The POS Software Blog

The POS Software Blog

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

Categorynursery software

Nursery POS software helps local garden centres and nursery businesses thrive

January 28, 2022
3 Min read
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Tower Systems offers POS software made for nursery businesses and garden centres.

Professionally built and nurtured over many years and kept up to date with the latest needs and trends, this software for nursery businesses is fresh in 2022, serving needs local nursery businesses have today as they serve their local community.

This software for nursery businesses and garden centres is unique to the needs of these businesses, as you can see in this video of a recent demonstration.

One requirement we often see in these businesses is for quote and invoice management:

Now for a Q&A on this software for nursery businesses and garden centres:

Can I sell products by weight with this software? Yes.

Can sell at fractional quantities? Yes.

Can I handle re-potting, a plant that is larger now is worth more than when it was smaller? Yes.

Do you have weatherproof labels for items outdoors? Yes.

Can I include plant care information on receipts? Yes.

Can the software handle selling products by colour and size? Yes.

Can you manage quotes? Yes, you can create quotes and then turn them into sales if they proceed.

I sometimes sell away from the shop at an event or on the road. Can the software do this? Yes, our Retailer RoamTM option manages selling from anywhere.

Does the software handle garden club member pricing? Yes, this can be a great marketing tool, getting local community group members support the business and fundraising at the same time.

Does the software track frequent shopper purchases, like what you see in coffee shops buy 9 and get your 10th free? Yes.

Can the software report on frequent shopper purchase items we give away, to get a supplier rebate? Yes.

Does the software have a loyalty facility? Yes, there are several options – you can choose the one that works best for your needs.

Does the software let me manage my own time-based catalogue pricing? Yes.

Can I sell gift cards for my business? Yes.

I buy products in bulk and re-bag them to retail size. Can the software handle this? Yes.

I buy several products in bulk to mix to create my own brand of feed. can the software handle this? Yes.

Does the software produce WAS / NOW price labels? Yes.

Can you reach out to customers based on past purchases?  Yes, you can select customers for marketing past on a range of criteria, including past purchases.

Does the system handle account customers? Yes, you can setup and manage customer accounts.

Does the system produce invoicing and statements? Yes, these can be printed or emailed.

Does the software connect with my website? We partner with Shopify, Magento and WooCommerce and offer direct links to these.

Can I email receipts? Yes.

Can I track where my customers come from? Yes.

Do I have to pay for software on additional computers in my business? No.

Can I connect with my EFTPOS terminal? Yes. We have a direct link to Tyro and through Linkly we connect to all major banks.

Can I use my existing hardware? Yes, as long as your hardware meets our minimum standards.

Can I use my existing data with the software? Yes. We’d like to check your data to be sure. We will advise what can be safely brought across.

Does it integrate with Xero? Yes.

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Inviting garden centres and nurseries to consider the Tower Systems software

June 22, 2017
2 Min read
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Tower Systems is a well established software company serving garden centres and nurseries with competent and speciality garden centre management software.

We are well established in this space with loved software that is regularly enhances to serve the specialty needs of garden centre and nursery retailers.

Developed in close consultation with retail business owners and their managers, our garden centre software takes a service-first approach to delivering genuinely useful solutions to these specialty retail businesses.

Using our Garden Centre / Nursery Software you can easily:

  1. Sell products easily, with accuracy and capturing data vital to guiding business decisions.
  2. Handle customer special orders.
  3. Offer Gift Cards. we can also help with professional production of gift cards.
  4. Sell products as hampers / packs / bundles.
  5. Sell products by weight.
  6. Offer LayBys.
  7. As you re-pot plants, easily increase the retail value.
  8. Print product labels for plants outdoors.
  9. Run Sale Catalogues – based on a date range.
  10. Offer traffic-driving shopper loyalty –  $$$ off the next purchase based on rules you set. Successful loyalty offer for independent retailers.
  11. Automatically include local plant care information on receipts.
  12. Offer the more traditional points-based shopper loyalty.
  13. Import electronic invoices and stock files from suppliers.
  14. Reorder based on accurate data – reducing the cost of dead stock.
  15. Handle BOGO: handling Buy One get One Free offers.
  16. Offer MultiBuy – like a coffee card, free product over time … ideal for encouraging habit based shoppers
  17. Save time with the Xero accounting interface – cut bookkeeping costs.
  18. Link to Magento and Shopify – connect to your website.
  19. Save time & cut mistakes with EFTPOS integration.
  20. Save time on stock takes.
  21. Print professional receipts with your logo.
  22. Track product serial numbers.
  23. Age check for items with a minimum age requirement such as chemicals if you sell them
  24. Use up-sell prompts for staff.
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POS software helps gift shops, small business retailers handle special orders

April 17, 2015
1 Min read
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Screen Shot 2015-04-07 at 10.14.08 amThe POS software from Tower Systems has excellent facilities for handling special orders, pre-orders and other forms of orders for customers that are unique to the customer and a point of difference for the business to offer.

Special orders and customer pre-orders are a point of difference for small independent retailers over big businesses. Being bale to do this with consistency and certainty can help these businesses more successfully compete.

Thanks to years of refinement and working with retailers in a wide variety of retail situations, Tower Systems offers a competitive advantage from the recording of customer details, tracking an order,k advising its arrival and handling a range of payment options including time payment.

We have retailers today transacting valuable business in pre-orders of highly valuable product as a result of these tools in the software. They are financially better off today and over the long term as special order customers tend to return for more orders.

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Sunday retail management advice: success today is important for tomorrow

April 12, 2015
2 Min read
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Too often we see small business retailers running their businesses thinking that they will make their money when they sell. Our experience working with thousands of retailers is that focusing on today, on the right now, will ensure the best outcome for the future of the business.

Our strategy – Make every day your pay day – is simple and effective. It’s made up of basic points:

  1. Run with the leanest roster possibl Just about every newsagency business I review has capacity to lower labour costs.
  2. Have your best people working the floor, helping customers spend more.
  3. Stock what sells.
  4. Get rid of stock which is not selling.
  5. Have stunning displays that attract people from outside the shop.
  6. Have compelling displays in-store that encourage people to browse beyond their destination purchase.
  7. Always have impulse offers at high traffic locations.
  8. Charge more every time you can. Review your prices for products people come to yoo because of convenience.
  9. Buy as best you can.
  10. Grab settlement discounts every time you are able.
  11. Use your business data to guide your decisions.
  12. Promote outside your store.

Be responsible for the profitability of your business. Don’t blame your suppliers, your landlord, your employees or some other external factor … it all comes down to you – the decisions you make and the actions you take.

If you relentlessly pursue profit with a clear focus you’re likely to see profit grow. That’s better than waiting to make money when you sell because that’s less likely to happen in this market.

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POS software offers small business retailers choice on loyalty

March 28, 2015
1 Min read
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There is loyalty software and then there is loyalty software. The Tower Systems approach to loyalty software in its POS software for small business retailers is broad, flexible and shopper-focussed.

With options from the more traditional points based approach through to an immediate benefit engagement offer and the ability to blend the two, the Tower Systems software provides retailers with tools they can use appropriate to local needs.

Feedback from retailers using the Tower Systems loyalty facilities is thrilling. Stories of growth, shopper engagement and terrific bottom line results. This really excites us.

While many businesses like points based programs, evidence indicates the immediate benefit engagement offer is more valuable in many retail situations. The results on a P&L and elsewhere in business reporting are compelling.

Beyond the software, Tower Systems is engaged with its retail partners to help them choose the right mix of loyalty offers which work best in their circumstances.

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Sunday retail management advice: inspiration retail management success stories

March 15, 2015
4 Min read
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While some retailers gravitate to stories of doom and gloom, others are chase and enjoy success large and small.

Through our work with our POS software we get to meet with plenty of retailers and look at many businesses.

We are certain that success is not an accident.

Success is planned for and chased. It is the goal reflected in every business decision. It comes from refusing to let the business run you.

We’d like to share three real-world stories with you.

The small shop turning over $380,000 a year and growing 28%

Talking with a gift shop owner about their 28% increase in sales in the financial year just ended.

Yes, you read right, a 28% lift in sales in the 2012/13 year. This is on the back of a 17% increase the year before. This is a business that is more than ten years old.

This is no accident. They planned for it by carefully looking at their business data and shedding products that were not working. They adjusted opening hours too as they discovered business later in the day that they had not realised was there. This knowledge opened them to opportunities for last minute shoppers.

The owner of the business decided to chase success because the turnover was barely enough to cover rent, wages and the loan taken out to fund the business. It was grow or bust.

They planned for success by using their business data. The first year – 17% up from a low turnover base – was encouraging. The 28% increase this past financial year proves value of paying attention to business data.

Sales data guided them as to the suppliers of the best to focus on. One employee was eased out of the business for failing to achieve minimum sales targets.

The owner spent more time on the shop floor selling to achieve minimum margin dollars per sale rather than just chatting with shoppers.

The result shows what can happen when you focus on being a retailer, the owner said to me with a huge smile.

A gift shop reengineers and saves itself

Another gift shop we have been working with was in trouble. Shops nearby were closing and the small shopping strip had a dark feeling. For a while they were sucked into the cloud of doom and gloom.

Checking their data we saw that several special interest items sold well and provided an above-average margin. They used this knowledge as the basis for small expansion.

Over six months they increased their range of the special interest items and they connected with community groups to share knowledge.

Over six months sales grew, not into double-digit growth but they were happy to have at least stopped the decline.

In the second six months sales grew further. Now they were into double digit growth territory. Shoppers happy with their specialisation were telling others. Word of mouth was driving extra traffic.

That was a year ago. Today, this business is very different. People travel for up to two hours to see their range. The average sale value has more than doubled, margins are up 15% and customer traffic is up 25%. Combine these three and you can see why the owner is very happy.

They did not plan to become a product specialist. The survival of their business demanded it.

How a product category drove sales and profit

This gift shop owner came to us because they were in trouble. Sales were falling. Together, we took an in-depth look at their data.

The category performing best in terms of return on investment and return on floor-space was plush, teddy bears and some soft toys. That can’t be right, said the owner, it’s stuck in the back of the shop.

Data does not lie. It revealed that their small selection of plush was selling well despite the owner and the employees not being all that interested in it.

Fast forward six months and this business has turned around. They are now a plush shop at the front with other gifts. Sales are up 65% and climbing. They have increased their margin too – because they have products others nearby don’t have.

Turning this business around was easy as the data offered the guide. The changes took a week to complete and initially required only a $5,000 capital investment in additional stock.

Own your success

Small and independent retail businesses can achieve growth in any economic situation.

People don’t stop shopping in tough times – they just change what they buy.

By taking a fresh look at business data gift shop owners can change focus, attract new shoppers and get existing shoppers spending more.

We’re happy to help.

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Free POS software training helps retailers improve productivity

March 4, 2015
1 Min read
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Screen Shot 2015-03-04 at 5.34.16 pmThe weekly free POS software training opportunities offered by Tower Systems continue to attract retaill business owners and their employees who want to get more from their software investment.

Our outcome-focussed training is proving to be a hit with retailers as it offers practical advice without tech-jargon.

This session on productivity helps retailers where it matters: at the counter.

Tower Systems is grateful to wonderful customer support in participating in these sessions.

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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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