Supporting local
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This is made for local small business retailers, and it’s part of our Tower Systems POS software.
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A new video from us:
Discount vouchers are a time-tested marketing tool, made easy by us. Our Tower Systems POS offers a seamless and sophisticated solution to streamline your promotional efforts.
They help local small business retailers differentiate, deliver value and engage with shoppers. Dollars are more easily understood than points. Point = big business.
This video provides a comprehensive guide to mastering the art of the discount voucher using the Tower Systems POS software. Learn how to effortlessly create and customise vouchers to perfectly match your brand and marketing campaigns. Whether you’re running a seasonal promotion, a special event, or a targeted offer, you’ll have the tools to make it a success.
The video also dives into the nitty-gritty of voucher management, showing you how to track redemption rates, monitor the success of your campaigns, and gain valuable insights into your customer’s purchasing habits. This data-driven approach allows you to refine your strategies and maximise your return on investment.
Discover how to:
Design vouchers that grab attention – on each receipt.
Generate voucher promotions.
It’s so easy, and fast to setup.
Seamlessly redeem vouchers at the point of sale, ensuring a smooth customer experience.
Leverage advanced features. Discount vouchers are smart and easy and innovative.
Stop leaving money on the table and start harnessing the power of strategic discounting. Watch this tutorial to unlock the full potential of discount vouchers and take your retail business to the next level!
Our discount vouchers help you leverage a smarter, more responsive business. Take direct control of your promotional strategy. Turn simple vouchers into a powerful engine for growth, customer engagement, and increased profitability.
Using discount vouchers in the Tower Systems POS software is so easy. This 10 minute video is the ultimate guide to in-store vouchers for local small business retailers.
Tower Systems is a small business focussed POS software company developing, and supporting POS software for niche specialty retailers.
Jewellers, garden centres, bike shops, toy shops, produce businesses, farm supply businesses, fishing shops, pet shops, charity businesses, landscape gardening businesses, antique shops, sewing shops, haberdashery businesses, newsagents and more benefit from this software.
Navigating the pressures of local small business retail: suggestions for retailers on mental wellbeing
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Running a small business has always been a demanding journey, and for retailers today, the path seems to have more twists and turns than ever.
These pressures can impact the people at the heart of our businesses – our teams, our families, and ourselves. For some, the mental and emotional toll is significant.
It’s important we pause and gently consider how we approach mental wellbeing in our workplaces. This isn’t about a single day of awareness, but about embedding supportive, healthy practices into the very fabric of our daily operations.
While we are not mental health professionals, our experience in business offers a perspective on the human side of small business.
Creating a supportive environment begins with understanding and recognising the signs of struggle, and knowing what simple, practical steps can make a meaningful difference.
Beyond Blue, offers practical advice.
- Make time for daily movement: It doesn’t have to be a strenuous workout. A simple walk at lunchtime can clear the head, break up the day, and help maintain a more positive outlook.
- Practise mindfulness: Mindfulness is the simple act of being aware of the present moment, without judgement. Noticing your thoughts and feelings as they arise can lower stress and help you respond to challenges more calmly and deliberately.
- Adopt clear work/life boundaries: The lines between work and home can easily blur for passionate business owners. Setting firm boundaries, like switching off work notifications after hours or dedicating weekends to family and personal time, is crucial for long-term sustainability.
- Connect with others: Find someone you trust to share your stories with—a mentor, a fellow retailer, or a friend who understands the journey. A supportive listener whose opinion you value can be an invaluable source of comfort and perspective.
It’s also vital we are aware of subtle indicators that someone—including ourselves—might be struggling. According to health professionals, these can include:
- Physical signs: A persistent feeling of unease, like a knot in your stomach, tense shoulders, frequent headaches, or even heart palpitations.
- Changes in behaviour: Difficulty sleeping, increased irritability, noticeable changes in appetite, or becoming easily emotional.
- Unclear thinking: Trouble concentrating, finding it hard to make decisions, or feeling mentally foggy and inattentive.
- Persistent low mood: We all have bad days, but if a feeling of sadness or anxiety lingers for an extended period, it’s a sign to seek support.
- Withdrawing from others: Avoiding social activities, pulling away from colleagues and family, or losing interest in hobbies that once brought joy.
- Feeling overwhelmed: When problems feel insurmountable and even small tasks seem to require a monumental effort.
If these signs feel familiar, please know that support is available. Talking about these challenges is a sign of strength. Here are some excellent, confidential resources that can help:
- Beyond Blue: Offers 24/7 counselling and extensive resources for mental wellbeing. Phone: 1300 22 4636
- Lifeline Australia: Provides 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services. Phone: 13 11 14
- Business in Mind: An online resource developed by the University of Tasmania, specifically designed to support the mental health and wellbeing of small business owners.
- SANE Australia: Offers information, peer support forums, and a helpline for those affected by complex mental health issues. Phone: 1800 187 263
Our commitment to mental health needs to be woven into our everyday conversations and actions. The most powerful tool we have is our ability to listen—to create a safe space where our team members feel seen, heard, and valued. While these conversations aren’t always easy, fostering an environment of active, compassionate listening is one of the most profound ways we can support one another.
If we can help, please reach out.
The end of manual data entry for small business retailers? See our AI invoice import in action
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In this video we demonstrating importing an invoice from Harper Collins into our bookshop software.
Our AI enables POS software is saving time, cutting mistakes and helping local small business retailers thrive.
Our bookshop software is ideal for local independent bookshops. We make it easy for these businesses with awesome tools and benefits beyond the bookshop software itself.
- Easy and accurate selling.
- Sell in-store from the counter or the shop floor.
- Search products by title or author.
- Special orders for customers.
- Club / group pricing to win more sales.
- Free integration with FindIt local marketplace.
- Easy online selling.
- TitlePage integration.
- PacStream integration.
- Locally made software.
- Local help desk support.
- Awesome training resources.
Developed and supported in Australia, our bookshop software is a direct result of collaboration with passionate bookstore owners and staff. This ensures the features you need most are readily available, allowing you to streamline operations and create a wonderful experience for your customers.
A System That Grows with You
We understand that the needs of independent bookshops are constantly evolving. The Tower Systems software reflects that commitment. We’re constantly innovating and adapting based on industry trends and your valuable feedback. Our customers have direct input into the content of bookshop software updates. The cliche is true: your success is our success. We are dedicated to providing you with the tools you need to stay ahead of the curve.
Features Designed for the Discerning Bookseller
Nurture Book Clubs: Effortlessly manage memberships, reward programs, and fundraising initiatives within the software. This fosters deeper relationships with your book-loving customers and fosters loyalty. Avid book readers are a cornerstone of any bookshop business. Special Orders Made Simple: Process special requests seamlessly, provide real-time status updates, and keep customers informed of upcoming arrivals, ensuring a smooth and efficient experience for everyone.
We understand that every bookshop is unique. That’s why we offer both cloud-based and desktop deployment options, empowering you to choose the solution that best suits your needs. And with our team of expert support staff, you’ll have a dedicated partner every step of the way, ensuring a smooth transition to the Tower Systems platform.
Buying a business with POS software? Here’s advice on how to get the most out of this in-place asset
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If you are buying a retail business that has POS software there are steps you can take to leverage the asset already in place, to easy your tradition into the business an to find early and easy wins for the business.
We see new owners sometimes want to change the POS software to something they know. What that can make sense, it could be that learning the POS software in place provides a faster pathway to making the business your own, to leverage for you a quicker return on the investment you have made in the business.
Learning the existing software makes it easier for you to make money from the existing data in the business – even is the data is not as well looked after as it may have been.
Our advice is to assess the software, and the data. Make an informed business decision as to whether they are good for how you want to run the business and what you are looking to achieve with and from the business.
Here at Tower Systems we offer new business owners with easy access to wonderful self-serve training resources as well as access to personal one-on-one training. Training is the key to unlocking the best value possible from any POS software. We know that someone trained by us will get far more utility of our POS software than someone not trained by us.
The FREE option is our library of 150+ training videos. These are organised by topic, making it easy for your to learn different parts of the software at your own pace and in your own location and without spending any money.
Our POS software for local small business retailers has many cool business building opportunities cities. Leveraging these takes knowledge of the software tools. This is where good training comes in.
The POS software you inherit could be a treasure chest of business intelligence waiting to be unlocked. It holds the secrets to your customers’ buying habits, seasonal trends, and most profitable product lines. Proper training acts as the key, transforming this raw data into actionable strategies. By investing a little time in learning the system, you empower yourself to not only continue operations seamlessly but to also quickly identify and act on these valuable insights, driving growth and ensuring your new business venture is profitable from the outset.
Advice for small business retailers who chase the next big thing too late
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We often see small business retailers chase what they think is the next big thing that’s already been a big thing for a while and is unavailable to them. This happened recently when a retailer asked us about Labubu. By the time a product goes viral on social media, it’s often too late for small businesses to capitalise on it. Instead, retailers should focus on the vast number of people searching for everyday items they already have in stock.
As we develop websites for retailers who use our POS software we spend time looking at keywords to discover opportunities for attracting visitors online and in-store. This keyword work helps us better serve our customers.
In this video we talk about keywords and share how some everyday keywords can be useful to specialty retail businesses, to remind retailers that they likely have in their shop today items people are looking for that are more important and useful than what they think may be the next big thing.
Our advice: Stop chasing fleeting social media trends and discover the goldmine you’re already sitting on. In your shop today is likely a smarter, more sustainable path to retail success by focusing on the everyday items customers are actively searching for right now. Learn how to tap into the massive, consistent demand for products you likely already have in stock, and build a thriving business on a foundation of what people truly need, rather than what’s just momentarily popular. It’s a simple yet powerful shift in perspective that can lead to lasting stability and growth.
We are grateful to engage with plenty of our customers on keyword opportunities when we are developing a Shopify website for their business. It’s all part of the Tower Systems service.
Videos like this are common from us as we offer free tonic cess practical advice to local small business retailers.
Tower Systems is a small business focussed POS software company developing, and supporting POS software for niche specialty retailers.
Jewellers, garden centres, bike shops, toy shops, produce businesses, farm supply businesses, fishing shops, pet shops, charity businesses, landscape gardening businesses, antique shops, sewing shops, haberdashery businesses, newsagents and more benefit from this software.
How is Tower Systems POS software different to Hike POS?
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We can’t accurately answer the question How is Tower Systems POS software different to Hike POS? because we have never used Hike and have never looked at the software. Here’s what we can say to anyone considering POS software for their business and comparing us with Hike POS.
- We are local. There is no call centre offshore for support.
- Our POS software is available for the desktop as well as for any device: iPad, iPhone.
- Our POS software can run in place or in the cloud – whatever is appropriate for you.
- Our software development is local in Australia and New Zealand.
- Our support is local, in Australia and New Zealand.
- Our sales team is local.
- You can see the software live in a personal demonstration for your type of business without obligation – before you make a decision.
- You can speak direct with us, here in Australia.
- All customers have direct access to the leadership team of our business.
- To access support you can call (and we answer), email (and we respond) or use our chatbot.
- You have more than 150 fresh and easy to access training videos so you always know how to use the software.
- We do our own training of retail staff, with our own experts based in Australia – and they have local retail experience.
- We regular host customer gatherings online to listed to feedback and share ideas.
- All customers get to vote of software change suggestions.
- You choose when you update the software.
- Customers love the reports in our software.
- The AI tools embedded in our software are helping retailers save time and make more money.
- Retailers love our integration with Xero, Shopify and other platforms.
If you want to compare our Tower Systems POS software to Hike POS, arrange a demonstration, show us a Hike POS function and we can show how we handle that function. We can do this in as much detail as you would like.
Choosing POS software needs to take time. Do your research. Look carefully at what matters most to you. Ensure you look into customer service delivery and make sure that what a company you are considering offers is what is appropriate to your business. This is where local support can make a difference.
Some software companies offer support via an offshore help desk where staff use scripts for supports calls. These can be rigid because the software ‘expert’ is not a local retail expert and to able to have an in the moment conversation about your business.
At Tower Systems, support delivery is local with crew members in Australia and New Zealand. We don’t use scripts on the help desk. each call is a conversation. People switching software over the years have told us this is a valuable difference for us, and for our customers.
If you are comparing Hike POS with our POS software from Tower Systems, take your time. We’ll answer all your questions. If after all that you choose to move to us, we will welcome you with gratefulness and open arms. If we know we are not right for you, we will say so.
Find the right POS software for you business and you’ll love the results.
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Tower Systems is a vertical market POS software company. That is, we make and support POS software for a select range of retail businesses: jewellers, garden centres, bike shops, toy shops, newsagents, bookshops, pet shops, produce businesses, whole foods businesses, health foods businesses, trophy shops, saddlery businesses, fishing and outdoor shops, charity shops, music shops, fabric shops, haberdashery businesses, homewares businesses, landscape businesses and more like these.
We love serving local specialty businesses, small businesses.
Email: sales@towersystems.com.au
Call 1300 662 957 or 0800 444 367 (NZ).
We all live locally
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We all live locally
AI Tools are a game changer for local indie retailers like Tackle World
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Retail software has changed more this year than in the last 10 years combined.
Embedded AI tools have changed local retail businesses forever.
AI tools available in our Tower Systems POS software today give small retail businesses an advantage over big businesses
Here are 5 ways to Tower Systems software available for Tackle World businesses is delivering appreciated benefits:
- Automatic loading of any supplier invoice PDF. The Ai tools scan the invoice and extract product details, pricing and more.
- Optimised product listings: AI-generated, SEO-friendly product descriptions – it’s easier for people to find you based on what you sell vis Shopify etc.
- Strategic content marketing: Fast and east auto creation of product specific blog content and automatic publishing of this.
- Data-informed pricing decisions: AI-powered price comparison tools, enabling you to maintain competitive pricing strategies.
- Efficient inventory management: Smart, and easy – minimising out of stocks and maximising sales potential.
- Operational streamlining: Reducing of administrative overhead, allowing retailers to focus on sales and customer service.
We have retailers telling us they are saving more in labour costs each month than the software costs.
These AI tools can help you run a better business, a business you’re likely to enjoy more and find more valuable when you decide to sell.
We are grateful to our fishing and outdoor shop community for advice and support. The latest software is out now, and it is packed with treats.
Handling subscriptions or recurring billing is easy. If you rent something, this handles it for you.
Selling by weight (yes, it’s scale integrated) and fractions is easy too, as is selling bundle packs like a rod, reel and net, for example.
Selling to club members at a special price is easy. You can also easily use the software to raise funds for the club, attracting members of the club to shop with your business.
Best of all, you can easily share local fishing tips, leveraging your knowledge to differentiate your business.
Our software for fishing and outdoors shops aims to help you run a more successful, valuable and enjoyable business. It helps you streamline workflow, eliminate some manual processes and make better business decisions, sooner.
Now, these benefits are not just for Tackle World retailers – any retailer using our POS software can expect to tap into these benefits and plenty more.
We mention Tackle World today as we are grateful to serve some of their member retailers with POS software.
How AI tools in our POS software are helping garden centres save time and make more money
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Our Tower Systems Garden Centre software has AI tools embedded in the POS Software, tools that genuinely save time, cut mistakes and drive business profitability.
We have been delivering AI enabled POS Software to garden centres and other retailers for years. In 2025, though, our there AI enhancements in our POS Software have ramped up and garden centre owners and staff are loving it.
Thanks to the ChatGPT and Google Gemini integrations in our POS Software, we are delivering access to AI tools within the garden centre software and in a context that is meaningful in everyday garden centre management. We can’t know for sure but we think it’s possible that we are leading in this garden software AI innovation.
Using the AI POS tools embedded in our POS Software for garden centres, retailers can:
- Generate product names to maximise search opportunities.
- Generate meaningful and SEO ready product descriptions to maximise search opportunities.
- Easily load PDF invoices from any supplier, converting them to an import ready electronic invoice.
- Price compare locally, outside the business, to reveal better profit and competition opportunities.
- Generate publishing ready blog posts for products managed by the POS software, and publishing these blog posts for you if you wish.
These facilities exist today, and this list of five are only some of the AI ready garden centre software capabilities we offer our customers.
All of us here at Tower Systems are here for a win for local small business retailers like garden centres. AI is playing a terrific role in this. It all started for us when we owned shops ourselves and wanted to deliver efficiency in them. We researched, experimented and evolved our POS software. Now, years on, we are grateful to be helping so many of our customers in this space.
If you run a local garden centre, AI is key to success in-store as well as online. Tower Systems is here to help you with this with software equipped in this area.
When looking at other POS solutions and considering your AI needs, be sure to see first-hand, to see for yourself what the POS company claims its software in terms of AI capabilities. Too often there is a difference between marketing pitch and action.
We’d be grateful to demonstrate our AI POS software tools any time.
Contact: sales@towersystems.com.au.
Are you looking for a POS Software alternative to Retail Express?
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Here at Tower Systems we serve local independent specialty retailers, small business retailers: garden centres, bike shops, jewellers, newsagents, pet shops, music shops, bookshops, fabric shops, produce businesses, firearms dealers, homewares shops, fashion shops and more. We don’t supply big businesses or franchises.
A potential client recently asked how our Tower Systems POS software compares to Retail Express. The most honest answer is that we don’t have a direct comparison, and this is by design. Our philosophy is to invest our resources in developing our software and supporting our retail partners, rather than analysing competitive products.
We believe the only comparison that matters is the one that proves which software is the best fit for you, and that only you can make that comparison.
If you are looking for an alternative to Retail Express, consider Tower, we may be a good choice. Take your time though, look around.
A Transparent Approach to Your Decision
We are committed to making your evaluation process as simple and transparent as possible. We invite you to see our software’s functionality firsthand through our publicly accessible Tower Systems YouTube channel—no signup needed.
For a more in-depth analysis, we welcome the opportunity to provide a personal demonstration. We can walk you through our system and even conduct a function-by-function comparison with Retail Express, allowing you to see precisely how each platform addresses your specific operational needs.
Your Needs Come First
Our goal is your success. From our sales consultants to our help desk, our entire team operates on a core principle: to put the needs of your business first. We won’t pressure you or deliver a hard sales pitch. If the Tower Systems POS software isn’t the right fit, we’ll be the first to say so and wish you the best in your search.
The right software should feel like a partnership. With features and enhancements driven by suggestions from the 3,000+ local businesses we serve, our software is constantly evolving to meet the real-world demands of retail.
The definitive way to know which system is better for you is to compare them side-by-side in the context of your own business. We are ready to facilitate that comparison with Retail Express or any other software whenever you are.
Good decisions are informed ones. We offer a personal, no-obligation demonstration where you can compare our software’s features directly against any competitor. This transparent, function-by-function review is the most effective way to determine which platform will best serve you.
If you are looking for an alternative to Retail Express, do your research, and we would be grateful for Tower Systems to be part of that.
A POS Software alternative to Univex
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If you are looking for an alternative POS Software solution top Univex, Tower Systems may be the answer. We’d love to find out. No pressure though.
We are happy for you to compare our software to Univex if that’s what you are using, to see how we stack up. If you ask for something of the software that we know we do not do, we will say so. We love serging happy customers and happiness starts with software that serves your needs.
We think our POS Software may be a good alternative to Univex. Our software is robust, built for specialty retailers, developed locally, supported locally and made to serve a range of specialty retail channels like garden centres, toy shops, music shops, appliance shops, gift shops, fishing and outdoor shops and more. It’s interesting to see on checking today that Univex lists marketplaces similar to ours. It seems they think we may be a competitor.
If you are using Univex and are looking for a software alternative, take your time, do the research, look at difference software packages, especially in the areas you may want better covered than you experience today. Always be on control of the timing, accept no pressure. If a sales person claims the software does something that you want / need, ask them to show it to you so you can see it and assess it for yourself.
We back our specialty retail POS Software with personal training and support. We love helping retailers get the most from their POS Software. That’s our own retail experience shining through.
Tower Systems is grateful to help Univex POS Software users consider an alternative, to see if this move could be good for the business and those who rely on the business.
We serve specific niche markets, from garden centres and jewellers to bike shops and newsagents. This focus allows us to build features that genuinely matter to each unique retail environment.
We believe in empowering local, independent businesses to thrive.
Our development and support teams are here to understand your specific opportunities, offering a level of personalised service that can make a real difference to your daily operations and long-term success.
POS software Empowering Independent Bookshops Across Australia and New Zealand
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Our specialised POS software for bookshops is thoughtfully designed for the unique needs of local, independent bookshops throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Developed and supported locally in consultation with experienced bookshop owners and their teams, it offers a comprehensive suite of tools to streamline your operations and enrich your customers’ experience.
The bookshop software is dynamic and continues to evolve, adapting to the changing needs and opportunities within the local bookshop community. The AI facilities delivered in the software are a good example of this. Here is a look at its current capabilities:
Key Features:
- AI-Powered Efficiency: Leverage integrated AI tools, including Google Gemini and ChatGPT, to: generate compelling product descriptions that can improve your search results and save valuable time, easily import just about any invoice, write and publish blog posts and price compare easily and quickly.
- Book Club Management: Effortlessly manage your book club memberships, offer rewards, and simplify fundraising initiatives. This feature helps you connect with your reading community, cater to their interests, and foster loyalty.
- Efficient Special Order Handling: Seamlessly process and track special orders from placement to customer notification upon arrival.
- Advanced Inventory Search: Quickly locate books by searching for an author’s full or partial name, or by title.
- International Barcode Integration: Connect directly to international barcode databases for efficient and accurate product lookups.
- Intelligent Returns Management: Identify slow-moving titles to streamline your returns process, helping you optimise inventory and maximise your return on investment.
- PacStream and TitlePage Connectivity: Access the powerful PacStream platform and TitlePage directly from our software for simplified supply chain management and potential cost savings.
Flexible and Supportive:
Designed to empower independent booksellers, our software offers the flexibility of cloud-based or desktop deployment. Our expert local support team is here to ensure a smooth transition and provide ongoing assistance.
Expand Your Reach Online:
Sell online with the platform that best suits your business, whether it be Shopify, BigCommerce, or WooCommerce. We provide the flexibility to choose, ensuring you are never locked into a single solution. Our software also offers free integration with the FindIt local marketplace.
A System You Can Rely On:
- Easy and accurate selling processes
- Advanced search functionality by title or author
- Streamlined special orders for customers
- Club and group pricing to help secure more sales
- Locally developed software with a local help desk
- Comprehensive training resources
We are committed to the success of local independent bookshops and are grateful to our customers who collaborate with us to ensure our software remains relevant in this rapidly changing market. This system is exclusively crafted for independent businesses, not for chains or large corporations.
By choosing our bookshop POS software, you are investing in a tool that supports your community and strengthens your business, helping you create a vibrant and engaging space for book lovers.
Check out our AI enabled POS software for local independent toy shops
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Here’s a new quick demo of our Aussie made and supported POS software for toy shops:
Specialisation is what makes local toy shops unique, and it’s what sets our software apart too. From managing seasonal sales and respecting product care instructions to offering creative gift packs with multiple items, our specialty toy shop software helps you serve your customers in valuable and appreciated ways.
We help you maximise sales through smart shopper engagement. Our software makes it easy to leverage your customer data, allowing you to reach out with personal reminders that bring customers back to your store again and again.
Five Reasons to Love Our Software for Toy Shops
- Local Matters. Local toy shops are a vital part of our communities and families. Our software helps you leverage your localness, providing genuine points of difference that big competitors simply can’t replicate.
- You Are a Key Asset. Only your business has you and your dedicated team. Our software is a platform for your expertise, enabling you to easily share your knowledge in ways that big-box stores cannot match.
- You Can Bank on Loyalty. Forget generic points systems. What is a point worth, anyway? Our software provides fresh, innovative loyalty tools you can bank on to drive a deeper visit value and encourage shoppers to return sooner.
- The Unseen Can Reveal Opportunities. Knowledge is power. Understand for certain what sells with what, compare supplier performance, and know your true return on investment and floorspace. These insights can reveal powerful opportunities.
- Reach Beyond Your Doorstep. Not every shopper will walk past your store. A smart and seamless connection between our software and a beautiful website can help you easily and with low overheads sell to people you may never meet in person.
A Suite of Tools Designed for Success
Our commitment to helping you run a more enjoyable and successful business is reflected in the comprehensive features of our software:
- Save time with electronic invoices from suppliers.
- Easily manage special customer orders with smart tracking and automated notifications.
- Make money from pre-orders by easily pre-selling products before their release date.
- Set community group pricing rules based on customer type.
- Simplify record keeping with serial number tracking for relevant items.
- Ensure compliance where required with structured age-checking prompts.
- Differentiate your business with a loyalty program that stands out from the crowd and drives sales.
- Create unique bundles to make price comparison difficult and offer greater value.
- Say goodbye to LayBy with integrated buy now, pay later options.
- Market effectively to customers based on their past purchases.
- Cut accounting and bookkeeping fees with seamless integration to Xero and other platforms.
- Sell online with ease through a direct link from your POS software to Shopify.
Local toy shops are vital. As a small business-focused POS software company, Tower Systems is dedicated to developing and supporting software that empowers niche specialty retailers like you to succeed.
Our customers often share the most wonderful stories about how our toy shop software has helped their businesses thrive. These aren’t just anecdotes about sales figures; they’re stories of genuine connection and memorable experiences, powered by tools designed specifically for the specialist needs of Australian toy retailers.
Take Frank, for instance. He was thrilled when the receipt for his granddaughter’s birthday gift included a link to advice that made him an expert in her eyes. The joy on her face was priceless, and Frank is still smiling about being the hero of the day.
Then there’s Kath, who gave us a shout-out on Facebook. She loves the thoughtful care instructions we help her favourite store provide for her jigsaw puzzles and the rewarding loyalty program that keeps her coming back.
Working mum Clare found a lifeline in the convenience of online ordering. She was able to get awesome, fun birthday gifts for her twins, beautifully wrapped and ready for collection on her way home from work. The little surprise her local toy shop included was the cherry on top.
And we can’t forget Mick. He loves the simple text message that lets him know the next release in his collection is ready for pick-up, and he appreciates the rewards that recognise his loyalty as a dedicated collector.
Every day, local independent toy shops across Australia are creating these moments for customers like Frank, Kath, Clare, and Mick. This level of personal, local service is what sets them apart. To deliver it, specialist indie toy businesses need specialist software that understands and serves these unique needs.
Looking behind the scenes at POS software training at Tower Systems
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In this insightful interview, Michael, a full-time trainer for Tower Systems’ retail software, shares his expertise on the crucial aspects of training new customers for a smooth transition. Drawing on his retail background, Michael highlights key software functionalities that retailers often prioritize, such as supplier ordering and managing product variants for online sales. He also discusses how his experience in the Army Cadets helped shape his effective training methods. Michael touches on the software’s capabilities for specialized businesses like jewelers and firearms dealers, and expresses excitement about the embedded AI tools designed for data analysis. He concludes with valuable advice for new customers on how to best prepare for training sessions.
This is another in our series about who we are, what we do and what we stand for at Tower Systems.
Check out our software for local independent bike shops
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Small business POS system with Xero integration
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Tower Systems is proud to have offered Xero integration with its POS software for many years. Our partnership with Xero is long-standing and mutually beneficial. Our local retail business customers love that the integration is direct without the need for third-party software.
Our Small business POS system with Xero integration is proven for jewellers, garden centres, bike shops, toy shops, pet shops, camping shops, bookshops, newsagents, firearms dealers, music shops, gift shops, haberdashery shops and plenty more niche and specialty retail businesses for which we have vertical market POS software.
A Xero integrated POS software is a time saver for local retail businesses. It reduces mistakes too since it eliminates keystrokes – every keystroke eliminated is time saved and a mistake eliminated – this is money in the bank.
What is Transferred to Xero via our POS system with Xero integration?
Sales
End of Shift based department-level sales are transferred to Xero via a sales invoice. Each department can be assigned its own Xero account.
Invoices
Invoices received into Retailer are transferred to Xero at department level. No individual stock items are transferred.
Write Offs & No Sales
These are transferred to individual expense accounts depending on the transaction reason chosen.
Cost Of Sales
An option on sales exporting is to export Cost of Sales. While not a full implementation of COGS it does transfer over the cost price of items sold each day to reduce the value of Stock On Hand in Xero. If you use this option you will export Write offs, not as expenses, but as adjustment to your Stock on Hand. This makes processing stock adjustments for the End Of Month much easier.
Linking our small business POS system to Xero saves precious time by completing the majority of your day-to-day accounting for you. We are experts at bringing independent retail businesses and Xero together and pride ourselves on connecting business owners with such an innovative, useful service.
While we offer connectivity with other accounting software, it is our POS system link with Xero that is the most popular and we’re happy with that.
Tower Systems serves local small business retailers across a range of channels.
Our POS system integration with Xero is a prime example of our commitment to the specific needs of specialty retailers. We believe your passion should be focused on your unique products and your customers, not on tedious bookkeeping or worrying about data entry errors. By providing a reliable, direct, and expertly supported link between your sales counter and your accounting, we help you build a more efficient, secure, and profitable business. Let us handle the technical complexities so you can concentrate on what you do best.
AI enabled POS software is a game-changer for local small business retail
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How can I keep my staff trained in the POS software we use in the shop?
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It’s vital all staff in a retail business know how to use the POS software the business operates. The business benefits, customers benefit, the staff benefit. It really is a win, win, win – to be cliché.
So, How can I keep my staff trained in the POS software we use in the shop? If you are a Tower Systems POS software customer there are several ways your staff can be up to date and knowledgable in using ur POS software:
Training videos. All of our customers have free access to a comprehensive library of training videos. these are what we call stackable videos, short, single topic. They run for under ten minutes each. We have them organised in a curriculum so you can go down a path of learning for each part of the software. There is no limit to how many times you watch a video. You don’t need to have our software running on a PC to access a video. Also, our videos are regularly updated – to make the currency of the software. We also make videos based on customer requests.
Knowledge base. This is a library of 700+ articles on how to use the software, organised by topic, accessible from anywhere and easily read by anyone regardless of technical knowledge. Our Tower Systems POS software knowledge base is our user manual. It goes where you go. It is maintained as the software evolves.
User meetings. we host online forums where customers can learn from our POS software experts. Anyone is welcome to attend. They are recorded, too, and the recordings shared with all of our customers.
One-on-one training. Every one of our customers has access to this. It’s a paid-for service with training tailored to your specific business needs.
Help desk support. Live. Human delivered. Answering queries and pointing you to the best resources for your needs.
AI chatbot. This has been trained in our software and only our software. It’s success rate is excellent.
Here at Tower Systems we make it easy for staff in a retail business in which our software is used to tap into resources for learning how to use the software and through this how the business can thrive.
Good knowledge of the current software is vital to the success of the business. If you have a need outside of what we do, please reach out and we will do our best to help.
How does POS software help a retail business grow?
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Not all POS software helps a retail business grow, let’s put that out there right at the start. Our Tower Systems POS software is focussed on helping retail businesses grow. It has facilities embedded in the software that play into business turnover growth and net profitability that you’ll see in the business profit and loss statement.
Oh, and by growth here we are not talking about chasing scale. rather, we are talking about profitability and growth in the context of a local small retail business. For many, staying small is far more profitable than spending up chasing scale (growth).
Here are some of the ways our Tower Systems POS software helps businesses grow:
Smart loyalty. Our loyalty tools are engaging, easily understood and proven to bring shoppers back more often and nurturing them to spend more. This approach to loyalty makes shopper visits more valuable and therefore more profitable.
Time saved. Our integrated AI tools help retailers reduce rostered hours by eliminating some manual tasks. Our AI innovation has already proven to be bottom-line beneficial in plenty of local retail businesses. Using our Ai tools you can import just about any invoice, generate marketing blog posts and price compare.
Early theft detection. The smart theft mitigation tools in our software have helped many retailers capture irrefutable evidence of theft that has been used to resolve the situation through police or other means. Through data tracking and other security smarts, our software provides business owners secret insights on theft.
Cutting out of stocks. Being out of stock of a product typically costs a shop thousands of dollars a year. We have seen more than half the out of stocks caused by poor oversight on stock ordering. Our software shows the out of stocks and puts a value pin lost revenue. This focusses the attention of the business owner, which leads to resolving the problem.
Better business decisions sooner. Thanks to smart insights in our constantly curated insights dashboard retail business managers are able to make evidence-based business decisions faster than through old processes. Evidence-based business decisions tend to be better decisions for a retail business.
Targeted marketing. By reaching out to customers based on past purchases allows a business to finely target customers and this can bring them min sooner for more purchases.
Cutting keystrokes. Our POS software is tuned to eliminate some manual processes and with them unnecessary keystrokes. Every keystroke we eliminate is a possible mistake eliminated as well as a millisecond of time saved.
This is not a complete list. rather, it is a snapshot of how our Tower systems POS software can help a local small retail business grow revenue and improve net profit.
Can we help you?
How important is the help desk to what you achieve with POS software?
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How important is the help desk to what you achieve with POS software? This is a good question to ask when you are considering new POS software for your retail business. No matter how knowledgable you are, how confident you are, the help desk for your POS software supplier will likely play a vital role in the benefits you achieve using the software.
Good help desk people understand your type of business and will provide context beyond do this or that. Contact can be everything in your getting more value from your POS software in your business. Context and help you make better business decisions.
Here at Tower Systems our POS software help desk people have retail experience, they can provide useful and appreciated context when helping retailers use our software. We think our help desk colleagues can help you get more from using our Tower Systems POS software.
Being locally based, our help desk team members understand local retail settings and needs, this plays into the context piece we are talking about here. They don’t use scripts. A call to the help desk is a conversation. being local means we can be more aware of local situations impacting software use, such as local payments problems or other tech factors that can impact using any software.
Help desks located off shore don’t have some of the local insights.
Too often, we see help desk staff in other businesses use rigid scripts that can cause a call take way too long to resolve. You only have to call an internet service provider or a bank to experience this.
So, when it comes to the Tower Systems POS software help desks – no scripts used or allowed. let’s talk!
By having a conversation we can often understand the query and provide the appropriate advice. The customer feels better and we feel better.
A good POS software help desk person will also look beyond the question, in case there is something they can see that you are not seeing, something from which your business can benefit if you act early. We have one customer we advised of a possible theft situation based on data we saw, this early intervention could have saved them thousands. In another business we identified thousands of dollars in dead stock they were missing and not acting on.
A good POS software help desk team will be vital to the benefits you achieve in your retail business. Consider help desk services when considering new POS software.
I want to switch POS software but want to keep my current data
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You can switch POS software and keep your current data in most situations. It does, however, depend on a couple of things: that your current software permits access to data it manages and that the software you are switching to can import this data so that it is meaning full for you.
Here at Tower Systems our approach to data conversion from other software is thorough. We only commit to data conversion where we know we can get the data out of other software and that it can be imported into our software. If you have any doubts or questions about data conversion, please raise it early in the sales process. It could be a mistake to assume.
We will do a trial conversion for customers concerned, to prove whether we can successfully export data and then import data, or not. This is an obligation-free service. So, for retailers with the question, I want to switch POS software but want to keep my current data, Tower Systems can help – if our POS software looks like it is good software for your business. Please let us know early if you want a trial conversion done.
Data conversion between POS software solutions is not always easy, fast and straightforward. Different software stores data in different ways. Sometimes it takes time to cross match fields or even take, for example, two files and merge them as the new software has only one file with data the old system has cross two files.
We have data conversion specialists here at Tower Systems who have done data conversion from other POS software solutions many times. We have lost count of the number of software products from which we have successfully converted data.
Sometimes, data conversion is not a good idea. Typically, this is when the data in your old software has not been respected, not well looked after. Starting fresh cold be what the business needs. We think it is helpful to assess your data and consider the quality of this before pushing ahead with data conversion. There is a rule in tech: garbage in, garbage out. Be sure to only request data conversion of the data you have is good, not garbage.
How much should software for my shop cost?
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There is a big difference in the cost of software for retail businesses when comparing software companies. It can be challenging to understand, too. There is the cost of the software itself, which is usually a monthly rental cost and there can be other costs for additional components required and some software companies have a mandatory cost associated with the value off each transaction you process.
Here at Tower Systems, our pricing is transparent and easy to understand. There is a single monthly rental cost, which can be cancelled at any time. There is no cost per transaction, no requirement for you to use any specific payments platform. The software itself is loaded with facilities for which some others charge extra.
How much should software for your shop cost? If your retail business us one of the ones we serve: jeweller, garden centre, bike shop, bookshop, toy shop, product business stockfeed, newsagent, music shop, mobility scooter business, gift shop, charity shop, antique business, computer shop, homewares shop, repairs shop, cleaning supplies, clothing shop, your price will range between $220.00 and $275.00 inc. GST) per month from Tower Systems. This is one price, the only price inclusive of as many registers as you want at one location.
So, a big garden centre with five register points will pay $275.00 inc. GST all up. That’s the price, the one price. That’s what you compare against.
Of course, it is vital you research POS software thoroughly and choose software that does serve your needs. Making the wrong choice can be expensive, especially through lost time and opportunity.
As part of your software assessment process, look at the pricing, be sure to fully research and understand the cost of ownership. This research should also include you understanding the contract lock-in period. Make sure you do truly understand the cost of the software for the business over one, two and three years. be sure to ask about any extra costs, add-ons, and more.
Understanding the cost of POS software for any retail business starts with you creating a shortlist of possible software to use and you then thoroughly researching the cost of the software, getting the figures in writing to be sure you know all you need to know to make an informed decision.
Too many software companies hide their price. Some even mask the actual software cost by charging a payments fee or similar. These are all costs and need to be considered.
How much should software for my shop cost? Only go with software you know will serve your needs and for which the pricing is transparent.
Pop-up shops made easier with our POS software
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Our newsagent software helps local Aussie newsagencies thrive
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2025 is proving to be a good year for Aussie newsagency businesses, the newsagent as some refer to these shops.
The local Aussie newsagent started in the 1880s, on the goldfields of Victoria. In 2025 we have around 2,800 newsagency businesses. Plenty of these are thriving businesses. As the supplier of software to 1,800+ of these businesses Tower systems his grateful to be playing a role in helping these local businesses do well in their local communities.
The thriving local newsagency today is not the newsagent of yesterday.
The purpose of every newsagency business is different. The notion of them all being the same and having the same focus is old-school. Years ago, when newsagents were primarily agents, being a hub in the community made sense. Following deregulation and the dilution of the value of being an agent, the commercial value of being a community hub, too, diluted.
Our software is helping newsagents navigate these and related matters.
An Australian newsagency, regardless of location, can specialise in higher-margin product categories. While this requires research and investment, the payoff can be considerable, as many have already discovered. We are seeing this trend frequently. This shift towards specialisation is a key factor in the success of modern newsagencies, allowing them to move beyond traditional offerings and cater to niche markets with more profitable products.We are seeing this often.
Online, too is presenting opportunities for change – and our POS software for newsagents is helping here.
Tower Systems helps newsagency businesses beyond just software, providing valuable data insights and AI tools. These resources empower local and independent retailers to look beyond the traditional boundaries of their businesses. By leveraging these advanced tools, newsagents can make more informed decisions, identify emerging trends, and discover new avenues for growth, ensuring their continued success in the evolving retail landscape.
Our advice to newsagents is to not be constrained by the community expectations your shingle. Find a need and fill it, no matter how far away that may take you from what people see as a newsagency business. There are opportunities far away and our software and business support can help you on this path to an even brighter future.
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