same as NCR Silver 

Bindo Point of Sale

• Wine, Beer and Liquor Stores
• Pet Stores
• Health and Beauty 
• Clothing and Apparel Stores
• Sporting Goods Stores
• Museums
• Gift Shops
• Candy Stores
• Salons and Spas
• Thrift and second hand stores
• Pro Shops

NCR CounterPoint

• Museums
• Thrift and second hand stores
• Garden Centers
• Pet Stores
• Sporting Goods Stores
• Clothing and Apparel Stores
• Liquor Stores
• Sporting Goods Stores
• Gift Shops
• Tobacco and E-Cig Stores 
• Pro Shops

Retail Pro

• Same as NCR CounterPoint

Microsoft RMS

• Same as NCR CounterPoint and Retail Pro
• A lot of government entities (since it is a Microsoft product) as well as government run businesses like golf courses and pro shops.

I realize this is not a complete list but I used information from the companies websites, what trade shows these companies attend, and my own 15 years of personal experience.

Can I help by offering some free point of sale advice or answering your retail or museum point of sale related questions?  If you are in the United States then please use the contact form to the right, email me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or call me on my cell at 208-340-5632. I've worked with thousands of businesses over the years to help them find the best point of sale solution and have also negotiated some pretty cool discounts as well.

Retail Pro Reviews

One of the things that I try to stay on top of are user reviews of different point of sale solutions.  The reviews have been the most popular posts on this site and have also generated the most phone calls and emails from folks searching for free point of sale help and advice.

While it is easy to link to a review, I prefer to paraphrase the review for the following reasons:

1. Over the years I have figured out how to 'read between the lines' to find the key points of each review
2. I'm also able to easily spot reviews that may have been written from someone attempting to increase or decrease a products reputation (not truly a fake review but a review written with an intent that goes beyond just sharing personal experiences)
3. The biggest reason is that a popular point of sale software review website exists only to sell your information to multiple point of sale companies - that's right, they make money by selling your information

Over the last couple of months there have been a large number of Retail Pro reviews posted online. Here are the key points gleaned from all the reviews which appeared to come from retailers of all sizes within the US:

• Users really like the support and service that they receive from their Retail Pro Partner - especially Big Hairy Dog (BHD) 
• Overall, Retail Pro received high marks for functionality and reliability
• Both short and long term users mentioned that the software was very reliable
• About the only minor issues noted are that the ease of use could be better and that the latest version of Retail Pro seemed to operate slower than the previous versions

Overall, some great reviews of Retail Pro which is what would be expected since Retail Pro is the type of point of sale solution that includes installation, training, and ongoing support as part of the price when purchased from a Retail Pro partner like BHD.

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.

Retail Pro Releases Retail Pro Prism

Adding to the tablet and smartphone point of sale market is Retail Pro Prism from Retail Pro. Prism offers some unique functionality related to being able to continue working when an Internet connection is lost (no information on how credit card authorizations are handled). Prism also appears to have some flexibility when it comes to languages and database connections.

Here is a description/overview of Prism:

Retail Pro Prism- $7K-$9K Browser based Modular POS Application. Deploy iOS, Windows, Android or even mini-devices. Market first Mobile 2.0 Solution, Real-Time, Scalable to tie to back end RPRO or an ERP solution. Lower demands on hardware. Database Neutral – Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, and MySQL. Fully customizable User Interface (UI). Automated email reporting for store. Best for retail stores generating $750,000+ annually per location.

I would be very interested in talking to anyone actually using Prism for a more complete review - especially as this is the 5th new mobile point of sale system to come on the market within the last 45 days.

You can visit the Retail Pro website for more information on Prism: http://www.retailpro.com/Solutions/Prism.php?htm_source=solution&utm_medium=prism&utm_campaign=solution_prism

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.

Review of Retail Pro Point of Sale Software

Since there are many new point of sale software programs coming on the market, I thought it would be helpful to compile some information on the Retail Pro solution which has been around for as long as I can remember.  It has been several years since I have worked directly with the Retail Pro point of sale software solution (I'm working on getting up to speed on the software), below are thoughts compiled from multiple user reviews of the software.

• Retail pro makes our business more efficient
• Easy to train staff on
• Be sure to buy from a company that can provide a complete solution including support and training
• Retail Pro is a great solution for any medium sized retailers ($1.0M plus in annual gross sales per location)
• Easy to use
• Multi-location polling does not work correctly
• Difficult system to use
• Good but not great

All of these reviews are from the last 18 months. Overall, most folks appear happy with the solution. It does appear that trying to install Retail Pro yourself and not getting a Retail Pro Partner to help you can create problems.

Overall, Retail Pro is a great solution for specialty retail stores generating more than $1,000,000 in annual gross sales per location.  I believe there are also some specials being offered - even if you already use a different software solution.

Are you in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice? I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Shopping Habits and the Gen-Y or the Millennial Generation

If your business markets products and/or services to the Gen-Y or the Millennial Generation (born in the ~1980's to early 2000's depending on who you reference), then this recent survey from Retail Pro and Merchant Warehouse will be of interest to you.  The idea behind the survey was to gain a better understanding of the shopping habits of this generation.  A better understanding can lead to better marketing as well as gleaning better data from your point of sale system. Here are some of the highlights of the survey along with how you would use a point of sale system to cater to the shopping needs of Millennials):

• 60 percent of Millennials do pre-purchase online research (does your point of sale system have an integrated online shopping website with detailed product information, images and reviews?)
• When it comes to actually driving to your store, 50% of the survey respondents said that they would want at least a 20% discount to make an in-store purchase (does your point of sale system offer a loyalty program or an automatic discount function?)
• 68% of those surveyed primarily purchase products using a debit or credit card and not cash (does your point of sale system include a pin pad and the ability to shop for the best merchant services rates?)

The survey also covers some additional product specific purchasing habits but I just wanted to include only some of the survey results specific to specialty retail stores and point of sale systems for specialty retail stores.

Are you in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice? I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Unhappy People

It's not unusual to get a call from someone who is unhappy with their current system and/or the place that they purchased their point of sale system from.  What is unusual is to get 5 calls in just a few days!  I though it would be helpful to pass along some advice if you are currently unhappy with your point of sale system and/or your point of sale dealer.

The most recent calls have been related to Retail Pro, POSitive POS, QuickBooks Point of Sale, and CounterPoint version 7.  Here is my advice when it comes to not being happy with your current point of sale system:

• Make sure that you understand your system and what it can or can't do (whether that be via training,  users manuals, or online videos.  Many point of sale systems have 'hidden' functions and features that you may not be aware of).
• Submit a request to the software manufacture - in some cases they may be planning to add a function or feature that you need.
• Deal with a point of sale partner/dealer that offers multiple point of sale systems - that way they will not try and force a generic system to work in your business.
• If you are truly unhappy, and your point of sale system is missing important functions/features, then reach out to a point of sale dealer with multiple system.  In most cases, your existing data (inventory information, customer information, and supplier/vendor information) can be transferred to a new point of sale system.  You may also be able to keep your existing computer equipment as well.

What if you are unhappy with your currently point of sale dealer/partner (I get a call about once a week or so from someone asking if I can help them since they are having problems or issues with their current point of sale dealer/partner).

• Don't ever feel that you are stuck!  Each point of sale software manufacture has a policy or procedure allowing you to switch to a different  dealer/partner.  You may have to fill out a basic form or send in a quick email but you can quickly 'fire' the company that you are currently working with and 'hire' a new one.  Be sure to contact your software manufacture directly so they can assist you.
• Should your situation include both the wrong solution and a less-than-helpful point of sale dealer/partner, contact me or another national point of sale dealer that offers multiple solutions. We can easily talk about specific options available to you.

Are you in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice? I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.