The POS Software Blog
News from Tower Systems about locally made POS software for specialty local retailers.
We hope that 2020 is prosperous, fulfilling, healthy and relaxing … for all of our customers and those who rely on their businesses for income and more.
We appreciate your support through 2019 and recommitment to be here for you in 2020.
Together, we can make 2020 a wonderful year!
We’re here helping indie small business retailers while many businesses are closed for the summer break. We take our service of small business retailers seriously and the best way to show that is to be here taking calls, answering questions, providing training and helping resolve any issues that arise.
We make it easy for our customer to contact us by phone, email, text message, chat and social media. This variety is especially helpful over summer when business owners can be away from the shops. We can bring several phones together into a conference call to help answer queries.
Our motto is we’re here to help and especially in this slow summer period we are embracing opportunities to live that.
Small business retailers using our POS software and following our retail management advice have had access to terrific tools with which to leverage the Boxing Day / Post Christmas sale opportunity. Our training, support and retail business advice platforms have aligned to help retailers make the most of the seasonal sale opportunity – well in advance of the big day.
Businesses in the city and country, mall and high street have terrific tools to leverage this traditional sale season in the retail year.
While Black Friday, Cyber Monday and other on line events have grown in intensity and popularity, in Australia the Boxing Day / post Christmas sales continue to be an important feature of the retail calendar. We help our retail community make the most of the opportunities.
Our focus has also included training and guiding new retailers and those who have never undertaken such sales. Owning our own retail businesses for years, we have been able to drawn on our own advice to to speak from personal experience, to help those new to the Post Christmas sale opportunity to help it work for them.
From discount facilities to inventory opportunity discovery to targeted marketing tools, our POS software is an ideal platform through which to drive additional revenue this time of the year.
We love this video we created for newsXpress stores this Christmas so much that we share it here as a Christmas greeting to all who stop by here.
The theft reduction training video we produced in-house – How To Steal From A Retail Business – is being used by business groups to train their members on measures to take in retail shops to reduce the opportunity for employee theft.
In addition to the YouTube views, this video has been packaged and provided outside that platform for people to embed in conference presentations, one-on-one training and elsewhere.
Using your POS software small business retailers have excellent tools with which to reduce the opportunity for theft. These have existed for years. In addition to our software work, we act as expert witnesses in investigations and proceedings that successfully prosecute employee theft cases.
What matters is that theft can be reduced and even eliminated with good management oversight in any retail business using our POS software.
Small business retailers are open prey for web developers, especially offshore web developers who pitch low costs and don’t have the same accountability as a local Australian business.
Too many small business retailers paying for cheap websites get what they pay for, an inadequate website that does not serve the needs of their retail business.
Tower Systems is a Melbourne Australia based POS software company with a local web team. Our people are retail and POS software skilled. We have a wonderful portfolio of successful web development, having delivered wonderful solutions to our customers in a broad variety of retail stores.
We have development skills and experience through partnership with Shopify, Magento and WooCommerce. We can develop solutions for businesses in a variety of situations and to a broad scope of need.
Since we develop locally we work your hours, speak your language, have a local design aesthetic and understand local retail. These points are critical if you want a website that works for your business.
Being retailers ourselves with a range of consumer facing websites we understand what is needed for a successful web store that attracts new shoppers and connects seamlessly to your POS software. In-house, we have professional design skills as well as a broad range of tech skills. Plus, we can help you do the work necessary to help people find your website.
We are full service website development company specialising on websites for indie small business retailers. Being retailer focussed is important in that we bring to each project specialist skills that retailers need and appreciate to make the most of their web related investments.
Getting your website investment right is business critical for indie small business retailers. Chasing a cheap solution from offshoot is usually false economy as ,many retailers have found. That does not mean we are expensive. Like so many things in business and the world generally, you get what you pay for. Paying once for an awesome website is better then paying several times.
Offering fixed price contracts, Tower Systems backs itself when it comes to POS software connected website development for small business retailers.
If you are looking for a website for your retail business, consider Tower Systems.
Retailer Roam, the portable POS software from Tower Systems is being embraced by more retailers with businesses that operate on the road.
Now well established and delivering terrific benefits, Retailer Roam is serving retailers looking to take their business transactions to customers no matter where they are … local markets, on the farm, from the back of a truck, pop-up stores and more. Retailer Roam is truly portable POS software thanks to smart app developers;oipment from the Tower systems web team working closely with the POS software development team.
To back up access to this new and innovative portable POS software product, Tower Systems has released a range of helpful advice and online accessible documentation including:
Offering fresh and evolving documentation for Retailer Roam is another way we are helping new and emerging retailers make the most of the fresh opportunities offered by Retailer Roam. We are loving helping retailers unlock new sales opportunities by disconnecting transactions front sales counter.
A common question we get is: Does Retailer Roam Require An Internet Connection?
Yes and No. You will need an internet connection to install the app and to obtain the base Retailer data.
If the location you’re selling from does not have internet connectivity you can use the device to transact, however, you will not receive any product updates or send sales back until the connection is re-established.
There is an ‘Offline Mode’ that can be turned on in settings for a smoother no-internet-connection experience. While in this mode the user will be limited to completing sales with what data has already been pre-loaded on the device. No API calls can be made in this mode, and sales will be stored locally until they can be synced.
There is an option to download all stock-data on the device; so, it can be used offline.
Retailer Roam is portable POS softeware for retailers on the move.
2019 has been a year of considerable change in the newsagency channel and in areas connected with the newsagency channel. What newsagents need in their newsagency POS software now is fundamentally different to a year ago.
Being able to sell online easily is critical. Here at Tower Systems we make this easy with direct connect options through our newsagency POS software integrations with Shopify, Magento and WooCommerce. Between them, they handle 85% of online sales in Australia.
Being able to expand into new product categories can help you attract new shoppers and grow overall business GP%. Our experience in multiple specialty retail channels helps leverage opportunities.
Being able to sell from anywhere is critical too. We have seen newsagents grow their businesses by engaging at local markets and on the road. Our new and exclusive Retailer Roam product is portable POS software made for this. It’s in the Apple App Store now.
Being able to get customers spending more and bringing them back sooner is also critical. Our discount voucher solution, launched in 2013, is now used in hundreds of newsagencies with many success stories. Better than points and easily understood by shoppers, this loyalty solution is next gen.
Being able to reduce dead stock is vital. This starts with buying better, which flows from fact driven conversations with suppliers.
Being able to cut labour costs without cutting revenue is essential. Our data insights help you do this with confidence.
We still do all the important newsagency stuff like XchangeIT, links with Nine (Fairfax) and News and Ovato and XchangeIT. We have worked with Tabcorp on changes they wanted to implement as well as with GNS, ACCO, the federal government, greeting card companies and a raft of others.
Tower Systems serves more newsagents than all other POS software companies combined. We are grateful to the many who have switched to us in 2019. Their faith in us is sincerely appreciated.
As you work on your business to make it more valuable to you, we’d love to help. Our connections to the newsagency channel go beyond our software. We own the newsXpress newsagency marketing group and we own and run three newsagency businesses ourselves. We walk in your shoes.
The Adult Shops POS software from Tower Systems is finely tined to serve the needs of specialty adult product retailers. The most recent release of the software serves this niche retail channel well, helping adult shops to better serve patrons.
You can rent our Aussie designed and supported POS software made for Adult Shops for $155.00 a month. This provides access to awesome software that helps unique needs of adult shop businesses:
Adult shops do have unique retail business management requirements and Tower Systems has tuned its POS software to serve these. We work not only with retailers but with suppliers too, to help them connect well with each other, serve each other and mutually benefit.
Taking this adult shop POS software connection further is our web store integration through Shopify, Magento and WooCommerce. As a partner of each, we are able to provide adult shops with an online sales experience that is seamlessly connected back to their in-store POS software.
Being a POS software specialist in the adult shop retail management space helps us serve these businesses to guide better business performance and greater enjoyment for those in the business and those who rely on the business.
All Myer department stores across Australia suffered major POS system tech failure yesterday (Dec. 14), a vitally important day for Christmas trade.
Most consumer facing tech at Myer runs on XP from our understanding, an operating system that was at end of life years ago. With Windows 7 at end of life in four weeks, what happened to Myer is a reminder of the importance of having sound and current IT infrastructure.
The Myer IT infrastructure is old, out of date and technically unsafe.
Here at Tower Systems, we have been sharing advice with our 3,500 indie retail business owners about the soon to be end of life of Windows 7, providing options cost effective upgrade.
We provide a personal hardware and software upgrade service, tailored specifically to the needs of each customer.
We have also, in 2019, delivered comprehensive POS software updates, keeping our specialty POS software at the forefront of each marketplace in which we serve: Jewellers, garden centres, bike shops, produce stores, pet shops, toy shops, fishing and outdoors stores, rural supply businesses and newsagents.
What happened to Myer Saturday could have been avoided with better leadership, decisions focussed on managing IT and data as core business assets.
Take a moment and check your hardware and software. Make sure they are up to date. If you are running Windows XP or Windows 7, you must change to something more up to date. If your POS software has not been updated this year, look around at something more modern and fit for the needs of today.
Companies like ours are here to help indie retailers deal with the challenges of operating system and hardware upgrades. We do this is a structured and cash flow friendly way. With all our customers being small business retailers, we are thoughtful about needs unique to them and their operations.
Our Retailer Roam portable POS software and our Retailer cloud based and desktop POS software provide indie specialty retailers tools through which to better serve and compete locally. As active retailers ourselves (3 shops), we willingly share broader retail insights we see in our travels.
The Myer story from yesterday is timely. It need not be scary if you are prepared.
The top benefits from using the Tower Systems Gift shop POS software.
Beyond the software, here are features of a relationship with Tower Systems…
Tower Systems is not an average POS software company. We are a small business, indie business, focussed POS software company developing software in Australia and New Zealand for Australian and New Zealand based specialty retailers.
Thank you for considering us.
Here is a brief video update from us on Amazon Go, which we shared with our customers first last week.
We are grateful to our Tower Systems community of small business retailers who agree to beta test our new small business retail POS software releases. They are the front line of new software releases from us was they get to use and test this software ahead of commercial release.
Our beta testing program is comprehensive in scope and diverse in terms of the types of retail businesses that participate.
Beta testing commences only after two rounds of testing in-house and after sign-off from multiple stakeholders in our business.
Yes, we take software testing seriously.
This latest POS software update from us is big. It delivers enhancements to existing facilities as well as new facilities. It is a terrific advancement for our customers today and for businesses that will become our customers soon. We are not going to detail the contents of the update here – we will leave that for private customer communication.
After the beta testing process and once we are all happy with the software we will release it commercially for our customers to download and update when they want. we do not force software updates on customers as we know they refer to have control over when business processes change.
Every customer involved in the beta testing process has a say in next steps for the software release. This is what good beta testing is about – it is inclusive and engaging. We are sincerely appreciative of the engagement of our active beta testing community.
Our POS software is made for a range of retail channels. This update serves each of these channels with tuned changes to serve their needs. We work with retailers and their suppliers to help them bond through better software designed for their specific needs.
Jewellers, garden centres, bike shops, gift shops, toy shops, pet shops, produce businesses, farm supply businesses, fishing businesses, newsagents and more can rely on our commitment to each of the channels individually and collectively through serving common needs.
This next update is available to our Tower Advantage customers at no cost. It is part of the comprehensive service we provide our small business retailer community.
Aussie POS software co Tower systems offers cloud based POS software made for specialty retailers.
We make what we sell. This is locally made, sold and supported POS software for niche retailers, retailers in selected retail channels. Our cloud based POS software solutions are made specifically for jewellers, garden centres, bike shops, adult shops, homewares stores, newsagencies, gift shops, toy shops, produce businesses, toy shops, farm supply businesses and more.
In each niche retail channel we have dived in to work with suppliers and retailers to ensure that we deliver solutions that are fit for purpose in each channel, for retailers and for suppliers. This is whaat makes us a vertical market POS software colour deep specialisation in a retail channel.
Being cloud based, we offer our customers an insulation from some challenges of technology. Our POS software is securely hosted off site and independent of our own business and fully backed up to be safe and secure, with the ability to operate as and when needed by our retailer customers.
To be sure, though, our retail business customers can access our software through desktop local installation access if they wish. The choice is theirs. Cloud based is ideal for many but there are some who prefer their own approach, being self sufficient.
Our cloud based POS software is accessed through a 30-day rental program. Included in the low rental price for each is:
Rental is charged per 30 days, in advance. Access can be cancelled at any time. You can also choose to purchase the software outright.
We have a structured and personalised on-boarding process, done in your business for a modest up front fee. This includes:
Tower Systems is an Australian POS software company that develops, sells and supports software for selected specialty marketplaces including pet, garden, toy, gift, homewares, jeweller, bike, news and produce businesses.
We only serve independent retail businesses. We are comfortable in the small business retail space and are grateful to serve more than 3,000 of these businesses with speciality software made for retailers in their niche.
Our mission is to help retailers run more successful businesses. Our definition of success is a business that is making money, where the owners and employees enjoy what they do and where suppliers enjoy transacting.
Good POS software can play an important role in nurturing business success as it sits at the heart of the business: transacting sales, managing stock, tracking customer activity and shining a light on business opportunities.
What makes us different is how we engage. We go beyond what is traditional software company.
Smart POS software is key to any retail business but especially so in the small retail business space where competitive pressure is acute and challenging. We seek to help these indie retailers more successful engage competitively without the big business cost often attributed to competition.
Our decades-long track record is establishing, ensuring indie small business retailers can trust our focus, support and products.
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