The POS Software Blog

The POS Software Blog

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

CategoryJewellery software

Good POS software can drive the relevance of your small or independent retail business

February 2, 2015
2 Min read
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Choosing the right POS software for your business can re-energise, refocus and redefine your retail business.

Choosing the wrong software can hold you back.

The challenge for small and independent retailers is: which POS software is the right POS software.

Leading Australian POS software developer Tower Systems is clear that its software is not right for all retail businesses. Indeed, the company focuses on a select group of retail niches, vertical markets as they are called, in which it refines software to specific needs of teach of the markets.

This specialisation sees Tower Systems become deeply involved in and knowledgeable about each of the retail channels in which it serves. It’s deep specialisation results in offering software functions through which specialist niche retailers can reinforce their relevance.

For example, a pet shop using the specialist pet shop software from Tower Systems has pet shop management facilities that are unique and tailored to their needs whereas a generic POS software package only offers generic facilities that are offered to all retailers. These generic facilities are less likely to enable the pet retailer to reinforce their specialisation compared to a general retailer.

Specialist software in retail niches helps specialist retailers embrace their specialisation.

This is the Tower AdvantageTM in action. A suite of specialist tools that are constantly evolving thanks to the engagement of its 2,850+ customers.

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Free POS software training: How employees steal from retail businesses

January 28, 2015
1 Min read
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stealHow employees steal from retail businesses is a free training workshop from the POS software experts Tower Systems. Delivered by our COO, this training is vital for retail business owners. It will draw on expert advice from one who helps police, prosecutors and insurance companies deal with employee theft in retail businesses.

With just a few places left, this training will fill up for sure.

Tower Systems leads its marketplaces with live online training opportunities – helping retailers to learn more about their software and how to save their businesses time and money.

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Sunday retail business management tip: roster staff for commercial success

January 25, 2015
1 Min read
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Rostering is a vitally important business activity in indecent retail businesses. Get it right and you save money. Get it wrong and your bottom-line suffers.

Retailers using the Point of Sale software from Tower Systems can roster employees based on their contribution to the business. Using the tools in the software can result in better rosters, rosters which deliver a more valuable contribution to the business.

This is just one way POS software which offers roster facilities can genuinely benefit a business – save time and help driver better earnings. It is another way good POS software pays for itself.

Tower Systems helps retailers drive better outcomes through rostering and other facilities delivered in its software for a range of specialist independent retail channels.

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Gift shop software users to benefit from Tower Systems attendance at AmericaSmart gift fair in Atlanta

January 24, 2015
1 Min read
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gsposGift shops using the Tower Systems gift shop software will benefit from the time experts from our software company spent at the Atlanta Gift Fair at the large AmericaSmart facility., This largest gift Fair in the US is an extraordinary experience for gift retailers. Our takeaways include new relationships with the parent businesses of several Australian gift shops suppliers. This will helps us better serve our gift shop software customers as we help them more effectively and valuably connect with their suppliers.

There is nothing like getting to the source of a relationship to understand it and leverage it for all stakeholders.

This gift fair in Atlanta also helped us spot trends that we can sever better through our software – before they hit Australian shores.

As the only Australian POS software company represented at Atlanta, Tower is positioned to help gift retailers in a more effective and exclusive way in 2015.

For commercial reasons we will not share any comprehensive outcomes here as these are best deployed to our customers for their and our commercial advantage.

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Jeweller software helping jewellers better understand what to display where

January 23, 2015
1 Min read
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jewlWith many jeweller suppliers at the Atlanta Gift fair ten days ago, the delegation from jeweller POS software company Tower Systems was able to learn more about how in the US jewellers use software to more deeply and effectively engage with customers.

While some insights were not new, others were and they will be reflected in how we help our jeweller software users this year to enhance their software use experience.

Getting out of the development environment and talking with jewellery designed and manufacturers in the retail-savvy US market has provided Tower Systems with exclusive insights that are already helping the company in its work helping jewellers in 2015.

For commercial reasons we will not share any comprehensive outcomes here as these are best deployed to our customers for their and our commercial advantage.

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Sunday retail management advice: make Lay-Bys work for you & your customers

January 11, 2015
3 Min read
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Tower Systems has helped many retailers get into offering Lay-By services when installing our Point of Sale software. Over many years we have developed extensive experience in Lay-Bys and through this we have refined suggestions on how to make the most of the opportunity.

Here is a summary of more extensive Lay-By advice we provide to retailers, based on our years of experience.

  1. WHAT TO LAY-BY. Set a minimum item and or purchase value. We’d suggest $80.00 in a small retail business.
  2. DATA REQUIRED. Always ensure you are satisfied you know who your customer is. Require proof of ID from a driver’s licence or similar legal ID document.
  3. 20% of the total GST inclusive purchase price.
  4. Only Lay-by to people 18 and over.
  5. Lay-bys should run for between eight and twelve weeks. You could run for longer pre Christmas to get early sales.
  6. PAYMENT CYCLE. Require payments to be made weekly or fortnightly.
  7. PAYMENT METHOD. Accept any payment form you choose.
  8. Do not allow someone to take home a single item from a group of items on Lay-by together in one purchase. It’s all or nothing.
  9. Have a policy you are comfortable with. We suggest a 20% cancellation fee applies. Note that you could equally choose to have no cancellation given that Lay-by product may not be able to easily re-sold.
  10. Decide what you would consider a breach. This has to be something you stand by. We suggest two missed payments without reasonable excuse or rectification. On breach, cancel and charge the cancellation fee.
  11. We suggest a no-exchange policy.
  12. When a customer Lay-bys, print two dockets – one for them to take immediately and one to be placed with the goods. Have your customer sign both copies, accepting your terms and conditions.
  13. Set aside a clean and secure storage location for Lay-bys in your business where locations are coded for easy finding. Place Lay-by goods into a single clear plastic bag per transaction for clean and safekeeping. Staple to this a copy of the Lay-by docket. Let your customers see you do this so there is no doubt when it comes time to collect the products.
  14. Have one person responsible for Lay-bys to ensure product care, track payments and contact customers.
  15. TERMS AND CONDITIONS. Enter these into your software so they are included on every Lay-by docket. Points 2 through 11 above are a good example of what to include in your terms and conditions.
  16. COMPLETE PAPERWORK. To not over complicate things, rely on your software’s Lay-by docket as your complete paperwork / contract. Get that right and Lay-by management will be easier.

We are grateful to our retail partners who have worked with us on developing this experience and advice. Their help has enabled us to provide this help.

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Beautiful software helps jewellers enjoy their businesses

January 8, 2015
2 Min read
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Jewellers who choose software designed specifically for a jewellery shop have more benefits to gain for their businesses than those who choose a generic everyday POS product for their business.

Whereas there everyday POS software is designed to serve the needs of any retail business, good POS software designed for a jewellery shop has facilities specific to that type of business.

Jeweller specific facilities are important if your jeweller shop is to more effectively compete in a robust retail online and high street retail environment.

Jeweller specific facilities in good jeweller software that can benefit a jeweller retail business include:

  1. Customer LayBy or Lay Away facilities.
  2. Employee sales tracking.
  3. Shopper loyalty – in various forms and to a range of standards.
  4. Electronic invoice support from jeweller suppliers.
  5. Printing specialist jeweller labels.
  6. Handling diamond and other stone details.
  7. Serving the need to make up and item such as a ring from metals, stones, clasps and labour.
  8. Supporting bundling items into gift packs.
  9. Seasonal catalogues such as for Christmas.

Plus much more.

Good software designed specifically for jewellery businesses can help a jeweller make far more from their software investment than they would make from an everyday retail POS software package even if the everyday POS software package is much cheaper.

Tower Systems specialises in providing jewellers with beautiful software.www.towersystems.com.au. 

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Sunday retail management advice: professional management of the sales counter

January 4, 2015
2 Min read
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In our work with small business retailers we have been fortunate to see many different sales counter situations. The best retail sales counters are the ones run in a structured and professional way.

We are often asked for advice on management of the counter. Here are nine points of advice for counter management (outside of direct sales) which our customers have found useful. This list is our retail management advice today.

  1. No food or drink to be visible to customers unless it is packaged and for sale.
  2. No personal staff items like bags, purses, wallets or mobile phones to be visible at the counter.
  3. Clean the counter at least every day.
  4. From the customer side, remove all products from the counter once a week, clean and rebuild.
  5. Keep counter messages, signs and notes that shoppers see to a minimum. Every note, sign or message must have a purpose that speaks to the mission of your business.
  6. When employees purchase from the business have them purchase from the customer side of the counter.
  7. Have a rule on how many people you have behind the counter at any time. Too often retail employees use the counter as a refuge. More impulse purchases are achieved by working the shop floor than at the counter.
  8. Dramatically change your counter at least once every three months – as much for your team as for your customers.
  9. When assessing the counter for product placement, cleanliness and being on-topic, do so from the customer side. How it looks from behind the counter is far less relevant than from the customer side.

In helping retailers use our Point of Sale software we often find ourselves helping beyond the technology. Developing and sharing this list is one example of our broader help of small business retailers.

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