Restaurant Point of Sale Advice

A quick note that I am focused mainly on the retail side of things but do have personal experience in table serve restaurant management as well as the sales and support of multiple restaurant, bar, and quick serve point of sale systems.

If you are searching for a hospitality point of sale system, please do contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com with a note that my advice will likely not be as in depth as what I can provide on the retail side.

Best Point of Sale Systems for Thrift Stores: 2017 Edition

Wow - I've had around 8 thrift stores contact me over the last couple of months based on an older post. Now seemed like a good time to update with more current information when it comes to the best point of sale systems for thrift stores. Note that this applies whether you have 1 location or 500 locations.  Below is a matrix that also notes costs and some other basic details.

Please note that that first steps in searching for a thrift store point of sale system are documenting processes, coming up with a budget, and interviewing staff and leadership to come up with a feature/function wish list. The matrix is only designed to give a high level view of whats on the market today and a few details about each system.

Here is the matrix:

Thrift Store Point of Sale Overview – 2017

Type	Examples	Strengths	Weaknesses	Costs	Kevin Antosh can demo or provide free trial
Cloud – low end	Shopkeep, Lavu, Silver, Clover, Revel	Super easy to learn and use	Weak for multi-location operations, limited reporting. Some systems lock you into contracts with specific credit card processing companies	$3000 - $4000 for typical 2 lane store for hardware + $120 - $200 a month per location for software subscription	Yes on Silver
Cloud – mid level	Bindo Lightspeed	Easy to use and better designed for multi-location operations	Mixed reviews – somewhat pricey	$3000 - $4000 for typical 2 lane store for hardware + $200 - $300 a month per location for software subscription	Yes on Bindo
Cloud/Windows – high end	Microsoft Dynamics 365	Complete ERP software for entire organization	Fairly new (2017) and expensive	Easily $1000000 to $2000000 across the organization or around $60,000/month just for licensing	Yes – can be arranged
Mixed	Cloud Retailer	Part cloud/part Windows, well designed for multi-location. Latest in payment processing security while still being processor agnostic.	Might need some minor adjustments to handle round ups if needed.	$5000 - $8000 up front for a single store with 2 check out lanes + $70/month per store for software subscription and support.	Yes + can provide your organization with a full access to Cloud Retailer for up to 60 days.
Windows – Low end	Retail Management Hero	Designed for all types of retail – fairly low cost – flexible	Multi-location version will not be available until Q1 2018	$8000 - $10000 for typical 2 lane store . No mandatory on-going fees	Yes – have full copy.
Windows – mid level	Retail Pro	Stable system	Not truly for thrift, fairly outdated	$12000 - $16000 for typical 2 lane store . No mandatory on-going fees	No
Windows – customized for thrift	NCR Counterpoint SQL	Lots of thrift store customizations – in use already at multiple thrift stores (of which many I have met with in person)	Amazingly expensive	$12000 - $18000 for typical 2 lane store . No mandatory on-going fees	Have full copy of the basic software – general information on thrift store enhancements
Windows – discontinued (but in use at a lot of chain thrift stores)	Microsoft RMS, Microsoft RMS HQ, Microsoft POS 2009, Microsoft POS 2.0, Microsoft Dynamics AX	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Software in bold means that it is use at thrift stores and/or well designed for thrift stores.

Contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com with any questions or if you have interest in the onsite consultancy services that I offer.

Best Point of Sale System for Paint Stores

Recent conversations and in person visits with multiple paint and glass retail stores have prompted me to create the video below showing how Retail Management Hero (RMH) and Cloud Retailer work well in these types of stores.

While both Retail Management Hero and Cloud Retailer work well, some of the key differences depend on how you want to handle the following:

1. How do you want to handle purchasing and receiving?
2. Do you have more than one location?
3. Do you prefer to buy your software and hardware upfront or use a subscription based solution?
4. Do you have a need for the system to prepare quotes and work orders?
5. Would you like all your data to be stored on a computer at the store or are cloud based "access anywhere" systems of interest to you? 

Here is the video (which is also a great comparison video comparing RMH and Cloud Retailer as replacement programs for Microsoft Dynamics RMS):

As always, contact me at 208-340-5632 or kevinantosh@gmail.com for more information.

Best Point of Sale Systems for Wineries

Even though I live in a desert like area of Idaho, I'm actually only about 15 miles away from two areas of Idaho that have multiple vineyards and wineries and felt that it may be helpful to pass along my experience working with wineries to provide them with cash registers or complete point of sale systems.

Wineries have some unique needs depending on size, customer base, online sales, distribution, and on site events.  Many wineries have tasting rooms, offer tours, have on-site sales, a restaurant, a loyalty program, and distribute their products and/or sell their products online. There is also a seasonal factor depending on the location of the winery.

Smaller wineries whose annual retail sales are under $150,000 would find that a basic cash register or a simple cloud based point of sale system will automate some aspects of the business and provide basic sales and inventory reports.

Wineries generating $150,000 to $400,000 in annual gross retail sales will find cash registers to be too basic so cloud based mobile point of sale solutions are a good match.

For wineries exceeding the $400,000 mark, you are at the point that a true point of sale system is the route to take as you likely want some or all of the following:

• Custom products labels with extended descriptions
• Ability to sell products by single item or case
• Mix and match promotions (special price when 6 different type of wine is purchased)
• Promotional packages like selling the wine along with an opener and decanter
• Wine Club loyalty program
• Email marketing
• Ticketing/Admissions for events and tours
• Sample event tickets
• Food sales
• Wholesale product sales/distribution sales

This is not a complete list but these are some of the more common requests that wineries have shared with me.  I know that Microsoft RMS/Retail Management Hero, NCR CounterPoint, Cloud Retailer and Retail Realm Essentials/Microsoft Dynamics AX are systems that are in use at wineries and market their solutions specifically to wineries. 

As these systems have significant cost differences, you'll want to speak with someone directly who can help you decide which systems are best for your winery. If you are not already working with a company that sells the above systems (or are not happy with their level of service & support) , and are in the US, please contact me on my cell at 208-340-5632 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com and I'd happy to provide some no cost advice. 

Another Milestone

OK - not really news but pretty cool to let folks know that this rather basic blog site has just surpassed 50,000 page views, my YouTube videos have generated over 10,000 views and my contact database is now over 4,400 contacts!

I'm still committed to offering unbiased information and advice as the Lord allows.

Best Point of Sale Systems for Thrift Stores Like Goodwill

Update 7/12/2017: More updated version of this post (new solutions/options and multiple discount offers for non-profit organizations) can be found here: http://www.pospondering.com/2017/07/best-point-of-sale-systems-for-thrift.html

I've received calls and emails from several thrift shops and second hard stores over the last month or so.  Because thrift shops and second hand stores tend to only track inventory at a department or category level (version tracking inventory at an item level), the current generation of mobile point of sale solutions works quite well.  Bindo Point of Sale (www.bindopos.com) is one great solution for the following reasons:

• Designed solely for retail unlike Revel POS and NCR Silver which are also designed for use in food service business as well as retail stores.
• Bindo has multi-location options.
• Timeclock function.
• Easy to train your staff and volunteers on how to use Bindo.
• Unlike Clover, Intuit, and HarborTouch, Bindo lets you "pick, choose, and change" who handles your merchant services - no costly long term merchant services commitment.

Another route many Goodwill stores have taken is to use a special version of NCR CounterPoint SQL which has been modified to use in the thrift shop/store environment (using iPads at donation sites, able to sell by category/department color, etc) To learn more about this special version of NCR CounterPoint SQL, please get in touch with me so I can connect you with the correct contact.

A third route is moving to Cloud Retailer which has proven to be very popular with Microsoft Dynamics RMS users due to large discounts as well as thrift stores in general.

Be sure to contact me if you are in need of unbiased point of sale advice or even paid onsite consulting as I have worked with several Goodwills and am listed with Goodwill HQ as a point of sale consultant that is completely vendor neutral.

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.

What Point of Sale Systems are the Most Popular

Since late 2013, I have provided free and unbiased advice to over 400 retail stores, restaurants, and museums. Many of you have been kind enough to let me know what you ended up purchasing.

On the retail side, Bindo Point of Sale (www.bindopos.com) has emerged as the clear winner. With advanced features that point of sale systems like NCR Silver and First Data Clover can't offer, Bindo combines what folks want in a POS system while keeping the affordability that cloud based systems offer.

On the food service side, Sapphire from Khamu (http://www.khamu.com/) has proven to be popular. With dedication to the restaurant market, personalized service, and a price much lower than other restaurant solutions like MICROS, Digital Dining, and Aloha, Sapphire offers a complete solution at a budget friendly price point.

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.

Video Review of Bindo POS in a Marijuana Dispensary/Retail Store

I've mentioned before that I have received calls and emails from folks who have opened, or are planning on opening retail stores dealing with the sale of Marijuana. With more and more states legalizing the retail sale of Marijuana, I thought that a quick video overview of how some Marijuana stores are using Bindo Point of Sale to track sales and customer information would be helpful.

Obviously requirements vary from state to state but something that tracks sales and taxes collected is much better than tracking everything by hand.

You can always contact me for more nformation on anything point of sale related - if I can't help you then I am usually able to point you in the right direction.

For a full demo and more information on Bindo Point of Sale, please visit www.bindopos.com or call 800-MY-BINDO.

Here is the video:

Best Systems for Marijuana Related Stores

With more states legalizing the retail sale of marijuana, I have received several calls and emails from folks asking for help in choosing the best cash register or point of sale system for their business.

While a cash register would work, many of you are under strict reporting requirements as well as various tax collecting and reporting requirements so I generally recommend looking at the tablet or mobile type of point of sale systems for tracking sales and inventory. An added bonus is that the tablet systems also allow for various security levels to be setup to prevent employees from giving discounts to friends or family.

Some of the tablet or mobile point of sale systems also include customer loyalty programs and the ability to print scanable barcode labels.

When looking at the various solutions, be sure to keep the following in mind:

1. If you sell by weight then make sure the system will work with a scale or allow for a price calculation based on weight.
2. Depending on how taxes are collected, make sure that the system can handle multiple taxes as well as provide a break down of various taxes collected.
3. If your state allows you to accept credit and debit cards for payment from customers, then make sure that the system will work with the place that handles your debit and credit card processing services (commonly referred to as "merchant services"). This is important as not all merchant services companies will provide credit and debit card processing services to business that sell marijuana.
4. Don't forget to ask about EMV compliance. No sense buying something now only to have to spending more money in 2015 to be EVM compliant.
5. Ask for references of businesses like your already using the point of sale system that you are considering and contact those businesses or visit in person if possible.

Be sure to contact me if you have any questions.  I can't sell you anything but I am keeping tabs on which systems have proven to be popular with retail stores selling Marijuana of which I know that Bindo POS has proven to be very popular in the state of California. More reviews on Bindo POS can be found here: https://bindopos.com/reviews

Buying Tip: Best Practices and Top Tips for Choosing a Point of Sale System

By request, a video sharing my top tips and best practices to use when searching for a point of sale system. This applies to anyone and everyone who is searching for a point of sale system to track sales, inventory/food, and customer/guest information.

I cover quite a bit very quickly (tough to compress 15 years of experience in to an 11 minute video) so be sure to contact me for additional unbiased point of sale advice.

Best Point of Sale Systems for Museums

Right on the heels of folks asking me for advice in selecting the best point of sale system for a student store comes folks asking for advice related to the best point of sale solution for a museum.

I have worked with many museums across the United States over the years and also conducted gift shop and admissions technology solution workshops at various museum conferences. As museums vary greatly in size and operational budgets, here is what I have found to work best.

• Medium to Large scale museum with attractions or venues like OMNI theaters have found that NCR CounterPoint is a great solution since CounterPoint has ticketing options and venue seating options. Plan on a full scale solution for the entire museum running $20,000 to $120,000+.
• Small and Medium sized museums are also finding out that the new generation of mobile point of sale solutions work very well and are very budget friendly. Some expamples include NCR Silver or Cloud Retailer.
• I still have multiple museums using the Microsoft RMS software who have expressed an interest in upgrading to Retail Management Hero and/or using Card Defender for RMS as an interim solution.

Extremely small museums or museums that lack revenue/funding generally have to stick with a $200.00 cash register until funding or revenue becomes available to move up to a mobile point of sale 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 (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.