The POS Software Blog
News from Tower Systems about locally made POS software for specialty local retailers.
Justin Randall grew up in newsagencies. he knows them well. Prior to joining our sales team, he managed one of our own newsagencies in Melbourne.
In this 4 minute video Justin shares some things he loves about our newsagency software beyond our industry compliance, The Lott integration, XchangeIT integration, magazine management and more.
We are grateful that our newsagency software is helping more than 1,750 newsagents transition to new retail opportunities.
Local small business retailers are spoilt for choice when it comes to POS software. There are many software packages out there from which to choose. Plenty of these software packages are from overseas companies, companies with massive customer bases, companies with staff located in low labour cost countries.
Tower Systems is an Australian POS software company. Of course we pitch shop local. Shop local is good for the local Australian economy, it is good for us and our families. It is good for the families of those who work in local Australian retail.
If there is Aussie made and supported POS software that suits your type of business, go with that ahead of any software from an offshore company. The Aussie economy will thank you.
There are other reasons to choose software from a local POS software company:
Local support. They understand your situation better than someone in a cubicle in a low labour cost country given a couple of Aussie keywords to put about.
Local software. Local Aussie retail businesses do have local needs. A local Aussie POS software company is more likely to serve these in their software than an offshore software company with many times more customers.
Local understanding. Local real business is local. If being local is an important point of difference you will want to use software that understands the value of local and can help you leverage local.
Local connections. Local retail does not live in a vacuum. You have banking, supplier, community group and other connections. Local POS software is more likely to help you with these important local connections that software from offshore.
Tax. We suspect a local Aussie POS software company will pay more from every dollar they make in tax in Australia than any offshore POS software company. Tax paid in Australia to Australian governments funds local Aussie schools, hospitals, roads and education. It matters to us.
Australian made and supported POS software is more useful for Australian retailers than software from an overseas company because it serves the Australian community better and that should matter to anyone in local retail. It is what being local is all a bout after all.
ABC News recently ran a story suggesting the future of the local Australian newsagency was in trouble because it had not kept up with the times. We know of many local Aussie newsagencies that have kept up and are more relevant today than any time in their past.
This video showcases a few of these awesome local businesses, shops that look nothing like the old Aussie Newsagency.
These newsagencies offer products outside of what the old Aussie newsagency carried. Gifts feature along with clothing, handbags, gourmet cooking items and more. These are businesses serving a diverse mix of shoppers – far away from lottery, newspaper and magazine customers.
Smart newsagents started transforming their businesses 20 years ago. Moving into gifts, homewares, toys and more – attracting new shoppers and selling products at margins four and five times more than newspapers.
The easiest local newsagency to transform today is one in a small country town. This setting presents opportunity, and I am glad to say that many newsagents have embraced it.
This is the story ABC News should be covering, a story of a channel navigating extraordinary change with plenty of local retailers, local newsagents, evolving their businesses to be relevant, vibrate and valuable.
We made the video because we know a picture is worth more than a thousand words. This video is worth thousands of words showing off transformed local Aussie newsagencies that aren’t newsagencies in the historic sense of that label.
While news outlets and suppliers consider newsagents a channel, newsagents are not a channel and have not been for many years. You can’t go into a newsagency expecting they will have what you want if your expectation is rooted in decades ago.
We don’t think the shingle matters. What matters is what shoppers feel when they enter a retail businesses. If they step into a shop that nurtures a feeling of comfort and happiness and offers them a treasure hunt retail experience they will tell others, and they will come back. The shingle above the door is irrelevant.
Tower Systems is a small business focussed POS software company developing, and supporting POS software for niche specialty retailers, like newsagents.
We are grateful to serve close to 1,800 newsagencies with our industry-standard newsagency software.
The Insights Dashboard in our Tower Systems POS software for small business retailers instantly displays business performance insights and retailer will find valuable.
There is no report to run. No work to collate and interpret data. The insights are there, immediately, answering 6 key business questions:
1. What’s working?
2. What’s not working?
3. What am I missing out on?
4. Is theft an issue?
5. What sells with what?
6. When am I busiest?
This new video is a discussion between our CEO, COO and a senior customer service specialist. It’s a training video we made for our customers and shared free.
Seeing where you are making money, losing money, missing opportunities, experiencing theft and more can be easy money in the bank for any retailer. Packaging these insights in this way help time-poor retailers have better control over their business.
We also talk about EFTPOS surcharges in retail and show how any retailer can apply an EFTPOS surcharge in their POS software for immediate effect. Importantly, we go into the why, explaining the decision making of some retailers.
In our POS software, retailers can apply an EFTPOS surcharge as a percentage, a fixed amount or auto-calculated based on the specific card presented by the customer. Best of all, the calculations are done quickly and seamlessly at the sales processing time.
Using our POS software, charging and EFTPOS surcharge is easy. We are proud to not charge our POS software customers based on transactions they do in their business.
By providing retailers with flexibility on EFTPOS surcharging we give retailers complete control. It’s their business after all.
These two topics – charging an EFTPOS surcharges and using the Insights dashboard are part of another in our series of customer service videos through which we seek to add value to our relationship with our small business retailer customers.
The two topics in this one video speak to our focus as a POS software company: helping small business retailers make better business decisions sooner and helping them run more valuable and reliable retail businesses.
Tower Systems is a small business focussed POS software company developing, and supporting POS software for niche specialty retailers. Jewellers, garden centres, bike shops, toy shops, produce businesses, farm supply businesses, fishing shops, pet shops, charity businesses, landscape gardening businesses, antique shops, sewing shops, haberdashery businesses, newsagents and more benefit from this software.
Find out more at www.towersystems.com.au
Our pricing is transparent: https://www.towersystems.com.au/pricing
Call 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au
Running a local retail business can feel isolating at times. It’s easy to get bogged down in daily tasks without a clear view of the bigger picture.
At Tower Systems, we understand this. That’s why we developed the Insights Dashboard, a powerful tool within our POS software designed specifically for independent retailers like you.
Actionable Insights, Delivered Simply
The Insights Dashboard caters to all levels of business experience. Regardless of your background in financial or management skills, the dashboard presents insights in a clear, visual format. We’ve done the hard work of extracting valuable data, so you can focus on making informed decisions.
Uncover What Matters Most
The dashboard provides a snapshot of key performance indicators (KPIs) critical to your business success, including:
Knowledge is Power: Unlocking Your Business Potential
The Tower Systems Insights Dashboard is proving to be a game-changer for local retailers. We consistently receive positive feedback, with users surprised by the depth of insights revealed. Our goal is to empower you with knowledge you may not have known existed, ultimately propelling your business forward.
Ready to take control and unlock the hidden gems within your business? Contact Tower Systems today to learn more about our innovative POS software solutions.
Running a small business is tough hard work every day. Someone stealing from the business can be heartbreaking. Employee theft is a problem for Australian small business retailers, costing them around 75% more than shoplifting!
That’s where the Tower Systems POS (point-of-sale) system comes in. It’s not just about ringing up sales – it can be a powerful tool to catch sneaky staff. While much of what our POS system does is hidden and not discussed publicly, here’s how our system helped Harry and June, who run a local shop:
Something fishy was going on
Harry and June’s accountant noticed their business wasn’t making the money it should. They called us thinking there was a problem with the software, but a deeper look revealed something shocking. Our system has hidden, encrypted records that helped us track unusual sales patterns. The data pointed straight to their niece, a trusted employee!
A difficult truth
We met Harry and June for coffee, but they were convinced it was a mistake. It took a whole year before they finally installed hidden cameras and confirmed the theft. Sadly, they never got their money back and the family rift was too big to pursue charges.
Don’t let this happen to you!
Here our advice on how to stop employee theft before it starts:
We can help!
At the start of each year, review your POS data to see if anything looks suspicious. Our team of retail experts can help you put these tips into action and keep your business safe. Don’t let employee theft eat away at your profits!
Tower Systems is committed to helping local small business retailers reduce the impact of employee theft on their business.
Tired of the same old points programs that leave your customers confused? No wonder. The major supermarkets and other retailers have all od us confused as to the real cash value of a point.
At Tower Systems, we know Aussie retailers need a loyalty strategy that packs a punch, that is loved by local shoppers. That’s why our discount voucher program is a favourite among our thousands of small business retail POS software users.
Forget fancy names, you call them what you want! We’ve got customers calling them “Thank You Gifts,” “Bonus Bucks,” or even “Customer Rewards.” The beauty is, it’s your program, your name!
Discount vouchers are sales superstars! We saw a whopping 12% sales growth during Christmas and New Year for businesses using our vouchers actively.
Blokes vs. Girls? It’s all about instant gratification for guys – they tend to use their vouchers straight away, while girls tend to save them for a later treat (but before they expire, of course!). Oh, and retailers control when these vouchers expire.
Setting up your voucher program is a breeze! Our retail-experienced support team can have you up and running in minutes, and making changes is just as easy. Plus, you get fantastic control over your program and clear reports to see how your customers are engaging.
Here’s why discount vouchers are a game-changer:
We’ve seen it work firsthand! In our own shops. Customers tell us they love the vouchers. We have seen them used. We see the impact in the business, the happiness experienced by customers.
With Tower Systems’ discount vouchers, you can:
Ready to win the hearts (and wallets) of Aussie shoppers? Let Tower Systems’ discount vouchers be your secret weapon!
Our discount voucher solution is exclusive to us, the settings opportunities, the control levers you have, the benefits you can leverage in your business.
Discount vouchers are one of the most recommended facilities in our small business retail POS software.
In our busy and always connected online world, it’s easy to forget the amazing stores we have right on our doorstep. But shopping local isn’t just about convenience, it’s about supporting the heart and soul of our communities.
That’s where FindIt comes in, a free online marketplace created by Tower Systems. FindIt shines a light on our amazing local, independent retailers. We have been serving Aussie communities for decades and are grateful to work with over 3,500 local retail businesses!
FindIt bridges the gap between local shoppers and local retailers. It brings local stores to local devices. It’s like a treasure chest filled with goodies from independent retailers across Australia. Whether you’re looking for the perfect birthday gift, a one-of-a-kind homeware piece, or a treat for yourself, FindIt lets you browse and discover hidden gems from local businesses – all from the comfort of your couch!
What makes FindIt special? It’s all about ease!
Here’s what makes FindIt great for both shoppers and shopkeepers:
For the shopper:
For local retailers:
FindIt’s a win-win for everyone!
You get fantastic local products, and retailers gain a platform to showcase their goodies and reach new customers. It’s a brilliant initiative that strengthens Aussie communities and supports the backbone of our commerce – our amazing independent retailers.
Getting your product info (text and images) onto FindIt is a breeze thanks to the Tower Systems POS software integration.Tower even helps retailers with advice, training, and support to get connected.
The ultimate goal? To get more people like you walking through the front doors of our fantastic local shops! So, what are you waiting for? Discover the hidden gems at FindIt.com.au today!
Good newsagency software is software that:
And so so much more than this list. Good newsagency software is all of this and more. It is flexible too, and constantly evolving given that the needs of the Australian newsagency channel are constantly evolving.
Tower Systems is grateful to offer the most widely used newsagency software in Australia, serving now 1,800+ newsagents and adding more each week. This helps us have the resources and capacity to serve newsagents and their evolving needs and to work with suppliers on time saving opportunities for newsagents.
Running a successful newsagency requires juggling a multitude of tasks. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Tower Systems understands these challenges as we own and run newsagencies too. We are unique like this. We use our newsagencies as places to experiment and learn, in service of newsagents.
Tower Systems recognises that software is just one piece of the puzzle. We offer a range of support services to help you get the most out of your investment. This includes:
Tower Systems’ newsagency software is a powerful tool that can transform your business. By automating tasks, improving efficiency, and providing valuable insights, it empowers you to focus on delivering exceptional customer service and growing your newsagency.
We are grateful for local Aussie newsagents and are committed to helping them thrive.
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.
We are grateful to have been able to welcome a bunch of Computerlink POS software customers to the Tower Systems POS software community recently. We’;re not sure why, but the recent surge has been something our customer service team has handled with care and professionalism.
When a Computerlink POS software customer switches to Tower Systems we help them navigate their new software as well as our customer service resources like the fully staffed help desk, our extensive video training library and our knowledge base packed with information on how to use the many facilities in our software.
While the Computerlink POS software community is primarily made up of newsagents as we understand it, we have discovered some other business customers in the recent contacts.
To help all our new POS software customers land well with us, including Computerlink customers, we have a new customer service role that works only with new customers, helping them learn, helping them become confident in using our POS software. Being able to contact them outside of the usual help desk provides gentle and easy to access assistance.
The software available to Tower Systems customers today is our latest release. It’s been out now for a few weeks. It’s the latest update to our POS software – we release three major updates each year to keep the software current and to enhance the software in line with requests from our customers. Several former Computerlink customers have told us they like our update approach.
We understand it can be challenging considering switching software. From us, there is no pressure to do this. If someone enquires, we will answer their questions and provide them with information. We won’t push to close a deal. We will leave it with them as we think it’s a decision they need to make when they are ready and only then. We are confident in what we offer and in our longevity to be here when a business that we could serve needs us and wants us.
Here is some advice we have for anyone considering switching software:
Here at Tower Systems we are proud of our track record of helping retailers switch from other POS software to our POS software. If this interests you, we’re at sales@towersystems.com.au or 1300 662 957.
The best advice on choosing the right POS software for your retail business is that you do it yourself. This is not something to outsource, not something to use one of the comparison (marketing) websites for. Do your own research.
Choosing POS software is an important decision, a decision for the long term, a decision directly connected to the financial viability of your retail business.
Take your time.
Start with what you want and what you need. These are different things. Write lists. yes, write them down for the more organised you are the more likely you are to make the best decision for your retail business.
Choosing POS software is not something to rush. Beware of the POS software companies that put limited time deals in front of you. Those companies likely offer POS software that is not ideal and they try and make your choice about price so as to distract you from your lists of needs and wants.
The decision is about what you need and want and each of the POS software companies that you consider. It’s not about what representatives of those companies think about software from other companies. Asking them to comment on competition is not ideal. If you do ask though and if they bag a competitor, ask them how they know this, ask them for evidence.
Be sure to gather evidence in writing. If a representative of a POS software company makes a claim that they will do this or that or that their software does a specific thing you need be sure to describe your need fully and to get their response to this in writing – it could be you rely on this later.
If being local is an important part of what you pitch for your business, think about the local situation of POS software companies you consider. Find out how local a company you are considering is, how local their people are, think about whether their answers factor into your decision making.
See, don’t hear or read. See the software for yourself. Come to the demonstration with unique sales scenarios you see play out in your shop. See how the software handles these. Ask for a recoding of the demonstration so you can share it with others in your business who will use the software for if they feel they are part of your decision making they are more likely to support the decision you ultimately make.
No marketing company, so software comparison website, no consultant can substitute for what you invest in considering POS software for your retail business. Invest the time, your time, and it will reward you with the best decision for your business, you, people who work in the business and the customers of the business.
No software is perfect, and doubt anyone who claims it is. Software that is the best will not be perfect. best is good though. This is why controlling the consideration process yourself is vital, it helps you find what you decide is best.
Plenty of AI generated content online is junk put there to try and drive the position of a website. Often, it offers little genuine value. It’s text written for the tech bots, and not for humans.
You can see it on plenty of company blogs: boring content with the same bubbly emotions, similar lists and the ever present use of bold text.
There is a sameness to AI generated content that shows it for what it is – filler put there as a marketing exercise.
Here at Tower Systems we serve local small business retailers, independent retailers. Their point of difference is their product knowledge, their local knowledge and their ability to share this. An AI engine is unlikely to capture the knowledge of those in the business and share it in a meaningful way.
Our advice to our customers is: the more you share your knowledge in ways that are genuinely useful to your customers the more they will trust you, the more your business will grow. Retail is human at its core. AI content is unlikely to add value to the human contact. While it will save time, it is unlikely to add appreciated value.
We get that local small business retailers are time-poor and looking for ways to do more in less time, using AI to generate content about your business and what you do is not the saving you think it might be for your AI generated content joins data centres full of AI generated content. It’s value is limited.
We think a local small business could get more value from one authentic and genuinely useful blog post than ten AI generated blog posts on the same topic for in that one human-generated blog post you can share genuinely new information or insights that add real value to what is know about the product or service of which you write.
AI cannot replace you, it cannot replace your innovation. This is your point of difference, it is what you need to share so people see the value of you and your business. It’s what helps you stand out.
With the advent of more tools available for identifying AI generated text and image content, it is easier to rank content, to determine the authority of it. AI generated fodder will be seen for what it is, and we think this is a good thing. By all means use AI tools as a springboard or to treat a thought drought. For the content you publish in your name or the name of your business, give of yourself for that is what matters the most.
We sometimes play a game here at Tower Systems: spot the AI junk. It’s fun for a while and then it makes us sad that businesses feel it’s okay to publish what they publish, thinking that something is better than nothing, except that it’s not.
Our difference is us, each of us here in this business. We interact with our customers authentically, one-on-one. What we publish here reflects that. Retail is human after all.
We’re a POS (Point of Sale) software company, and we run retail shops. We do this to walk in the shoes of our customers … not completely but as much as we can.
We learn so much doing this.
Recently, we came across a couple of retailers stuck getting websites live for their businesses. So, we decided to create one for one of our shops to revisit the advice we provide others.
This video shows the results we saw for the website we created for our own shop after 24 hours of time invested and a week of trading.
We followed exactly the advice we provide to others, relying on data from our POS software to populate the website. It was vital for us and for our customers for us to experience what our customers experience.
Websites evolve based on your experience with them. This is one reason launching early is critical – get the experience and adjust.
Here at Tower Systems we are all about understanding our customers to ensure that the advice we provide is useful, valuable. This is why projects like this matter. We ned to test our advice, and to adjust it if our own experience is not up to what we hope for in working with our customers.
When it comes to websites for retail businesses, too often we see websites that are a monument to the web developer and of little value to the retail business for which they have been built. This is wasted money, something the retailer discovers long after the web developer has moved on.
Investing in a website is emotionally and financially considerable. For small business retailers it is vital that you achieve a commercially satisfactory outcome. That’s why we ensure the advice we provide and the work we do serves the needs of local small business retailers.
Tower Systems is a small business focussed POS software company developing, and supporting POS software for niche specialty retailers.
Jewellers, garden centres, bike shops, toy shops, produce businesses, farm supply businesses, fishing shops, pet shops, charity businesses, landscape gardening businesses, antique shops, sewing shops, haberdashery businesses, newsagents and more benefit from this software.
Find out more at www.towersystems.com.au
Call 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au
In today’s world of online shopping giants, it’s easy to forget about the fantastic array of shops right on our doorstep.Supporting local businesses is about more than just convenience; it’s about investing in the lifeblood of our communities.That’s where FindIt, a free online marketplace from Tower Systems, steps in.
Only serving local independent retailers, Tower Systems has a track record of shining a light on this most vital of retail sectors. It’s work on FindIt drawn on decades of service and a community of 3,500+ retailers served.
FindIt bridges the gap between local stores and shoppers like. It’s a platform offering products from a wide range of independent retailers across Australia. Whether you’re after that perfect birthday gift, a unique piece of homeware, or something special for yourself, FindIt allows you to browse and discover hidden gems from local businesses, all from the comfort of your couch.
But what makes FindIt special is its focus on ease and accessibility. Here are some of the key benefits for both shoppers and retailers:
For Shoppers:
For Retailers:
FindIt is a win-win situation for everyone involved. Shoppers get access to fantastic local products, while retailers gain a valuable platform to showcase their offerings and reach new customers. It’s a fantastic initiative that fosters a sense of community and strengthens the backbone of Aussie commerce – our independent retailers.
To have product data – text and images – flow to FindIt is easy thanks to the integration with the Tower Systems POS software. Tower helps retailers with advices training and support to get connected.
The goal really is to encourage more local shoppers to want through the front door of local retail businesses.
Beyond the 1,843 newsagents who now use the Tower Systems software for newsagents and the customer service that supports this community, there is functionality for newsagents deep within the software, including:
| Newsagents | |
| Quote and invoice management: comprehensive tools | ●︎ |
| Catalogue: create and manage pricing based on time/date range | ●︎ |
| Refund management: maintaining data integrity | ●︎ |
| Marketplace integration: www.findit.com.au (free) | ●︎ |
| Insights dashboard: pushing actionable business insights | ●︎ |
| Theft tracking: early detection of employee theft | ●︎ |
| Stock reorder by min / max requirements | ●︎ |
| Stock Management: easily make changes in bulk | ●︎ |
| Easily manage LayBy (Lay Away) purchases, payments and more | ●︎ |
| Produce gift receipts (price not shown) | ●︎ |
| Gift Vouchers: manage sale and redemption easily | ●︎ |
| PreOrders & Special Orders: sell products before you have the stock | ●︎ |
| Automatic sales based replenishment with supplier connectivity | ●︎ |
| Easy purchase order generation (supplier ready) | ●︎ |
| Include images on receipts for easy promotion / marketing | ●︎ |
| Manage product box / package location | ●︎ |
| Attach product data/info sheets | ●︎ |
| Age check for products you select | ●︎ |
| Easily bundle & Manufacture products for package sale | ●︎ |
| Manage magazine inventory where an item has multiple issues | ●︎ |
| Manage products with different prices on different days (papers) | ●︎ |
| Manage the regular home delivery of products daily / weekly | ●︎ |
| Manage sale & return of products to other retailers | ●︎ |
| Recall customers based on purchases | ●︎ |
| Special customer orders | ●︎ |
| Manage product returns | ●︎ |
| Easily train casual staff | ●︎ |
| Kiosk/Self-Serve mode | ●︎ |
| Aird group EDI integration | ●︎ |
| Club / group member pricing for products | ●︎ |
| Product classifications for easy online product management | ●︎ |
| Product tags for easy horizontal product management | ●︎ |
| Comprehensive customer accounts management | ●︎ |
| Reorder based on past sales | ●︎ |
| Average cost price maintenance | ●︎ |
| Record customer details for certain products | ●︎ |
| Batch payments: easily import a payments file | ●︎ |
| Track stock by author for bookshops | ●︎ |
| Surcharge management: EFTPOS fees to customer | ●︎ |
| Customer display content management | ●︎ |
| Multiple customer delivery address support | ●︎ |
| Click and collect management | ●︎ |
| Pick slips for efficient product picking | ●︎ |
| Proforma invoicing | ●︎ |
| Account credit limits | ●︎ |
| Easy supplier stock file importing | ●︎ |
| Reporting to Excel | ●︎ |
| Managing tax free items (set by item) | ●︎ |
| Manage tax free / duty free sales (entire transactions) | ●︎ |
| Multibuy price breaks (pet food, coffee etc) | ●︎ |
| Multiple suppliers supported per stock item | ●︎ |
| Static quantity Items (no stock control tracking) | ●︎ |
| Product weight per item (flows to e-commerce) | ●︎ |
| True landed cost price for stock tracking | ●︎ |
| Insurance claim related sales management | ●︎ |
| Google maps address autocomplete | ●︎ |
| Microsoft365 and Gsuite email Integration | ●︎ |
| Customer loyalty cards for easy engagement | ●︎ |
| Staff rostering | ●︎ |
| Staff permissions manage function access | ●︎ |
| Manage stock at multiple locations, transfer stock easily | ●︎ |
| Manage newspaper home delivery | ●︎ |
| Manage sales to sub-agents (wholesale) | ●︎ |
| Manage magazine putaways | ●︎ |
| Integration: XchangeIT | ●︎ |
| Integration: TheLott | ●︎ |
| Integration: Pacstream | ●︎ |
| Integration: Titlepage | ●︎ |
| Integration: ePay | ●︎ |
| Integration: Centrepay | ●︎ |
| Integration: POSTEC forecort controller. Sell Fuel | ●︎ |
| Integration: Cashless Debit Card, Product Level Blocking | ●︎ |
This software for newsagents is more than average, it’s industry standard, and we have our customers to thank for this.
The Tower Systems POS software can handle multiple suppliers per stock item. This offers retailers flexibility and transparency. There are several real channels where this has been used: jewellers, bike shops, pet shops, garden centres, toy shops and newsagents.
By supporting multiple suppliers for each stock item, the POS software from Tower Systems offers a function of differentiation that plenty of retailers like, and use.
With traditional POS systems, you might be stuck scrambling to find a new source for an item that is out of stock, potentially delaying sales and frustrating customers. With the POS software from Tower Systems this data can be at your fingertips. You can link one stock item to multiple suppliers. This creates a win-win for you and your business.
By providing this level of flexibility and control, Tower Systems POS software empowers retailers to be more responsive and competitive. It’s a feature that many retailers appreciate and use to stay ahead of the curve.
This is another facility of specialisation in the specialty retail POS software from Tower Systems, somewhat makes our POS software more than ordinary, more than average.
If you have a moment, here’s our pitch:
If you think our software may suit your needs, organise a personal demonstration. There is no obligation. We’d love to hear about your needs, answer your questions and show you what our Tower Systems POS software can do.
Our newsagency software continues to attract new customers, 41 so far this year, for which we are sincerely grateful.
We help newsagents run valuable and enjoyable businesses. Our newsagency software helps you evolve your customer mix and grow business performance.
Our software also handles so much:
We are the only software company to own and run newsagencies. We bought our first in February 1996. We continue to love running newsagencies. We understand how important good customer service is for newsagents.
Rent our newsagency software for a few dollars a day.
Rental includes: software for all computers in a location, help desk access Mon-Sat, knowledge base access, integrations with: Shopify, Big Commerce, Xero, Deputy, Tanda, Planday, Slyp, Tyro, major banks, SmartPay and more.
We have released other changes that are getting cheers from our customers:
See this software for yourself. Click here for a recorded demo. We don’t collect your details, and you can share it will colleagues. If you’d like a personal demo to explore your specific business needs, please call us on 1300 662 957 or email our team on sales@towersystems.com.au.
You choose how much training you want. Plus, you have easy access to a training library in short video format, for anyone in the business, free.
The latest release of the Tower Systems newsagency software iOS out now and it’s causing a buzz thanks to new features newsagents can use to run more efficient, successful and valuable businesses.
All of us at Tower Systems say thank you to 1,842 newsagents using the software today and those on the path to joining our community.
Retailers are loving the international barcode lookup integration in our POS software. This connects with a respected worldwide database of product barcodes and provides excellent access to descriptions and much more: improving data accuracy, saving time and enhancing in-store and online product engagement.
Here is how we train our POS software customers on how to use the POS software integrated international barcode lookup facilities:
Like all of our POS software customer training videos, we also provide a transcript for those who prefer to read. It is time coded to match the video. here is an example:
0:00 My next favourite integration with Retailer is Barcode Lookup. Barcode Lookup is an online database of barcodes, their descriptions, their web descriptions or extended descriptions, images, classification information such as brand, manufacturer, dimensions.
0:15 It’s massive. Now over the time that we’ve integrated with Barcode Lookup, it’s grown from 100 million records right through to today at time of publication nearly a billion records.
0:26 That’s massive. So, what can it do? Well, Retailer can integrate with it and pull data down when you create a product or choose to update a product with data from that website.
0:37 Let’s have a look. The very first thing you’d want to know is how to sign up and how to get it working.
0:41 So, you should always read our knowledge base articles. Which will be linked to this video down below and it goes through the entire sign up process and how it works.
0:49 So, just follow the article and go from there. If you want to have a look at the website, we even have a link to the website and this is it here.
0:56 So, you can see right now 978 million people products exist on this site. to give you an example, I’ve got a few items here.
1:05 I’ve got a package of um electrical tape and a box of glasses cleaners to clean my glasses. I’ve done a little search on those and believe it or not, here’s my glasses cleaners and this is the description that it’s going to pull down from the site.
1:17 It will pull down the menu. Manufacturer information and it’ll also pull down this extended description and put that where I choose to put it.
1:25 There’s only one attribute to go with it, which is an MPN or a manufacturer’s product number. And these are all the images that it will pull down with it.
1:33 If we go look at this. The electrical tape pulls down this description one by three meter PVC electrical tape and has a much better description to explain what it comes what it’s all about no classification information with this one and then I’ve got my three pens so we’ve got the the blue tip which
Be sure to watch the video and check out the transcript to the right side of the page.
This video is another from our growing library of training videos for retailers using our POS software.
Here’s an example of the awesome training videos we provide POS software customers. This one explains the ChatGPT POS software integration and shows how it can be used.
Now, if you’d rather read what is covered in the video: there is an awesome transcript provide on the righthand side. This is broken down by timing in the video. here’s an example:
0:01 Using ChatGPT to generate web store descriptions is by far my favorite tool in Retailer at the moment. It makes it really easy to get nice cool descriptions that work really well and you can even customize how it actually functions.
0:14 So first and foremost there’s going to be a link to the advice sheet on ChatGPT and using it. So here it is on the Tower Systems website.
0:22 I highly recommend you read it because it does change when there are things that occur with ChatGPT that change. For an example I will be addressing this particular point in this video where Yep.
0:33 Default model selected in Retailer doesn’t work, but long story short read the advice sheet, follow it. It’s going to be really good. 0:40 I’ll give you a brief rundown on doing it. So first you need to sign up to ChatGPT. I’ve already done that and then you need to create an API login key.
0:50 The next thing you should also do is make sure you do put in some payment details in there because it will not generate any API details if you don’t have payment details in there.
0:59 Why? Well they give you $5 worth of credit to start off with, um but they won’t actually generate anything if they’ve got nothing to pay.
1:05 Pay for later when you run out of that credit to top it up. So you’ve got to put some billing details in there. 1:11 Anyway, step one. Let’s get a API key. So we get to the chat GPT website and here on the left.
1:19 I’ve got API keys in here. If you can’t see it, just bring your mouse over to the very left side and API keys will be there and we need to create a new secret key. 1:26 So I’m just going to call this retailer. It’ll then ask you to verify that you’re a human and you just do a little puzzle.
1:33 It’s a nice fun one. Make the object here point in the direction of the hand. Love it. And you then have your key.
1:42 Now you get your key, you copy it and inside retailer, we go to setup API connection. Scroll on down to open AI.
1:53 Which is about halfway down and you put your key. In there. Save it. That’s step one of the steps in retailer.
On the page with the video you can see the whole transcript.
The point-of-sale (POS) system is usually lifeblood of any local retail shop: managing sales, connecting with suppliers, tracking business performance, feeding the accounting system, and more. It’s job is to help manage the business, to help it be mor efficient and successful.
POS software is a tool.
When a garden landscaper buys a rake, they don’t pay the supplier a percentage of what they are paid by their customers.
When a restaurant buys a new grill they don’t pay the grill supplier a percentage of what they make from each meal they sell.
When a ride-share driver buys a new car, they don’t pay the car maker or car seller a percentage of what they make from each passenger ride.
There are some POS software companies that charge retailers a percentage of each sale the retailer makes. It’s like a tax on each sale. They can be clever though in that they say it’s a payments platform cost, even though the cost of the payments platform to the software company is much less.
But when it comes to pricing, some retailers might be under the impression they’re stuck paying a percentage of every sale to their POS provider. Not so fast! Let’s break down the different POS pricing models and how you can find a system that fits your budget without eating into your profits.
Here are some pricing models for software:
Only old-school software companies get you to pay for everything upfront. Here at Tower Systems we stopped that five years ago. The world has changed and how you pay for your POS software speaks to that.
The best POS pricing model for your business depends on several factors, such as your sales volume, the features you need, and your budget. Here are some tips for choosing the right system:
If you are looking for POS software, start with what the software does. Look for the right fit for your needs. Once you have found it, then consider the pricing model. However, it is vital you are aware of the total cost of ownership, including any percentage charged on each transaction.
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