This got me thinking about the Cloud Retailer point of sale software which has been around for several years but recently gained a lot of interest due to a statewide contract being signed for a government entity to use Cloud Retailer at all of the state's park and recreation facilities. Cloud Retailer is also a direct migration path for Microsoft Dynamics RMS point of sale software users so many of them are taking a serious look at Cloud Retailer as a replacement for RMS. RMS users already have potential replacement options like Retail Management Hero and Retail Realm Essentials but want options to consider what is best for them.
As I've been digging deeper into Cloud Retailer over the last 6 months, a few things came to mind that makes Cloud Retailer very unique in blending the best of what what cloud based point of sale systems offer as well as what locally run point of sale systems offer. Here is a bullet point list:
- Cloud Retailer is Both Local and Cloud. The "cash register" part of the software that handles sales transactions is actually run as local software on Windows devices. This gives Cloud Retailer a speed advantage over cloud based point of sale systems for retailers with a large number of sku's/plu's and/or heavy transaction volume. The manager part of Cloud Retailer is run via a web browser which gives Cloud Retailer the "access anywhere" ability that locally run point of sale systems generally lack.
- Scalable. Unlike point of sale software that is limited to one location, or maxes out at 14 locations, Cloud Retailer has already been tested for use at up to 50 locations and can easily be updated to handle more locations as needed.
- Pricing. While locally run point of sale systems normally have a price structure that requires full payment up front, and cloud based point of sale systems normally have an on-going monthly cost, Cloud Retailer has a partial upfront licenses cost and then a monthly (or annual) fee that covers support and updates. What this means is that you pay around 65% less for Cloud Retailer when it comes to upfront licensing plus the ongoing monthly fee is around 50% less then other point of sale software programs. Much easier on the budget when it comes to both upfront and on-going costs.
- Latest in Payment Processing Security. Cloud Retailer includes Card Defender which offers the latest in payment processing security and technology and can be updated as new payment security requirements are introduced.
- Customizations. Cloud Retailer is a RITE product so customizations are pretty darn easy via RITE's programming team. I bring this up as a typical point of sale system can only perform about 90% of what you want it to do. Not so with Cloud Retailer. If needed, RITE can (and has) modified Cloud Retailer using it's Application Program Interface (API) to include the exact functionality that your business or organization needs.
- RMS Discounts. OK - this doesn't apply to everyone but Cloud Retailer is a direct migration option for RMS users. What I mean by this is that your existing data from RMS can be transferred from RMS to Cloud Retailer plus the initial license cost of Cloud Retailer is discounted up to 100% for RMS point of sale software users.
All in all, this makes Cloud Retailer a pretty cool retail point of sale software program. Obviously, there are discussions to be had about features and functions but I've seen a noted increase in Cloud Retailer interest and look forward to some site visits with retailers wanting to take a deeper look at Cloud Retailer.
Questions about Cloud Retailer or retail point of sale in general? I can be reached at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632.
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