The POS Software Blog

The POS Software Blog

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

Latest stories

Easy LayBy for online retailers using Tower Systems POS software

May 17, 2017
1 Min read
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LayBy for websites is easy thanks to the Tower Systems web development team and their expert integrations with Oxipay for Shopify, WooCommerce and Magento.

POS software linked websites with the Oxipay facilities enable retail stores to transact online easily and quickly,l offering shoppers interest free payment terms.

Tower Systems is a leader in the Oxipay integrations, delivering fast and seamless solutions between physical and online store experiences.

Check out this from the Oxpipay website:

Buying the things you love has never been easier.

With Oxipay find the items you want instore or online and pay for them in 4 easy payments with no fees and no interest.

Oxipay makes it simple to shop with 100’s of your favourite online stores. Just checkout, select Oxipay and have the items you want today.

Breathe easy with Oxipay.

Add this to the wonderful Tower Systems POS software and bring it online through Shopify, Magento or WooCommerce and you have a best practice solution shoppers and retailers love.

We are thrilled to be playing at the edge of technology development for our retail partners.

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Providing POS software support via Facebook

May 16, 2017
1 Min read
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Our POS software customers are loving the access to our help desk through our private Facebook user forum. They love the easy access, transparency and easy search of past discussions.

We introduced the Facebook support service as another channel through which our customers can engage with our support services. We are grateful for the active embrace by our customers.

On the Facebook page we are happy to answer anything. Where a query needs specific site research we take the matter offline and connect direct with the customer in their business to do this.

We also use the Facebook page to share information, advice and knowledge base article access to keep customers informed abut enhancements to the software and the support resources available to them.

Access to the private Tower Systems user forum on Facebook is available to any of our customers.

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Helping small business retailers deal with the global ransomware attack

May 14, 2017
1 Min read
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We have shared practical advice with our small business POS software customers this weekend to help them protect their businesses from the global ransomware attack that started two days ago.

Our advice is comprehensive and consistent with international best-practice. Our messaging is being repeated to ensure maximum reach in our big user community.

WARNING RE GLOBAL CYBER ATTACK.
The global cyber attack story has been dominating news services over the last 24 hours. The best way to ensure you are not hit is to follow our computer use advice. The fastest way to recover is if you use our Tower Systems cloud backup service. Be careful. Be proactive. Make sure everyone who uses your computers are aware.

We share the advice by email and are supporting it with personal advice through our help desk and business management teams.

Any internet computer is vulnerable. Here at Tower Systems we have been on the front foot with advice for our small business retail customers on steps to take to reduce the opportunity of attack and harm to the business.

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Pet store software for independent small business pet retailers

May 13, 2017
3 Min read
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Independent pet store retailers are loving our pet store software for the valuable ways in which it helps them pitch their businesses against big competitors.

Here are some of the salts the Tower Systems pet store software helps retailers better serve their customers and thereby make a better pitch against the big chains.

  1. Celebrate pet birthdays.
  2. Record pet microchip details.
  3. Offer loyalty rewards based on regular pet food shopping.
  4. Offer immediate reward for infrequent or first time shoppers.
  5. Easily make appointments for grooming and other services.
  6. Handle subscriptions for pet food regular purchases.
  7. Share local pet walk and play area details on receipts.
  8. Provide local pet club members member discounts and help raise funds for local pet clubs.
  9. Share care information on unique and rare pets – share your knowledge and thereby demonstrate the professional care of your business.
  10. Connect with suppliers for electronic invoices to save time and cut mistakes in managing inventory in the shop.
  11. Connect to your website, enabling easy online sales.

These are just some of the ways the pet sore software from tower Systems helps pet retailers to better connect with local pet lovers and customers.

The Tower Systems software is only sold to indie pet retailers, making it a true small business focussed solution, valuable for independent and small pet retail businesses.

Tower Systems is an Australian software company that develops, sells and supports software for selected specialty marketplaces including pet and produce businesses.

We only serve independent retail businesses.

Our mission is to help retailers run more successful businesses. Our definition of success is a business that is making money, where the owners and employees enjoy what they do and where suppliers enjoy transacting.

Good software can play an important role in nurturing business success as it sits at the heart of the business: transacting sales, managing stock, tracking customer activity and shining a light on business opportunities.

What makes us different is how we engage. We go beyond what is traditional software company.

  1. We welcome working with your suppliers to create data links that save you and them time, data links that improve data accuracy, data links that feed more accurate business reports.
  2. We provide business insights based on data cultivated through the software – to business owners who ask. This is a free service.
  3. Our help desk provides context for advice. Rather than the turn it off and turn it on advice, our help desk team members explain the why, why from a business perspective the advice they are providing matters.
  4. Our software updates contain enhancements suggested and voted on by customers. You can have a direct say in the evolution of the software.
  5. Our communication is in plain English. While we are a company of IT geeks, when talking with customers we keep it simple. We know technology scares people. We don’t want it to scare our customers.
  6. We are accessible. You get to talk with real people all the time, including our leadership team.
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First POS software stocktake training of the season fully booked

May 12, 2017
1 Min read
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Our first stocktake training for the 2017 season has been booked out. This live and interactive training session will be repeated many times between now and the end of the financial year.

We are thrilled with the support from our small business retail customers who are keen to learn how to get more value from their Tower Systems POS software.

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Faster, easier POS software knowledge base access

May 12, 2017
1 Min read
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Small business retailers are benefiting form the faster and easier access to our POS software knowledge base.

Leveraging dynamic searching techniques and offering natural loan gauge searching the knowledge base offers non-tech retailers easy access to support.

The Tower Systems knowledge base is like a living online manual, expanding regularly, accessible from anywhere including mobile devices.

The latest enhancements are live now and being enjoyed by the 3,500+ Tower Systems customers. They are making a difference based on the feedback we are receiving. This is thrilling as helping retailers enjoy their software the benefits that flow from it is an important part of what we live for here at Tower.

A feature of the knowledge base is the feedback people can leave for each article. This is transparent to all customers, benefiting the wider community.

We are grateful to our customers for their help in evolving the knowledge base resources.

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Beautiful appointment software for anyone who makes appointments

May 11, 2017
2 Min read
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Available as stand-alone as well as integrated with the Tower POS software, the new cloud-based appointment facility enables people to make an appointment with a business from anywhere and at any time.

Developed by Tower Systems in Australia for pet groomers, bike repair businesses, jewellers and other specialty retail and service businesses, the appointments facility is easy to use, low cost and immensely valuable.

Available as a stand alone service or integrated with the Tower POS software, the new appointment software offers retailers the best of both worlds.

The software can also be easily integrated into existing websites for easy direct online appointment access.

Located at www.makemyappointment.com.au  this new facility offers a full suite of appointment facilities including:

  1. Easy appointment making as well as changes – from any device, anywhere.
  2. Text message and/or email notification for customers.
  3. Send reminders of appointments how and when you want.
  4. Schedule staff, rooms and equipment based on the type of appointment being made and staff and resource availability. This helps improve resource management.
  5. Australian developed and supported.
  6. Data located on a secure server in a purpose built data warehouse facility.
  7. Low monthly access cost. Paid 30 days in advance. Easily cancellable.
  8. Tower Systems POS software integrated to make processing payments easy.
  9. Business management back end to see the schedule of appointments by staff member and overall and to efficiently manage resources.

Developed initially for pet groomers, this new appointment facility has been designed to serve a variety of needs including managing appointments for product repairs, professional services and other businesses.

Each business has its own public-facing landing page that can be found through search engines. There is also a website plug-in to enable appointments to be seamlessly made form your website.

Priced at $2 a day, the Tower Systems appointment facility is low cost.

For more information please contact Tower Systems direct.

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Newsagents switching software – loving the low fixed cost of ownership

May 9, 2017
3 Min read
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As the newsagency channel undergoes extraordinary change in 2017, Tower Systems remains a constant support through its best-practice newsagency management software, newsagent support and newsagent marketing help.

With more than 1,800 newsagent customers, Tower Systems serves more newsagents than all other software companies combined.

Switching is not expensive. If you have current hardware, the cost can be as low as $2,200 a year for three years after which there is no mandatory cost.

Included in the $2,200 a year (for only three years) cost is:

  1. The Tower Systems newsagency software.
  2. On site installation and training.
  3. Data conversion, converting as much data from your current system that we can access.
  4. Software support for the first three years.
  5. Software updates for the first three years.
  6. Unlimited over the phone follow up training for the first three years.
  7. Access to an online knowledge base with articles and advice on the software.
  8. Access to weekly group line online training workshops.

Alternatively, you can pay $6,600 up front and not pay anything for three years.

We offer this in response to the consolidation occurring in the newsagency channel. It is our opinion that not all current newsagency software companies will remain in the channel.

As the largest we are well resourced to help you navigate change not only in your software but in your business too.

  1. Tower Systems will not leave the newsagency channel.
  2. We will fight for you. Beyond our software, outside of support, we will help with supplier issues, business strategy and other challenges you confront.
  3. Our software continues to evolve. We release two to three major updates each you. You choose when to load them. Each update is thoroughly tested in a comprehensive beta program.
  4. We own newsagencies. Yes, we walk in your shoes.
  5. No locked-in support fee. Taking support coverage once the three year period ends is optional.
  6. Lower support costs. Also, transparent. No mates rates for a select few.
  7. Fast support. Most calls are handled when you call. If not, we call back fast.
  8. Easy management access. The leadership team of Tower Systems is available if you need them. We take customer service seriously and personally.
  9. Updates when you choose. You are in control of when you load updates.
  10. You are listened to. We offer the only transparent, user driven, software enhancement suggestion service. All our customers are listened to.
  11. Free training. Long after you install our software you have access to free personal training to refresh knowledge or provide training on new facilities.
  12. More integrations. Our direct links to Xero, Magento, Shopify and more mean you have more direct link options to help you grow your business.
  13. Business management insights. We can look at your business performance data and provide a personal analysis of what we see
  14. Owner access. Our owner, Mark Fletcher, is easily accessible: 0418 321 338 or by email on mark@towersystems.com.au.

The $2,200.00 offer is for three years: $2,200 per year after which you own the software forever. Data conversion is included. For the three years you get full support, software updates and access to unlimited one on one training.

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Bringing click and collect to small business retailers

May 5, 2017
1 Min read
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Click and collect is a key offer of genuine omnichannel businesses and Tower Systems is proud to have POS software integrated websites it developed that offer genuine click and collect solutions.

Our click and collect solution is proving to be popular with online shoppers and that is the ultimate test.

The Tower Systems POS software webstore integration is mature yet constantly evolving, bringing to small business retailers the ability to compete with big business through the more level playing field of online.

Click and collect is live right now on Tower Systems small business POS software integrated websites.

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Xero POS software combination helps small business retailers save time and cut mistakes

May 4, 2017
2 Min read
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Xero continues to be the accounting system of choice for small business retailers.

Tower Systems is proud to partner with Xero and offer a truly direct integration solution.

Plus, we have a list of Xero skilled accountants we are proud to list.

Thanks to our partnership with Xero we have brought plenty of small business retailers to the world of integrated accounting to our POS software. This cuts keystrokes, saves time and makes managing small retail businesses easier and faster., It improves the quality of business data on which the small business retailers can rely.

Retailers in many channels can use the Xero link to our POS software.

We develop software for: gift shops, jewellers,  bike shops, toy shops, fishing/outdoors businesses, garden centres/nurseries, pet shops, produce stores, firearms businesses and newsagents. We have customers around Australia and New Zealand as well as in several other countries.

Developed for specialty retail channels, the Tower Systems Xero link delivers seamless integration for jewellers, garden centres, bike shops, gift shops, homewares stores, toy shops, garden centres, produce stores, fishing and outdoors business and more.

The Xero POS software link is best-practice and backed by our own in-house CPA who manages our own retailer businesses where we use the Xero link ourselves. Yes, as a POS software company we walk in your shoes.

It is our personal experience with our POS software and with Xero linked to our POS software that provides us with a level of personal experience on which we can rely when we work with our small business retail customers. This takes us beyond what is usual about being a POS software company.

The powerful Tower Advantage Link platform allows Tower Systems’ specialist retail software to connect directly to Xero, one of Australia’s most popular and streamlined accounting services. Linking Retailer to Xero saves you precious time by completing the majority of your day-to-day accounting for you.  We are experts at bringing independent retail businesses and Xero together and pride ourselves on connecting business owners with such an innovative, useful service.

Any retailer looking for a POS software accounting system link should consider the Tower systems POS software Xero accounting link partnership. We have runs on the board.

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Cloud based appointment facility helps small business retailers win more business

May 3, 2017
2 Min read
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The online appointment software facility released by Tower Systems is another tool on which retailers who run businesses requiring appointments can rely to better manage services and grow appointment business.

Developed in-house by the Tower Systems web development team and initially for dog groomers and bike repair service providers, the online appointment facility developed by Tower Systems now serves a inroad mix of specialty retail and services businesses.

The online appointment software is another product from the m ix of cloud based products from Tower Systems designed to equip small business retailers and service providers to be more competitive in a changing and competitive marketplace.

Accessible as a stand alone cloud based service. The Tower Systems appointment facility can be accessed and used immediately. 

Customers can sign up and start right away and then stop at the end of the month if they wish.

There is no software to purchase, no software to install. The appointment facility lives 100% in the cloud, on a secure s river with appropriate redundancy and progressional da a backup.

Offered with the full support of the Tower Systems help desk and development teams, the online appointment facility is another way small business retailers can use technology to drive business efficiency and improve customer service.

Located at www.makemyappointment.com.au this online appointment facility offers a full suite of appointment facilities including:

  1. Easy appointment making as well as changes – from any device, anywhere.
  2. Text message and/or email notification for customers.
  3. Send reminders of appointments how and when you want.
  4. Schedule staff, rooms and equipment based on the type of appointment being made and staff and resource availability. This helps improve resource management.
  5. Australian developed and supported.
  6. Secure. Data located on a secure server in a purpose built data warehouse facility.
  7. Low monthly access cost. Paid 30 days in advance. Easily cancellable.
  8. Tower Systems POS software integrated to make processing payments easy.
  9. Business management back end to see the schedule of appointments by staff member and overall and to efficiently manage resources.

Make My Appointment is a cloud based appointment facility for small businesses. Using this site you can easily offer your customers the ability to make appointments. Track people equipment and rooms through your own management dashboard. Sign up and be live right away. It’s easy.

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Expanded software development team

May 2, 2017
1 Min read
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We added to our software development team to enable us to be better resourced in new areas of pursuit.

It is a thrill to bring a new voice to the product creation side of the business as it expands our perspective of the world as well as helping us to deliver beautiful products to our customers.

The one constant in our business is change, change we pursue through fresh products being driven through the use of innovative tools being worked by a skilled set of professionals.

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Tracking product serial numbers from within POS software helps specialty retailers offer better service

May 2, 2017
2 Min read
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Jewellers, bike retailer, fishing goods retailers, pet store retailers and firearms retailers are some of the specialty retail niche businesses that can benefit from POS software integrated serial number tracking tools.

Tower Systems offers integrated serial number tracking tools within its Australian developed and supported POS software.

Developed initially for jewellers, the serial number tracking facilities have evolved to serve a broader range of specialty retail requirements.

The serial number tracking tools track each serial numbered inventory item. This helps businesses provide better warranty services. This can also be useful should a customer have an insurance claim.

Handled with minimum labour involvement, the serial number tracking tools give businesses the means through which they can provide a higher level of service to customers and suppliers.

Including a product serial number on a receipt is important. While many POS software products can do this as a text message, it is vital the number is recorded against the same and, usually, against customer details. It is essential serial number tacking facilities are integrated with the POS software. This is what Tower Systems offers.

Much thought has gone into providing good serial number tracking tools, mature tools that deeply serve the tracking requirements of the retailer, supplier and customer long after the purchase itself. All of our work in this area has been undertaken in close consultation with customers who use serial number tracking. It is important to us and to them that work in this area is done with close collaboration.

Not many POS software products offer integrated serial number tracking tools. It is a differentiator for small business software company Tower Systems.

Long after the sale we make it easy to find a previous sale that includes a serial number. Searching for a sale by serial number can be handy for items which contain a warranty and you need to retrieve the information about the sale.

  1. From the Point of Sale screen, click on Previous Sales.
  2. Once the Previous Sales screen appears, click on the Serial Number box.
  3. Enter in the serial number that you need to find.
  4. Click on the Search Now button
  5. The list will then display the sale with the specified serial number and a preview of the receipt will appear on the right.

Here at Tower Systems we develop software for: gift shops, jewellers,  bike shops, toy shops, fishing/outdoors businesses, garden centres/nurseries, pet shops, produce stores, firearms businesses and newsagents and we serve customers in Australia, New Zealand and several other countries.

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Managing repairs in retail businesses using your POS software.

May 1, 2017
2 Min read
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Repairs services can be a differentiating service for small business retailers in a range of niche retail categories. jewellers, bike retailers, fishing and outdoors businesses, garden centres and firearms retailers are all niche or specialty retail businesses that offer repairs services.

The challenge is finding good repairs or workshop management services that are integrated seamlessly to POS software.

Australian POS software company Tower Systems offers repairs management facilities in its specialty retail POS software. These facilities offer job tracking, labour management, costing, accounting, party’s use and external service provider tracking tools.

From the moment an item is brought into the business for repair the software tracks the activity.

At the end of the project, when the repair is ready to be collected, the customer is notified by text or email.

The overarching goal of the repairs software if that it tracks progress at each step of the way. This ensures the business never loses sight of the repair, that it properly accounts for all work and that the customer can be informed at any point in time.

Developed initially for specialist jewellers and bike retailers for their workshops, the Tower Systems repairs management facilities have benefited from use by retailers across multiple retail channels. This has helped evolve valuable tools that help retailers using them to trust the management. And, this work is on-going.

Good repairs services can help a local business win local sales. Whereas products can be available in multiple retail outlets, making price the comparison, repairs services are unique to each business. Through the Tower Systems repairs management software retailers can play to their local strengths and pitch their repairs services as differentiating and locally valuable.

We love helping small business retailers grow their repairs service.

The POS software connected repairs management software from Tower Systems continues to evolve, ensuring it is a solution for today and tomorrow, thereby helping small business retailers to evolve their repairs services too.

Hereat Tower Systems we develop software for: gift shops, jewellers,  bike shops, toy shops, fishing/outdoors businesses, garden centres/nurseries, pet shops, produce stores, firearms businesses and newsagents. We serve customers in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and several other countries.

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Small business marketing tip: get creative with signs

April 30, 2017
1 Min read
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A fun and engaging sing on the footpath in front of your shop can attract people to your business. It can challenge people to consider your business beyond what the shingle above your door may say. The more creative the sign the better.

Go all out creative. Have fun. Be colourful. Shop that shopping with you will be fun. People want fun.

Here are a couple of signs we have seen recently that we love:

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Tower Systems releases new software for fishing and outdoors businesses

April 29, 2017
2 Min read
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Fishing and outdoors retailers run specialty retail businesses for with specialty software is key. Tower Systems has many retailers using its fishing and outdoors software already. That is set to grow with new software just released.

This latest software bring to market new facilities developed with successful retailers, delivering more in-store management and marketing options through which independent retailers can grow more valuable businesses.

Here are some of the benefits fishing and outdoors retail business owners can expect from using the Tower Systems retail channel specific software:

  1. Fast, accurate selling.
  2. Easy handling of multiple price levels for items. This can serve the need of local fishing clubs, community groups and others.
  3. Easy handling of multiple sale pack sizes (or volumes) per product.
  4. Easy handling of packs, or hampers, of items that can be purchased as a package for a different price to if they were purchased individually. This helps fishing retailers who sell seasonal gift and starter packs.
  5. Serial number tracking at the item level. High end rods are easier tracked with this.
  6. Product use and care instructions on the invoice or receipt.
  7. Local information on receipts – such as recommended fishing spots.
  8. Age checking at the product level as may be required by the law from time to time.
  9. Scale integration, enabling the sale of products by weight. This is especially useful for the sale of bait.
  10. Easy importing of supplier electronic invoices such as from Shimano.
  11. Repair management facilities – for businesses offering repair services.
  12. Easy management of LayBy.
  13. Easy connection to Xero, MYOB or Quickbooks.
  14. Easy connection to a website if you have one.
  15. Development of a website connected to your POS software.
  16. Easy management of customer accounts.
  17. Special customer orders. This can work very well for bespoke lures and more.
  18. Identifying of shopper and employee theft.
  19. Tracking of stock movement.
  20. Handling of customer loyalty – points and discounts.
  21. Easy reordering based on sales.
  22. Performance reporting comparing trading periods, supplier performance and other key business performance metrics.
  23. Security over business data.
  24. Security over business settings blocking changes you do not want made.
  25. Peace of mind thanks to consistent processes established through the software for managing stock, customers and other aspects of the business.
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POS software subscription handling helps retailers leverage subscription opportunities

April 28, 2017
2 Min read
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Subscriptions are a terrific way for small business retailers to provide shoppers with consistent engagement for products and services that are required on a regular basis.

Tower Systems offers a flexible yet powerful subscription facility in its POS software.

Using our subscription facilities as retailer can schedule to ensure products are kept aside for a customer on a regular cycle. This could be daily, weekly, monthly or whenever the desired product becomes available.

The goods can be kept aside with a unique barcode on the product along with the customer name – providing a level of professional service and attention that is key to further cementing the customer relationship.

Thee customer is advised by email or text message when the subscription item is ready to be collected.

The subscription can be charged to a store account or paid on collection. customers can also pre-pay. Payment information is included on the barcode label for the customer to better handle the collection.

The subscription can be setup for an in-store collection or for delivery to a customer address, with delivery done by the business or by a delivery partner of the business.

The subscription can be created by one customer as a gift for another customer.

The software tracks the number of subscriptions for an item. This helps store management for forward planning an dealing with the supplier of subscription items.

Some product subscriptions are given to the retail business by the manufacturer with the retailer being the local fulfilment centre. Our POS software handles this situation too.

There are many variations on subscription scenarios too. Handling these many subscription options has become a key feature of the Tower Systems POS software as it has evolved in managing subscriptions in retail over many years for many of the company’s 3,500+ small business retail customers.

Also, customers can have multiple subscriptions with different rules and criteria too. See, the flexibility layers and layers to offer a valuable, powerful yet easy to use tool for almost any type of retail business.

So, when it comes to managing subscriptions in retail and doing this through your POS software, Tower Systems ms has software ready to go in this area.

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