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Benefits are what matter the most when choosing POS software for your gift shop for its is the benefits that pay for the software and the time you invest in and with it.

Here are key benefits gift shops owners and employees tell us they gain from using our Tower Systems gift shop software:

• Sell easily and accurately at the counter, tracking everything.
• Bring in and price new stock quickly and accurately thanks to many electronic invoice links with suppliers.
• Easily add value from your own knowledge and therefore personalise your business. Your products knowledge is differentiating. The software makes it easy to do this.
• Make decisions based on facts curated for you by the software as it collects data from transactions. Evidence based decision making has been proven to help gift shops thrive.
• Seamlessly share data and collect sales with and from websites is Shopify, Big Commerce and Woo Commerce.
• Easily manage the business remotely.
• Save money by more quickly identifying theft situations.
• Easily, without extra keystrokes, have sales data flow across to Xero.
• Easily identify shoppers for marketing campaigns based on what they have purchased form you.
• Business differentiating loyalty. Stand out from the crowd. Have customers coming back to you for this.
• Maximise the basket with easy to use one-time shopper loyalty tools.
• Trade, club and community group pricing profiles. Set pricing rules based on customer type.
• Make money from pre-orders – Easily pre-sell a delivery so that when the stock arrives you can manage distribution and billing efficiently.
• Differentiate with informative receipts. These can include product care, use and safety information based on what customers buy.
• Differentiate with bundles. Selling items bundled together makes price comparison hard.
• Track who sold what.
• Sell more with a direct connect to buy now pay later services.
• Cut mistakes with integrated EFTPOS.

This software made for gift shops is delivering these benefits and plenty more to gift shops of all sizes and in a variety of settings from shopping centres to the high street to regional and rural businesses.

Come and join 3,000+ local small business retailers who already use our software.

It costs $159.00 a month to rent (inc. GST). This includes the software, help desk support (Melbourne based), half a day one-on-one setup and training and access to an awesome knowledge base of advice and help.

You can cancel the rental at any time. There is no lock-in contract, no requirement for you to pay up front for a year. Pay as you go, monthly.

There is no requirement that you use a particular EFTPOS service. We mention this as some POS software companies lock you in on a service with a high price.

Find out more at www.towersystems.com.au/gift.

We are grateful to welcome more MYOB Retail Manager POS software customers switching to our Tower Systems POS software.

While we have welcomes MYOB Retail Manager customers for years, more are joining our POS software community.

Here at Tower Systems we make POS software for local specialty retailers.

Comparing our POS software toy MYOB Retail Manager you will see differences. We are happy to provide a comprehensive demonstration to anyone, without obligation, so you can dive deep to see if our POS software is a good alternative to MYOB Retail Manager.

In fact, we recommend a personal demonstration as the best way to assess what is best for your business.

Here is what you can expect from us as supplier of POS software to your retail business:

• Easy access to personal one-on-one training in our POS software.
• Regular POS software updates, which go through thorough in house testing prior to beta release to a community of users who test in the field for us and for our customers.
• POS software update content that is often guided by customer requests.
• Easy access to our help desk experts. They are all local. They all work for us. They all have years of experience in our software. Many have retail experience too.
• Easy access to fresh training videos so you can learn to use this POS software at your own pace.
• Easy access to a knowledge base of more than. 600 articles that offer step by step guidance on how to use the software.
• EFTPOS integration to the bank of your choice.
• Access to the growing www.findit.com.au online marketplace for free – helping attract new shoppers into your shop.
• Easy access to our leadership team – yes, you can directly speak with our key decision makers direct.
• Easy access to our Zoom based customer meetings where you learn tips and techniques and get to ask the questions that matter to you.
• Secure access to our exclusive Theft Check service where we dive deep into your transactional data to see if there is evidence of possible employee fraud.
• Access to our private Facebook group where you can easily talk with other Tower Systems customers.

Every Tower Systems customer has access to these benefits and plenty more.

We respect MYOB Retail Manager and the role it has played in helping many retailers run their businesses. If you feel it may be time to make a switch, Tower Systems is here for you. We don’t know if we have the best MYOB Retail Manager alternative software for you, but we will show you what we offer so you can make that assessment for yourself.

Today we serve more than 3,000 locally owned and run POS software solutions in a variety of specialty retail channels. While we have been growing our business since 1981, the POS software that we offer today is very different to where we started.

Our underlying technology is fresh and efficient. Our software is entirely developed by us, here, in-house. And, we are grateful to say that our support is all provided by us too.

If you are using MYOB Retail Manager and considering switching our advice is that you let them know in case they have a solution for any concerns you may have. Sometimes, staying with what you have is a better solution than switching.

If you are committed to switching, make a list of what you do and don’t want from your next POS software and the company providing this. Do this before you start looking.

Here at Tower Systems we’re a no pressure POS software company. We’d love to find out about your needs, show you our software and leave you be while you consider. take your time. When you need us we will be here, in person, ourselves – and not through an offshore call centre.

Our service is personal. Call us, and a human answers. Visit our head office, and we’ll welcome you in for a chat. Email us, and we will respond.

Check us out:

• Website: www.towersystems.com.au
• Sales team: sales@towersystems.com.au or 1300 662 957
• Our Managing Director: 0418 321 338

Thanks for reading. Have an awesome Thursday!

PS. We only engage with local small business retailers. That is our area of specialisation. This ensures we are committed to serving local business needs and not the needs if a large corporate customer over the needs of a local small business retailer.

Aussie software company Tower Systems makes POS software for a range of specialty retail businesses including POS software for adult shops. Adult shops, like any specialty retail business, have needs unique to their channel. Some are regulatory needs while others come with the nature of the business and needs owners have to successfully run these businesses.

The POS software for adult shops from Tower Systems offers access to a variety of benefits including:

• Get one-time-only shoppers spending more thanks to an easy to pitch loyalty system embedded in the software.
• Leverage you. If you believe your knowledge is a differentiator, offer it through structured opportunities in the software.
• Add value with product care information included on receipts.
• Encourage customer happiness by serving product care info. on receipts.
• Easily handle special customer orders. Bring product in for a specific customer and have them notified automatically by email or text when the goods are in and ready.
• Easily sell online with a direct to Shopify / Magento or WooCommerce link from your POS software – including image flow.
• Ensure compliance when required with structured age checking.
• Save time with electronic invoices from suppliers.
• Use tags to get a fresh perspective, side-view, on stock performance.
• Bundle items together to make price comparisons harder and thereby increase sales.
• Business differentiating loyalty. Stand out from the crowd. Have customers coming back to you for this.
• Trade and club pricing profiles. Set pricing rules based on customer type.
• Make money from pre-orders – Easily pre-sell a delivery so that when the stock arrives you can manage distribution and billing efficiently.
• Differentiate with informative receipts. These can include product care, use and safety information based on what customers buy.
• Differentiate with bundles. Selling items bundled together makes price comparison hard.
• Track who sold what.
• Say goodbye to LayBy – with integrated buy now pay later options.
• Market to customers based on past purchases.
• Save time by importing electronic invoices.
• Sell more with a direct connect to buy now pay later services.
• Cut mistakes with integrated EFTPOS.
• Cut accounting and bookkeeping fees with integration to Xero and others.

We are proud to serve this specialty retail community with software made for them, software fit for purpose for adult shops.

You can rent our Aussie designed and supported POS software made for Adult Shops for $155.00 a month.

1. Australian developed and supported Adult shop POS software.
2. Software updates as we release them.
3. Unlimited licences for your shop. No extra cost for extra computers.
4. Shopify / Magento / Woo link. Easily sell online from your POS software.
5. Direct to Xero link. Easing bookkeeping and accounting costs
6. Our OzBiz link – connect to MYOB and Quicken through OzBiz.
7. Tyro link – safe, fast and easy EFTPOS link for streamlined sales.
8. PC Eftpos link – easy EFTPOS processing for the major banks.
9. Easy buy now pay later thanks to Zip Pay and Humm – that Boomers, Gen Y, Gen X and others are using more and more.
10. Support – help desk access, unlimited training, updates and more.
11. User documentation. Access to our searchable knowledge base.

Like all our POS software, our software adult shops continue to evolve. We have released two updates this year and have a third coming out in the next week or so.

You know you are being stalked by a competitor when they copy your 5-step initiative, step by step. We appreciate the recognition.

A POS system is software that helps a retail business manage sales, manage stock and more. A POS system is a solution for a range of challenges in running a retail business.

A good POS system is one that serves the needs of the business, offers facilities that play into and serve the unique needs of the business … because different types of retail businesses have different needs.

If you go for a generic POS system, you will only get generic facilities and specialty retail businesses often need much more than generic solutions.

It is also called a POS system because in addition to the POS software there are processes to follow, guidance of which to be aware. These things make it a system, a collection of processes, advice, data points and software combining to make it a system, to ensure it offers value to the retail business in which it is used.

Tower Systems is an Australian software company that develops software for retailers. Our software, our POS software is a good POS system for each of the types of retail businesses using the software. Tower Systems backs the POS software with training, support, advice and data access to make it a system, a POS system. This is the solution, the POS system  for garden centres, bike shops, jewellers, toy shops, bookshops, landscape gardeners, music shops, newsagents, farm supply businesses, produce businesses, charity shops, serving shops, haberdashery and fabric shops, pet shops and more.

This is specialty retail software backed with training and support that makes it ideal for each of these niche businesses – that’s what small business owners using this POS software say.

From helping to manage dy to day operational workflow in a retail shop to managing business data to uncovering opportunities that otherwise may have been missed, our POS system provides a business more than is common in the POS software space – including helping you to transact with suppliers.

Beyond the day to day of transacting sales, the Tower Systems POS system uncovers opportunities, revealing data that can guide better quality business decisions … and this is our goal, to help local small business retailers make better business decisions, to make their businesses more valuable.

Business value matters in small business retail because for many small business retailers value is only realised when it comes time to sell the business. Our software helps leverage opportunities daily, thanks to smart reporting and insights brought to the fore through our POS software.

Tower Systems offers help to retailers to systemise their use of the POS software, to maximise value. We do this based on decades of experience, leveraging the wonderful knowledge shared by so many of our customers – for which we are sincerely grateful.

Find out more: sales@towersystems.com.au, 1300 662 957.

Using our health food shop POS software, local health food shops and whole foods shops can provide nuanced management that is critical to the needs of their local specialty retail businesses.

Tuned ti their needs, this locally made health food shop POS software has tools that serve their unique needs.

Here are answers to some of the questions we have been asked about our Health Food POS Software over the years

When you are ready, we’d love to show you our Health Food POS Software and through that show you answers to other questions you have.

Does the software let me sell at a special price to gym members or members of other local clubs where nutrition matters? Yes.

Does the software let me share health tips and advice on receipts? Yes.

Can I sell products by weight? Yes.

A reasonable number of our customers are infrequent. If there a loyalty option to encourage them? Yes.

Does the software connect to scales? Yes.

Can I use the software to offer bulk purchase pricing? Yes.

Can I label my own products? Yes.

Can I track purchases by people recommended to my shop? Yes.

Can I tag items based on conditions they serve? Yes, our tags facilities in our health foods shop POS software allow you to gain a horizontal view of your inventory.

I buy some items in bulk and re-package them for retail. Can the software manage this? Yes.

Does the software let me track customers based on what they purchase? Yes.

Can I include product care information on receipts? Yes.

Can I look-up historical records for a specific customer? Yes.

Can the software track special or one-off orders for customers? Yes, from the moment the order is placed.

Can I create a quote for a customer and manage this? Yes.

Can I track / manage quotes? Yes.

Can I group items together to sell in a pack or bundle? Yes, it’s easy to create packs using the software.

I sell items with colour, size and style, can the software handle this? Yes.

Can I integrate the software with my suppliers? Yes. We have many customers importing stock files and invoices. If you want to provide a supplier a data feed of sales of their product, our software can do this too.

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.

Does the software handle LayBys? Yes.

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.

Find out more at www.towersystems.com.au/healthfood.

It is challenging to predict what the future of retail looks like. Even for the back half of 2020 there are so many factors at play that could up-end any prediction. 2021 is even more challenging to consider. But, hey, let’s have a crack at that, let’s consider the information we have learned from talking with hundreds of retailers across multiple niche retail channels over recent weeks and well as from talking with many suppliers to these retailers.

Absent a vaccine for COVID-19, retail challenges remain ahead of us. Border closures, immigration stalled, trade shows paused and the supply chain itself slow … these are all factors to consider along with what has actually happened over the last three months.

Here are our thoughts on themes we think will matter in 2021.

• Competition will increase. With all retailers in the same boat, big retailers will chase our customers with more energy and resources.
• Retail to restructure. The restructuring we have seen already in retail will continue in 2021. That means more retail business closures, more businesses wholly moving online, creating a flood of discounted product. This will be challenging.
• Shopper contact points. Social media, flyers and other touch points will matter in 2021 in terms of your connection with current and potential shoppers. Social media engagement has risen through Covid.
• Australian made. We see sourcing and promoting Australian made as a differentiating strategy for 2021. 2021 will not be about cheap China product. How we pitch Australian made will matter. It needs to be nuanced.
• Locals supporting locals. As local community groups fire up, they will ask for help. Manage this by being clear about what it means to you and the community.
• Covid has reinforced the importance of connection through disconnection. We anticipate lingering interest in products that help connect in this way.
• Practical help. For many, 2021 will be about finding work. Helping people who are looking for work is a wonderful public service for your local community.
• The lockdown helped people realise what they did not know that they would like to know. You could benefit from offering a hub for such learning.
• Online is here to stay. The biggest challenge is what to sell online. It is too easy to say everything I have in the shop. The more rewarding but harder path is to see online as a start-up business to drive net new traffic for your business. The offer from Tower of half price Shopify sites for newsXpress members remains available.

These notes are part of a broader report we have shared as p[art of a workshop consulting program with which we have been engaged. They are the highlights of our submission on our thoughts regarding 2021.

We hope our thoughts are useful to small business retailers.

Tower Systems is grateful for the support of Aussie newsagents who use its newsagency software to help run their businesses.

From a range of newsagency specific capabilities, the company provides newsagents tools for traditional newsagency functions as well as a pathway to new services and facilities as they evolve their businesses to be more relevant in this rapidly changing world.

In retail there are terrific newsagency specific just as there are for the home delivery newsagents. The company has well established, well proven facilities that serve this specialty small business distribution and retail channel.

The company has also sold its software to supplier related businesses following thorough selection processes. Serving suppliers has helped better inform the Tower team about enhancements that deliver additional benefits to Tower customers.

The Tower Systems newsagency software is used by more newsagents than any other newsagency software.

TOWER SYSTEMS NEWSAGENCY SOFTWARE Q&A:

What are the most significant benefits of the system?

In addition to newsagency management specific facilities, using this software you can expect to reduce the cost of dead stock, improve traffic flow at the counter, spend less time agonising over decisions and enjoy the benefits of selling more.

Like any business tool, the benefits you get from using our newsagency business software reflect what you put in. There is no limit on how much training you can get from us.

Tower Systems approaches the opportunity as a long-term relationship.

Can I help local charities and community groups raise funds?

Yes, easily. You can track purchases by people supporting those groups and offer a rebate of your choosing to groups that support your business.

Can I ensure I do not sell to underage shoppers?

Yes, you can have a prompt come up on the screen to check that a customer is age-appropriate.

Can I offer buy now pay later like Afterpay?

Yes, easily.

Can I offer click and collect for online shoppers?

Yes, easily.

I have multiple loyalty offers for different categories, can I handle this?

Yes, easily. We have businesses managing a discount for shoppers who purchase 10 of one category, eight of another category and more where each offer is managed easily from the software. A single customer can engage with multiple loyalty offers. Plus, we track what customers buy so you can leverage this data.

Can I handle customer magazine putaways?

Yes, easily.

Can I take payment for newspaper subscriptions?

Yes, easily.

Can I do magazine returns electronically?

Yes, easily.

Can I handle a bundled price like buy 2 get 1 free?

Yes, easily.

Can I give manage newspaper home deliveries?

Yes, easily.

Can I take steps to manage / reduce employee theft?

Yes.

Is there management only control and access for seeing what people do?

Yes.

Can I create a roster?

Yes.

My business is changing and I want to sell café type products?

This is easy.

Will this software help me evolve my newsagency business?

Yes, easily. The software is web connected, to Shopify, Magento and WooCommerce. These connections help you engage online, attracting shoppers who would not walk in front of your shop.

Can I give loyal customers better prices?

Yes, easily.

Can I track sales to a particular customer?

Yes, easily.

Can I market to customers based on their purchase history?

Yes, easily.

Can I sell items by colour, size and style?

Yes, easily. This means you can sell fashion items if you want to get into a new area.

Can I sell bundled items like a gift pack I put together?

Yes, this is easy. You can have a bundled price as well as single prices for each if you wish. Creating bundles is easy as is retreating from bundles back to single items, maintaining the integrity of stock on hand data at all steps along the way.

Can I unbundle items from a pack back to single items?

Yes, easily.

Can I sell items by weight?

Yes, easily. We see this work well in newsagencies where they sell fudge and other items by weight.

Can I sell gift cards?

Yes, easily. You can sell gift cards for other businesses as well as your own branded, made just for you, gift cards.

Can I easily handle LayBys in the software?

Yes, you can establish your own rules and have these managed through the software.

Can I share useful local information on receipts?

Yes, this is easily setup and changed.

Can I handle special orders where a customer orders something I do not currently have in stock?

Yes.

Can I connect my POS software to a website?

Yes. This is very easy if Tower develops the website. If you already have a website we will provide your web developer with link instructions to connect the site to the data in the POS software. Your POS software holds all your inventory data including images. We will advise settings necessary to ensure the easy flow of inventory and sales data.

Can I buy an item from a supplier in bulk and separate this down to smaller retail packs?

Yes. Plus, you can set your own pricing and generate your own barcode for these packs.

I have a local technician who suppliers all my hardware. Can I still use them?

Yes, if they follow the hardware configuration advice we provide. Like any software, we expect a specific environment. We provide the information to local techs at no cost.

If I install your software do you come to my shop?

Yes. Being in your business enables us to see how and where the software could be used and to ensure what we propose is right for you.

Is there a limit on how much training is provided?

No.

You can purchase additional days on site for the installation, based on the needs of the business.

Is there a mandatory subscription fee?

No, maintaining annual software support coverage is optional with Tower Systems. You can choose to pay per call – this means if you don’t call, there is no cost.  After 12-months initial support coverage in our package pricing, we will invite you to stay supported.

Is the software installed on my computer or in the cloud?

Whichever you prefer. Most of our customers like it installed locally and backup to the cloud so they can keep running if the internet is down. That said, running in the cloud is easy.

Is the software specific to firearms businesses?

Yes, it has been highly tailored and will continue to be, based on customer feedback.

Is there a loyalty facility for people who I will only ever see once – to get them to spend more in that only visit?

Yes. We have an excellent loyalty tool in our loyalty facilities for exactly this type of shopper. It works particularly well with guys. We have businesses getting 25% engagement with it, increasing the value of the one-off shopper visit.

Can I have my sales and other data flow across to my accounting software?

Yes, we send your purchase & sales information across to Xero, MYOB & Intuit (Quickbooks).  While you can choose, we love Xero and use it extensively ourselves.

Do I have to buy a licence per computer?

No

Can the software run across multiple stores?

Yes. We call this multi-store.  It allows you to easily share stock and customer information, order and transfer stock, create stock orders and produce performance reports across your multiple stores.

How can I pay for the software?

You can buy it outright, lease it or rent it. The choice is 100% yours.  Lease is popular as you can claim the cost up front and spread the payments over a set term. We are happy for you to acquire the software through the payment method that suits you.

Gift retail has changed.  What people buy, why they buy, how they buy and when they buy … has all changed.

It is hard to know what we gift retailers don’t know.

Independent, locally owned, gift shops help people express themselves. The challenge is to be there, at the right time and with the right gifts to leverage the what, why, how and when.

We own and operate three retail shops in the gift space. They are live test sites for us. We play in the intersection of technology, in-store retail and online retail … for us and for our POS software customers.

We share with our gift shop POS software customers what we learn, in addition to enhancing the software. We also actively embrace ideas from our 3,000+ small business retail customers.

This month, some of our team were in Atlanta for the AmericasMart – a large and truly unique gift trade show experience. We are there as part of our supplier engagement commitment, to spot trends and to learn from US gift and homewares retailers.

Through our software, through our own retail experiences and through retail study tours overseas, we are committed to helping our customers…

1. Make their businesses more valuable today and when they sell.
2. Enjoy working and working on their businesses more.

More than POS software, we offer help designed for your type of business.

We do all the regular POS stuff you’d expect, and we serve gift and homewares specialist opportunities, like…

1. Green shoots. Our reporting and business intelligence tools help you see opportunities you can nurture for more success.
2. Remote management. We offer tools through which you can run the business away from the business.
3. Collectors. We help you manage people who collect.

4. Stock Notes.Showproduct care info on receipts, based on product.
5. Market to Your Customers.Keep in touch with customers based on their purchase history, interests, club membership, birthday, & more.
6. Customer Loyalty for 2019.From points to vouchers – we offer loyalty flexibility designed to help you bring shoppers back sooner.
7. Receipt Coupons.Offer further discounts when certain products are sold or advertise services when purchasing in specific departments
8. Automated Reordering.reorder on min/max levels or seasonal.
9. Stock Images.images loaded against products can appear at point of sale to assist in the process, and can flow through to your website.

• Special orders.Track special orders and print a label with the customers details and sms them when it comes in

1. Staff Tracking. Track all suspicious transactions, cancelled sales, discounted sales, deleted sales, quantity changes and more.
2. Gift Cards & VIP Cards. Our scanable cards enhance professionalism.
3. Website Integration. We connect with Shopify, Magento & Woo.

• Accounting Integration.We integrate with Xero, MYOB & Reckon.

Our training is one-on-one, in your business. Our help desk support is personal, based out of Melbourne, and personal too – because we know personal service matters in small business retail.

Not all POS software sold in Australia is made is Australia. Plenty are not supported in Australia.

While we are biased on this, Australian designed and supported POS software is best for Australian business needs.

But how can you tell if your software is from Australia? Easy, call the company, call their local office and ask. Better still, if possible, visit their local office and see for yourself.

Small business retailers more than most in business understand the importance of shopping local – for local communities, local employment and local funding of infrastructure.

If this is you, if you pitch shop local in your business, shop local for your own POS software. That positions you better to influence the software and to benefit from the local Aussie connection.

Do your homework. Look at the terminology used in the software, the design aesthetic, the accessibility of support, the tuning of training to your business, the opportunity for face to face in-store training. Do all this research and we think you will soon see the value of shopping local for POS software for your small or independent retail business.

Here Are reasons why Australian designed and supported POS software is better for Australian retail businesses.

1. Local business knowledge is vital.
2. Accessible support is essential.
3. Specialty retail channels are different elsewhere.
4. It is made for you and not a global market.
5. You are close to the company and therefore more able to influence product direction.
6. It is more likely to work with your suppliers.
7. It is good for the country, good for your local community.

In looking for software, we suggest you start with your needs. Be clear and concise. Know what is not negotiable for you and stick to that.

We suggest you don’t get suckered into a free trial as that is how some companies get you, thinking you will become invested and not want to switch. Do your research and make a better decision to start with, a researched decision based on your needs.

Australian POS software has an excellent reputation. You can rely on having terrific options available to you.

We have a full deck of free online training workshops in managing end of financial in retail businesses using our POS software. We are grateful to our customers for their support of our online training workshop program and their feedback for constant improvement.

The Cuteness Overload website we created, connected to our POS software, is the best shop in Australia for Pusheen products.

Pusheen is an adorable licenced character, based on a cat. Pusheen goes everywhere and gets into all sorts of things, for Pusheen lovers to connect with. From eating pizza to eating donuts to studying to playing games. Pusheen is a ton of fun for collectors of all ages.

We love Pusheen here in Australia because we are cat lovers and because we love all things cute. The Cuteness Overload website is about bringing cuteness products to anyone anywhere in Australia from one easy to shop site that serves these needs.

We ship quickly and with safety in mind. This gives our Pusheen collectors peace of mind that the adorable Pusheen products will arrive in a timely manner and in perfect brand new condition.

being connected to our in-store POS software we are able to ensure that stock data is accurate and this gives online shoppers certainty.

On the original Pusheen website, Pusheen the cat is described as being a female domestic shorthair who is grey and tabby.

People love Pusheen. They love that she is a cat. They love her tubbiness. They love her wry look. They love what she does.

Pusheen makes people feel happy and good. She is a real puck mem up for anyone, even people who do not love cats.

We have seen Pusheen loved by guys and girls. Older people and younger people. People in almost any country in the world. Yes, Pusheen is a truly universal collectible character that people are drawn to in all walks of life. In fact, the diverse appeal is part of what makes Pusheen really collectible by anyone in any situation.

Pusheen products help people bring their love of the adorable grey fat cat to life at work, at home, at school on the bus or train, in the car and elsewhere as they go about their lives. This is what people love about the products, they can have the Pusheen cuteness and calmness anywhere and everywhere.

The products started off as plush toys. Now they cover a huge range including mugs, journals, pillows, art pieces, plates, pens, pencils, rulers, stationery, cards, photo frames and much more. Every product has a place and use. Ever6y product brings a calm to the room and that is part of what people love.

Australian toy shops have unique needs when it comes to POS software. Their needs reach beyond what is usual for POS software and into specialty areas, specific to toy shop businesses.

Smart toy retailers and toy shop managers understand the unique needs, needs that most POS software packages do not serve.

Thanks to our work with groups of toy retailers, key market wholesalers and working with switched-on toy shop managers, we have crafted in our specialty toy shop software tools and facilities that serve the unique needs of Australian independent toy shops.

We are not going to list the specialist tools here because that would only give a competitor a development list. Suffice to say our specialisation is deep and evolving. In fact, every update takes us further and further into specialisation for toy retailers.

We are grateful to our toy shops customers for their advice and guidance. Without them our software would not be as specialist as it is.

We build our specialty software by embedding ourselves in businesses and seeing first-hand the needs, watching employee interaction and customer engagement. This embedding is enlightening as it exposes our development experts to the real world and the result is wonderful for the software, fo our customers and for us.

Our Toy Shop Software also offers:

1. Catalogue management – where pricing for catalogue items runs for the duration of the promotion, under your control.
2. Integrated instant approval buy now pay later tools.
3. Easy loading of electronic invoices from your suppliers.
4. Linking to a website for online sales.
5. Easily handling BOGO (buy 1 get 1 free) or other up-sell offers.
6. Linking to Xero to cut bookkeeping and external accounting costs.
7. Rewarding loyal shoppers with points, cash off their next purchase or a mixture – with you having complete control over the rules.
8. Easy to use LayBy.

See the software live. Contact us for an obligation free demonstration: Please call our sales team at 1300 662 957 or email them at sales@towersystems.com.au.

Here at Tower Systems we love working with independent small business retailers like toy retailers. We deliver beautiful software and support this with small business passion.

Tower Systems last week launched a world-first, POS software integrated in-store over the counter buy now pay later, backed by an ASX traded corporation, with the retailer being paid regardless.

While facilities like buy now pay later have been available for some years, this is the first that is POS integrated for this consumer-focussed finance facility.

This solution is seen by small business retailers as a more valuable replacement to LayBy in that goods do not have to be stored in the business and with financial settlement guaranteed and faster.

By integrating within the POS software and not merely at EFTPOS processing, the solution is better for the shopper, the retailer and the finance backer.

Tower Systems has worked direct with the ASX traded financier to bring this to life online and in-store.

Recently, we engaged in a Q&A on our specialist firearms business software, where we explored some of the specialist aspects of the software. We are grateful for the opportunity to share and to learn more about what we can do to help provide even better software to firearms retailers.

Here is some of the Q&A:

What are the most significant benefits of the system?

Accurate selling, tight stock control, reordering based on real data, less dead stock, greater shopper contact efficiency through upselling and overall easier running of the business thanks to your rules and processes encoded through the software time saved by eliminating manual processes such as accounting system data entry and more.

Like any business tool, the benefits you get from using our firearms business software reflect what you put in.

Tower Systems approaches the opportunity as a long-term relationship.

We will do everything possible to help you succeed.

Can I track firearms licence number by customer?

Yes, easily.

Can I track sales by serial number?

Yes, easily.

Can I track sales to a particular customer?

Yes, easily.

Can I market to customers based on their purchase history?

Yes, easily.

Can I sell items by colour, size and style?

Yes, easily.

Can I sell bundled items like a firearm, ammunition and a sight?

Yes, this is easy. You can have a bundled price as well as single prices for each if you wish. Creating bundles is easy as is retreating from bundles back to single items, maintaining the integrity of stock on hand data at all steps along the way.

Can I unbundle items from a pack back to single items?

Yes, easily.

Can I sell items by weight?

Yes, easily. We thought this was an odd question for a firearm business but we have a good answer.

Can I sell gift cards?

Yes, easily.

Can I manage repairs for customers?

Yes, the software has a repairs facility through which you can track repairs, inventory used in repairs, time spent on repairs and outside resources used. It also notifies customers when a repaired item is ready to be collected.

Can I easily handle LayBys in the software?

Yes, you can establish your own rules and have these managed through the software.

Can I share care and maintenance instructions for goods purchased on receipts?

Yes, this is easily setup and changed.

Can I setup different pricing for members of a local club?

Yes.

Can I sell items at a multi-buy price where the per unit price decreases as the number purchased increases?

Yes, this is part of our catalogue offer in the software.

We have engaged in several Q&A sessions with fishing and outdoors retailers on fishing and outdoors shop software for their businesses.  Here is a small part of a recent Q&A that folks here may find interestingL:

Is the software specific to Fishing and Outdoors businesses?

Yes, it has been highly tailored and will continue to be, based on customer feedback.

Can I handle catalogues in the software?

Yes.

Can I handle multi-buy in the software?

Yes. We can track your customers and once they have bought enough, according to your rules, they get the discount or free product you set.

Is there a loyalty facility for people who I will only ever see once – to get them to spend more in that only visit?

Yes. We have an excellent loyalty tool in our loyalty facilities for exactly this type of shopper. It works particularly well with guys. We have businesses getting 25% engagement with it, increasing the value of the one-off shopper visit.

Can I bundle items like into a hamper or pack like rods and reels?

Yes, easily.

Can I unbundle items from a pack back to single items?

Yes, easily.

Can I have my sales and other data flow across to my accounting software?

Yes, we send your purchase & sales information across to Xero, MYOB & Intuit (Quickbooks).  While you can choose, we love Xero and use it extensively ourselves.

Can I link with an e-commerce platform to easily sell online?

Yes, we link with Shopify, Magento & Woo Commerce e-commerce platforms.  You choose.  You also have control over what items you sell online and can easily import pictures of stock items, saving you days / weeks of work.  Stock on hand figures update in minutes, meaning out of stock is handled with certainty. You can’t sell what you don’t have.

Do you develop websites?

Yes we do. This is the best outcome for connecting to our software as the one company is involved and responsible.

I have a website, how easy is it to connect?

It is usually easy. If you want it connected to your Tower software you will need to ensure the right people know what you expect of them and be prepared to pay for this work.

It’s Easter Monday, a public holiday, time to think about ideas for what’s next in retail. We offer as inspiration these two photos of the front and back of a terrific display in a baby shop we saw recently at The Grove in Los Angeles. We hope the photos present ideas for you.

We are grateful for the opportunity to attend the National Retail Federation Conference and Big Show in New York this week.

The benefits for us as members of the NRF are terrific. The networking, technology insights, retailer perspectives and connections – yes, this is a valuable annual event on our early new year calendar. 2017 is set!

More than 30,000 attended this year.

Being part of such a large event has been invaluable for us over the years. It offers three days of immersion, reflection and learning from a market much bigger than that in which we participate and from which we can and do learn so much.

This year, new trends emerged that will help small business retailers get more value from the right technology partner relationship.

It turns out our commitment to promote free one on one POS software training in this early New Year quiet time for small business retailers is loved.

Plenty of retailers are taking up our opportunity and learning more about their Tower Systems POS software.

We are grateful for the opportunities as every training session results in another customer with more knowledge on how to leverage their IT partnership with us for more value.

2017 is off to a cracking start already. We are loving it!

Paperwork is the bane of small business since it is the business owners who most often have to do the paperwork.

Tower Systems helps small business retailers make paperwork a thing of the past.

Our seamless POS software / Xero link frees your time.

It also cuts mistakes.

And helps you see more clearly.

Tower Systems and Xero … helping small business retailers.

The fishing and outdoors shop software from Tower Systems has won plenty of new fans in recent weeks with some terrific sales across the country.

Retailers are purchasing the software to handle:

1. Sale of bait by weight.
2. Manage rod and lure repairs.
3. Manage the sale of packs / bundle / hampers.
4. Sell fishing licences.
5. Include local fishing spot information in receipts.
6. Age check customers for appropriate product.
7. Integrate with websites.
8. Manage supplier electronic invoices.
9. Integrate with Xero.

The Tower Systems Fishing and outdoors shop software does all this and plenty more. Plus, it will evolve further as our user community in this specialty retail channel grows.

Buoyed by excellent sales since the recent trade show, new voices in our community will help us add value to the Tower story in this space.

We are excited and grateful.

We are preparing material for the 2016 Newsagency of the Future series. This workshop will be completely fresh content, focused on the back half of 2016 and beyond. It will take into account trends in product channels in which we operate today, opportunities in new channels and structural changes newsagents can make to leverage the opportunities of change.

Whereas in the past I have used these sessions to get the attention of newsagents about changes coming, this session assumes everyone is aware of change because of what they are experiencing in their businesses. It looks to the future.

We see wonderful opportunities ahead as we disrupt our own businesses, breaking with tradition and not allowing our thinking to be constrained by a shingle of a bygone era.

We will share real data from newsagency businesses achieving double digit growth and explore with those attending how they are achieving this.

There will be opportunity for discussion around specifics as well as big-picture strategies.

Here are the dates organised so far. Click on any city to go to the online booking page for that event.

1. Perth. June 14. 10am.
2. Adelaide. June 15. 10am.
3. Melbourne. June 20. 10am.
4. Sydney. June 21. 10am.
5. Brisbane. June 22. 10am.
6. Hobart. June 23. 10am.

There is no cost.We are funding the venues and catering.

We appreciate some people outside capital cities might like me to do more regional sessions. This is challenging with my work and travel schedule for the Tower Systems and newsXpress businesses.

With the help of the video production team at Tower we will film a version of the session in the studio and make this available to all newsagents. We will do this after Hobart so we can address common questions asked through the sessions.

Tower Systems is pleased to announce new free training opportunities for retailers using our POS software. Come a participate in as many of these free training workshops as you would like.

APRIL

Meeting Name: Understanding the End of Shift Reports.
Date: Wednesday 6th April
Time: 2:00PM
Description: Why is the End of Shift important? How do I check my settings are correct? What do the reports mean? And what parts of the report do I need to use for my accounting.

Meeting Name: Trouble free handling of Cartons and Boxes in your retail business using Tower Systems
Date: Wednesday 13th April
Time: 2:00PM
Description: Handle Cartons and Boxes of stock simply and easily. Especially useful if you sell singles and cartons of stock.

Meeting Name: How to handle non EDI invoices to keep stock accurate.
Date: Wednesday 20th April
Time: 2:00PM
Description: See how easy it is to process invoice’s manually for suppliers that do not send electronic invoices to help keep your stock figures accurate.

Meeting Name: Retailer software settings you will be shocked you have access to.
Date: Wednesday 27th April
Time: 2:00PM
Description: Help desk expert Colin Harris will show you settings you most likely don’t know exist that can help your enjoyment of the software

MAY

Meeting Name: Reports that will change your business
Date: Wednesday 4th May
Time: 2:00PM
Description: Reports in retailer that will help you drive sales and increase profit.

Meeting Name: How to Cut Theft in Your business
Date: Wednesday 11th May
Time: 2:00PM
Description: Protect yourself from the high costs associated with Staff and Customer Theft. Make the most of security features available in Retailer. Owners and Manager only.

Meeting Name: Getting Ready for EOFY
Date: Wednesday 18th May
Time: 2:00PM
Description: Get ready for End of Financial Year now. What you need to do and the reports you need to run.

Meeting Name: Stocktaking for EOFY
Date: Wednesday 25th May
Time: 2:00PM
Description: Doing a stocktake in retailer and what option works best for you.

JUNE

Meeting Name: How to discount easily for Seasonal Sales
Date: Wednesday 1st June
Time: 2:00PM
Description: Quickly and easily setup automatic discounts for seasonal sales using catalogues

Meeting Name: Getting Ready for EOFY
Date: Tuesday 7th June
Time: 2:00PM
Description: Get ready for End of Financial Year now. What you need to do and the reports you need to run.

Meeting Name: Stocktaking for EOFY
Date: Wednesday 8th June
Time: 2:00PM
Description: Doing a stocktake in retailer and what option works best for you.

Meeting Name: Getting Ready for EOFY
Date: Wednesday 15th June
Time: 2:00PM
Description: Get ready for End of Financial Year now. What you need to do and the reports you need to run.

Meeting Name: Stocktaking for EOFY
Date: Thursday 16th June
Time: 2:00PM
Description: Doing a stocktake in retailer and what option works best for you.

Meeting Name: Increase Sales Now! Start using Discount Vouchers.
Date: Tuesday 21st June
Time: 2:00PM
Description: Start using Discount Vouchers to grow your business. A great introduction to this great feature.

Meeting Name: Getting Ready for EOFY
Date: Wednesday 22nd June
Time: 2:00PM
Description: Get ready for End of Financial Year now. What you need to do and the reports you need to run.

Meeting Name: Stocktaking for EOFY
Date: Wednesday 29th June
Time: 2:00PM
Description: Doing a stocktake in retailer and what option works best for you.

Meeting Name: Getting Ready for EOFY
Date: Thursday 30th June
Time: 2:00PM
Description: Get ready for End of Financial Year now. What you need to do and the reports you need to run.

We will add more sessions as any of these fill up.