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The line between “online” and “in-store” is blurred compared to what it was a year or two back.  Customers don’t see two different businesses; they see products and shops. They expect a seamless experience whether they are browsing your website on their phone at midnight or walking through your front doors at 10 AM.

For many local small business retailers, managing this can feel like a logistical nightmare. Trying to juggle a physical shop and a digital storefront using disconnected systems often leads to inventory errors, accidental overselling, and hours of tedious manual data entry.

This is where Tower Systems changes the game. By offering a true unified commerce solution, Tower Systems empowers small business retailers to connect their brick-and-mortar operations with the world’s leading e-commerce platforms seamlessly.

Now, unified commerce is an overworked marketing term. For us, though, it’s real. We here at Tower Systems deliver on unified commerce for small business retailers.

What is “Unified Commerce”

“Unified commerce” is a marketing term used to describe the marriage of different tech solutions. It’s a good term, we like it. It describes the act of bringing your business operations together into a single, easy-to-manage view. It moves past simply having a website (multi-channel) to having a website that actually talks to your shop counter. This is why we use the term; it makes sense for the clarity and peace of mind we offer.

The Power of Connection: Seamless Integrations

The Tower Systems POS software is designed to be the “single source of truth” for your business. It bridges the gap between your physical inventory and your digital storefront through robust integrations with the industry giants:

• Shopify: As a certified Shopify Partner, our specific Retailer to Shopify Link allows for real-time synchronisation of stock levels, product descriptions, images, and pricing. It handles complex data structures easily, such as colour, size, and style variants, and supports “Click and Collect” workflows. This ensures your online customers can only buy what you actually have sitting on the shelf.

• WooCommerce: For retailers who prefer the flexibility of WordPress, our Tower Web Connect platform acts as a powerful intermediary. It syncs products, web prices, and images directly to your WooCommerce store while downloading sales data back into your POS to adjust stock levels instantly.

• BigCommerce & Magento: Whether you are scaling up with BigCommerce or running a complex custom setup on Magento, Tower Systems offers direct links that eliminate the need for double-handling data.

Why This Matters for Your Bottom Line

Transitioning from simple multi-channel retail to Unified Commerce with Tower Systems delivers immediate operational benefits that save you time and protect your reputation.

The most significant benefit is the elimination of overselling. When a unified system manages your inventory, a sale made at the counter immediately deducts stock from your website. You can rest easy knowing you will never have to make that awkward phone call to an online customer explaining that the item they just purchased is actually out of stock.

Furthermore, you reclaim hours of your week previously lost to admin. There is no need to upload CSV files or manually update prices online. You change a price or add a product in your POS, and it updates online automatically.

Ready to Unify Your Business?

Tower Systems provides the infrastructure you need to succeed in a unified commerce world, backed by local support for Australian retailers.

Discover more about our seamless integrations at www.towersystems.com.au.

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The right POS system for any retail business depends on the specific needs of the retail business. Tower offers specialty retail business software made for local small business retailers. To see if we might help you…, request a free, no-obligation demo today. 

Call 1300 662 957 in Australia or 0800 444 367 in New Zealand. Or, email sales@towersystems.com.au. 

The work we have undertaken with retailers and suppliers regarding the automated fulfilment of inventory using our POS software has consistently demonstrated its ability to save both time and money. Automated inventory fulfilment increases retail sales, creating a mutually beneficial scenario for the connected local retailer and their partner supplier.

At the foundation of this relationship is capable POS software – like we offer here at Tower Systems. This is a functionality we have developed over many years, and it continues to be enhanced as new needs emerge within this context.

Auto inventory fulfilment is straightforward. Sales data flows from the local retail business to the partner supplier. Once inventory in the store reaches a specific trigger point, the supplier initiates fulfilment based on agreed rules and processes.

This approach is particularly effective when a supplier provides a wide range of products. It allows the ordering needs for various items to be grouped together, resulting in a more efficient delivery process.

Transparency and privacy are both maintained. The retailer can view the sales data in their POS software, just as the supplier can within their IT systems. Crucially, no data is shared regarding products related to any other supplier.

Auto inventory fulfilment allows businesses to leverage just in time opportunities. This reduces the inventory investment required by the local small business retailer while saving physical space and administration time. Furthermore, it assists the supplier with supply management and manufacturing planning if they produce what they sell.

The key drivers here are the efficiency of space, capital and labour. With POS software at the heart of the process, everyone involved benefits.

Auto inventory fulfilment facilitated through POS software brings an innovation to local small business retailers that major retailers have utilised for many years.

Tower Systems is grateful to offer specialised retail POS software tailored for this level of connectivity. We support a diverse range of sectors including garden centres, sewing shops, music shops, pool maintenance and supply businesses, produce businesses, fishing bait and tackle businesses, firearms dealers, newsagents, pet shops, adult shops, bookshops, jewellers and toy shops.

Our customers are local family run businesses across Australia and New Zealand.

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The right POS system for any retail business depends on the specific needs of the retail business. Tower offers specialty retail business software made for local small business retailers. To see if we might help you…, request a free, no-obligation demo today. 

Call 1300 662 957 in Australia or 0800 444 367 in New Zealand. Or, email sales@towersystems.com.au. 

In retail, a guaranteed sale is the best kind of sale. Whether it’s a monthly subscription box, a service fee, or a repeat consumables order, recurring revenue provides stability for your business.

Managing repeat orders manually can be a headache. Chasing payments, remembering to generate invoices – it takes time.

That is why we are excited to highlight the Recurring Invoices facility in our Tower Systems POS software. We built this working with customers who already offered recurring billing services in their businesses. It’s been made for small business retail, specialty retail.

This module allows you to “set and forget” regular transactions, turning your Point of Sale into an automated revenue generator.

What can you use Recurring Billing for?

Here are a few ways our customers can use our recurring billing facilities:

• Subscription boxes: Run a monthly curated hamper or beauty box? Automate the billing.

• Pet supplies: Offer a “subscribe and save” service for heavy bags of pet food to ensure your customers never run out (and never shop elsewhere). We know from our work with pet stores that shopper purchasing is predictable.

• Services: Bill automatically for pool cleaning, garden maintenance, or software subscriptions – thinks that are done, services that you provide, on a regular or cyclical basis.

• Storage fees: Perfect for businesses that store items for customers, such as firearms storage or tool storage.

Key Features that Save time

1. Flexible schedules. You are in control of the frequency. You can set invoices to trigger Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, or Yearly. You can set them to run indefinitely (“Ongoing”) or set a specific End Date for fixed-term contracts.

2. Smart pricing options. This is one of the smartest features of the module. When setting up an invoice, you can choose between two pricing methods:

• Set price: Great for fixed service fees (e.g., $50/month).

• Retail price: If you are selling a product (like dog food) and the retail price goes up in your system, the Recurring Invoice will automatically update to the new price for the next billing cycle. You don’t have to manually edit dozens of customer accounts when prices change.

3. Automated communication. With the correct settings (Retailer 3.4.3+), you don’t even need to print and mail the receipt. The system can be configured to email the invoice automatically to the customer the moment the charge is processed.

4. Inventory awareness Worried about selling stock you don’t have? You can toggle settings to check your “Quantity on Hand.” You can choose to process the invoice regardless of stock levels, or have the system halt the invoice and notify you if the item is out of stock.

How it works

Once activated, the system works in the background. Within 30 minutes of your chosen “Invoice Generation Time,” Retailer checks for due accounts and processes them.

If your shop is closed or the computer is off on the due date, don’t worry. The system is smart enough to retroactively generate the invoice the next time you turn the computer on, ensuring you never miss a payment.

Getting started

Setting this up is easy. The Recurring Invoices module is likely already waiting for you in your software.

1. Go to Customers -> Recurring Invoices.

2. Click New Recurring Invoice.

3. Select your customer, set the schedule, scan your items, and click Save.

Note: For Newsagencies handling newspapers and magazines, we recommend using the specific “Customer Orders” facility rather than Recurring Invoices.

The recurring revenue facilities in our POS software came out of a request from customers. We developed the facilities after thorough consultation and are grateful to customers for engaging with testing, to ensure that what we delivered was a real and useful solution. That’s how we evolve our software – working closely with our customers.

We are grateful to all who contributed to our recurring billing solution.

If you’re a Tower Systems customer and want to start building a subscription model for your business, check the Help menu in your software for “Recurring Invoices” to ensure the module is ticked in your registration, or contact Tower Support for assistance in getting started!

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The right POS system for any retail business depends on the specific needs of the retail business. Tower offers specialty retail business software made for local small business retailers. To see if we might help you…, request a free, no-obligation demo today. 

Call 1300 662 957 in Australia or 0800 444 367 in New Zealand. Or, email sales@towersystems.com.au. 

Running a local Asian or international supermarket comes with a unique set of challenges that standard retail software often misses. From handling loose spices and bulk rice sacks to managing imported goods and community-based pricing, the needs of your store are specific.

In a recent chat with Paul, one of Tower Systems’ expert software installers, we dove deep into how their Aussie-made POS software is specifically designed to support the workflow of independent Asian grocers in Australia and New Zealand.

Paul is one of our experts. he’s installed the software in this type of businesses, configured it with them, and helped them to make the most of the opportunity.

Here is a breakdown of the game-changing features that can help streamline your business.

1. Seamless scale integration (NMI Authorized)

One of the biggest pain points in Asian grocery is managing loose stock like herbs, spices, and fresh produce.

• Tower Systems software integrates directly with your scales. You simply place the item on the scale, press the product button on the POS screen, and the weight and price automatically transfer to the sale.

• It’s faster, reduces manual entry errors, and is fully NMI (National Measurement Institute) authorized, ensuring you meet government trade standards.

2. Visual Touchscreen Buttons

Speed at the counter is critical. Paul highlighted how the software allows for highly visual, customizable buttons.

• Instead of reading through text lists, your staff can use photo-based buttons. For example, a “Spice” button can open a sub-menu of images showing turmeric, cumin, or chilli powder.

• This is incredibly helpful for new staff or employees where English might be a second language, making the system intuitive and easy to learn.

3. Handling Bulk Breakdowns (“Manufactured Goods”)

Many Asian supermarkets buy in bulk—think 20kg bags of flour or rice—and repackage them into 1kg or 2kg bags for retail.

• The “Manufactured Goods” feature tracks this inventory shift. When you break down a big sack, the software automatically adjusts your stock levels, knowing that one large item has become twenty small ones.

4. Smart Currency & Import Management

Dealing with imported goods often means juggling exchange rates.

• When stock arrives, you can input the cost in the foreign currency (e.g., buying in USD or RMB), and the system helps convert it to your current local selling price, ensuring your margins stay accurate.

• You can even set up automatic prompts (for staff) or receipt notes (for customers) regarding storage instructions for specific imported items.

5. Community & Loyalty Features

Community is the heart of local grocers. The software allows you to set up:

• Easily apply discounts for local community groups, restaurants, or loyal VIPs automatically when their name is attached to the sale.

• During festivals like Lunar New Year or Diwali, you can bundle items into hampers. The system tracks the individual stock items within the hamper, so your inventory is always right.

6. Flexibility for the Real World

Paul mentioned several “quality of life” features that make a big difference during a busy rush:

• Suspend Sales: If a customer forgets an item, you can pause their transaction, serve the next person, and retrieve the original sale instantly without re-scanning.

• Fractional Quantities: Easily sell items by 0.5kg or other fractions without complex math.

• Training: Tower Systems offers “snackable” training videos and a chatbot that can support staff in multiple languages, bridging the communication gap.

Tower Systems isn’t chasing the big chains. They are focused on helping independent local retailers—businesses with 1 to 5 stores—compete and grow. If you are running an Asian supermarket and need a system that actually understands how you trade, this Aussie-made solution is worth a look.

Now, you can find out more from this video at our YouTube channel:

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The right POS system for any retail business depends on the specific needs of the retail business. Tower offers specialty retail business software made for local small business retailers. To see if we might help you…, request a free, no-obligation demo today. 

Call 1300 662 957 in Australia or 0800 444 367 in New Zealand. Or, email sales@towersystems.com.au. 

If you sell products prices by weight, our Tower Systems POS software makes it easy for you to process sales and track inventory accurately.

From deli items to fresh meat to nuts and bolts to herbs and spices to lottery tickets there are many situations where products need their own price or weight.

Our Tower Systems Retailer POS software has supported price embedded barcodes for years and now we have expanded this with support for weight embedded barcodes. Together they give retailers a complete flexible way to sell variable items quickly and accurately.

This latest enhancement is a terrific win for local small business retailers keen to more accurately manage and track sales.

Why price embedded barcodes matter in everyday retail

Price embedded barcodes help you ensure a fast, smooth and accurate sales process. They are used widely in deli departments where items are weighed and labelled at the counter. They are also used by lottery companies for tickets where each ticket carries its own individual price based on what the customer has purchased.

In these price embedded barcode situations, the barcode includes the price of that item. When scanned at the counter our Retailer POS software identifies the correct product code and applies the exact price from the barcode. There is no manual entry and no chance of mistake.  It keeps queues short and transactions clean. This long-standing capability continues to help retailers sell packaged variable price items with clarity and speed.

Weight embedded barcodes the new capability for true variable weight goods

Some retailers work with products that vary in weight but are sold using a retail price (per weight unit) set by the store. Wholesale meat is a perfect example. Spices are another example. A supplier may deliver trays of steaks or bulk packs of spices where each product  has a different weight but the store still wants to apply its own per kilogram retail price. Produce packed by growers works the same way.

Weight embedded barcodes solve this smoothly. The barcode includes the item code and the weight of the specific unit. Our Tower Systems Retailer POS software reads the weight then multiplies it by the unit price in your stock file. You control the retail price per kilogram and Retailer handles the maths at the counter. This gives retailers the accuracy of scale based selling with the flexibility to set pricing that suits their business.

Weight embedded barcodes and price embedded barcodes help local small business retailers accurately manage what they sell and they enhance the shopper experience. This is smart technology developed for small business retailers, helping them compete efficiently.

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The right POS system for any retail business depends on the specific needs of the retail business. Tower offers specialty retail business software made for local small business retailers. To see if we might help you…, request a free, no-obligation demo today. 

Call 1300 662 957 in Australia or 0800 444 367 in New Zealand. Or, email sales@towersystems.com.au. 

Payments are a hot topic for retailers, especially local small business owners and especially right now as the Reserve Bank of Australia is considering its position on surcharges. With margins under pressure and transaction volumes high, the difference between a good payments deal and a bad one can add up to thousands of dollars a year.

Recently, there has been a lot of noise in the industry about “unified payments”, POS software that comes with a built-in, mandatory payments platform. Some market this as a groundbreaking new feature. We think this noise abut unified payments is nonsense.

The reality? Integrated payments have been around for years. It isn’t new; it is a necessity.

However, the trend of software companies forcing retailers to use a specific payment processor, and taking a cut of every transaction, is something we view differently.

Do you want your software company profiting from every transaction in your retail business? What have they done to win you that transaction, to bring a new shopper to your shop, to get someone to buy more? This is your business. You should profit from your innovation, your work.

We don’t “tax” your success.

At Tower Systems, we believe that a POS software company should generate revenue from the software itself, not from transaction fees. That approach keeps us focussed on o0ur product: our software and the customer service supporting its profitable use.

We believe that a software company charging a percentage of your turnover is like a tax imposed by the software company, a revenue grab for a tech business that did not do the hard work of winning the shopper. Your business growth and success should be yours to enjoy.

That is why Tower Systems does not require retailers using our software to deal with any specific bank or EFTPOS payments processor. We do not lock you in. You choose what’s right for you.

The benefits of choice

Because we provide an open ecosystem, our customers can freely choose the bank or provider that best suits their financial and operational needs.

Whether you prefer CBA, NAB, Westpac, ANZ, Suncorp, or a specialist provider like Tyro, our software integrates seamlessly. This flexibility allows you to shop around. We have retailers today paying as little as 0.7% for payments because they had the freedom to negotiate the deal that was right for them.

The advantages of integration

Regardless of which bank you choose, the Tower Systems integrated EFTPOS solution offers immediate operational benefits:

• Fast checkout: Manual data entry is eliminated, streamlining transactions and reducing queues.

• Reduced errors: No manual keying means fewer human errors (like typing $10.00 instead of $100.00).

• Easy surcharging: You can easily and accurately pass on EFTPOS costs to customers if you choose to.

• Enhanced security: Data transfers directly between the POS and the terminal, reducing the risk of data breaches.

• Better hygiene: Customers tap, swipe, or insert their own cards, minimising physical contact between staff and shoppers.

Our partnership with Tyro

While we offer choice across all major banks, we are particularly proud of our long-standing integration with Tyro.

Tower Systems was an early adopter of Tyro integration, and today we have hundreds of small business customers using this specific solution. It is a single-touch POS/EFTPOS solution that is PCI DSS Level 1 compliant (safe and secure) and incredibly reliable.

We think the Tower Systems and Tyro combination is one of the best solutions for Australian specialty retailers, from garden centres and jewellers to bike shops and newsagents. However, if it isn’t the right financial fit for you, we will say so.

All that said – you choose the payments platform that works best for your business.

Supporting local business

We are an Aussie based POS software company serving thousands of local retail businesses across Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific.

Our direction is not controlled by a “revenue grab” business model. Our focus is on small businesses. We believe you should have a voice, and importantly, you should have a choice.

Get in touch

If you are looking for POS software that gives you the freedom to choose your own banking partner, we would love to chat.

Visit our website or contact us directly on 1300 662 957 or sales@towersystems.com.au to request a demo. If you’re in NZ, please call 0800 444 367.

Before you go, let’s loop back on payments and that some software companies require you to use their platform for customer payments. This sees them making something from every transaction you process. Every days there is a portion of the sale, your sale, that they take. They may say it’s part of the cost of the software. The thing is, for them, a $10,000 sale costs as much to process as a $1.00 sale, yet they take a %. That’s a serious business cost to consider. Do that, consider it.

Make the choice that’s right for you and your retail business.

In the rapidly changing space of retail especially local small business retail, finding reliable, transparent, practical advice can be a challenge. Business owners often find themselves juggling inventory management, staff training, eCommerce integration, and marketing, all while trying to serve customers on the sales floor.

Too many businesses gate keep knowledge, making it hard to access.

At Tower Systems, we believe that providing excellent Point of Sale software is just the beginning of our relationship with our customers. We are committed to helping local retailers thrive.

We don’t gate keep. We openly share information, advice and details of what we offer for anyone to access,m read and see without providing us any details. You can access all this without every telling us who you are and with the surety that we are not watching you.

To show this commitment, we have curated a comprehensive library of video resources on the Tower Systems YouTube Channel.

More Than Just Software Tutorials

While our channel certainly contains detailed training for our POS software, it has evolved into a broader educational hub for small business owners. We cover the technical aspects of running a business, but we also dive deep into the strategy behind it.

By subscribing to our channel, you gain free access to:

• Deep-Dive Masterclasses: Detailed sessions on integrating your POS with Shopify, Xero, and other critical platforms.

• Operational Advice: Practical tips on stock management, theft prevention, and handling repairs or special orders.

• Marketing Strategies: Proven, low-cost marketing ideas that drive foot traffic and increase average transaction values.

• Real-World Case Studies: Interviews and discussions on what is working right now in the Australian and New Zealand retail landscape.

Advice Backed by Real Retail Experience

What makes the Tower Systems approach unique is that for years we were retailers ourselves. Our founder (the business was sold last year and she’s still with the business) owns and operates physical shops in a variety of niches.

When we share advice on our YouTube channel, it isn’t theoretical. It is based on strategies we have tested in our own businesses over the years. We understand the challenges of “app overload,” the nuances of roster management, and the necessity of efficient workflows because we live them every day.

Who Should Watch?

Our content is tailored for a diverse range of specialty retailers, including: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, and Newsagents.

Visit the Channel

We invite you to explore our video library and subscribe to stay updated with our latest releases. Whether you are looking to solve a specific technical problem or seeking inspiration for your next business move,there is likely a video there for you.

Click here to visit the Tower Systems YouTube Channel

About Tower Systems We help retailers run better businesses with specialised POS software that integrates seamlessly with major eCommerce platforms like Shopify.

Find out more at www.towersystems.com.au Call 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au

Thanks to support from specialty retailers, including cleaning supply retailers using our POS software, we have software that we think may serve your specific type of business.

Our POS software empowers cleaning supply businesses to handle:

• AI supplier import. Easily import just about any supplier invoice.
• AI product descriptions. Write descriptions for products that facilitate easier finding by shoppers searching online.
• AI supporting you not selling out. Automate product reordering.
• Product Use Information: Offer information on safe use of cleaning products.
• Serial Number Tracking: Track individual items from arrival through sale.
• Quote and Invoice Management: Easily manage orders.
• Picking Slip Generation: Streamline picking and packing.
• Multiple Shipping Locations: Manage customers with several addresses.
• Special Order Handling: Track and manage these.
• Product Storage Information: Maintain safe storage.
• Bundling Products: Create bundles, encourage extra purchases.
• Age Verification: Age checks for products with specific restrictions.
• Customer Billing: Handle both product sales and service billing.
• Customer Communication: Connect with via email or text message.
• Integrate with: Xero, Shopify and more to save time and cut mistakes.

A typical cleaning supplies business will choose our $246.00 a month (inc. GST) Advanced software level. For details of what’s in the advanced level go to: www.towersystems.com.au/pricing. You can see from this that’re we’re a transparent company.

There is no lock in contract, no minimum software rental period. Also, you can use whatever payments platform you want. We do integrate with all major banks and platforms. We don’t take a % of your transactions.

This $246.00 a month includes access to the software, access to our awesome Australian and New Zealand based help desk, access to a smart 24/7 accessible ChatBot trained in our software, access to 130+ up-to-date training videos and access to a 700+ article knowledge base (our manual).

Right now, we also offer free onboarding (training and data conversion).

One facility our customers really love is loyalty. You can tune this to produce / farm supply business needs, to encourage your shoppers to return sooner.

Best of all, we’re local, based in Hawthorn Victoria. All our support is provided local with everyone here in Australia except for one chap who loves living in New Zealand.

Our sales team is based in Australia. Call 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au. Tim or Justin would love to understand more about your needs. If during this conversation we feel we’re not right for you, we will say so.

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The right POS system for any retail business depends on the specific needs of the retail business. Tower offers specialty retail business software made for local small business retailers. To see if we might help you…, request a free, no-obligation demo today. 

Call 1300 662 957 in Australia or 0800 444 367 in New Zealand. Or, email sales@towersystems.com.au. 

When people think of “self-checkout,” they often picture the major supermarket chains. Unfortunately, the approach taken by the “big two” in Australia has given the technology a bit of a bad name—often associated with intrusive cameras, a lack of trust, and a reduction in shop floor staff.

Here at Tower Systems, we see it differently. We believe self-checkout can be a powerful tool for service and flexibility, specifically designed for the unique needs of local independent small business retailers.

We’re a POS software company focussed on local small retail businesses, specialty retail businesses, businesses where the use of self checkout may be different to what you’ve seen in supermarkets.

We initially developed our self-checkout module in response to specific customer feedback. We work with many large-format small businesses, such as Garden Centres and Farm Supply businesses. In these environments, the main trade counter can be a long walk from where customers are loading heavy goods into their cars or vans. That’s what we mean by large-format.

We realised that a small-format self-checkout kiosk located near the exit or loading zone could save staff from running back and forth and offer customers a faster exit.

However, once the software was developed, we trialled it in a standard suburban gift shop, a setting we hadn’t originally considered a prime candidate for self-checkout. It worked a treat. Customers started using it. They did this if the counter was busy, for a bit of fun or because they didn’t want to show what they were buying. And, as people started using it of their own accord, we learned how they used it and adjusted the software as a result. This live and in-store experience helped us further evolve our self checkout POS software solution.

Our self-checkout solution is not about replacing staff; it is about smoothing out the peaks in shopper traffic, giving customers a choice when they want it, helping with high traffic seasons like Christmas.

We know many retailers experience intense rushes for brief periods. During these times, a self-checkout terminal acts as an “express lane,” allowing customers with just a few items to scan, tap their card, and go. This reduces queue frustration and frees up your team to help customers who need genuine advice or assistance.

Key benefits include:

• Increased Efficiency: Reduces wait times during peak trading hours.

• Better Staff Utilisation: instead of being stuck behind a counter scanning barcodes, staff can be on the floor adding value through customer service.

• Space Efficient: We use small-footprint hardware that is easy to install, even in shops where counter space is at a premium.

• Full Integration: It is the same powerful Tower Systems POS software, just in a different mode. It handles loyalty points, receipts, and coupons seamlessly.

In offering this self-checkout POS software solution, we have leant into the evolving needs of retail. Whether you need a payment point at a distant nursery exit or a queue-buster next to your main counter, this is a practical, efficient tool designed specifically for the independent retailer.

If self checkout might be for you, let’s talk. We’d love to understand more about your needs and take you through the self checkout tools that we offer.

Final note: don’t think about this as a supermarket self checkout solution. They are built for volume in supermarkets. What we have built is quit different.

Tower Systems Serving local independent retailers. www.towersystems.com.au. Call us on 1300 662 957 or 0800 444 367 (NZ) or email sales@towersystems.com.au.

For many independent retailers, bundling products is a smart strategy to increase average transaction value and to differentiate the business to others. Whether it is a Christmas hamper, a “starter pack” for a hobbyist, or a bulk-buy special, selling groups of items together is great for business.

We see hampers in fishing and outdoors shops, garden centres, bike shops, jewellers, gift shops, homewares shops, toy shops and others in the local specialty retail space.

A logistical challenge has always been inventory management. How do you track the stock of the individual items inside the bundle without creating a mess of your data?

Here at Tower Systems, our POS software offers a specific facility designed to solve this problem: Kits.

What is a Kit? A Kit in the Tower Systems Retailer software allows you to add multiple items to a sale by scanning a single barcode. Think of a Kit as a “virtual container” or a parent item.

When you scan that one Kit barcode at the counter, the system automatically expands it, listing every individual component on the receipt.

Crucially, the Kit item itself does not hold a quantity on hand. Instead, stock levels and pricing are always managed at the component level. This means if you sell a “Gardener’s Starter Kit,” the system immediately deducts one pair of gloves, one trowel, and one packet of seeds from your inventory.

The difference between kits and manufactured goods We often get asked how Kits differ from Manufactured Goods. Manufactured Goods is another way we handle some bundling – it’s been in our software longer. While they share similarities, they serve different purposes:

• Manufactured Goods are for items you build and stock on the shelf (like a computer you assemble or a sandwich you make). Creating the good consumes the components at that moment.

• Kits are flexible containers. The consumption of the stock happens at the moment of sale. Pretty cool huh?!

Why retailers value the kits facility The Kits module offers flexibility that standard bundling often lacks.

1. Flexibility at the POS: Real-world retail is rarely rigid. A customer might want the Gift Pack but asks to swap the blue coffee mug for a red one. With Kits, you can allow alterations. This lets you swap or upgrade components right at the point of sale, ensuring the correct item is deducted from stock and the price is adjusted if necessary.

2. Granular reporting: Because a Kit breaks down into its components during the sale, your sales reports reflect the reality of what left the store. You retain full visibility over the individual items sold, which makes reordering much easier.

3. Pricing control: You have the choice to sell the components at their standard retail price, or set a special “Set Price” for the Kit (e.g., buying the bundle saves the customer $5).

Seamless eCommerce integration For our customers selling online, Kits are a powerful tool. Kit items can sync directly to Shopify as a “Bundle” (provided you are using our new Shopify GraphQL connection).

When set up correctly, the available quantity of the Kit on your website is calculated based on the availability of the components. If you run out of the specific components that make up the kit, the website automatically knows the Kit is out of stock.

How to access kits The Kits feature is available to Retailer users on the Advanced or Ultimate rental levels.

To check if you have access, go to Help -> Register in your software and look for the Kits tick-box. If you are on a standard plan and would like to unlock this feature to handle your bundles and packages more professionally, please reach out to us.

Need help setting this up? Setting up a Kit involves selecting a parent item and assigning components via the Stock Screen. You can set rules for whether staff are allowed to alter the kit at the counter, giving you control over your margins.

If you would like a hand configuring your first Kit, please contact our support team.

Tower Systems Serving local independent retailers. www.towersystems.com.au

.We’d love to see if we offer POS software useful to your retail business: 1 300 662 957 or 0800 444 367 (NZ). Or, email sales@towersystems.com.au.

If you are looking for an alternative to Epos Now POS software, Tower Systems is well worth considering and here’s why. But first, yes, we are Tower Systems. We are biased, of course. We have switched retailers from Epos Now. We have experience. We’re not the best alternative to Epos Now POS software, and if we are not in your situation we will say so. Thankfully, though, we have been a good alternative plenty of times.

So, after all that if you are looking for an alternative to Epos Now, Tower Systems is well worth considering and here’s why.

Awesome software. Deep and solid functionality for specialty retail. facilities included for who extra cost. Money making facilities. Pathways to you making more money. Backed by customer service from us that helps you understand and leverage the money making tools.

Humans. Call us, and we answer. Our help desk is local people with retail experience and terrific knowledge of our software. It’s not a call centre. Not offshore. Not driven by rigid scripts. Call us and see, and hear, for yourself. In sales, support and management, we are here, available, contactable.

Locally made and supported POS software for local business. Retail in Australia and New Zealand has unique aspects. Software made locally serving local needs may well be a better solution than something made overseas, thousands of kilometres and culturally removed from local.

Knowledgable help desk. We are grateful here at Tower Systems to offer access to wonderful and skilled help desk people. They have retail experience and they know our software well. They are not reading a manual to answer your questions. They know.

No lock in contract. We back our software and our customer service by NOT locking you into a long term contract. We trust what we offer and we trust the choices we make as to customers we bring on. Think about it. A lock in contract can be expensive if the software turns out to not be right for you. You can cancel software rental at 30 days notice.

No surprise charges. Our software rental price is our software rental price. There are no surprise extra costs. Things like your Xero integration, Shopify integration, awesome loyalty tools and more are all included in the software.

No extra charge per terminal. Have as many computers as you want in one location for one price.

No lock-in EFTPOS requirement. Use the payments platform that works best for your business. We integrate with all the banks and a bunch of other payment platforms.  You choose the payments gateway that works best for you.

No cost per transaction. You keep 100% of what you take in a sale. We don’t want any percentage off that.

We’re not saying all these points relate to Epos Now. We mention them though so you do consider them when selecting POS software.

If you are an Epos Now customer looking for an alternative, we’d love to explore with you whether Tower Systems could be that alternative. If you’re comparing Epos Now with other POS software, consider Tower Systems.

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The right POS system for any retail business depends on the specific needs of the retail business. Tower offers specialty retail business software made for local small business retailers. To see if we might help you…, request a free, no-obligation demo today. 

Call 1300 662 957 in Australia or 0800 444 367 in New Zealand. Or, email sales@towersystems.com.au.