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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A message for local independent retailers

July 26, 2024
2 Min read
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The news cycle is dominated by headlines about economic downturn. Daily there are stories about people doing it tough. While these stories can be unsettling, focusing solely on negativity can be counterproductive.

Here at Tower Systems, we understand the importance of fostering a positive and optimistic environment, especially during challenging times and even more especially in local small business retail.

Local retailers can nurture a more positive local tone.

Yes, the economic climate is challenging and complex. That does not mean there aren’t opportunities. Many local businesses have seen positive developments in 2024. There are green shoots. We encourage you to focus on what’s working for your business.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Highlight your successes: Showcase new products, host in-store events, and promote exciting developments on social media.
  • Maintain a sense of normalcy: Continue providing excellent customer service and keep your store environment upbeat with cheerful music and engaging displays.
  • Focus on what you can control: While external factors exist, you have the power to shape your business strategy and customer experience.

We’ve weathered economic downturns before, and each presents unique challenges. While the global situation adds complexity, many local businesses are finding success in this new landscape.

Let’s be proactive, optimistic, and focus on what we can do to build stronger and more resilient businesses. Remember, a positive outlook is contagious, and it can make a real difference in these times.

In out software for local small business retailers there are plenty of opportunities for sharing happiness and optimism with customers from easy to run cash discount offers, positive messages on receipts, bundles offers and event based offers that offer joyful celebration.

By not being part of the doom and gloom news cycle, your local retail business can set its own narrative of positivity that locals are likely to appreciate and respond to.

Our advice this Friday morning is to embrace positivity, look at what you can do to make your shop a haven of joy and happiness, a shop offering value, a place where you can your work colleagues enjoy serving each day. These are differences you can make that themselves will make a difference to you.

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Who invented the first newsagency software in Australia?

June 30, 2024
4 Min read
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There is no evidence as to which programmer or software business invented and released the first newsagency software in Australia. Here at Tower Systems we can only speak to what we know, that for which we have evidence.

Tower Systems released its first newsagency software for Australian newsagents in late 1981. This software was for the management of newspaper home deliveries and accounts, newsagent sub-agent deliveries and accounts and for a range of over the counter retail sales functions in a typical Australian newsagency. It was written for a Apple micro-computer.

The functionality of our first newsagency software was determined by the owner of the company, Mark Fletcher, who had two years experience working in a newsagency. This, coupled with years of experience learning programming while working at the CSIRO, provided technical skills with practical knowledge, which were key to developing such a retain marketplace specific software solution. Knowing several newsagents helped in rounding out the practical knowledge of that a local newsagency needed.

This first release newsagency software from Tower Systems was completely replaced in early 1983 following a full re-write of the software in a more flexible and powerful software programming language that provided more options for the company as it expanded its reach of newsagents to use the software. This new release was delivered for the CP/M operating system on a range of different computers that ran it. The software soon expanded to be accessible beyond CP/M to cater to more complex business needs, such as access from more than one computer.

Already well established with plenty of newsagency customers, we are grateful for these early years in laying down a solid foundation for the business.

Back in these days the software was called by its acronym, NAPS, which stood for Newsagency Accounts Processing System.

Each year saw enhancements to the software small and large. Indeed, in the years between 1981 and 1999, the newsagency software from Tower Systems was re-written from scratch four times to leverage new software programming language technology and new database management technology. Each re-write unlocked new technology advances that helped newsagents broaden what they could do in their businesses with this software.

The Tower Systems newsagency software had evolved far beyond the scope of what was originally a newsagency home delivery and sub-agent accounts and delivery management solution, and this was still in the early years of the company.

Through the 2000s and the 2010s the newsagency software continued to evolve apace. Tower Systems expanded into a range of other vertical markets, each complementing the other, facilitating local small business retail expansion and all through this Tower Systems continued to serve newsagents.

Today, in June 2024, Tower Systems is proud to have more newsagents as customers than all other newsagency software companies combined. This is important as a software company needs more than 500 users of its marketplace specific software for the software to be commercially viable. Tower Systems today has close to four times this number in newsagency software customers alone.

While we have come along way from those early days in 1981, we remember them clearly. We appreciate and respect the support of our early-adopter customers. We are thankful for the many different colleagues who have contributed over the decades. We are grateful for the knowledgeable and caring crew at Tower Systems today. At our core we thank newsagents for it was their very unique needs that started us on this journey. Had we not encountered them at first behind the counter in the early 1970s we might to have understood the data opportunity of automating in our first newsagency software accounting and home delivery functions that we could not find automated by anyone else.

So, who wrote the first newsagency software in Australia? There is no evidence as to which company was first despite claims of being first. If you lay out incorporation dates and dates of the first customer, you can see by these facts enough to know who was not first.

Here at Tower Systems our focus is on serving local independent small business retailers with specialty needs. We have feature-rich software that is continuously evolving in service of these specialty retailers. We try and help our customer businesses grow, become more valuable and be more appreciated in their respective local communities.

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We make POS software that helps Aussie and Kiwi local retail businesses thrive

June 16, 2024
3 Min read
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Tower Systems is a proudly Australian POS (point-of-sale) software company dedicated to helping local independent retailers flourish.

We understand that independent, speciality retailers are the backbone of our communities. They create jobs, provide essential services, and foster a sense of connection. That’s why we’re passionate about providing them with the tools and support they need to thrive, and we always have been.

All of our customers are local. They are independent too. Plus, they are specialty retailers, unique in their area.

Our POS software is designed for the needs of speciality retailers. Whether you run a jewellery store, a garden centre, a bike shop, or anything in between, Tower Systems has a solution to streamline your operations and boost your bottom line.

We think Tower Systems is different for plenty of reasons including:

  • Aussie-made and Aussie-supported: Our software is developed and supported in Australia. That means you get a product that understands the unique needs of the Australian retail landscape, and you get the benefit of exceptional local customer service. The essence of localness is right there in the software.
  • Built for speciality retailers: Our solutions are built to address the challenges faced by speciality stores. From managing repairs in bike shops to tracking product by weight in garden centres, our software has the tools you need to run your business efficiently.
  • Focus on what matters: We know that as a retailer, your time is precious. That’s why our software is designed to be friendly, intuitive. You can easily manage stock control, generate reports, link to a website, link to your accounting software and process sales without needing an IT degree.
  • Seamless integrations: Tower Systems integrates with a wide range of popular tools and services, such as Xero accounting software, EFTPOS terminals, and weight scales. This allows you to streamline your back-office processes and save valuable time.
  • Personalised service: Retail is a personal, and so is our support. Our team is always happy to answer your questions, provide training, and help you get the most out of your POS system.

We understand that implementing a new POS system can be a daunting task. That’s why Tower Systems offers comprehensive training and support to help you get up and running smoothly. Our team of experts will provide you with the knowledge and confidence you need to use our software effectively.

We’re also committed to helping you stay ahead of the curve. We’re constantly innovating and developing new features to ensure our software meets the evolving needs of Australian retailers.

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Australian made POS software backed by local support from a team with retail experience.

June 6, 2024
2 Min read
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Hi, my name is Mark Fletcher, CEO of Tower Systems. I hate it when I call a help desk and I am put through to someone who follows a rigid script with limited options. I also hate it when I end up talking to someone in an offshore call centre who doesn’t understand my local situation.

At my POS software company, if you call for help, we answer the call and one of our local retail experienced help desk members talks with you about your query. There is no rigid script, no tech menu to navigate before you get through.

As retailers ourselves, yes we own and run 3 shops, we understand the importance of easily accessible customer service. We genuinely walk in your shoes. You’re welcome to meet us at any of our shops to see what we offer first-hand – to see that our retail experience is more than a marketing pitch.

Justin Randall grew up in retail before joining our help desk and then moving to sales. He’s passionate about helping local retailers thrive. He’d love to answer your questions: 0434 365 789 or justin@towersystems.com.au.

Tim Batt worked in retail but to be honest he’s been with us for 20 or so years so he’s likely yo be rusty behind the counter. Tim loves helping independent retailers: 0401 833 917 or tim@towersystems.com.au.

Whether you run a pet shop, jewellery business, gift shop, bike shops, garden centre, produce business, fishing shop, bookshop, music shop, sewing shop, op. shop, newsagency, toy shop or fabric shop, we will do our best to help you.

Visit www.towersystems.com.au or email sales@towersystems.com.au or call 1300 662 957 to find out more. We’d love to learn about your needs.

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POS software for local Australian retailers who prefer Australian made and pitch shop local

April 29, 2024
2 Min read
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If your retail business is locally owned, pitched shop local and likes to stock Australian made products, we are writing this for you.

You know the importance of supporting local. Here are Tower Systems we are grateful and  proud to offer Aussie-made and supported POS (point-of-sale) software designed specifically for local retailers.

Tower Systems goes beyond just helping you process sales. Our POS software, called Retailer (we’ve been in the game for over 40 years!), is built with specialty retailers in mind. Whether you’re running a jewellery store, a bike shop, a garden centre, or something else entirely, Tower Systems has features that cater to your unique industry.

The software we offer today is designed for retail today, it’s very different to where we started, as is your shop most likely.

Imagine managing repairs in your jewellery business, selling produce by weight, or creating custom bundles of products – our Tower Systems POS can handle it all.

Tower Systems is all about helping local businesses thrive. We understand the challenges that independent retailers face, and our software is designed to streamline operations and boost efficiency.

Here are just a few ways our Tower Systems POS might be able to help your business:

  • Save time and money: Streamline your processes and reduce errors with user-friendly software.
  • Improve customer service: Faster checkouts and better inventory management lead to happier customers.
  • Gain valuable insights: Get reports and data to help you make better business decisions. Better still – ditch reports and rely on business insights presented to you.
  • Integrate with other tools: Connect your POS system with existing accounting software or online stores for a seamless workflow.

One of the biggest benefits of choosing Tower Systems is our local human-based support. With a team based here in Australia, you can get the help you need quickly and easily. We also understand the specific needs of Aussie retailers, so you can be sure you’re getting software that’s built for our market.

With us, support starts with a conversation. There are no rigid scripts. Talk to us. Tell us what’s on your mind.

If you’re looking for POS software that’s made for Australian retailers by Australians, then Tower Systems is the perfect choice. Visit their website to learn more about their products and book a free demo today!

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Our April Fools Day blog post from 2012 has become a reality

April 1, 2024
1 Min read
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On April 1, 2012 we wrote:

SHOPBOT POS SOFTWARE ENABLED ROBOT CLOSE TO LAUNCH

April 1, 2012

Trials of ShopBot, our shop floor robot, indicate that we will meet the commercial target release of June this year. Retail staff are set to be a thing of the past with the Point of Sale software integrated ShopBot.  Besides selling product and taking payment from the shop floor, ShopBot will automatically order from suppliers and network with other ShopBots to track and apprehend would-be shoplifters. Retailers will be able to deploy ShopBot for the cost of 10% of an employee’s wage for a year.

It was an April Fool’s Day joke.

Now, April 1, 2024, we have some retailers with shop floor robots selling stock, tidying, cleaning and re-stocking inventory. In 12 years, the use of tech in retail has changed so much.

Here at Tower Systems, our focus is on delivering tech that enables local retailers to shine how they wish to. In our experience, local retailers prefer to offer personal service that leverages their local knowledge and experience, leaving the automated approach to retail to big businesses that tend to be less personal.

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Australian-made POS software for small business specialty retailers

September 15, 2023
3 Min read
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Here at Tower Systems, we develop point of sale (POS) software specifically for small business retailers in a range of niche retail channels. We develop what we sell and support, so you can be sure that our software is designed to meet the specific needs of your business.

Our POS software is called Retailer, and while it’s been around for many years, what we offer today is technically and visually fresh, up to date, and ever-evolving.

We’ve built it with the input of many hundreds of retailers and today it’s used by thousands of retailers, so we know it’s genuinely useful in a variety of retail situations.

Retailer is used by specialty retailers like jewellers, garden centres, bike shops, toy shops, pet shops, produce businesses, farm supply businesses, firearms dealers, newsagents, adult shops, gift shops, homewares shops, and more.

We release software updates to Retailer several times every year, based on customer feedback. We love this democratic approach, and it’s helped us to make Retailer the best it can be.

The POS software we sell and support today is very different to that with which we started. It’s fresh visually, technically, and functionally. We’re proud to bring this to local retailers in Australia and New Zealand.

In addition to our POS software, we also offer a range of integrations that can help your business operate more efficiently and successfully. These include integrations with Xero, Shopify, Magento, Big Commerce, scales and more.

We also offer a range of back-office tools that can help you run your business well, including repairs software and manufactured goods software. Our repairs software is a great option for jewellers, bike shops, and any business that offers in-house or external repairs to customers.

We’re a proud team of software professionals who are passionate about helping small business retailers succeed. We’re grateful to our customers for their business and for their recommendations. Their guidance and support has been invaluable to us as we’ve grown the business and helped more retailers run successful businesses.

That’s what our POS software is all about: helping local independent small business retailers run efficient businesses they enjoy. We love seeing that, and we’re here to help you make it happen.

So if you’re a small business retailer looking for a POS software that’s designed to meet your specific needs, then contact us today. We’d be happy to show you how Retailer can help you run a retail business you enjoy more.

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How Tower Systems has embraced work from home for a happier workplace

August 14, 2023
3 Min read
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A daily commute of an hour each way is a grind when you think about it. that’s 2 hours a day spend getting to and from work. While you can use the time to read, listen to music or daydream, if you’re not driving, it’s a grind dealing with people, traffic and, well, the commute itself.

But, so many of us did the commute day in day out, for many years.

Then Covid came along, and things changed. It was a moment for sure to try something different. We had to.

Now, kind of the other side of Covid, even though we are not really on the other side are we, work from home is still a thing, which plenty of people are grateful for.

Here at Tower Systems we decided early in the pandemic that we would not force people back to the office when Covid was over. And, we have not.

We are grateful to be in a industry where working from home can work for pretty much everyone on our team, and that’s what we have in place. Almost all Tower employees work from home.

The small crew in the office each day are the same folks who did that through the pandemic, because it’s what they wanted, what they preferred. And, those who work from home today did so through the pandemic.

We have work colleagues who spent two and more hours a day commuting. They were happy to do that. But now they have experienced life without the commute they are even happier. We are grateful we can provide a workplace with that flexibility.

Technology has played a key role in helping us to maintain good and personal customer experiences throughout. We have tech that facilitates collaboration, and this is critical in our business where we help local small business retailers thrive. And, it’s more than. one tech solution, it’s a whole kit from the well-known to the more advanced, specialist.

At the office we have used the space to create hot desk opportunities for those colleagues who want to come in for a day or more for a face to face reconnect, and plenty do, which we love.

There is no pressure to come in. We’ve not seen some of our colleagues for three and half years, and we’re okay with that.

Looking back, one factor that has enabled us to so fully embrace the work from home opportunity is each of our team members. They are good tech professionals, adults, people who understand our mission, respect each other and appreciate our customers. Having good people certainly makes for a better work from home experience for everyone.

Here at Tower Systems we think work from home is here to stay, and we are grateful for the opportunity to figure out how this works for our colleagues, and for our POS software customers.

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Twas the last day before Christmas, and local retail is busy

December 23, 2022
2 Min read
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It’s 11:12 am here at the Tower Systems office, December 23, and it’s quiet. It’s quiet because our local small business retail customers are busy with the last-minute Christmas sales rush.

This is typical for the last week day before Christmas. The phones are quiet, and our customers are busy. We love it.

We’re here, of course, for any who need assistance. But thanks to robust POS software they’re in good shape, trading happily.

Already we know that Christmas 2022 has been a terrific season for local small business retail. Sure, there have been some challenges, but, many retailers we have spoken with are happily up on last year and in 2019 – the pre-pandemic benchmark year.

We are taking the opportunity for some housekeeping, getting some things ready for early 2023. Already we can see it’s going to be a terrific year, which excites us. There are some wonderful tech advances coming down the line from within our own tech. kit and from outside as well.

We think 2023 will be a year of leaping forward on several tech fronts in local small business retail.

In keeping with tradition, we’ll close our help desk for Christmas very soon, leaving our after hours network up and running, serving any urgent needs.

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Participating in a work from home university study

December 22, 2022
2 Min read
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We are grateful for the opportunity to participate in a study buy a leading university in Australia into work from home and how it is playing out for businesses and employees. The questions are thoughtful, and encouraging insights of our own as we contemplate aspects of what is the new normal that we had not considered before.

When Covid began we immediately moved to a work from home model for all employees who wanted it. As an essential business’s we could keep the office open, and we did with a skeleton team.

Now, almost three years on, the office based team remains small, with only those who want to be here. Everyone else, the majority of our Tower Systems team, works from home in situations they prefer in terms of commute time, time management and local community connections.

We are careful to not encroach on non-work time and have a number of processes in place to ensure this does not happen.

With some colleagues saving three hours a day commute time, the family benefits as well as the individual. It’s terrific.

We have invested more in tech infrastructure to facilitate a good work from home experience. Cloud based applications make it easy for our colleagues to collaborate, which, as a software development business, is important. This investment will continue as new tech support platforms emerge.

At the office things have changed too. We have re-purposed space to create hot desks for those who do want to come in for a few days. Plus, we have created purpose-built broadcast facilities to serve the easier production of the digital content we publish, as well and for the video calls we use for team meetings, POS software demonstrations and more.

The university study is looking at a range of interesting topics related to work from home, from the business and individual perspectives. It’s an interesting study in that it is being undertaken without any commercial connection or agenda. we think this matters because much of the noise about work from home until now has been shrill ‘news’ from landlords and other property connected spokespeople.

We are just one of many businesses participating, and we are sincerely grateful for the opportunity.

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Compare POS Quotes continues to trade off interest in the Tower Systems POS software

November 10, 2022
2 Min read
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It’s 6:45am Thursday November 10 and the www.compareposquotes.com.au website continues to pay Google to attract people to their website when Tower Systems is typed into a Google search.

These are people searching for us and here is a business spending money to re-direct the search done by those people on their ad platform, in which we do not participate.

The businesses listed at Compare POS quotes pay to be there. These are businesses potentially benefiting from people searching for the Tower Systems name and clicking on the Compare POS Quotes ad.

In our opinion, this is poor business practice, questionable ethically because people in the example we share are searching for us, specifically for us, and the Compare POS Quotes website ad names Tower Systems, suggesting that clicking on their ad will help those searching “find the right Tower Systems” for their business.

We would not do this competitor named and targeted advertising for ethical reasons. But that’s us. Clearly, there are some quite happy to do it, quite happy to try and grow their business based on the interest out there in our Tower Systems POS software solution.

You can see from SEMRush data this morning that the traffic to the Compare POS Quotes website is primarily coming from this paid advertising, and, in our opinion, the traffic is not that much, but you can see that it has recently bounced.

What Compare POS Quotes is doing is like a competitor jumping in front of someone who is about to enter your shop to browse. For sure any local retailer would be unhappy about that, and they would be angry at any competitor doing it.

All we can hope is that people go to Google, type in Tower Systems, and click on the Compare POS Quotes ad as this costs them money. The more it costs them and the businesses that advertise with them, without a commercial outcome – the less they are likely to do it. We can hope at least.

We want interest in Tower Systems to grow because we make awesome specialty retail POS software backed by awesome local Aussie support. We want to grow for authentic and justified reasons – not because we jumped in front of someone looking at a competitor business.

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Here’s how we use the POS software we make in our own retail shops in pursuit of value, enjoyment and success

October 12, 2022
2 Min read
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Tower Systems is a rare POS software company that uses what it makes, in its own shops, to learn, and make better software, and, of course, create more valuable, enjoyable and successful local retail businesses.

late in 2021, we bought an old-school newsagency business in malvern, Victoria. It had been in the same family for 28 years. We are slowly enjoying the business, on a frugal budget, and based on where data take us. here’s a look at how September 2022 has done in this business, where we have leveraged the ideas from the newsXpress newsagency marketing group, which we also own.

While this video was made to demonstrate what newsXpress helps its partner retailers achieve, it also speaks to the value from the Tower Systems POS software.

There is a narrative put about by some POS software companies that they started because they could not find software that suited their needs. We went the other way. In 1996 we bought our first sop to learn, and walk in the shoes of our customers. In the 26 years since, every day, we have experienced value and enjoyment from owning and running retail shops.

Tower Systems is not your average POS software company. We live and breathe retail, and can engage with our customers from a position of experience, empathy.

Our owning and running retail businesses informs decisions we make about our software, how we train our customers and how we support them. It is a whole of business benefit for us and for our customers.

The last thing any retailer wants is a tech person telling them something about retail that’s out of context or disconnected from the world of retail. We make software here at Tower Systems that seeks to integrate with retail in a more meaningful and useful way, and we can do this thanks to our everyday retail experience.

Every person working in our business has retail experience. This matters because when they talk with any of our customers, they can know what it’s like in a shop. The empathy from personal experience makes for a better POS software support experience we think.

We are grateful for the people in the shops we own for their experience and advice helps us make better POS software and provide it with more valuable POS software support.

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