Most Point of Sale (POS) systems can scan a barcode and process a payment. But when you’ve been building software for 20+ niche retail industries for decades, you end up developing some truly “out-of-the-box” features that you won’t find in generic, big-box software.
At Tower Systems, we pride ourselves on solving the “weird” problems, the ones that keep specialty retailers up at night. Here are some of the most unusual and unique facilities currently embedded in our software.
Being independent, local, specialty small business focussed has helped us embrace the unique and unusual, moat type facilities that help our local specialty retailer customers thrive.
1. The “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” AI Button
While other systems might let you run a report, we let you interrogate it. We’ve embedded a “Brain” (via integrations with ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Anthropic) directly into our reporting suite.
The Unusual Part: You can run a complex 30-page sales report and simply click “AI Analysis.” Instead of you hunting for trends, the software writes a plain-English summary of what’s actually happening. It calls out things you’d likely miss, such as a subtle shift in a specific department’s margin or a staff performance anomaly caused by high-value refunds.
2. Selling by the Fraction (Length, Weight, and Measure)
Generic POS systems hate decimals. If you try to sell 0.75 of a metre of fabric or 1.2kg of birdseed, they often choke.
The Unique Facility: Our software was built from the ground up to handle fractions. Whether you are a sewing shop selling lace by the centimetre or a produce store selling grain by the kilo, the inventory and pricing stay pin-sharp. No more “rounding up” and losing your margin.
3. Weatherproof and Custom-Niche Labelling
If you run a garden centre or a produce business, a standard paper price tag is useless the moment it rains.
The Unusual Part: We support weatherproof labelling directly from the POS. But it goes further: for jewellers, we support specialised “rattail” labels for rings, and for gun shops, we manage the specific legislative requirements for hazardous material tracking and firearm serial number registration.
4. “Bring Them Back” Loyalty (Not Just Points)
Most loyalty programs are just a “buy 10, get 1 free” digital punch card. Ours is a sophisticated marketing engine.
The Unique Facility: The “Bring Them Back” tool allows you to target customers based on specific past purchases. For example, if a customer bought a specific brand of puppy food three weeks ago, the system can automatically trigger a voucher for the “next stage” food to ensure they return to your shop rather than wandering into a supermarket.
5. Workshop and Repairs Management
Many specialty shops (bike shops, jewellers, sewing centres) are half-retail and half-service.
The Unusual Part: We have a full Repairs and Service module built into the POS at no extra cost. You can track a bicycle or a piece of jewellery from the moment it’s dropped off, assign it to a technician, track parts used, and automatically SMS the customer when it’s ready for collection. Most POS companies charge for this as a separate “add-on” app.
6. Smart Receipts with Care Instructions
A receipt is usually just a proof of purchase. In Tower Systems, it’s a customer service tool.
The Unique Facility: You can set the software to automatically print care instructions or health tips on the receipt based on what was bought. Sold a sensitive tropical plant? The receipt tells the customer how to water it. Sold a high-end sewing machine? It includes the first-service reminder. It’s “automated expertise” that makes your shop look incredibly professional.
Innovation Driven by You
The reason these “unusual” features exist is simple: our customers asked for them. We have a transparent Software Ideas page where our retailers suggest and vote on new features. If a newsagent in regional QLD or a toy shop owner in Melbourne has a great idea, it can end up in the next update.
Would you like a one-on-one demonstration to see how these specific tools could work for your unique niche?
Australia: 1300 662 957
New Zealand: 0800 444 367
Email: sales@towersystems.com.au
Moats
Now, a note about moats for businesses and why they matter. In business terms, a moat is something the business does or offers or sells that is unique to it, something that protects it and it is this concept of protection that brings in the moat term for moats centuries ago were used to protect kingdoms, to protect property.
Moat is a common business term today as businesses look for ways to protect themselves, to secure them against competitors who may be circling.
A moat is a competitive advantage that is difficult for others to mimic.
If you compete solely on price, your moat is shallow and easily crossed. A larger competitor with deeper pockets will eventually build a bridge right over it. However, if your business is built on specialisation, you are digging a moat that protects your margins and your customers.
Here is why identifying and deepening your moat matters right now to local small retail businesses:
- Defence Against Big: A generic retailer can sell a product, but they rarely have the “tribal knowledge” required to support it. Whether it’s knowing exactly how to repair a vintage bicycle, which specific soil mix a rare orchid needs, or the legislative nuances of a regulated hobby, your expertise is a wall they can’t easily scale.
- Customer “Stickiness”: A moat creates a sense of security for the customer. When they know they are getting a service or a level of care they can’t get elsewhere, they stop looking at the price tag and start looking at the relationship.
- Future-Proofing Your Property: The retail landscape is volatile. Businesses that don’t have a clear “moat” are vulnerable to every shift in the market. Those who have secured their “kingdom” through unique value-adds are the ones who remain standing when the dust settles.
What’s Your Moat?
Look at your shop through the eyes of a competitor.
- What do you do that they cannot do?
- What do you know that they do not know?
- What service do you provide that they will not provide?
Identifying your moat is the first step. The second step is to keep digging, deepening that advantage until your specialty business isn’t just a shop, but a fortified destination that your community truly values.
In an era of “same-day delivery” and “lowest-price guarantees,” the specialty retailer with the deepest moat is the one who thrives.
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The right POS system or website for any retail business depends on the specific needs of the retail business. Tower offers POS software and websites made specifically for local small business retailers in a selection of retail channels. To see if we might help you…, request a free, no-obligation demo today.
Call 1300 662 957 in Australia or 0800 444 367 in New Zealand. Or, email sales@towersystems.com.au.
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