The POS Software Blog

The POS Software Blog

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

CategoryPet shop software

Sunday retail business management tip: small steps matter

February 15, 2015
1 Min read
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We often see small business retailers focus on grand plans, big moves they intend to make to lift their business. Our experience is that many small steps deliver a better result to a retail business and for a lower cost.

Using our retail management software, retailers are able to uncover and nurture small steps to growth in their business.

Every retail business has small steps they can take to drive traffic, achieve a better margin from products, get shoppers purchasing more, reducing wastage, reducing theft and more. Each of these alone done in a step step strategic way will compound on the other and deliver a greater than the sum of the parts benefit to the business.

Beyond its terrific POS software, Tower Systems helps retailers to see what they may be missing, to understand the opportunities for growth through a small steps strategy.

Leveraging our own retail experience and our intimate knowledge of what our software cal do, we can help retailers to lift their businesses through co-operative partnership.

Not all POS software companies are the sale. We’re here to help.

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Our pet shop software co. on why pet shops matter

February 10, 2015
2 Min read
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Independent local Pet shops matter.

While people can buy pet food, gifts, treatments and toys from supermarkets, online and large chains, it is local service that really matters to local shoppers.

Buying from real shop from a real person, a pet expert, someone to whom you can speak, is better for the customer, better for the community and better for your pets. This is why local pet shops matter.

Your local pet shop employs local people. Those people have local knowledge. You can build a relationship with them. You can trust their advice.

Buy online and sure you might have a name but is it real? Sure you might save money but does anything you spend get invested in your country or your local community.

Buy from a big business and you are just a number with profits likely to land a long way from the local community.

Local pet shops employ people who love pets. They can enhance the experience with advice and other services. They share your passion. Your purchase is part of their passion.

Big businesses probably don’t know who you are. Your local pet shop staff will know you and your pets.

In a real shop you can touch the product, see it first-hand. You can be certain of what you are purchasing. You can get advice form an expert. No so from an online or big business.

At your local pet shop you are greeted with a smile and a handshake. Personal service means a lot, especially if your purchase is important to you.

Local pet shops provide local services. Most have people who are passionate about what they sell. Try and get this experience online.

Here at Tower Systems we are proud to support local pet shops and encourage you to shop local when buying your for your pets.

The Tower Systems pet shop software is the most widely used pet shop specific software in Australia.

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How deeper engagement in Pet shop software helps pet retailers compete with warehouse stores

February 4, 2015
1 Min read
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There is software pet shops can use and then there is specialist pet shop software. Here at Tower Systems we develop specialist pet shop software. We work with pet shop suppliers, pet shop groups, the pet industry association and other leaders in the field at a level at which no other software company does.

While anyone can say they sell pet shop software, it takes hard work and dedication to deliver genuinely specialist software and to back this with knowledgeable specialist support.

How are we different: we have a position in our company that manages pet supplier relationships, we partner exclusive with one of the largest retail buying groups, we sponsor the peak industry association. These alone separate us from others. Then there is our software itself – the latest release just a few weeks old has more specialist facilities for pet retailers, facilities developed in consultation with pet retailers – helping pet retailers themselves specialise in what they offer through their businesses.

We offer what no other POS software company can offer pet retailers: the Tower AdvantageTM.

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Out with the old and in with the new – how smart loyalty facilities on POS software help independent retailers compete

February 3, 2015
2 Min read
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Loyalty facilities are as old as the ills in POS software. Too often, the differences are not that great. The most popular offer is that of points accrual based on purchase.

While the POS software we offer here at Tower Systems provides loyalty facilities with points accrual and redemption, it is our other loyalty facility that is helping retailers break free from competition.

In a recent sales study we saw the best year on year growth achieved by retailers using our software and using our front-end approach to loyalty – discount vouchers.

Case after case the results are extraordinary – double digit sales growth being driven by greater existing shopper engagement, word of mouth driving new traffic and an allied pricing policy that helps the retailer fund the loyalty program with no net cost to the business.

The discount vouchers in the Tower software are 100% unique, developed by us in a way that is impossible to copy unless you have access to our programming source code.

While some have tried to copy our discount vouchers, retailers soon find that a copy is not the same as the real thing, a copy will not produce the stellar results we are producing in our Tower POS software.

We have independent retailers telling us that they are feeling reinvigorated for their business thanks to the results of the discount vouchers, that they are making more money now thanks to using this unique software facility.

This is what we are in business for – to help independent retailers make more money and enjoy their businesses more.

Every new business that takes on discount vouchers is a new opportunity for excitement for us. As they tell their colleagues it is a new opportunity for us to win more business too.

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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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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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Pet shop software insights from retail tour in New York

January 22, 2015
1 Min read
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petshopAs part of a tour of pet shops and pet shop suppliers during a retail study tour of the US over the last two weeks, the team from Pet Shop Software company Tower Systems made new connections and tapped into market leading insights in ways that will help the company better serve pet retailers in Australia and New Zealand.

The insights are being shared with pet retailers in Australia and New Zealand to help them grow their local businesses.

Talking with retailers in their shops and suppliers at two different trade shows has provided Tower Systems with market leadership insights that help us better advise pet retailers not only on retail trends but also on new ways our software can serve and help them unlock more revenue for their businesses.

Beyond the pet shop software, Tower Systems helps pet retailers to build more valuable and successful businesses by sharing business building insights.

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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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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Pet shop software helps pet retailers connect with suppliers

January 2, 2015
1 Min read
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Pet shops using the pet shop software from Tower Systems are enjoying access to electronic invoices for easy and accurate arrival of new stock.

Eliminating the need to manually type in invoice details certainly saves time in pet shops. More important than the time saving though is the certainty of data accuracy. Accurate data feeds into better quality business decisions for the pet shop businesses and with their suppliers.

Tower Systems has a program of consistency for connecting pet retailers and their suppliers through electronic stock files and invoices. The company has a structured approach through which it brings on new suppliers – to ensure their data meets appropriate standards for serving the needs of pet retailers.

2015 will see more pet shop suppliers join the Tower EDI community.

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