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Thanks to smart hooks we have built into our POS software from Tower Systems, we help local small business and indie retailers and their wholesale suppliers work more closely and efficiently together.

Electronic invoices, electronic purchase orders, electronic stock files, electronic real-time sales data to drive auto replenishment are just some of the retailers / supplier connections embedded in our POS software.

The hooks include easy and accurately two-way flow of data, thereby enabling more timely and accurate supply of inventory to retailers and through this a strengthening of the supplier relationships.

Delivering this through a seamless, data-driven, relationship is key to both the retailer and wholesaler businesses. This is where good POS software shines, helping both sides of the commercial relationship to benefit. It sits at the heart of a good commercial relationship and feeds mutual respect.

Our POS software is a proven and stable glue for retailers and wholesalers who appreciate working together.

The connections we offer have been built into our POS software to worldwide data sharing EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) standards. This ensures they serve the needs of larger businesses with more rigid IT infrastructure. This is important where small business retailers need to connect with IT systems in large business suppliers. The Tower systems approach means that small business retailers are not disadvantaged.

Through or work in this area of seamless two-way data flow, we are able to help smaller wholesalers walk the path of better IT connection with small business retailers. There are many case studies we can share showing the success of this work. regardless of internal systems in use in wholesale businesses, we are usually able to help them take the steps necessary to achieve a beneficial connection.

Our work in the area of EDI for retailers in channels such as fishing and tackle stores, produce businesses, bike shops, garden centres, jewellers and newsagencies is well established and consistent.

Tower Systems is committed to helping independent small business retailers to compete effectively and successfully in a rapidly changing retail landscape in-store and online. We do this by providing best practice software backed by friendly, human and local support, helping retailers to compete and to enjoy their businesses.

EDI is key in retail today for retailers and wholesalers who want an efficient apply chain. Tower Systems is ready to help both sides of the EDI relationship.

Tower Systems has launched www.findit.com.au, a free marketplace for local indie retailers, like jewellers, bike shops, toy shops, pet shops, garden centres and newsagents.  Listing products on FindIt is free for Tower Systems customers – and that’s 3,000+ local small business retailers.

The beta release of FindIt commenced two weeks ago, connecting to several retailers, serving products online so shoppers could shop local with businesses that do not have a website.

The goal for FindIt is to help customers looking online for items local retailers sell, to drive traffic to their local shop. This local in-store shopping experience is really the key focus of FindIt – because of our belief that local retailers want to support local businesses, and because they enjoy the shop local experience rather than buying through a keyboard.

The beta release has enabled finessing images, data feeds from different types of businesses and nurturing data consistency in a range of retail settings.

“We have built FindIt because of the growing importance of being online to in-store retail, and because some retailers are challenged with creating and running their own website. This is a no cost / low cost solution to help you be found online”, commented Mark Fletcher, CEO of Tower Systems.

Retailers can choose to sell through FindIt, or just list what they have available in-store. If they do sell through FindIt, there is a fee of 10%. This covers Tower for credit card fees and Afterpay fees once that is live. It also covers us for credit card fraud claims. Retailers choose whether to sell through FindIt or not. Again, to list products and have your shop found is free

The FindIt website is hosted on a large secure and fast server in a remote data (offsite in Australia) centre. The Tower team is also doing the backend SEO work to raise the Google profile.

Customers will land on the website from Google. As the ranking of the site increases, products on FindIt will list in Google results. Customers will be able to add items from multiple retailers to a FindIt basket in a transaction.

The FindIt website confirms the order to the customer and provides the retailer with a recipient created tax invoice. Retailers will be able to go to their FindIt vendor panel to download a picking slip.

Retailers choose the price of what they sell – it can be their web price or their retail price. In the Tower Systems POS software, retailers choose whether a product is listed online.

The image for a product will be the first image loaded for a product. If a retailer has a better image than the first one loaded by another retailer, it would take a manual process to change it, a process not currently in place. The same applies to descriptions.

The tech connects products by barcode. If a retailer generates their own barcode for an item already on FindIt, it will treat that product as a new item.

The price will be the retailer’s price – yes, multiple retailers on FindIt could result in different prices for the same item.

The product description is the key. Our advice on this is to try and think about what someone is likely to type into Google.

Retailers will have the option to be either freight free or charge. If a retailer has product dimensions and have selected to charge freight, the Australia Post plug-in we have will calculate a freight charge. Retailers will also have an option, on their vendor page in FindIt to set a flat freight charge if you wish.

Retailers can connect with FindIt by emailing orders@findit.com.au.

The Tower Systems POS software offers small business retailers access to valuable and financially beneficial integrations that help these retailers to win more business.

Here are some of the integrations we offer. We say some as there are more that are classified, for commercial reasons. There are those who like to copy us so we figure why make it easy for them. Ha!

These are desktop and cloud hosted POS software integrations. For our e-commerce solutions, consumer facing websites, we offer substantially more integrations that go to a new level and deliver substantially more benefits. Our integration strategy for web is comprehensive, deep and flexible, in service off our customers who take their retail businesses online.

Integrations matter to businesses in this time of mass integration. We are on a cross platform world and POS software that integrates offers terrific flexibility to retailers working in spaces where integrations can be beneficial.

Since we develop the POS software we sell, lease and rent, we are in control of what we do and how we do it. We are not relying on another party to do the integration work. This makes us more flexible for and accountable to our customers.

As retailers, too, we experience the value of plenty of these integrations and through this help our customers thrive with the very best.

Delivering integrations to our customers matters as we are in a  position to help them find new customers for their businesses by offering better services seamlessly across more platforms. Flexibility is key today and we are proud to be delivering this through our POS software and the POS software connected websites that we develop0 and deploy.

The more a retail business looks like a traditional shop in any channel, the more it will be judged as a traditional shop, the more it will perform like a traditional shop. There is nothing wrong with this, if it is a conscious choice.

But … retail is changing. How, when and where people shop is changing. In0-store retail needs to change to be relevant and interesting, to attract shoppers.

Through our work at Tower Systems we see awesome and successful retail businesses and less than awesome and not so successful retail businesses. We layers this with our own experience as retailers, too. We use the POS software we make for you in our own shops.

We encourage you to consider not running a traditional shop. We can find no evidence in performance data or in retail history to indicate that a traditional retail model has any upside in the world today.

For sure, what you offer ion your shop today cannot be what you offer in a couple of years if you want your business to be relevant.

The best way to not be considered a traditional shop is to not look like one. Here is some of what this means based on our experience:

1. Keep visual noise to a minimum. This means less posters and signs. Let your products be seen and be the heroes.
2. No old-school posters out the front of the shop or hanging in the shop except in exceptional circumstances.
3. No old-school products stand near the entrance.
4. Make the front third of the shop open with non-permanent fixtures that are flexible and easily moved. These are best if they are everyday items: tables, a couch, boxes and more. The more colour, texture and style the less like a shop your shop will feel and the more relaxed shoppers will be.
5. Floor rugs are effective too, under a table fixture especially.
6. No candy or William old products at the counter. Use the counter for products that are easily purchased on impulse, that play against expectations.
7. A feature wall behind the counter that can be changed easily.
8. Different colours and textures rather than the usual shop-fit look.
9. Different lighting to highlight different part of the business.
10. Less shop-fit made fixtures and more personally made or found items.
11. Product placement such that it encourages people to explore. Embrace treasure hunt retail… where people wander the shop hoping to find treasure.
12. Move tasks, pricing, returns and more to the shop floor. This will reduce shopper theft and increase sales.
13. Have the least amount of staff resources behind the counter as possible. On the shop floor the same people can guide purchases.

Change is critical in retail today. Change beyond what has been traditional, change that helps you attract new shoppers and through them new revenue opportunities.

While we are  an indie retail POS software co. we are retailers and retail experts. We’re here to help our customers through software, and beyond.

Tower Systems offers a Shopify POS software solution that facilitates easy selling in-store as well as online while maintaining efficiency, accuracy and insights to help you drive a more successful and enjoyable business.

The Tower Systems POS software is stand alone POS software. retailers can run it in the cloud or on their desktop. This POS software was an early integrator with Shopify, Tower Systems is a Shopify partner.

We bring a sophisticated and deep POS solution to the Shopify online sales platform community, enabling Shopify businesses to sell in store with maturity depth and value beyond basic POS. This is especially useful for specialty retailers who have needs beyond the basic POS that is the standard for low cost solutions.

The Shopify integration offered by Tower Systems is free, there is ho extra cost. This makes it cost-effective, and loved by small business retailers.

By having the best of both worlds, local small business retailers can thrive online and thrive in their physical store. Given the different needs of these different business settings, leveraging the best fit for the setting is core to thriving.

Jewellers, garden centres, bike shops, to shops, pet shops, music shops, fabric stores, sewing businesses, newsagents, antique shops … they all have specialty needs that are unique to their businesses. The basic nature of what you have in POS solutions like that offered by Shopify itself will not, we think, serve specialty needs of these and other businesses.

Tower Systems makes specialty POS software for local specialty small business retailers. We dive deep into the needs of a retail channel to serve them and the needs of those who supply them. We are grateful to serve more than 3,000 local small business retailers in our mission. And, we bring this to the Shopify integrated experience, helping our retailer partners to make the most of physical store and online selling.

POS software can be complex and confusing. A quick phone call with a human can easily answer any questions. It’s when you can’t reach someone that it can be frustrating. This is why we say call Square POS with a question or two. see how they respond and factor that into your consideration as to the right POS software solution for your local retail business.

Tower Systems is a human driven business. We provide personal service. see for yourself: 1300 662 957.