The POS Software Blog

The POS Software Blog

News from Tower Systems about locally made POS software for specialty local retailers.

Latest stories

Locally made POS software is more suited to local retail needs

August 8, 2025
3 Min read
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POS software made offshore is less likely to serve local retail business needs in Australian and New Zealand. And, for sure, local small business retailers in Australian and New Zealand have needs unique to their situation.

How’s a developer in India, Russia, Indonesia or Bulgaria going to understand and serve local retail needs. It’s unlikely they will since they are more likely developing software for the world market.

Oooh, the world market. It feels grand and something to lean into. In reality, the world market is generic, safe, average.

Local retail serves the local community. It is unique, local. It has local language and supports sharing local insights, such as product care information relevant to locals

If you look at your needs as a local retailer and then at software that may suit you, we are sure that you will find locally made and supported POS software more financially beneficial for your business than something made offshore, far away from your business and likely not tuned to the local needs of your shop.

Local software developers have an intimate understanding of market nuances. Locally developed POS software is purpose-built to address these.

Locally based software companies have an ability to provide more responsive support and quicker updates to address local market shifts, regulatory changes, or customer feedback.

When you choose a POS software, you are choosing a partner for your business, a partner for your business. The choice is It’s about a business that understands your business and its needs and the way you do business.

By supporting a locally based software company, you’re investing in a partnership that will grow with your business and the local economy. So, before you commit to a generic, one-size-fits-all solution, take a moment to consider how a truly local software can empower your shop to thrive.

Local retail businesses like yours are unlikely to be generic, so why go with generic software.

Take your time. Understand what matters to you. Look around. Don’t be pressured. Consider whether your localness matters to the future of your business.

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While the right POS system depends on the specific needs of your retail business, Tower Systems was built to solve these exact challenges for Australian and New Zealand local small business specialty retailers. To see how we can help you…, request a free, no-obligation demo today.

Call 1300 662 957 in Australia or 0800 444 367 in New Zealand. Or, email sales@towersystems.com.au.

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Beyond the Basics: what Australian specialty retailers need from their POS Software

August 7, 2025
4 Min read
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Specialty retailers are specialty, specialist. It’s natural they would benefit from software made for their type of retail business, software that lifts up their specialisation.

It’s easy to be dazzled by large-scale Point of Sale platforms from companies with big marketing budgets. The promise to scale your business can be alluring. Indie specialty retailers, the garden centres, newsagencies, gift shops, bike shops, music shops, toy shops, firearms dealers, produce businesses and jewellers that are the heart of our local communities—is a “one-size-fits-all” approach truly the right fit?

Specialty retailers deserve more than a generic solution. They need a true partner, armed with technology that understands and adapts to their unique world. When choosing your next POS system, here are the key points of difference to consider—the factors that move beyond the basics and deliver real value to your bottom line.

1. The power of a purpose-built solution

A general retail platform might be great at selling t-shirts, but does it understand the complexities of managing live plant stock with seasonal variations? Can it handle the intricate process of book returns or magazine returns or the specific supplier integrations your niche requires? Can you sell by fractions? Does it integrate with dispatch tools? A specialist POS is designed from the ground up for your industry. This means:

  • Workflows that make sense: The software follows the logic of your business, not the other way around. From managing complex inventory to handling industry-specific sales processes, everything is built to make your daily operations smoother and more efficient.
  • Features you’ll actually use: Instead of paying for bloat with countless features you’ll never touch, a specialist solution provides relevant functionality that makes a tangible difference to your business.

2. The value of local expertise you can talk to

When you have a critical issue or a unique business query, the last thing you want is to be routed through a global call centre, to talk to someone reading off a rigid script. Having a partner whose entire team is based locally is a powerful advantage. This gives you:

  • Support that understands your type of business: A local team understands the nuances of Australian and New Zealand retail, from GST and compliance to local consumer behaviour.
  • A direct line to experts: When your support, sales, and even development teams are all under one roof, you have a direct line to people who are deeply invested in your success. It’s a true partnership.

3. Freedom and flexibility: your business, your rules

Every local specialty retail business is unique. The right technology will empower your specialisation. Here’s where it can matter:

  • Payment processing freedom: Choose the EFTPOS provider that offers the best rates and service for your business. Being locked into a single, mandatory payments platform removes your negotiating power and can lead to higher costs over time.
  • Business continuity: What happens if your internet goes down during the Saturday morning rush? A hybrid system that combines the security of on-premise data with the flexibility of the cloud ensures you can keep trading. Add a true “sell anywhere” mobile solution for markets and pop-ups, and you have a system that works wherever you do.
  • Transparent commercials: You’ll love pricing without being forced into long-term contracts. A simple monthly rental model puts you in control of your expenses and your commitment.

4. Future-proofing with smart, flexible technology

The right POS partner gives independent retailers access to the same advanced tools as the big chains.

  • Seamless eCommerce integration: Your POS should be the central hub of your business, connecting seamlessly with leading eCommerce platforms like Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce to keep your online and in-store operations perfectly in sync.
  • Practical AI at your fingertips: Imagine having an expert copywriter and data analyst on your team. Modern POS software can embed powerful AI tools like Google Gemini and ChatGPT directly into your workflow, helping you write compelling product descriptions, craft marketing emails, and analyse sales data in seconds.

For Australian specialty retailers, the right POS is more than just software—it’s a strategic asset. By choosing a partner that offers deep specialisation, true flexibility, and a genuine local partnership, you are building a foundation for a more resilient, efficient, and profitable future.

Tower Systems is at your service with locally supported POS software for specialty retailers.

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While the right POS system for making a switch smooth and easy depends on the specific needs of your retail business, Tower Systems was built to solve these exact challenges for Australian and New Zealand local small business specialty retailers. To see how we can help you…, request a free, no-obligation demo today.

Call 1300 662 957 in Australia or 0800 444 367 in New Zealand. Or, email sales@towersystems.com.au. 

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Customer service matters in retail, and it matters in businesses that serve retailers

August 6, 2025
4 Min read
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The most important differentiator in retail is the service provided to customers. It’s the services customers receive that they are more likely to talk about than any product they purchase.

Customer service in retail really is that important. It’s something online retailers struggle to match, because no matter how hard they try, shopping online is not personal.

Too often retail staff are treated as a cost to business, a burden to bear, an overhead. An alternative view is that retail staff are an asset of the business, the asset, the differentiator.

Staff who are respected, appreciated and motivated make the difference for a business, and this can be a game changer.

If staff are paid the award wage set by the Fair Work Commission, it’s possible they see their role as average, that they don’t feel motivated beyond being average. Of course, there are plenty of ways retailers can motivate and nurture employees beyond the pay cheque.

While fair compensation is essential, the best retailers understand that building a great team requires more than just a regular pay cheque. Investing in your employees in other ways shows you value them, which in turn inspires them to provide exceptional service.

  • Offer training and development: Don’t just teach staff how to use the cash register. Invest in training that helps them grow, whether it’s learning about new products, mastering sales techniques, or developing leadership skills. This shows you’re committed to their future, not just their current role.
  • Empower them to make decisions: Trust your employees to handle customer complaints or find creative solutions without needing to ask for permission. When you give them autonomy, they feel a greater sense of ownership and are more invested in the business’s success.
  • Recognise and appreciate their efforts: A simple “thank you” can go a long way. Publicly recognise staff who go above and beyond, whether it’s through a “Customer Service Star” award, a shout-out in a team meeting, or a personalised note. Recognition is a powerful motivator that costs very little.
  • Build a positive team culture: Foster a work environment where employees feel supported, respected, and part of a team. When staff enjoy coming to work and feel a connection to their colleagues and managers, they are far more likely to be enthusiastic and go the extra mile for a customer.

Ultimately, the competitive advantage for brick-and-mortar retail isn’t just about the products on the shelves; it’s about the people on the floor. While online stores can offer convenience and endless options, they can’t replicate a genuine, positive human interaction.

By treating your staff as your most valuable asset—and investing in their growth, happiness, and motivation—you’re not just improving morale. You’re creating the kind of memorable, personal experience that customers will talk about, return for, and make your business stand out from the rest.

Now, why is a POS software company writing about this? We work with thousands of small business retailers across a range of retail channels. We talk with plenty daily and help not only with the tech but beyond. Retail is in our DNA.

Our customer service is personal. Call, and we answer.

We love helping local indie retailers at every opportunity.

When we see opportunities for local retailers to differentiate and thrive, we talk about it. This area of employee motivation and support is one such area. Our software plays a role here. It can support employees to be empowered and help local retail businesses to provide a level of service that does set them apart.

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Tower Systems is not your usual POS software company. We help local independent t retailers thrive.

Call 1300 662 957 in Australia or 0800 444 367 in New Zealand. Or, email sales@towersystems.com.au. 

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POS software on show at Reed Gift Fair Melbourne

August 5, 2025
2 Min read
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We have had a terrific first three days of the Reed Gift Fair in Melbourne. Starting Saturday, our stand was busy as we met with plenty of new prospects for our software. We are also grateful to catch up with plenty of existing customers.

We are loving being the only POS software company at the trade show.

The AI tools in our POS software are a hit along with other innovation we have on show like theft mitigation and awesome time saving opportunities.

Today is day four and we are recharged and raring to go.

Trade shows are a wonderful way to be discovered by potential customers who otherwise may not ever hear about you. They can see you in a space they understand, and intentionally visit.

Our approach to trade shows is no pressure. We don’t chase people. Those who want to walk past the stand and understand what we do can see it in our collateral. Again, no pressure. People who want to know more can sit with us a while for a chat.

This approach works as we have seen people walk past and notice us and, then, sometime later, come back for a chat. We treat it as we want to be treated ourselves when shopping – let us do our thing, on our timing – when we’re ready, we’ll approach.

Tower Systems has been doing the Reed Gift Fair in Melbourne for many years. This year is fresh in that we are seeing a more diverse group of retailers, which is good. jewellers, garden centres, gift shops, homewares shops, toy shops, baby shops and newsagents have attended so far. These are all vertical retail channels we serve with our POS software.

So, as we saddle up for day four of the Reed Gift Fair in Melbourne we reflect gratefully on the opportunity to be here and to be found. It’s good to be here and wonderful to ge to speak with so many indie retailers.

Our ideal customer is a local small retail business in one of the verticals in which we specialise. We’re not after big businesses, franchises or chains.

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Unifying Your Bricks-and-Mortar Store and Your Shopify Website

July 26, 2025
3 Min read
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Unifying a bricks-and-mortar store, a high street store as some call it, and a Shopify website for that same store can be a challenge. Not all POS systems make this unification easy.

Some software businesses refer to this unification of as omnichannel. The label doesn’t matter. What matters is that retailers have the toolset necessary to meet their customers where and when they want. This is the flexibility that retailers need from their POS system.

A unified solution that is proven to work is a POS system directly integrated with Shopify. This provides the business with robust deep retail management features in the POS system as online tools and flexibility in the Shopify platform. each has their area of specialisation.

The best approach is for the POS system to own and manage inventory and to feed sales and other business data through to an integrated accounting solution. In this world, Shopify captures online sales and these are reported real time to the POS system. The POS system, likewise, provides inventory data such as pricing, images and product descriptions to Shopify. This is all done non the background, seamlessly.

This unified approach to a bricks and mortar store and a Shopify website beings to the business the ability to manage inventory in one place, to accurately share sales transactions and to capture sales where it is mist suited by the customer,

A good POS system will make the link easy, seamless, with appropriate data flowing in both directions to avoid duplication of labour. This is where you need to research POS systems to ensure that you only consider those with the dynamic live link described, that works the way you want it to work for you.

If you have a question about whether a POS system does deliver a seamless Shopify integration it’s best you ask the question. be sure to ask that they show it to you live as it is the type of business functional need that you need to see for yourself. It is too easy for a sales person to say sure we link to Shopify. You want to satisfy yourself of the how so you can assess whether the approach they show you is what will serve your business and its needs. Not all POS systems link with Shopify in the same way.

The more careful you are at this stage of the process the better the solution that you choose will be for your business. take your time, do your research. be sure about what you need and see the answers pitched for yourself, first-hand.

Unifying a bricks-and-mortar store with Shopify is easy with the right POS system partner and with the right approach, mindset and business processes on your side.

With the right POS system, local small business retailers can easily sell in-store and online. Tower Systems solves this challenge for Australian and New Zealand local small business specialty retailers. To see how we can help you…, request a free, no-obligation demo today.

Call 1300 662 957 in Australia or 0800 444 367 in New Zealand. Or, email sales@towersystems.com.au. 

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The 7 POS Features Every Specialty Retailer Needs in 2025.

July 25, 2025
4 Min read
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What POS systems are good for in retail businesses has changed. This is even more true in specialty retail, local small business retail.

Judging a possible POS system for your shop based on what was considered important even a year ago could see you end up with a POS system that is not fit for the needs of retail today and into the future. It is hard, though, to know what matters now compared to last year.

Here are The 7 POS Features Every Specialty Retailer Needs in 2025.

Embedded AI. Yes, AI tools embedded in your POS system, replacing tasks you’d otherwise do manually, delivering insights that otherwise may take hours to collect, showing you pathways to profit you might otherwise have missed. While there are plenty of AI tools in the world, some of which are beneficial to specialty retailers, it is AI tools in your POS systems that are more likely to help day-to-day as they are there, part of the eco system your business inhabits.

Payments flexibility. As a retailer you want the ability to get the best price possible for managing payments. Make sure that your POS system provider supports you here, that they allow you to connect with the payments platform of your choice without financial penalty or cost from them.

Theft mitigation. Theft costs specialty retail somewhere between 3% and 5% of turnover each year.  Make sure any POS system you are considering has facilities for understanding theft by helping you to identify it. Once you identify the how of theft you can act to stop it.

Online integrations. Connectivity between your POS system and Xero, Shopify, Big Commerce, Magento, Woo Commerce MYOB, scales, rostering apps, delivery software, book databases, product inventory barcode databases and more are time savers, mistake reducers and more for retail businesses with access to these integrations.

Insights not reports. Reports are so last year for retailers. Who has the time to go searching for information. Look for a POS system that provides actionable insights without the need to run a report. Many POS systems have replaced reports with a dashboard of business performance insights.

Sell anywhere. The ability to sell away from the sales counter, away from the shop completely, at a market, on the road, where your customers are at is a key need in local retail today. Look for a POS system that offers this flexibility.

Easy learning. The better you understand how to use any tool the more you can get from that tool. Being able to learn more about the best way to use your POS system for profitable action is vital for your business achieving a return on the POS system investment.

Bonus: actionable steps to profit growth. Easy price comparison with local retailers, easy importing of supplier invoices, automatic writing of good product descriptions and automatic writing of traffic attracting blog posts abut products are all benefits of embedded AI tools in a POS system. Look for these and for the financial results on which you can bank.

These are all facilities you need to expect from a POS system today, in addition to what you expect about being able to sell how you have in the past. Not all POS systems have kept up with changes in tech in service in local small business specialty retail in 2025.

While the right POS system for any business depends on the specific needs of that retail business, Tower Systems continues to evolve to be current, relevant and valuable for Australian and New Zealand local small business specialty retailers. To see how we can help you…, request a free, no-obligation demo today.

Call 1300 662 957 in Australia or 0800 444 367 in New Zealand. Or, email sales@towersystems.com.au. 

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How to Switch POS Systems Without Losing Your Sanity (or Your Data)

July 24, 2025
4 Min read
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Fears of complexity of switching from one POS system to another can be a reason why some retailers do not change their POS system.

There is the fear of loss of data, the cost of change (time to setup the new software, time to train all your staff, and more), the pause while those tracking business performance take time to learn new reports and processes and there is fears of complexity of getting to know new tech people.

Fear of change is natural. Here are some tips from years of experience on How to Switch POS Systems Without Losing Your Sanity (or Your Data).

Know the why. Know why you want to switch from your current POS system. If there why has a value associated with it, this is your North Star, the goal you want to reach from the switch. It could be the cost of the current software, its failure to genuinely serve the needs of the business or that the software does not have the assists you need to take your business to the next pevel. be sure of the why and remind yourself of this in the road to change is frustrating, which it will be.

Figure out what matters. It’s like moving house. What to you ditch before the move? What has value to the future you? In this case, what data matter to the viability of your business into the future. Sometimes, a POS system has been used to collect poor data of questionable value. If this is your situation, bringing bad data to your new home is likely a waste of time and money. Oh, and be aware that plenty of times starting afresh is the best and least costly move for the business.

Be sure what you can bring. Some POS systems don’e make it easy for you to extract your data for a new POS system. While that should have been a red flag when considering that software, the situation is the situation. It has to be dealt with, Find out what you can get access to, how and any cost associated with this. Doing this early in considering a new POS software will make moving house easier.

Make a plan. Working with the folks from your new POS systems company, develop a migration plan with clarity as to what is making the move and what is not. Create a list of tasks,. be sure of who is responsible for what. Be realistic. Don’t impose deadlines that cannot be reasonably met. read the responsibility. Make sure the plan has contingencies for setbacks. There will be setbacks.

Test the plan. If you are migrating data to the new POS system. Have all involved in that tech work do a trial to ensure data comes across as expected. Only you can decide if data comes across as you expect. be responsible for it.

Once the ducks are in a row, go!. When you are ready and everything and everyone is in place, press go. be engaged personally if it is your business. You have the most to gain or lose.

The success  of switching POS systems without losing your sanity comes down to planning along with consistent application of the plans.

While the right POS system for making a switch smooth and easy depends on the specific needs of your retail business, Tower Systems was built to solve these exact challenges for Australian and New Zealand local small business specialty retailers. To see how we can help you…, request a free, no-obligation demo today.

Call 1300 662 957 in Australia or 0800 444 367 in New Zealand. Or, email sales@towersystems.com.au. 

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5 Ways Your POS System Can Help Small Business Retailers Thrive in a Cost of Living Crisis

July 23, 2025
3 Min read
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Cost of living crisis is in the headlines so much lately. It is being screamed by media outlets as if the headline itself is a traffic lure. These stories and economic challenges in the community make for complex settings retailers must deal with.

Retailers can either watch and talk about a situation or actively lean into it.

Here are 5 ways your POS systems can help your retail business thrive in a cost of living crisis.

Have appealing prices. While this may sound like a lazy answer, it is a good answer that any small business retailer can play into.  Think about price as a perception of value of something. Often in retail, that something is a product. If you bundle more products into a new single product the perception can change. Be thoughtful in your bundling. delivery what customers will want and will buy. Price the bundle at not far off the sum of each of the items. The physical bundle itself, carefully curated by you, is the value pitch. Use your software to manage the bundles.

Offer dollar rewards, not points. The value of points in loyalty programs is diminished because of how major corporations have plenyed with them, manipulated them over the years. Money, on the other hand , has an understood value. By rewarding loyalty with dollars off a future purchase will enhance customer perception of value from your shop. Use your software to offer dollars off for loyalty.

Be in stock rather than out of stock. Basket data show that the top 10% of items in local independent retail businesses are out of stock 20% and more of the time. Identifying potential out of stocks in advance and buying inventory so you are not out of stock is a guaranteed way to increase revenue and profit. Use your POS software to easily and consistently identify possible out of stocks based on you current sales trends.

Dead stock sinks businesses – declutter. Look at what’s not selling, what is costing you money just keeping it on the shelf, what is taking space you could use for more successful products. Get rid of this dead stock and replace it with products that will sell. Do this regularly, using parameters appropriate to your type of business. Make decisions based on the evidence and not emption. Your POS system can show you the inventory items that are dead.

Reduce your labour costs. While retail is a people business, too often retail businesses are paying people to do things that can be automated. Look at how you order inventory, how your price it, the time it takes to load inventory data into your systems and the time your people spend writing promotional information about new products. Much of the labour described here can be eliminated. Use your POS system’s AI tools to do this.

How your business copes in times of a cost of living crisis is up to you. Being a bystander watching what’s going on achieves little for the business and those dependant on it for income. Leaning in and embracing the opportunities for the benefit of the business helps everyone.

While the right POS system delivering these opportunities and benefits depends on your specific needs, Tower Systems was built to solve these exact challenges for Australian and New Zealand local small business specialty retailers. To see how we can help you…, request a free, no-obligation demo today.

Call 1300 662 957 in Australia or 0800 444 367 in New Zealand. Or, email sales@towersystems.com.au.

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Learning how to use POS software can save businesses – it’s like learning to drive a car

July 22, 2025
2 Min read
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Driving a car without learning how to drive a car is dangerous. The same is true for POS software, good POS software that comes with options for tuning it to serve your needs.

Learn how to drive your POS software and your business will reap rewards.

Here at Tower Systems we provide retailers and retail employees with personal training and plenty of other POS software training options.

We understand the importance of a skilled and confident retail team. Our POS software has user-friendliness at its core, complemented by easy-to-access training resources.

Our POS software training is empowers local small business retail staff to become POS software experts quickly, maximising its potential to streamline your retail operations.

In addition to our personal one-on-one training, staff can access a library of up-to-date video tutorials covering a wide range of topics, from core functionalities to advanced features. This allows them to learn at their own pace, regardless of prior experience and regardless of their situation.

This easy access to POS software training for retail staff is vital for any retail business, especially so in local independent small retail businesses where staff have to multi-task, where they need to help the business be efficient so the it may compete with bigger and better resourced retailers.

For those seeking a structured approach, we offer a subject-matter focussed curriculum that guides them through the software functionalities step-by-step. Alternatively, staff can dive right into specific topics by choosing individual video tutorials or in-depth articles from our extensive and up to date POS software knowledge base.

POS software training resources from Tower Systems are freely available and accessible 24/7, making them a valuable addition to your existing training regime. Additionally, they seamlessly integrate with our POS software help desk service, which provides further support for any questions or challenges your staff might encounter.

Helping local retailers thrive is core to what we offer at Tower Systems, through our POS software, and through the training resources provided with our POS software. The training assets are enhanced regularly, to ensure genuine value for our small business retail customers.

To learn more about our Tower Systems POS software and our comprehensive training resources, call 1300 662957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au or visit our website at www.towersystems.com.au.

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New website: Rodney’s relics, Bingara, NSW

July 21, 2025
1 Min read
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Rodney’s Relics https://rodneysrelics.com.au is a new website created by Tower Systems. It’s connected to Bingara newsagency located in the small town of Bingara, on the Gwydir River in the New England region of New South Wales.

We are grateful to count them as a Tower Systems customer and that they trusted us to create this POS software connected website for their business. From zero to live in a month. It’s part of our fast-track low-cost website build for local indie retailers.

Screenshot

Check them out online https://rodneysrelics.com.au or, better still, in beautiful Bingara.

#SmallBusiness #retail #POSsoftware#Shopify #Gifts

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