Supermarket POS Systems

Keeping Supermarket Retailing Under Control

Anyone who runs any kind of retail establishment knows that a point of sale system is one of the most important parts of the retailing set up, and this is especially true in food retailing, which tends to deal with a large volume of fast moving goods. Due to this fact, supermarket POS systems are now offered by a wide variety of POS suppliers, each with their own specializations and price ranges. This article will take a look at some of the considerations that need to be borne in mind before choosing a point of sale system for a retail establishment, particularly one for a small supermarket.

One of the first things you need to bear in mind is that a decent system will include electronic payment clearance, which will enable the retailer to take credit cards and debit cards as well as cash. Many people now choose to pay by electronic means, which means this is an essential part of the modern retailing setup. A low-cost POS system may give you the essentials you need to run your show or store, but it may not give you all you need to take the full range of electronic payment options. This should be taken into consideration when looking at the prices, and when fixing your budget for your retail computer system.

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Keeping control of stock

Another thing that needs to be given some thought is how the system will fit in with an inventory management system, since this can be an essential part of any retail computer set up. Keeping control of stock can be a time-consuming job, and so when the point of sale system can keep track of what is being sold and when new stock needs to be ordered, this can free up a lot of time for the busy retailer. This is especially true for small establishments which do not have a large number of staff.

The main consideration that needs to be made are the type of supermarket POS software that needs to be installed, and there are many suppliers such as Microsoft and Aloha POS systems which have a good reputation. However, you also need to make sure that the hardware fits in with your needs, and make sure that any hardware you buy is compatible with the software, and also will run with each other. For instance, you need to make sure that the barcode scanner will work with the cash register, and that the cash register will work with the credit card reader and so on. These days there are very few connection problems, since most manufacturers use either the OPOS standards or JavaPOS, and so compatibility issues should not be a problem. However it is always worth while checking before you go ahead and order any hardware for your system.

Grocery store POS

For many store owners a complete system will be the best choice, and one worth considering is the ACT-POS 8015 Posiflex system, a POS system made for the small to medium grocery store. Retailing at around $3500, this is based on CRE Professional POS software and includes and Intel system and 15" Touchscreen POS monitor. Also included is an integrated credit card reader (also can read gift cards), keyboard and optical mouse, along with thermal receipt printer, cash drawer age verification scanner.

Another system is KreaPOS Mini Market Pro, a system which includes a magnetic card reader, touch screen monitor, cash drawer and bar code scanners, along with the ability to set discounts by item or order and printing of barcode labels on laser, inkjet or label printers. There is also the Nurol grocery store point of sale station. Retailing at $2,900, this system includes a 17" Nurolpos pos touchscreen monitor, thermal receipt printer, cash drawer, omnidirectional laser scanner, and credit card reader.

High end retail system or low end?

Overall, when choosing the system and set up the main considerations that need to be made include choosing the right software solution for the size of your business, including whether or not it works with QuickBooks, and also enables you to do credit card processing easily and cheaply. You also need to consider how much business you will do over the average year, and decide whether or not it is within your budget to go for a high-end system, or something that is at the cheap end of the scale. Once this is decided, the hardware choices you make will depend on how they integrate, with the systems including such things as retail scanners, terminals, cash registers, and handheld POS terminals with touchscreen technology.

The best idea can be to hire a qualified POS consultant who will ensure that the whole system works together as an integrated whole. Do this and you have a good chance of finding a POS system that helps your supermarket or small store run more efficiently and make you more profits in the long-term.