The POS Software Blog

The POS Software Blog

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

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How to choose the best POS software for a jeweller in Australia or New Zealand

November 12, 2026
7 Min read
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The best POS software for a jeweller is built for high-value, one-off stock and the promises made at the counter. It should hold stone, metal and certification details against each piece, track repairs from drop-off to collection, run laybys, record secondhand purchases and market around birthdays and anniversaries. Look for local support and no transaction fees too.

Jewellers sell promises as much as products. One customer buys a $40 pair of earrings. The next leaves a ring for resizing before an anniversary. A third is on payment six of an eleven-payment layby, and a fourth wants to sell her grandmother’s gold. A basic till can take the payment, but it usually can’t keep track of what was promised. Good jeweller software is vital to success.

Since 1981 we’ve made POS software for independent specialty retailers, and independent jewellers have shaped the jewellery store features in our software. The checklist below works whichever system you choose.

When a simple system will do

If you sell fashion jewellery and watches by the unit, with no repairs, laybys, secondhand buying or custom work, a general retail POS may do the job and cost less.

It’s a different story once the workshop and the paperwork arrive. Repairs, laybys, secondhand purchases, custom commissions and insurance documentation all need a proper record. General systems leave those to envelopes, a job book and a good memory. That’s where a promised date gets missed and a customer is lost.

What jewellery store POS software should do: ten essentials

  1. Hold the full detail against each piece. Stone, metal type, certification, colour, size and style should sit against the item, so staff can answer questions and find a ring in the right size quickly.
  2. Track repairs from drop-off to collection. Capture the condition, photographs, quoted price and promised date at the counter, print a docket for the customer and add the job to the workshop queue. Work sent out to a trade supplier should be tracked too.
  3. Run laybys properly. Terms, payments, the balance and the held stock should be visible to whoever is on the counter. Cancellations and fees should follow a set process rather than an argument.
  4. Record secondhand purchases. Buying gold and secondhand jewellery carries obligations that differ by state. The system should record the full cycle, from purchase through to pricing and sale.
  5. Quote custom work and remodels. A quote, deposit, stages and a record of what was agreed mean the conversation six weeks later refers to a document, not a recollection.
  6. Link special orders to the customer. When a special order arrives from the supplier, the system should show who it is for, so the right person is called.
  7. Support valuations and warranties. Certification and item history held against each piece make insurance paperwork quicker. Warranty tracking supports after-sales care long after the sale.
  8. Market around life events. Birthdays and anniversaries recorded against customers let you send a timely, relevant message, instead of a discount sent to everyone.
  9. Sell at events and online. A mobile app lets you sell at trade shows and private viewings. If you sell online, a sale in the shop should update the website straight away, so a one-off piece is never sold twice.
  10. Report and reorder for the season. You need aged stock, best sellers, gross profit by category and supplier performance, plus reordering based on last year’s Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.

Counting the full cost

The monthly fee is only part of the cost. Compare the total over two years, and include:

  • Transaction fees. A cut of every card sale goes to some providers. On a $4,000 engagement ring, that’s a noticeable amount.
  • Fees per terminal. A second counter or a terminal in the workshop shouldn’t bring a bigger invoice.
  • Check that phone support is included, that its hours suit you and that it covers Saturdays and the weeks before Christmas.
  • Add-ons. Repairs, laybys, loyalty, ecommerce and accounting links are sometimes extra.
  • Lock-in terms can trap you with a system that doesn’t suit.

Tower Systems doesn’t charge transaction fees or lock you into a contract. As at 2 November 2026, plans start at $145 a month including GST, billed annually. Unlimited terminals at one location come with Standard and above. Our pricing page has current prices and shows which plan includes each feature.

Getting the most from a demonstration

A useful demonstration uses your own examples. Take these questions along:

  1. Show me a ring repair taken in with photographs and a promised date, then the docket.
  2. Show me a layby on payment six, then a cancellation.
  3. Show me a secondhand gold purchase being recorded.
  4. Show me a custom commission with a quote, a deposit and stages.
  5. Show me an anniversary list for next month.
  6. What will support cost me, and is someone there on a Saturday in December?
  7. Is your support team in Australia or New Zealand?
  8. How do I reach a person when I need one?
  9. Who will train us, and where are they located?
  10. Is there a jeweller I can talk to who uses your system?

Switching without losing a promise

The changeover worries most owners more than the features. The open repairs and laybys are what matter most. Three things make it easier:

  • Get your data checked before you commit, so you know for certain what can be moved, including open repairs, laybys and customer event dates. Our streamlined data conversion service, released in mid 2026, draws on many past conversions. It’s fast and accurate.
  • Choose the timing. Avoid November and December, and the weeks before Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. Late summer or winter is usually quieter.
  • Ask about training. One-on-one help, backed by videos staff can watch at any hour, takes the pressure off the first busy weekend.

“Very comprehensive and easy to use. The more information you enter, the more accurate your reports will be.”

— Ben Ryan, Benjamin Ryan Jewellery

Australia and New Zealand

For Australian and New Zealand retailers, the basics are GST handled correctly for your country, support in your time zone and a supplier with local staff. Tower Systems supports jewellers in both countries, with an Australian and New Zealand help desk open six days a week and after-hours help for system outages.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best POS software for a jeweller in Australia?

It’s software built for the work: detailed stock records with stone, metal and certification, repairs from drop-off to collection, laybys, secondhand purchase records, custom work and event-based marketing. Compare options on those needs, their two-year cost and their local support.

Can jewellery store POS software track repairs?

Yes, if it has a repairs module. Tower Systems records the condition, photographs, quoted price and promised date at drop-off, and follows the job through to collection, including work sent to a trade supplier.

Can jewellery store POS software be used in New Zealand?

Yes. Tower Systems works with jewellers in both countries and has help desk staff in each. New Zealand customers can reach sales on 0800 444 367.

How much should jewellery store POS software cost?

Costs vary widely. Compare the total, including transaction fees, terminal fees, support and add-ons. As at 2 November 2026, Tower Systems starts at $145 a month including GST, billed annually. There are no transaction fees and no lock-in contract.

Book a jewellery store demonstration

Book a demonstration of Tower Systems set up for a jeweller like yours. We’ll answer your questions and record it so you can review it later. First, we take the time to understand your business. If our software isn’t the right fit for any need you raise, we’ll be upfront about it. To book, 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 choose the best POS software for a charity or op shop in Australia or New Zealand

November 12, 2026
7 Min read
H

The best POS software for a charity or op shop is built for volunteers, donated stock and accountability. It should be easy to learn on a first shift, lock sensitive areas to management, sell donations by department or price point, show the committee where every dollar went, and list valuable donations online. It should be backed by local support, with no transaction fees. The checklist below sets out what to compare.

Op shops run differently from almost any other retailer. No two donations are the same. The counter may be run by someone on their first shift, and the committee needs to know exactly where the money went. A basic till can take the payment, but it usually can’t do the rest.

Charity shops, op shops and community enterprises have helped us build the charity shop features in our software, which we’ve been developing for independent specialty retailers since 1981. The checklist is useful whichever system you choose.

Starting simple

If a small op shop opens two days a week, sells everything at a few set prices and banks the takings weekly, a simple till may be enough.

Things change once you have a roster of volunteers, more than one shop, high-value donations, or a committee and auditors who need reports. A simple till leaves accountability to paper and trust. That puts the funds, and the volunteers, at risk.

The ten features that matter in charity shop POS software

  1. Be learnable on the first shift. The counter should be simple enough for a new volunteer after a single handover. Ask to see a sale made by someone who has never used the system.
  2. Record your own training videos. Short videos of your shop’s own procedures stay available for the next volunteer, so the way things are done stays consistent.
  3. Lock sensitive areas. Administration, refunds and reports should be locked to management, while volunteers process sales.
  4. Build in checks and balances. Guided processes and tracking tools protect the funds and the trust of donors. They also protect volunteers from suspicion they can’t clear.
  5. Sell donations by department or price point. A bag of paperbacks doesn’t need itemising. Stock should sell by department, price point, product code or barcode, so goods reach the floor the day they arrive.
  6. Track high-value items on their own. A single valuable piece should be tracked individually, while broad departments such as ladies’ clothing still report as departments.
  7. List the best donations online. Some donations are worth more online. Look for Shopify, Magento or WooCommerce integration, with AI to write the description quickly.
  8. Reward shoppers in dollars. Points ask shoppers to do sums. A receipt showing a dollar amount to save on the next visit is easier to understand.
  9. Report to the committee. Takings by shop, department and day should be easy to run, so the committee and auditors see a clear picture.
  10. Run on site or in the cloud. Some shops have reliable internet and some do not. Check that the system can run either way.

Comparing total cost

Compare what you’d pay over two years in total. Include:

  • Transaction fees. A transaction fee on every card sale is common with some providers. For a charity, that is money taken from the cause.
  • Fees per terminal. A second counter shouldn’t bring a bigger invoice.
  • Confirm phone support is part of the plan, and check its hours, including Saturdays, when many op shops are busiest.
  • Add-ons. Online selling, loyalty, extra users and accounting links are sometimes extra.
  • Lock-in contracts make mistakes expensive to fix.

Tower Systems charges no transaction fees, has no lock-in contract and lets you choose your own EFTPOS provider. Registered charities and community enterprises pay half price on the Standard, Advanced and Ultimate plans. On pricing for Tower Systems, the Startup plan is not discounted. As at 2 November 2026, full-price plans start at $145 a month including GST, billed annually. For current prices and plan features, see our pricing page.

Your demonstration checklist

These questions will tell you more in a demonstration than any feature list:

  1. Show me a new volunteer making a sale after five minutes of training.
  2. Show me which areas a volunteer can’t open.
  3. Show me a bag of paperbacks sold by department.
  4. Show me a high-value donation tracked on its own and listed online.
  5. Show me the report I would give the committee each month.
  6. What will support cost me, and is someone there on Saturdays?
  7. Is your support team in Australia or New Zealand?
  8. How do I reach a person when I need one?
  9. Who will train us, and where are they located?
  10. Is there a charity shop I can talk to who uses your system?

Switching without unsettling volunteers

For most committees, the real decision is not the feature list but the changeover. Volunteers need to feel confident on day one. Three things make it go well.

  • Before you decide, get your current data reviewed so you know what will carry over. Tower Systems’ data conversion service, streamlined in mid 2026 using what we’ve learned from many conversions, is fast and accurate.
  • Choose the timing. Avoid the weeks before Christmas and any major appeal, and give volunteers a chance to practise first.
  • Plan the training. With one-on-one sessions and videos available at any hour, staff go into the first busy weekend with confidence.

Australia and New Zealand

Charity rules and reporting differ between Australia and New Zealand. Check that the software handles GST correctly for your country and gives you the reports your board needs. Tower Systems supports charity shops and community enterprises across both countries. Help desk staff work from Australia and New Zealand, six days a week, and there’s after-hours help when a system is down.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best POS software for a charity or op shop in Australia?

It’s software built for volunteers and accountability: easy to learn, locked sensitive areas, donations sold by department or price point, clear committee reports and online listing for valuable items. Weigh those needs against the two-year cost and the quality of local support.

Do charities get a discount on POS software?

Some providers offer one. Tower Systems charges registered charities and community enterprises half price on the Standard, Advanced and Ultimate plans. The Startup plan is not discounted.

Is there charity shop POS software for New Zealand?

Yes. Tower Systems serves charity shops and community enterprises in both countries, with help desk staff in New Zealand and Australia. New Zealand customers can reach sales on 0800 444 367.

What does charity shop POS software cost?

Prices differ widely. Add up transaction fees, terminal fees, support and add-ons to compare the real cost. As at 2 November 2026, a Tower Systems plan starts at $145 a month including GST, billed annually, and there are no transaction fees or lock-in contracts. Registered charities pay half price on Standard and above.

Book a charity shop demonstration

Book a demo. Your demonstration will show Tower Systems set up for a charity or op shop like yours. We’ll take your questions and record the session so you can revisit it. We begin with questions about your business. If our software falls short on any need you mention, we’ll tell you straight. To book, 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 choose software for your independent bookshop

November 12, 2026
7 Min read
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A bookshop isn’t like most other shops, and its software shouldn’t be either.

Loc al independent bookshops are unique, with a voice of their own that is vital to in-store and online representation.

A local indie bookshop carries thousands of titles, and plenty of them sell one copy a year. Customers ask for “the new one by the woman who wrote that lighthouse book”. Every supplier has its own rules for ordering and returns. Generic retail software isn’t built for any of this, and it doesn’t take long to show.

Start with how your shop works

Before you look at any software, write down how a normal week runs. Receiving stock, special orders, returns, events, the book club, online orders.

Then mark the jobs that eat the most time and the mistakes that keep happening. That’s your list of problems to solve. Take it to every demonstration. It stops the presenter steering you towards features you’ll never use.

Title lookup and book data

When a new title arrives, you should be able to scan the barcode and have the title, author, publisher and category fill in. Typing them by hand is slow, and the typos come back to bite you every time you search or run a report.

Check that the software connects to the industry data you already use, such as TitlePage. Then ask how it handles imported titles with international barcodes. If you stock overseas editions, adding them should be no harder than adding local ones.

Finding books in your own stock

Customers rarely give you the full title. They remember a word from the cover, half a name or just the author’s surname. Your software should let you search by title, author, or part of either.

Test this in the demonstration with real requests from your counter. If it takes more than a few seconds to find a book, your staff will give up on the search and start walking the shelves instead.

Ordering and supplier connections

Ordering is one of the biggest admin jobs in a bookshop. Look for software that connects to the platforms book suppliers use, such as Pacstream. Ordering from inside your POS means less double handling and stock records you can trust.

Find out how supplier invoices get into the system, too. The less you have to type, the better.

Returns

Handled badly, returns tie up cash and shelf space. Good software shows you which titles are eligible to go back, based on when they arrived, how many have sold and how many are still on hand.

Ask the presenter to take you through a full return, start to finish. It should follow a clear process that matches the way publishers and distributors expect returns to arrive.

Special orders

Special orders build loyalty. Tracked on paper, or in someone’s head, they also go missing. Your software should record the order, track it until it arrives and help you let the customer know it’s in.

Check how the system flags a special order when the stock is received. The last thing you want is a customer’s book going onto the shelf and out the door with someone else.

Clubs, loyalty and community

Book clubs, school and library groups, author events and loyalty programs are a big part of why people choose an independent bookshop over a website.

Your software should keep customer records and purchase history, and handle loyalty rewards and group pricing. Being able to contact customers based on the authors and genres they buy is one of the simplest ways to bring them back.

Selling online

If you have a website, or plan to, check how the POS connects to it. Stock should stay in step between the shop and the site, so you don’t sell a book online that went out the door yesterday.

Shopify, WooCommerce and BigCommerce are common choices. Ask which ones the software supports. Choice matters here, because if your POS only works with one platform, changing later gets painful.

You want control over your online presence, including how you describe what you sell.

Accounting, rostering and payments

Your POS shouldn’t sit on its own. See whether it links to your accounting software, such as Xero, and to rostering tools such as Tanda or Deputy if you use them. Confirm which EFTPOS providers are supported, and whether the software adds transaction fees of its own.

Cloud or desktop

Some bookshops want cloud software they can reach from anywhere. Others want a desktop system that keeps trading when the internet drops out. Ask whether you get to choose, and whether you can switch later.

Support and training

On a busy Saturday with a queue at the counter, support matters more than any feature. Ask who provides it, where they’re based and what hours they keep. Support from the company that writes the software is usually faster and better informed than support from a reseller.

Training matters as well. Casual staff come and go, and good training material gets them confident on the counter sooner.

Questions to ask in every demonstration

  • Can you add a new title by scanning its barcode?
  • Can you find a book using part of the author’s name?
  • How does Pacstream ordering work from inside the software?
  • Can you walk me through a complete return?
  • How are special orders tracked, and how is the customer told?
  • How does stock stay in step with my website?
  • What does it cost each month, and what’s included?
  • Who answers the phone when I need help?

Bring real titles and real situations from your shop, and ask the presenter to work through them live. A polished script tells you very little about a wet Tuesday with two staff away.

Look past today

Ask how often the software is updated, how updates arrive and whether recent changes came from booksellers’ feedback. A company that’s still developing its product, and still listening, is a safer bet than one that’s coasting.

Some systems now offer AI-written product descriptions and automatic invoice importing. Both take a lot of the typing out of a big week of new releases.

How Tower Systems helps independent bookshops

Tower Systems has made and supported POS software for independent specialty retailers in Australia and New Zealand since 1981. Its bookshop software is built for local independent bookshops, not chains. Our software for bookshops is made for bookshops.

Our pricing is transparent.

Title lookup runs through TitlePage and ordering through Pacstream. Staff can search by title, author or part of either, and scan international barcodes. Returns follow a structured process that picks out eligible titles, and special orders are tracked from the first enquiry to collection. Book club management, loyalty tools and group pricing are built in.

For online sales, Tower works with Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce and Magento. It also links to Xero, Tanda and Deputy. You can run it in the cloud or on desktop, and when you call for help, you’ll reach a local team.

If you’re reviewing software for your bookshop, bring a list of your own titles and situations. Tower Systems will happily work through them with you in a demonstration.

BOOK A BOOKSHOP DEMONSTRATION

Book a demo. We’ll set up Tower Systems as a book shop would use it, answer your questions and record the demonstration so you can review it whenever you like. Understanding your business comes first. If our software isn’t suited to something you need, we’ll be honest about that. Email sales@towersystems.com.au, or call 1300 662 957 in Australia or 0800 444 367 in New Zealand.

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Catching theft is the first step: how local retailers can find out what is going missing

November 12, 2026
3 Min read
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Theft is one of the hardest topics in small business retail. It costs money, but it also costs trust. Customer theft feels like an insult to the shop you have built. Staff theft feels personal. Many owners would rather not think about it at all.

The trouble is, ignoring theft doesn’t make it go away. It just makes it harder to see. And you can’t deal with something you can’t see.

But before we get into it it’s important to note that we speak from experience here. We have felt the financial and emotional cost of theft in retail that our founder owned a few years ago. We learnt from it so we can speak from personal experience.

Two kinds of theft

Customer theft is the obvious one: stock that walks out under a jacket or in a bag. It tends to cluster around small, high-value, easy-to-conceal items.

Staff theft is quieter. It might be cash taken from the till, refunds processed to a friend’s card, discounts given without reason, sales voided after the customer leaves, or stock taken home. It often starts small and grows when nobody notices.

Both show up in your data if you know where to look.

What your POS can show you

Every transaction in your POS leaves a record. That record is the most important tool you have. Look regularly at:

  • Refunds, especially refunds without a matching original sale
  • Voided sales and deleted items, and who processed them
  • Discounts and price overrides by staff member
  • Cash drawer openings with no sale
  • Stock adjustments and write-offs
  • Differences between expected and counted stock on high-risk lines

The patterns matter more than any single entry. One refund is normal. One staff member processing three times the refunds of everyone else, mostly on quiet shifts, is worth a closer look.

Count what matters, more often

A full stocktake once a year will tell you something went missing. It won’t tell you when. Short, frequent counts of high-risk products, perhaps fifty items once a week, show problems quickly and narrow down when they happened.

Set up the basics

Give every staff member their own login and don’t let them share. Limit who can process refunds and large discounts. Balance the till at every change of shift where practical. These steps protect honest staff as much as they protect you, and most staff appreciate that.

What to do this week

Pull a refunds and voids report for the last three months, broken down by staff member. Look for anything that stands out. Then pick ten of your most-stolen lines and count them every Friday for a month.

Tower Systems POS software records sales, refunds, discounts, voids and stock movements by staff member, giving local retailers the visibility they need to catch theft early. Our help desk can also show you which reports to use and how to read them.

To talk through whether Tower is the right fit for your shop, call us on 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au. www.towersystems.com.au. Locally made. Locally supported.

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How to choose the best POS software for a computer shop in Australia or New Zealand

November 12, 2026
6 Min read
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The best POS software for a computer shop is built for repairs, custom builds and serialised stock. It should track repair jobs from intake to completion, build custom PCs from components, record serial numbers on arrival, reserve stock against quotes and bill subscriptions automatically. Finally, it should have local support and charge no transaction fees. Measure each system against the checklist below.

A computer shop is usually three businesses in one. Out the front, a customer wants a cable and a mouse. On the bench, a laptop needs a health check and a new screen. Out the back, a gaming PC is being built from twelve parts. A basic till can take the payment, but the rest is beyond it.

We’ve been building POS software for independent specialty retailers since 1981, with computer shop owners shaping the computer shop features in our software.

When a standard POS is enough

If you sell accessories and boxed products only, with no workshop, custom builds or service contracts, a general retail POS may do the job and cost less.

It’s a different story once you add a repair bench, custom builds, serialised hardware, quotes or managed service customers. General systems leave those to a separate job app, spreadsheets and the owner’s memory. That’s where parts go unbilled and warranty claims go wrong.

Ten things to check in computer shop POS software

  1. Track repairs from intake to completion. Every job should be recorded with the customer, the device, its serial number and its history, from intake to collection.
  2. Use job templates. A template for common work, such as a ten-point health check, prints on the job card so the customer sees what will be done.
  3. Manage outsourced repairs. When work goes to a third party, the job should still track courier details and the external cost.
  4. Build custom PCs from components. A bill of materials for each build should take each component out of stock when the finished PC sells.
  5. Reprice builds automatically. When a component’s cost changes, every build that uses it should update, so your margin is protected.
  6. Record serial numbers on arrival. Recording serial numbers as stock arrives reduces errors at the counter, and the arrival date helps staff sell older stock first.
  7. Reserve stock against quotes. A part quoted to a customer should be held for them, so it is not sold before they say yes.
  8. Bill subscriptions. Managed services, backups and support plans should bill automatically each month.
  9. Load supplier invoices and product data. PDF invoices from distributors should import using AI, and a barcode lookup should pull product descriptions, so new stock reaches the shelf quickly.
  10. Sell small items by product code. Cables, adaptors and screws should sell by product code without each one needing its own barcode label.

Costs that catch owners out

A fair comparison looks at two years of costs. Include:

  • Transaction fees. Some providers take a slice of each card payment. On a $3,000 custom build, that’s considerable.
  • Fees per terminal. A terminal on the repair bench shouldn’t bring a bigger invoice.
  • Make sure phone support is included, and check whether it covers Saturdays.
  • Add-ons. Workshop management, recurring billing, ecommerce and accounting links are sometimes extra.
  • Check how long you’re committing for, and what it costs to leave early.

With Tower Systems, there are no transaction fees and no lock-in contract. The Tower Systems pricing is modest and transparent. From the Standard level up up, you can run unlimited terminals at one location. Check our pricing page for current prices and for which plan includes each feature.

What to ask and software company you are considering

Go into the demonstration with a list. Start with these:

  1. Show me a laptop repair from intake to collection, with the device’s history.
  2. Show me a custom PC built from components, then the stock of each part.
  3. Show me a component price change updating every build that uses it.
  4. Show me a quote reserving stock.
  5. Show me a monthly subscription being billed automatically.
  6. Who answers the phone on a Saturday, and what does that support cost?
  7. Which country is your help desk in?
  8. What does it take to speak to someone, rather than a bot?
  9. Is training delivered by someone local?
  10. Could I talk to a computer shop already using your software?

Switching without disrupting the bench

Changing systems doesn’t have to be disruptive. Three things keep it on track:

  • Have your data assessed up front, so you know for certain what can be transferred, including serial numbers, open repair jobs and customer device history. Our data conversion service was streamlined in mid 2026, based on experience from many conversions, and it’s fast and accurate.
  • Choose the timing. Avoid the back-to-school rush in January and February, and the weeks before Christmas.
  • Find out how staff will be trained. One-on-one sessions, plus a video library they can use whenever they need it, make the first busy weekend easier.

“All over, we are finding Retailer to be far more efficient than any other system we have used.”

— Computer Shop, Gisborne, June 2020

Australia and New Zealand

In Australia or New Zealand, look for correct GST handling for your country, support during your trading hours and a supplier with local people. Tower Systems supports computer shops in both countries. You can call the help desk, staffed in Australia and New Zealand, six days a week, and get after-hours help when a system is down.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best POS software for a computer shop in Australia?

It’s software built for repairs, custom builds and serialised stock: job tracking from intake to completion, bills of materials, serial numbers on arrival, quotes that reserve stock and recurring billing. Choose the system that meets those needs at the best two-year cost, with strong local support.

Can computer shop POS software manage custom PC builds?

Yes, if it supports manufactured goods. Tower Systems builds custom PCs from a bill of materials, takes each component out of stock when the PC sells, and updates the build price when a component’s cost changes.

Can computer shop POS software be used in New Zealand?

Yes. Tower Systems supports computer shops in both Australia and New Zealand, and has help desk staff in each. In New Zealand, call sales on 0800 444 367.

How much should computer shop POS software cost?

It ranges widely, so look at the total, counting transaction fees, terminal fees, support and add-ons. Tower Systems pricing starts at $145 a month including GST, billed annually, as at 2 November 2026. It has no transaction fees and no lock-in contract.

Book a computer shop demonstration

Book a demo. We’ll set up Tower Systems as a computer shop would use it, answer your questions and record the demonstration so you can review it whenever you like. Understanding your business comes first. If our software isn’t suited to something you need, we’ll be honest about that. Email sales@towersystems.com.au, or call 1300 662 957 in Australia or 0800 444 367 in New Zealand.

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Toy shops: the serious business behind the smiles

November 11, 2026
3 Min read
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Walk into a good independent toy shop and watch for a minute. Kids pointing at everything. Parents relaxing a little. A grandparent asking what a seven-year-old might like. It’s one of the happiest places in any shopping strip, and often plenty of fun.

Behind the counter, it’s a demanding business. Toy and game retailers manage thousands of products from many suppliers, a sharp Christmas peak, constant new releases and customers who expect expert advice. The fun on the shop floor depends on a lot of good management out the back.

Range is the big challenge

Toy shops carry everything from pocket-money items to big-ticket gifts, board games, puzzles, craft kits and collectables. Some lines sell for years. Others are hot for a season and then stop dead. Without clear sales data, it’s easy to reorder on gut feel and end up with shelves of last year’s craze.

Reporting by supplier, department and tag helps. You can see how STEM toys perform against plush, or how board games compare with puzzles, whichever supplier they came from. That view makes buying decisions a lot easier.

Christmas makes or breaks the year

For many toy shops, the final weeks of the year deliver a large share of annual profit. That puts pressure on stock levels, staffing and checkout speed. Software should help you see what’s selling now, what’s running low and what needs reordering before suppliers close for the break.

Lay-by matters here too. Plenty of families still prefer to pay off big gifts over several weeks. Managing lay-bys properly, with clear records and reminders, protects both the customer relationship and your stock.

Loyalty that families notice

Toy shops benefit from repeat visits through birthdays, Christmas and school holidays. A simple loyalty approach, such as discount vouchers to regular customers, keeps families coming back without the complexity of a points scheme nobody understands.

Make it easy for staff

Seasonal and casual staff are common in toy retail. Software that’s easy to learn, with proper training, means your Christmas casual can serve confidently on day one rather than calling you every ten minutes.

What to do this week

Run a report on stock that has not sold in the last six months. Before you order more for Christmas, work out how to move those lines through bundles, a value table or a gift-with-purchase offer. Cash tied up in old stock is cash you can’t spend on what’s selling.

Tower Systems makes POS software for independent toy and game shops, with stock control, lay-by, loyalty, the AI-powered Insights Dashboard and local support from people who know specialty retail.

To talk through whether Tower is the right fit for your shop, call us on 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au. www.towersystems.com.au. Locally made. Locally supported.

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How to choose the best POS software for a firearms dealer in Australia or New Zealand

November 11, 2026
7 Min read
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The best POS software for a firearms dealer is built for licensed, serialised stock. It records purchaser and licence details at the sale, tracks every serial number from arrival to sale, helps with managing parts and labour used in gunsmith jobs, bills storage and memberships, and handles club pricing. It also comes with local support and no transaction fees. Use the checklist below to compare any system you’re considering.

Selling firearms means keeping records most other retailers never deal with. One customer buys a box of cleaning patches. The next collects a rifle once the permit has come through, then books a scope fitting and pays for another month of safe storage. A basic till can process the sale. Keeping the records behind it is another matter.

Firearms dealers and gunsmiths have helped shape the firearms features in our software and continue to do so.

We’ve been making POS software for independent specialty retailers since 1981. The advice here comes from that work, and the checklist applies whichever system you end up choosing.

When a general POS is enough

If you sell outdoor clothing, knives and camping gear but no firearms or ammunition, a general retail POS may do the job and cost less.

That changes once you hold a dealer licence. Serial numbers, purchaser records, second-hand trade-ins, workshop jobs and storage rental all need accurate records. General systems leave that to paper registers and spreadsheets beside the till. That double handling is where errors creep in, and it’s what makes an audit stressful.

Ten things the best firearms dealer POS software should do

  1. Record purchaser details at the sale. Name, address and licence details should be captured during the transaction, so nothing is written up later. Ask to see where those details are stored and how quickly you can find them again.
  2. Track every serial number. Each firearm should be tracked by serial number from the day it arrives until the day it leaves, including second-hand stock and trade-ins. You should be able to search a serial number and see its full history in seconds.
  3. Check age at the counter. For age-restricted items, the system should stop the sale until the staff member confirms an age check. That protects a new casual on a busy Saturday as much as it protects you.
  4. Run the workshop. Gunsmith work needs job tracking from check-in to collection  and updates to the customer. Ask whether workshop management is included or charged as an extra.
  5. Bill storage and memberships automatically. Safe storage, locker space and membership fees are steady income, but only if they’re billed on time. Recurring billing built into the POS removes the monthly chase.
  6. Support local clubs. Club members are the core of most gun shops. Look for pricing profiles by customer type, so club members get their rate automatically and staff don’t have to remember it.
  7. Sell bundles and by measure. A starter kit with a bag, cleaning gear and hearing protection sells better at one price, and is harder to price-compare online. Bulk supplies should sell by weight or measure, in whole numbers or fractions, and apparel by colour, size and style.
  8. Cut the keying. Importing invoices from your distributors, including PDF invoices read by AI, saves hours of keying and reduces errors in costs and stock counts.
  9. Sell at field days and online. A mobile app lets you sell at shows and club events with stock kept in sync. If you sell accessories or clothing online, the POS should integrate with Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce or Magento.
  10. Report clearly. You need serial number and purchaser reports on demand, plus aged stock, best sellers, gross profit by category and reordering. Reports should be quick to run, or they won’t be used.

The costs that are easy to miss

A low monthly fee can hide a high total cost. Work out what each system would cost over two years, counting:

  • Transaction fees. Some POS providers take a percentage of every card sale. On a high-value firearm sale, that’s a noticeable amount.
  • Fees per terminal. A terminal in the workshop or at a second counter shouldn’t add to your bill.
  • Is phone support included? What hours does it run, and does it cover Saturdays?
  • Add-ons. Some providers charge extra for workshop management, recurring billing, loyalty, ecommerce or accounting links.
  • If you’re locked in, a poor choice is costly to reverse.

Tower Systems has no transaction fees and no lock-in contract. The Tower Systems pricing is  simple and transparent. You can pay monthly, or annually.

Questions to ask in a demonstration

Ask the provider to run the demonstration using the kinds of transactions you handle. These questions will show quickly whether the system fits:

  1. Show me a rifle being received, sold and then found again by serial number.
  2. Show me where the purchaser and licence details are kept for that sale.
  3. Show me a second-hand trade-in coming into stock.
  4. Show me a gunsmith job from check-in to collection, with a message to the customer.
  5. Show me a monthly storage charge being billed automatically.
  6. What does support cost, and who answers the phone on a Saturday?
  7. Where is your support team located?
  8. What is the process for getting to speak to a human?
  9. Where is the person providing training located?
  10. Can I speak with a firearms dealer who uses your software?

Switching without disrupting trade

Changing systems is where many owners hesitate. With firearms, getting the records right matters more than getting it done fast. Plan for three things:

  • Data first. Before you sign, have your existing data reviewed if you’d like so you know which serial numbers, purchaser records and customer details will come across. Tower Systems launched a streamlined data conversion service in mid 2026, drawing on many past conversions, and it’s fast and accurate.
  • Pick a quiet stretch, well clear of the hunting season or a big club event.
  • Look for one-on-one training and a video library staff can use any time. Together, they make that first busy weekend much easier.

Australia and New Zealand

Firearms rules differ between Australian states and territories, and between Australia and New Zealand. Software can capture and store the records, but your obligations are set by your local firearms registry. Confirm what you must record with them, then check the system can capture all of it. Tower Systems has help desk staff in both Australia and New Zealand. The help desk is open six days a week, with after-hours help if a system goes down.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best POS software for a firearms dealer in Australia?

It’s software built for licensed stock: recording purchaser and licence details, tracking serial numbers, running gunsmith jobs, billing storage and offering club pricing. Compare systems against those needs, the total cost over two years and the quality of local support.

Can POS software track firearm serial numbers?

Yes, if it’s built for it. Tower Systems tracks each firearm by serial number from arrival to sale, including second-hand stock, and records purchaser details, including name, address and licence, at the point of sale.

Does firearms POS software work in New Zealand?

Yes. Tower Systems supports firearms dealers on both sides of the Tasman, with help desk staff in each country. The New Zealand sales line is 0800 444 367.

How much does firearms dealer POS software cost?

Prices vary a lot between providers, so compare the two-year total, including transaction fees, terminal fees, support and add-ons. As at November 2026, Tower Systems plans start at $145 a month including GST, billed annually, with no transaction fees and no lock-in contract.

Book a firearms dealer demonstration

Book a demo: We’ll set Tower Systems up the way a firearms dealer works, answer your questions and record the session so you can watch it again later. 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 choose the best POS software for a garden centre in Australia or New Zealand

November 10, 2026
7 Min read
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The best POS software for a garden centre is built for living stock and bulk landscape supplies. It sells soil and mulch by measure or fraction, reprices plants as they grow, records plant losses, runs landscaper accounts and manages deliveries. It also comes with local support and no transaction fees. Use the checklist below to compare any system you’re considering.

Garden centres don’t work like other retail businesses. Stock grows, dies, gets re-potted and goes out the gate on a truck. One customer buys a single punnet. The next is a landscaper who wants three tonnes of sand on account by Thursday. A basic till or general POS app can take the payment, but it usually can’t handle the rest.

We’ve made POS software for independent specialty retailers since 1981, and hundreds of garden centre owners have shaped the garden centre features in our software. This guide draws on that experience, but the checklist works whichever system you choose.

Our garden centre software has been chosen by hundreds.

When a general POS is enough

Not every garden centre needs specialist software. If you sell potted plants and giftware by the unit, with no bulk yard, trade accounts or deliveries, a general retail POS may do the job well and cost less.

That changes once you add bulk soils and mulches, trade customers, a delivery truck, a nursery that grows its own stock, or supplier invoices that run to hundreds of lines in spring. General systems then start relying on workarounds, spreadsheets and the owner’s memory. That’s usually where margin leaks.

Ten things the best garden centre POS software should do

  1. Sell by measure, weight and fraction. A customer who wants one and a half cubic metres of mulch should pay for exactly that. Look for selling by measure, weight or length in whole numbers or fractions, and integration with counter scales. In Australia, check that the weighing setup is approved by the National Measurement Institute (NMI) for trade use.
  2. Reprice plants as they grow. Living stock gains value. When you re-pot a plant into a larger container, you should be able to update its record and price, so your margin covers the labour and materials you’ve put in. Most retail software has no idea what to do with stock that’s worth more next month.
  3. Record plant losses properly. Some plants don’t make it. A write-off facility takes dead and damaged stock off the books and reports it by category and season. Without one, losses only turn up as an unexplained gap at stocktake.
  4. Serve landscapers and trade customers. Trade customers expect trade pricing, quotes that become orders, sales on account, credit limits and month-end statements. In the demo, ask to see the whole process from quote to invoice.
  5. Manage deliveries. If you deliver, look for dispatch tools that handle several trucks with several drops each, plus picking slips and delivery notes. Larger fleets benefit from a link to a logistics platform such as Allotrac.
  6. Load supplier invoices automatically. Spring deliveries can swamp the back office. The software should import electronic invoices and stock files from major suppliers, for example through Evergreen Connect, and ideally read PDF invoices using AI.
  7. Print weatherproof labels. Labels that fade or peel in the sun cost you sales and pricing accuracy. Ask whether the system prints high-resolution, weatherproof outdoor labels with barcodes.
  8. Bring customers back. Garden centres sell advice as much as plants. Look for plant care tips on the receipt, bundles that put a plant, pot and fertiliser at one price, and loyalty that’s built in rather than charged as an extra.
  9. Keep the shop and website in step. If you sell online, the POS should connect directly to your ecommerce platform, such as Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce or Magento, so one set of stock sits behind both.
  10. Report on the season. A wet Monday is the time to look at aged stock, best sellers, gross profit by category, supplier performance and reorders based on last season. If the reports are hard to run, they won’t get run.

The costs that are easy to miss

The monthly fee is only part of the cost. When you compare systems, add up the total over two years and include:

  • Transaction fees. Some POS providers take a percentage of every card sale. On a busy spring weekend, that adds up fast.
  • Fees per terminal. Adding a second or third counter for peak season shouldn’t bring a bigger invoice.
  • Support. Check whether phone support is included, what hours it runs and whether weekends are covered. Saturday is often a garden centre’s biggest day.
  • Add-ons. Ecommerce, loyalty, dispatch and accounting links are sometimes extra.
  • Contracts. A lock-in contract makes a poor choice expensive to undo.

For comparison, Tower Systems charges no transaction fees and has no lock-in contract. As at November 2026, plans start at $145 a month including GST, billed annually. Standard and above include unlimited terminals at one location. See our pricing page for current prices and which plan includes each feature.

Questions to ask in a demonstration

Ask for a demonstration set up around your business, rather than a standard script. Take these questions with you:

  1. Show me a sale of 1.5 cubic metres of mulch, then the stock movement it creates.
  2. Show me how a re-potted plant is repriced.
  3. Show me a landscaper quote becoming an order, then an account sale, then a statement.
  4. Show me a delivery with two trucks and five drops.
  5. Show me a supplier invoice from my main nursery being imported.
  6. What does support cost, and who answers the phone on a Saturday in October?
  7. Can I speak with a garden centre that uses your software?

Switching without disrupting spring

For most owners, the hardest part is the changeover. Three things help it go smoothly:

  • Have your data reviewed before you commit, so you know exactly what can be brought across. Tower Systems released a streamlined data conversion service in mid 2026, based on what we’ve learned from many conversions. It’s fast and accurate.
  • Choose the timing. Nobody should change systems the week before a spring long weekend. Plan the changeover around your trading year, ideally in the quieter winter months.
  • Ask how training works. One-on-one training, plus a video library your staff can use at any hour, makes the first busy weekend far less stressful.

“Our transition to Tower Systems has been smooth with plenty of training and support when needed. Highly recommend!” — Garden Centre customer, May 2026

Australia and New Zealand

If you trade on either side of the Tasman, check that the software handles GST correctly for your country, that support is available in your time zone and that the supplier has people on the ground. Tower Systems supports garden centres in both countries, with help desk staff based in Australia and New Zealand, open six days a week, and after-hours help when a system is down.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best POS software for a garden centre in Australia?

It’s software built for the work: selling bulk supplies by measure or fraction, repricing plants as they grow, writing off losses, running trade accounts and managing deliveries. Compare systems against those needs, the total cost over two years and the quality of local support.

Can POS software sell soil and mulch by the cubic metre?

Yes, if it supports selling by measure. Tower Systems sells by measure, weight or length in whole numbers or fractions, so one and a half cubic metres of mulch is priced correctly. It also connects to counter scales, including the CAS PDN Scale Series.

Does garden centre POS software work in New Zealand?

Yes. Tower Systems supports garden centres in Australia and New Zealand, with help desk staff in both countries. The New Zealand sales line is 0800 444 367.

How much does garden centre POS software cost?

It varies widely, so compare the total cost, including transaction fees, terminal fees, support and add-ons. As at 2 November 2026, Tower Systems plans start at $145 a month including GST, billed annually, with no transaction fees and no lock-in contract.

Book a garden centre demonstration

See Tower Systems set up for a garden centre like yours. Book a demo. We’ll answer your questions and record the demonstration so you can review it later. Call 1300 662 957 in Australia or 0800 444 367 in New Zealand, or email sales@towersystems.com.au.

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Looking for an alternative to Epos Now?

November 10, 2026
4 Min read
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A retailer using Epos Now contacted us recently, looking for an alternative. Our software suited the specific needs of their shop. What surprised us was what they asked about most. It wasn’t features. It was everything around the software:

  • Is it developed and supported here? (Yes.)
  • Is there a lock-in contract? (No.)
  • Do I have to use your EFTPOS provider? (No.)
  • If I ring, will I get a person? (Yes.)
  • Can I suggest changes to the people who write the software? (Yes.)
  • Is AI built in, or is it an add-on? (Built in.)

We’re biased, of course. We’re Tower Systems. Our view comes from the retailers who have moved to us from Epos Now. We also know we’re not right for every shop, and if we’re not right for yours, we’ll say so.

Different companies, different markets

Epos Now is a global company. Its cloud platform is used by retailers, restaurants, hotels and other businesses in many countries, and it’s designed to work across all of them.

Tower Systems makes software in Australia for selected types of specialty retailers in Australia and New Zealand: gift shops, toy shops, newsagents, bike shops, jewellers and more.

We don’t work with franchises or chains.

Neither approach is wrong. They suit different businesses. If you run a stock-heavy specialty shop, it’s worth asking which one was built with a shop like yours in mind.

What the software does

From what we are told, Epos Now covers the POS basics well: sales, inventory, reporting, staff and payments, plus a large marketplace of add-on apps.

Tower goes deep into the work specialty shops do every day. You can take special orders, track serial numbers, sell bundles, and sell by weight or length. You can also manage repairs, run self-checkout and sell from the shop floor. These features are part of the software, so you don’t need to find and pay for an app to get them.

Read the contract first

Before you compare features, compare contracts. Check how long each one runs and what it costs to leave. Then work out what you’ll really pay over three years, not just per month.

Tower doesn’t lock customers in. If the software stops being right for you, cancel your rental with 30 days’ notice.

Our pricing is simple. You pay one price for one location, however many computers you run. Xero, Shopify, WooCommerce and Magento links are included, along with loyalty tools. You choose your own EFTPOS provider and bank, so you can shop around for better rates. And we don’t take a percentage of your sales.

Tower does not charge based on transaction volume or value.

Integrations

Epos Now has a large international ecosystem of apps.

Tower’s integrations are the ones Australian and New Zealand retailers use: Xero, Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento, Tyro, Linkly Cloud, Smartpay and several industry-specific connections. For most local shops, a few well-built integrations with the systems they already use beat a long list of apps.

Support

Ring Tower and a person answers. The help desk team is local, many of them have worked in retail, and nobody reads from a script.

New customers get one-on-one training. There’s also a library of training videos and help articles, and an open user meeting every month. Customers suggest improvements on our public Software Ideas platform and vote on each other’s ideas, and the most popular ones shape what we build next.

Our advice: do your own thorough research

Don’t take any company’s word for it, including ours. Read reviews, search Reddit and social media, and ask other retailers in your channel what they use and what annoys them about it.

Then sit both systems side by side and run through the jobs your shop does every day: receiving a delivery, taking a special order, doing a return, running end of day. That will tell you more than any comparison article.

Ask for references.

So which one?

If you want a general-purpose system that works across many types of business, Epos Now may suit you.

If you run an independent specialty shop in Australia or New Zealand and want software built for that, supported by people here, Tower is worth a look.

If you’re happy with Epos Now, stay with it. If you’re not, we’d like to show you what we do.

Book a free, no-obligation demo. Call 1300 662 957 in Australia or 0800 444 367 in New Zealand, or email sales@towersystems.com.au. Contacting a human is easy.

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Retailers: Stop complaining about your data and fix it

November 9, 2026
4 Min read
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Most retailers won’t read this. They’d rather not work on their data, probably because they’ve never seen what good business data can do for them. They have no idea what they’re missing.

Those retailers are easy to compete with.

Small business retailers get stuck in their heads about bad data. They decide it’s so bad that they spend months, sometimes years, talking about it and worrying about it. They don’t take a single step to fix it. Being time poor becomes the excuse, and complaining becomes the only action.

We hear it all the time. Product names nobody understands. Departments that made sense ten years ago. Suppliers who stopped trading years ago still sitting in the system. Stock levels nobody trusts, so nobody uses the reports. Then the business makes buying decisions on gut feel, because the numbers “can’t be right”.

In almost every business we’ve seen and worked with, the fix is a two-day job for two people. It needs clear, firm management behind it.

Throw it out and start again

The best way to fix bad data is to throw it out and build it again.

Most retailers try to clean their data one product at a time, in between serving customers. It never ends. A fresh, firm reset works far better than a slow tidy-up that drags on for a year.

What the two days look like

Step one: do the stocktake.

Count everything. Not a sample, not just the big categories. Everything. By the end of the day, the stock levels in your system should match what’s on your shelves and in your stockroom.

Step two: clear out what’s at zero.

Run a report of every item with zero stock on hand. Then ask one question: has it sold in the last six months?

  • If it hasn’t, delete it. Don’t mark it inactive or hide it. Remove it. You don’t stock it, you haven’t sold it, and keeping it only clutters every report you run.
  • If it has, keep it, and decide whether you’ll reorder it.

Next:

  • Remove suppliers you no longer buy from.
  • Rebuild your departments around how you trade today.
  • Check cost prices on your top sellers against recent invoices.
  • Write down three or four rules for adding new products, so the mess doesn’t come back.

Two people works best. One makes the decisions, the other does the data entry. Don’t let anyone talk you into keeping something “just in case”.

A reset for the business, not just the data

Throwing out old data does more than clean up your system. It resets the business.

Once the data is clean, you’re looking at the shop as it really is today. You can see what you actually stock, what actually sells and where your money actually sits. That’s a new foundation, and you can build on it.

Reports you stopped trusting become useful again. Reordering works. You can spot the lines that make money and the ones that only take up space. Clean data gives you commercially valuable insights that you can’t get while old data clouds every number.

Keep it clean

The data didn’t get bad on its own. It got bad because nobody owned it. After the reset, give one person responsibility for keeping it right. Check it monthly. If new products go in without following the rules, say so.

Our advice

Too many retailers spend too much time worrying. Worrying does nothing for you or your business. In fact, it makes things worse.

Complaining achieves nothing. Doing something does.

And if you’re a supplier to retailers who hears the same complaints over and over, what are you doing to turn those complaints into action?

If you’re a Tower customer and want help planning a reset, this is the advice we provide.

If you’re not with Tower and your current system makes this hard, we’d love to show you how Tower handles it. Call 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au.

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Why sewing, fabric and knitting shops need POS software that understands them

November 8, 2026
3 Min read
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A customer walks in with half a jumper on the needles and a problem. They need three more balls of the same yarn, in the same colourway, and ideally the same dye lot. They bought the first lot from you in autumn. Can you tell them, quickly, what they bought and whether you can get more?

Moments like that matter in a sewing, fabric and knitting shop. It’s a small sale, but they’re a long-term customer. Get it right and they’ll be back for the next project, and they’ll probably tell their knitting group. Get it wrong and they’ll go looking online.

The way these shops sell is different

Most POS software is built around a simple idea: one barcode, one item, one price. Fabric and craft retail doesn’t work like that. Fabric is sold by the metre, sometimes by the half or quarter metre. Ribbon, trim and elastic go by length. Yarn is sold by the ball but managed by brand, weight, colourway and dye lot. Patterns, notions, needles and kits all sit alongside each other, often from dozens of small suppliers.

If your software can’t sell by length or fraction, staff end up guessing, rounding or keying in prices by hand. Each workaround is a small leak. Across a year, those leaks add up to real money and unreliable stock figures.

Special orders are part of the service

Craft customers ask for things you don’t have on the shelf. A specific yarn, a backing fabric to match a quilt top, a pattern that’s out of stock. Handling those requests well is one of the best reasons to shop local rather than online.

Good software records the special order against the customer, tracks any deposit, flags it when the stock arrives and helps you get in touch. That beats a sticky note on the till, and it saves an awkward phone call three weeks later.

Know your regulars

Sewing and knitting customers tend to be loyal and project-driven. A simple customer record showing past purchases lets you answer the dye-lot question in seconds. It also lets you tell regulars when new season yarns or fabrics arrive. A discount voucher sent at the right moment often works better than a complicated points scheme.

Look at what actually makes money

Many craft shops carry a huge range. Some of it moves every week. Some of it has been sitting in a drawer since 2022. Reporting by supplier, department and product tag shows which lines earn their space and which are quietly tying up cash. That’s especially useful before the next buying season.

What to do this week

Pick five recent special orders and check how they were recorded. Could anyone in the shop find them, see the deposit and know when the stock arrived? If the answer is no, your software is costing you goodwill.

Tower Systems makes POS software for independent specialty retailers, including sewing, fabric, haberdashery and knitting shops. It handles sales by length and fraction, special orders, customer history and loyalty, and comes with free one-on-one training and local support from people who understand how these shops work.

To talk through whether Tower is the right fit for your shop, call us on 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au. www.towersystems.com.au. Locally made. Locally supported.

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Why the local shop is worth the trip: the case against Temu

November 7, 2026
4 Min read
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Ultra-cheap online marketplaces have changed what many shoppers expect to pay. Almost half of Australian consumers now say they often or always consider these platforms, and nearly eight in ten retailers are concerned about the competition.

No independent shop can match those prices, so don’t try. Compete on what a marketplace can’t offer, and make sure customers can see it.

Stop competing on the wrong thing

When a customer mentions a lower price online, it’s tempting to discount or explain your costs. Neither helps much. What the customer really wants to know is why they should buy from you.

Have a short, confident answer ready. You know the products, you stand behind them, and the customer can take one home today.

Make your value visible

Most of what makes a local shop worthwhile is invisible unless you show it.

  • Shoppers buying online have to guess. In your shop, they can ask. Make it known that your team can help choose the right product, size or fit.
  • Products sold through Australian retailers are expected to meet Australian safety standards. Shoppers worry about this more than they used to, especially for children’s items, electrical goods and anything worn on the skin.
  • Your customer walks out with the product today instead of waiting on a delivery.
  • Easy returns. A local shop resolves a problem across the counter. A marketplace return often costs more effort than the product is worth.
  • Service after the sale. Repairs, refills, adjustments and replacement parts are part of what you sell.

Say these things on your signs, your shelf talkers, your website and your social media. Don’t assume customers already know.

Choose your range carefully

Be honest about where you can’t compete. If a product is a basic commodity and customers shop on price alone, it may not deserve prime space. Put your effort into ranges where your knowledge and curation matter.

  • Products that need explanation or fitting.
  • Quality brands customers trust.
  • Locally made or exclusive lines.
  • Gift ranges you’ve chosen with care.
  • Consumables and refills that bring customers back.

Your POS sales data will show which categories earn their space and which don’t.

Offer what an algorithm cannot

There are many ways local specialty retailers can compete with cheap online marketplaces. here are some suggestions from us based on years of experience helping small business retailers:

  1. Special orders. Getting a specific item for a customer builds loyalty fast.
  2. Gift wrapping and bundles. A thoughtful gift, ready to give, saves your customer time and stress.
  3. Local knowledge. You know your community, its events, its seasons and its people.
  4. Remembering a customer’s name and what they bought last time is worth more than any discount code.
  5. Loyalty that feels personal. A loyalty program tied to real relationships keeps customers returning. A points based program is very common, but not always the right approach.

Make the visit enjoyable

People like to shop when the experience is good. A well-lit, tidy shop with fresh displays, a warm greeting and products they can touch gives customers a reason to come in. Change front-of-store displays regularly so regular customers always find something new.

Tell your story

More shoppers understand that spending locally keeps jobs in town and the main street alive. You don’t need to lecture anyone. Show, don’t tell – that you’re part of their local community.

What to do this week

List the five reasons a customer should buy from you instead of a marketplace. Put at least two of them on signage in your shop and on your website. Then review your range for one category where you compete on price alone, and decide whether it deserves its space.

If you would like to see how Tower supports special orders, loyalty and gift-focused selling, Tim and Justin are happy to help. Call 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au.

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Being found by AI search: what helps a shop get recommended

November 6, 2026
4 Min read
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More shoppers now ask AI tools questions like “Where can I buy a good fountain pen in Geelong?” or “Which garden centre near me stocks fruit trees?” Instead of a list of links, they get a short answer naming a few businesses. If your shop isn’t in that answer, the customer may never know you exist.

There’s a lot of hype about this. Most of what gets a shop recommended by AI is what has always got a shop found: accurate, consistent information about you, in more than one place.

Get your Google Business Profile right

For local shopping, start with your Google Business Profile. AI answers on Google draw heavily on it, and other AI tools often use the same information.

  • Use your exact business name, address and phone number.
  • Choose the most accurate primary category, then add relevant secondary categories.
  • Keep opening hours current, including public holidays.
  • Add real photos of your shopfront, interior and products.
  • Write a description that says plainly what you sell and who you serve.

Keep your details consistent everywhere

AI tools build a picture of your business from many sources. If your name, address or phone number differs between your website, Facebook page, industry directories and local listings, that picture becomes less certain. Check each listing and make them match.

Reviews matter, so ask for them

Reviews carry weight in local recommendations for sure.

Make asking for reviews part of your routine. A card at the counter, a QR code on receipts or a follow-up email after a special order all help. Ask every customer, not just the happy ones. Selectively asking only satisfied customers, or offering rewards for reviews, breaches Google’s rules, and fake reviews are unlawful in Australia.

Reply to reviews, including the critical ones. A calm, helpful reply shows future customers how you treat people.

Let others talk about you

AI tools pay attention to what other people say about you. Mentions in local news, community websites, supplier stockist lists, industry associations and event pages all help.

Ask your suppliers to list you as a stockist. Join your local business association. Support a community event and make sure your shop is named. Each mention is another independent source confirming you exist and what you do.

Put your range online

An AI tool can’t recommend you for a product it doesn’t know you sell. If your website only says “gifts and homewares”, you’re unlikely to appear when someone asks about a specific brand or product.

Even if you don’t sell online, a website that shows your key brands and categories gives AI something to work with. If you do sell online, clear product titles, accurate descriptions and current stock levels all help. A POS connected to your online store keeps this information current without extra work.

Answer the questions customers ask

Think about what customers ask at your counter. Do you do repairs? Do you take special orders? Can I find a particular brand? Is there parking nearby?

Put those answers on your website in plain language. A simple frequently asked questions page is easy for AI tools to read and quote. Avoid filling your site with generic AI-written pages or near-identical pages for every suburb, because these can work against you.

You do not need special AI files

You may be offered services promising to “optimise for AI” with special files or code. Google has said no special AI file or schema is required. Spend your time on the basics above instead.

Check what AI says about you

Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Google a few questions a customer might ask about your shop or category. See who is recommended and why. Answers vary from day to day, so look for patterns over several checks rather than reacting to one result.

What to do next

Update your Google Business Profile, check that your details match across your top five listings, and set up a simple way to ask every customer for a review. Then write five answers to questions your customers ask most often and add them to your website.

If you would like to see how Tower connects your stock to your online store, Tim and Justin can take you through it. Call 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au.

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Australian-made software for mobility scooter shops

November 5, 2026
3 Min read
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Mobility scooter and mobility product shops are a different kind of retail. Customers often need time, advice and follow-up long after the sale. The relationship matters as much as the product.

These businesses are vital in local Australian communities. They help people stay independent and connected. Running one well means balancing personal service with the practical side of sales, orders, repairs and servicing.

Software built for that mix makes the job easier. Tower Systems point of sale software is made in Australia and supported in Australia, and it’s available for just a few dollars a day.

Eight reasons for a mobility scooter shop to choose Tower

  1. Loyalty for customers who visit less often. Mobility customers don’t come in every week. Built-in loyalty tools help you make each visit count.
  2. Pre-orders. Sell products before they arrive in stock, and keep customers informed while they wait.
  3. Buy Now, Pay Later and lay-by. Offer both through the software, so customers can spread the cost of a bigger purchase.
  4. Bundles and packages. Put together products that suit a customer’s needs, such as a scooter with accessories, and sell them as one package.
  5. Offers for groups. Set up specific offers and pricing for retirement villages, clubs and other local groups.
  6. Special orders. Track special orders from request to pick-up, with fewer errors, and take a deposit up front.
  7. Repairs and servicing. Track parts and labour for every repair, including work done by outside technicians. Recall customers based on activity, such as their last service date.
  8. Serial number tracking. Record serial numbers on stock for servicing, insurance and other records, so you can answer customer questions quickly.

Why local matters

We value local specialty retail, and we built our software to help you make the most of your local presence.

  • You support your community. Your shop helps local people and families. The right tools help you do more of it.
  • You and your team are the difference. Customers come back because of the people who serve them. Our software helps you build on that.
  • Loyalty that means something. Go beyond generic points with loyalty tools that reward your customers and help your bottom line.
  • Better decisions from better data. Clear reports show what’s selling, what’s not and where the opportunities are.
  • Reach shoppers online. Not every customer walks through the door. Connect your software to a website and reach more people.

We’re grateful to serve mobility scooter and mobility product retailers across Australia.

To find out more, visit www.towersystems.com.au.

Tower Systems. Locally made. Locally supported.

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Payday Super and cash-flow routines: keeping on top of obligations

November 5, 2026
4 Min read
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From 1 July 2026 in Australia, employers must pay super each payday instead of quarterly. Contributions generally need to reach employees’ super funds within seven business days of payday. For workers it’s a welcome change. For small retailers, it means less time between paying staff and paying their super.

Quarterly super provided a buffer. That money sat in the account for weeks and helped cover the gap between buying stock and selling it. Now it leaves with every pay run. Add slow-paying accounts, higher costs and Christmas stock orders, and cash gets tight quickly.

A simple routine helps more than worrying about it.

Treat super as part of wages

The easiest mental shift is to stop thinking of super as a separate bill. It’s part of the cost of every hour worked. When you look at your wages figure, look at wages plus super. When you plan your roster, plan for both.

Make sure your payroll software is set up for Payday Super, with correct fund details for every employee. If a contribution bounces because of an incorrect account number, it’s still your responsibility to fix it on time.

A weekly cash-flow check

Set aside half an hour at the same time every week. Put it in the diary like any other appointment.

  1. Check your bank balance against what is due. Look at wages, super, supplier payments and rent over the next fortnight.
  2. Review sales against last year. Your POS should show this at a glance. A soft week is easier to manage when you notice it straight away.
  3. Look at accounts receivable. If you sell on account, follow up anything overdue. Late payment is now common, and a polite reminder works best when it’s early.
  4. Check open orders. Know what stock is coming and when the invoices will land.

A monthly routine

Once a month, go a little deeper.

  • Reconcile your accounts. Make sure your POS, accounting software and bank all agree.
  • Set aside GST and PAYG. Move the money into a separate account so it isn’t mistaken for spare cash. Many tax debt problems start when GST is spent before BAS is due.
  • Review stock levels. Stock is cash on the shelf. Identify lines that haven’t sold in 90 days and decide whether to discount, return or bundle them.
  • Compare actual costs with budget. Wages, rent, power and insurance are all worth checking, and each has risen for many retailers this year.

Manage stock as cash

For most retailers, stock ties up more cash than anything else. Buy well and you protect your cash flow. Software can help with this.

  • Reorder based on what is actually selling, not habit. Use your data – that’s what it’s there for.
  • Use minimum and maximum stock levels for regular lines.
  • Spread Christmas buying where suppliers allow it, rather than taking everything in one delivery.
  • Ask suppliers about payment terms before you place large seasonal orders.

Talk early if you fall behind

If a tax payment or super contribution is going to be late, don’t wait. The ATO is more willing to discuss payment plans when businesses come forward early. Your accountant or bookkeeper can help you work out what is realistic. Unpaid super in particular carries penalties that make the problem harder to solve later.

Let your systems do the remembering

A routine is easier to keep when the numbers are ready for you. Daily sales summaries, stock reports and supplier invoice records save you from hunting for figures at the end of a long day. If your POS connects with your accounting software, reconciliation takes minutes rather than hours.

What to do next

Book a recurring 10-minute cash-flow check in your diary. Open a separate account for GST, PAYG and super if you don’t already have one. Then look at your slowest-moving stock and decide what to do with it before Christmas.

If you would like to see how Tower’s reporting and reordering tools support a weekly routine, Tim and Justin can show you. Call 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au.

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Customer Theft-reduction basics: practical steps a small shop can take

November 4, 2026
4 Min read
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For many small shops, theft by customers is a daily problem.

In Victoria alone, police recorded more than 37,000 theft offences at retail locations in the year to June 2026. That’s around 100 a day. Each one is stock an owner has to replace, and often a staff member who no longer feels safe at work.

Nobody stops every theft. A few practical changes will make your shop a harder target and help you spot losses sooner.

Safety comes first

No product is worth an injury. Make it clear to every team member that they should not chase, physically stop or argue with a suspected thief. Note what happened, keep yourself safe, and report it.

Write down a simple procedure and put it somewhere staff can find it. It should cover what to do during an incident, who to call and how to record it. Staff who know what is expected of them feel more confident and make better decisions under pressure.

Make the shop harder to steal from

Opportunistic thieves rely on not being noticed.  Small layout changes help more than you might expect. Here’s our advice based on years of experience serving small business retailers.

  • Clear sightlines. Lower fixtures where possible so staff can see across the floor. Remove displays that create blind corners.
  • Keep high-value stock close. Put expensive, small and easily resold items near the counter or in locked cabinets. Display one and keep the rest out the back.
  • Use mirrors and visible cameras. A visible camera and a monitor showing the live picture near the entrance are strong deterrents. Make sure footage is clear, time-stamped and kept long enough to be useful.
  • Mind the entrance. Avoid placing tempting stock right beside the door.
  • Tidy displays. A neat, full display makes gaps obvious. A messy one hides them.

Greet every customer

The cheapest security measure is a friendly hello. G’Day or thanks for stopping by or even a simple hi could make a big difference. It tells people you’ve seen them.

. Encourage staff to move around the floor during quiet periods rather than staying behind the counter.

Know what you are losing

Many retailers only discover theft when a customer asks for something that should be on the shelf. By then, the loss may have been building for months.

Your POS can tell you a lot here.

  • Regular cycle counts. Don’t wait for an annual stocktake. Count high-risk categories weekly or fortnightly and compare the result with system stock.
  • Watch variance reports. Repeated shortfalls in the same lines point to a pattern.
  • Review refunds, voids and no-sales. Not all shrinkage walks out the front door. Unusual refund or void activity by user, time or terminal deserves a closer look.
  • Check deliveries against invoices. Supplier short-shipments are a form of loss too. Count deliveries before they reach the shelf.

Once you know where the losses are, you know what to move, what to lock up and when you need an extra person on the floor.

Record and report every incident

Reporting a $40 theft can feel pointless. Do it anyway. Reports help police identify repeat offenders and make the case for more local resources. Keep a simple incident log with the date, time, items, estimated value, description and footage reference.

Talk to neighbouring shops too. Many centres and shopping strips have informal groups that share information about repeat offenders, and some work directly with local police.

Look after your team

Dealing with theft and abuse wears people down. Check in with staff after an incident, and avoid rostering anyone alone at higher-risk times if you can. People who feel backed up stay longer and notice more.

What to do next

Walk your shop as if you were trying to steal from it. Note the blind spots and the easiest items to take. Move your highest-risk stock, set up a regular count for those lines, and brief your team on your safety procedure.

If you would like to see how stock variance, cycle counting and refund reporting work in Tower, Tim and Justin can take you through it. Call 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au.

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It’s Melbourne Cup Day and we’re here

November 3, 2026
1 Min read
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Today is Melbourne Cup day, a public holiday in Melbourne, where our head office is located.

We’re here tho, helping small business retailers – with human delivered support, smart AI ChatBot support and more.

All our contact points are open. And even though today won’t be busy, because the race really does stop the nation, we’ve catch up on other work.

Have a terrific Melbourne Cup day!

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Pricing after the surcharge ban: how to lift prices without upsetting customers

November 2, 2026
4 Min read
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Since 1 October 2026, Australian businesses can no longer add a surcharge to payments made by eftpos, Mastercard, Visa or American Express. For a lot of independent retailers, that small line at the bottom of the receipt covered a real cost. The cost hasn’t gone anywhere. You now have to recover it another way, and fairly.

We know of many retailers where the loss of the surcharge has hit hard. This blog post bring together advice for these retailers. What you do needs care.

Customers are paying attention. Online forums are full of complaints about businesses using the ban as cover for bigger price rises, or renaming the surcharge a “service fee” or “platform fee”. The ACCC has said plainly that businesses must not mislead customers about why prices changed. Get this wrong and you lose more than a few cents a sale.

Start with your actual card cost

Before touching a price, be sure of what acceptance costs you. Get your merchant statements for the last three months and calculate the effective rate: total fees divided by total card sales. Include terminal rental and any monthly minimums.

Many retailers find the true figure is lower than the surcharge they used to charge. If you charged 1.5 per cent but your effective cost is 0.9 per cent, a 1.5 per cent rise across the board isn’t cost recovery. Customers will notice, and some will tell you so.

While you’re at it, call your payments provider and ask whether your plan still suits your volume. Lower interchange caps are part of the reform, so it’s reasonable to ask how they flow through to you. If your POS lets you choose your payment provider, you also have room to shop around.

Lift prices selectively, not evenly

A flat percentage increase on every product is the easiest change to make. It’s also the easiest one for customers to spot. Use your sales data instead.

  • Leave known-value items alone. Every shop has products customers know the price of, like a newspaper, magazine, cat food, dog  – the everyday item people notice. Keep these steady. They anchor your price reputation.
  • Lift where you add value. Gifts, specialty lines, exclusive ranges and items that need advice carry less price sensitivity. A small rise here is rarely noticed.
  • Round sensibly. Moving $9.40 to $9.50 is gentler than moving $9.95 to $10.20. Price endings matter more than most think.
  • Review slow sellers separately. If nobody is buying it, a price rise won’t help. Decide whether it belongs in the range at all.

Your POS software should show you sales by item, category and margin. Sort by units sold and margin together, and the safest places for a modest increase stand out quickly.

Protect trust with how you communicate

Skip the sign apologising for higher prices. What you need is staff who can answer honestly when a customer asks.

  • Don’t tell customers prices rose “because of the surcharge ban” unless that is accurate and proportionate.
  • Remove all surcharge references from counter signage, invoices, receipts and your website.
  • Weekend and public holiday surcharges are not part of the card ban, but they must be clearly displayed if you use them.
  • Brief your team on a simple, truthful line, such as: “We stopped charging card fees, and like everyone our costs have gone up, so we have adjusted some prices.”

Find margin outside the shelf price

Pricing is one lever. The retailers who handle this well tend to look at their buying, their mix and their shrinkage at the same time.

  • Buying. Check supplier invoices for cost increases you haven’t passed on. Many shops absorb supplier rises for months without noticing.
  • Mix. Promote higher-margin lines through placement and counter displays. Changing what customers buy can do more than a price rise.
  • Shrinkage (theft). Every item that walks out unpaid is lost margin. Tighter stock counts often recover more than the surcharge ever did.

What to do now

Work out your effective card cost. Pick twenty known-value items to hold steady. Then look at your highest-margin categories for a small, considered increase. It’s a morning’s work, and it beats guessing.

If you want to see how sales and margin reporting can make this easier, Tim and Justin at Tower are happy to talk through your shop’s situation. Call 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au.

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Why local toy shops need software made for toy shops

November 1, 2026
4 Min read
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Online keeps taking more of the toy market, and plenty of local toy shops are doing it tough. A parent can order a toy on their phone in under a minute. A box turns up, and that’s the end of the relationship.

A good family-run toy shop gives you more. Someone helps you choose. Someone remembers your kid’s name and what they were into last year. The gift goes home wrapped. If it breaks, someone looks at it instead of telling you to start a return.

It’s personal.

The hard part is delivering that on a flat-out Saturday in December, with a queue at the counter and two staff. Software built for a generic shop won’t help you much there. Software built for a toy shop will.

Made here, supported here

Tower Systems has been making retail software in Australia since 1981, and we’re grateful to serve many local independent toy shops across the country. When you call us, you talk to a real person here, someone who knows the software and knows how a toy shop trades.

We don’t treat a toy shop like a café or a clothing store, because it isn’t one.

Remember birthdays for your customers

Birthdays drive toy retail. Tower can record the occasions your customers care about and remind them when one is coming up. A grandparent who bought a birthday present last March hears from you in February, before they’ve started searching online.

Loyalty for people who only come in twice a year

Most toy shop customers aren’t weekly regulars. They come in for birthdays, Christmas and maybe a school holiday treat. Points programs built for supermarkets mean nothing to them.

Tower has loyalty options for occasional and one-off shoppers, as well as for your regulars. Give an occasional customer a reason to remember you, and they’re more likely to come back to you than to a website.

Age checks at the counter

Some products need an age check. Tower flags them at the point of sale, so a casual staff member on their second shift knows to ask.

Serial numbers and repairs

Remote control cars, electronic toys and ride-ons come back sometimes. Tower tracks serial numbers, so you can find the sale, check the details and sort it out quickly.

If you do repairs, Tower manages those as well. You can log the job, track where it’s up to and tell the customer when it’s ready. Very few online sellers will fix anything.

Bundles instead of discounts

Put the toy together with the accessory that makes it more fun, or the batteries it needs, at a fixed price. The customer gets a better gift with less thinking. You get a bigger sale without marking down half the shop.

Partner with a local school, club or playgroup

This is one of the most effective ways for a toy shop to find new customers.

You partner with a local school, kinder, sports club or playgroup. Members save a percentage when they shop with you, and a percentage of what they spend goes to the group. Tower handles both at the counter.

The group then promotes you to its members, because every sale helps them raise funds. Families who’ve never been in your shop now have a reason to visit. What happens after that is up to your service.

Know what’s actually selling

Tower lets you compare suppliers and categories, and report by brand, licence, age group and more. You can look at your shop the way you actually think about it:

  • Which suppliers make you money, and which tie up cash in slow stock?
  • Which licence is hot, and which one peaked six months ago?
  • Have you got toddlers covered but nothing for tweens?
  • What sells for birthdays, and what only moves at Christmas?

Licensed lines can go from bestseller to dead stock very quickly. Seeing that early saves real money.

Shopify and Xero, connected

Tower connects directly with Shopify and Xero. Your online store and your shop work from the same stock, and your sales flow through to Xero without anyone retyping them.

It comes back to service

Family-run toy shops that do well are known for something: the advice, the wrapping, the repairs, or remembering your kid’s birthday. The software’s job is to make that easy, even when you’re busy.

If you’d like to see how Tower would work in your toy shop, Tim and Justin are happy to take you through it. Call 1300 662 957 (AU), 0800 444 367 (NZ) or email sales@towersystems.com.au.

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Is your shop haunted?

October 31, 2026
3 Min read
I

Halloween has crept up on Australian retail. When we started out, 31 October was just another day. Now there are costumes in the shops, plastic skeletons in the garden centre and kids at the door expecting lollies.

The things that actually scare us in a shop don’t wear costumes, though. They hide in the stockroom and the supplier invoices, and some of them have been there for years.

Ghost stock

The system says you have four. The shelf says none. Nobody sold them, or at least nobody rang them up.

Ghost stock is sneaky because your POS won’t reorder something it thinks you still have. So the gap stays on the shelf, and a customer asks for it on a busy Saturday. Count your fast sellers every few weeks rather than waiting for the annual stocktake to give you a fright.

Zombie stock

Every shop has a few lines that won’t die. They’ve been on the shelf so long they’ve faded. You walk past them every day and stop seeing them.

Run a report of anything that hasn’t sold in 90 days. It’s rarely pleasant reading. Discount it, bundle it with something that sells, or send it back if the supplier will take it. That space and that cash are worth more doing something else.

Vampire costs

This one drains you slowly. A supplier puts a line up by 40 cents, then another goes up by a dollar. Nobody tells you, and the new price sits quietly on the invoice.

I’ve seen retailers absorb increases for six months without noticing. Check invoices against your cost prices when stock comes in, and adjust the sell price that day while you’re thinking about it.

The haunted till

The drawer opens and there’s no sale. A refund appears with no receipt. Usually there’s a boring explanation. Every so often there isn’t.

Your void, refund and no-sale reports will tell you who, when and how often. You don’t need to be suspicious of your team. You just need to look now and then.

The witching hour

It’s 6.15pm. The door is locked, your feet hurt, and you still need to balance the day. If that takes an hour with a calculator and a shoebox of dockets, your system is letting you down. It should take ten minutes.

Skeleton staff

Three people on a dead Tuesday morning and two on a flat-out Saturday afternoon. Most rosters are built on habit. Pull your sales by hour and day and roster to what the data shows, not to what you’ve always done.

While you’re at it, sell some Halloween stock

Halloween is now a real trading event for gift shops, newsagents, toy shops and garden centres. Put Halloween lines at the front of the shop for the last week of October, and put lollies at the counter. On 1 November, mark down whatever is left and clear it. Packing it away for next year just creates next year’s zombie stock.

Then look at what sold, so next year’s order is better than a guess.

If any of these sound familiar, we can show you how Tower’s reports bring us out of hiding. Call 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au.

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Gift shop software that helps you stay the course

October 30, 2026
4 Min read
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Gift shops come and go. Walk down most shopping strips in Australia or New Zealand and you’ll see it. A new shop opens with a fresh fit-out and a lot of hope. Another closes. A third changes hands, sometimes more than once in a few years.

There are plenty of reasons. Rent, staffing, the wrong mix of stock, an owner who is simply worn out. But we see a pattern in the gift shops that last. They’re consistent. They buy well, they know what’s selling, and the owner isn’t buried in admin every night.

That consistency is bankable. It’s what keeps a shop profitable through a slow winter, and it’s what a buyer pays for when the time comes to sell. Good software won’t do the work for you. It can make that consistency a lot easier to achieve.

A gift shop can carry hundreds of different products from dozens of suppliers. Every delivery brings paperwork. Keying it in by hand is slow, and it’s where mistakes creep in.

Tower Systems imports supplier invoices for you, with AI tools that handle most formats. Product data loads when you scan a new item, so the description and category are there without typing. Some of our customers tell us the AI tools save them hours every week.

Hampers and gift packs are another time sink in a lot of shops. Our software treats a hamper as one product made from its parts. Sell it, and the candle, the chocolate and the card all come out of stock at once. You know what you have without counting.

If you sell online, your Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento or BigCommerce store stays in step with the shop. Sell an item at the counter and the website knows. Click and collect orders are managed in the same system. Gift cards, special orders and club or group pricing are covered too.

Saving time is half of it. The other half is making better calls about stock, pricing and space.

Gift retail is seasonal. Tower Systems tracks which products sell in the lead-up to Mother’s Day, Christmas and other key periods, so next year’s order is based on what actually sold rather than a hunch. The embedded AI tools surface insights you’d otherwise find weeks or months later, if at all. Things like a supplier whose range has quietly stopped moving, or a category that deserves more shelf space.

Loyalty works the same way. Instead of a points scheme customers forget about, you can print a voucher on the receipt that brings them back within a set time. You can record special dates and preferences too, so your team can offer the personal service that sets a local gift shop apart.

None of this replaces the owner’s eye for product. It backs it up with facts, and over time that’s what steers a shop toward steady profit.

Staying the course also means having people you can rely on. Our help desk is based in Australia and New Zealand, and it’s open on Saturdays when gift shops are busiest. You talk to a person, not a script. You also choose when to install software updates, so nothing changes at the counter in the middle of December.

The cost should be predictable too. Some software companies take a percentage of every sale. We don’t. You pick your own EFTPOS provider and keep control of what you pay.

If you’re opening a gift shop, buying one or looking to strengthen the one you have, we’d like to show you how Tower Systems could help. Already on other software? Send us your data first and we’ll confirm whether it can be brought across.

You can read more about Tower Systems for gift shops, call 1300 662 957 (0800 444 367 in New Zealand) or email sales@towersystems.com.au.

Contacting a human is easy.

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