Humans answer the phones at Tower Systems
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Adding joy to life
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Garden centre software helps local Aussie garden centres serve their local community
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Local garden centres play a vital role in helping locals feed their family, create gardens that attract and nurture bees and wildlife and add colour and delicious scents to the local surroundings.
Garden centres are places of learning and encouragement, wonderful places where we can discover so much and be encouraged to grow food that is delicious and healthy. They are vital to local communities.
Here at Tower Systems we make software for garden centres that helps them in their mission. We’re an Aussie POS software company making garden centre POS software for Aussie garden centres.
We gratefully serve large and small garden centres, in the city and country, in0-store as well as online. The diversity in our garden centre retailer community is considerable. But, all or customers are local businesses. We don’t sell to big corporations, massive operations. This local and small business focus has served us well for many years, helped us focus on needs more relevant to our customers.
Here are some of the garden centre specific benefits garden centre owners and managers tell us they love about our software:
- Repotting. As plants grow, so does their value. We help leverage this.
- Selling fractions of an item. For example, 1.5 metres of something.
- Selling by weight.
- Handling and tracking customer special orders.
- Easily offer plant care information on receipts.
- Hazardous goods management.
- Pricing model flexibility – allowing you to give discounts in flexible ways.
- Weatherproof labels.
- Marketing to customers based on purchases.
- Loading electronic invoices from suppliers.
- An automated link to Shopify, Magento and Woo including images.
Garden centres can rent our garden centre POS software for $185.00 a month. This offers them:
- Australian developed and supported garden centre POS software for garden centres.
- Unlimited computer licences for your location.
- Software updates as we release them.
- Easily sell online from your POS software. Shopify / Magento / Woo link.
- Xero link. Easing bookkeeping costs and streamlining accounting.
- Our OzBiz link. This helps you link to MYOB through OzBiz.
- Tyro link – safe, fast and easy EFTPOS link for streamlined sales.
- PC Eftpos link. This offers easy EFTPOS processing for the major banks.
- Easy buy now pay later options with Zip Pay and Humm.
- Support – help desk access.
- Training – unlimited one-on-one training over the phone.
- User documentation. Access to our searchable knowledge base.
This garden centre software continues to evolve, too, thanks to regular software updates. These updates are available to all customers with access included in the low rental cost.
Here are answers to some of the questions we have been asked about our Garden Centre Software over the years
When you are ready, we’d love to show you our Garden Centre Software and through that show you answers to other questions you have.
Can I sell products by weight with this software? Yes.
Can sell at fractional quantities? Yes.
Can I handle re-potting, a plant that is larger now is worth more than when it was smaller? Yes.
Do you have weatherproof labels for items outdoors? Yes.
Can I include plant care information on receipts? Yes.
Can the software handle selling products by colour and size? Yes.
Can you manage quotes? Yes, you can create quotes and then turn them into sales if they proceed.
I sometimes sell away from the shop at an event or on the road. Can the software do this? Yes, our Retailer RoamTM option manages selling from anywhere.
Does the software handle garden club member pricing? Yes, this can be a great marketing tool, getting local community group members support the business and fundraising at the same time.
Does the software track frequent shopper purchases, like what you see in coffee shops buy 9 and get your 10th free? Yes.
Can the software report on frequent shopper purchase items we give away, to get a supplier rebate? Yes.
Does the software have a loyalty facility? Yes, there are several options – you can choose the one that works best for your needs.
Does the software let me manage my own time-based catalogue pricing? Yes.
Can I sell gift cards for my business? Yes.
I buy products in bulk and re-bag them to retail size. Can the software handle this? Yes.
I buy several products in bulk to mix to create my own brand of feed. can the software handle this? Yes.
Does the software produce WAS / NOW price labels? Yes.
Can you reach out to customers based on past purchases? Yes, you can select customers for marketing past on a range of criteria, including past purchases.
Does the system handle account customers? Yes, you can setup and manage customer accounts.
Does the system produce invoicing and statements? Yes, these can be printed or emailed.
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.
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.
This is a total package garden centre software rental solution including garden centre software, updates, help desk support, supplier invoice imports and knowledge base access.
There is no extra cost for more terminals, no fee based on transaction or sales volume, no high-cost EFTPOS rate.
To get you started, there is a comprehensive pre-installation data conversion and prep process, 2 full days of onboarding including one-on-one training, and first-time user priority support. This package is priced in addition to rental.
Tower Systems serves more than 3,000 local small business retailers in a range of specialty retail settings. This is our thing: helping local small business retailers thrive.
Newsagency software helps Aussie small business newsagents compete in a changing retail world
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While retail continues to change apace, the scope and speed of change for retail newsagents is greater for theirs is a marketplace surrounded by change.
There is print media disruption, lottery purchase disruption driving core changes. But it’s more than that.
Tower Systems helps Aussie newsagents with the Tower Systems newsagency software packed with facilities that help newsagents navigate changes, attract new shoppers and help existing shoppers love the business even more.
If you appreciate up to date newsagency software, easy access to live software support, free training and time-saving and mistake-reducing supplier links, Tower Systems could be the software company for you.
With more than 1,700 newsagents using this newsagency POS software it is backed by the industry support and resources key to help ing it continue to evolve, and this matters in a retail channel where change is everywhere.
This locally made and supported software for newsagents offers plenty, including:
- Exclusive greeting card reporting Embedded in our software is category / segment level reporting that newsagents are using to grow card sales 25% and more. That’s money in the bank.
- You can bank on loyalty. Our fresh and successful approach to loyalty can help you drive a deeper basket and bring people back sooner.
- Safe decisions make for a better P&L. From data feeds from suppliers through to Xero, we help you nurture data for the safe decisions.
- Not every shopper will walk past your door. A seamless connection between your software and a beautiful website can help you sell to people you will never meet. We develop websites for newsagents.
- Easily accessed personal service. A key reason 4 times more newsagents have chosen Tower than any other software is customer service. We are here for you, with you, every day.
- Current software. Current technology. Fresh, current design.
What newsagents need in their software now is fundamentally different to a year ago. You need software that is evolving from a company strong enough to support you when you need it.
We do all the important newsagency stuff in our newsagency software like XchangeIT, links with Nine (Fairfax) and News and Are Direct and XchangeIT. We have worked with TLC/Tabcorp on changes they wanted to implement as well as with GNS, ACCO, the federal government cashless card, greeting card companies and a raft of others.
We handle unique needs too such as website integration, more supplier connections and awesome marketing tools through which you can differentiate your business and attract new shoppers.
Being able to expand into new product categories can help you attract new shoppers and grow overall business GP%. Our experience in multiple specialty retail channels helps leverage opportunities.
Being able to sell from anywhere is critical. We have seen newsagents grow their businesses by engaging at local markets and on the road. Our new and exclusive Retailer Roam product is portable POS software made for this. It’s in the Apple App Store now.
Being able to get customers spending more and bringing them back sooner is also critical. Our discount voucher solution, launched in 2013, is now used in hundreds of newsagencies with many success stories. Better than points and easily understood by shoppers, this loyalty solution is next gen.
Being able to reduce dead stock is vital. This starts with buying better, which flows from fact driven conversations with suppliers.
Being able to cut labour costs without cutting revenue is essential. Our data insights help you do this with confidence. Our newsagency retail experience using our own newsagency software in our newsagency businesses offers you practical advice.
Tower Systems serves more newsagents than all other POS software companies combined. It’s not a brag, even though we know it might read that way. We are sincerely grateful to the many who have switched to us already in 2022. Their faith in us is genuinely appreciated.
Even though we are big, our service is personal. Our customers get to know our team members and like that they can speak directly with us, including our leadership team.
As you work on your business to make it more valuable to you, we’d love to help. Our connections to the newsagency channel go beyond our software. We own the newsXpress newsagency marketing group and we own and run three newsagency businesses ourselves. We walk in your shoes.
The Tower Systems newsagency software costs $185.00 a month to rent. For on as many computers as you need in the business – no extra cost per computer.
Beyond the software, here are features of a relationship with Tower Systems…
- We are local. Local matters in local communities. Tower Systems is Australian owned, developed and supported. Call us and a human answers the phone.
- Our training is personal, in your business. We think people learn better from face to face training.
- Unlimited free training.Long after you install the software, ask for free top-up training and all we will organise it.
- New customer care. All new customers have a separate specialist team with which they connect, to ease settling-in.
- Customers guide our software enhancement. We offer a transparent, democratic, process for guiding software update content.
- Newsagency business specific. This software is developed for your type of business.
- In the cloud or in-store. You choose where the software runs.
- Rent or buy. You choose how to acquire and fund the software.
- We help with business performance analysis and theft checks, services where we take a deep dive into your data and provide confidential insights.
- Every customer has the direct contact details for our leadership team for easy and safe escalation of any query.
- No pressure. You buy when you are ready.
- Retail group engagement. Groups and members of groups have opportunities for group level customisation website sales and more.
- It’s personal. Retail is personal. This is why we prefer to train you in your shop. Yes, we said this above. We say it again as it is a differentiator.
Tower Systems is not an average POS software company. We are a small business, indie business, focussed POS software company developing software in Australia and New Zealand for Australian and New Zealand based specialty retailers.
Why locally made POS software is a better solution for local retailers
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If you choose POS software for your business that is made overseas, sold by an overseas company or supported from overseas, how will that go when you want to talk with someone about your situation?
Local businesses, like local POS software companies, understand local needs. They have local context. they are more likely to be easily contacted. They serve your local business needs.
We had a customer recently contact us with a business question that was not directly related to our software. One off the folks in our company with recent retail experience was able to have a conversation with them, live and in the moment, that helped our customer make progress on an issue worrying them. This type of off-book service and help is what local POS software companies can do.
But, most of all, a local POS software company is likely to care more about your business and this is what matters most … that they care. caring flows from understanding.
No offshore POS software company can understand your needs or care about your business in the overall context of their business.
We had a customer switch to us last month because they were tired of their support queries not being responded to. They had to put each query in writing, which did not work if the query was urgent and business impacting.
Here at Tower Systems, we are local. Our customers can call us, email us, send a message through our website or contact us via the socials. We are here, real, contactable and accessible. We are also available to our customers through Zoom meetings and other group chat platforms – making ti easy for our customers to connect with us where it suits them the most.
Whole comparing software products is important, comparing the contact points and methods of contact are important. You need to go with a tech partner that can prove themselves as reliable in the way you need them to be. If could be that an overseas company ticks those boxes. The key is to know what you want and then go with the company that best serves your needs.
Stop Letting Competitors Rent Free in Your Head: Tips to Get Ahead
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Do you find yourself constantly wondering what your competitors are doing? Are you always worried about what they might be planning next? If so, you’re not alone. Many business owners let their competitors occupy too much space in their heads. This can lead to a lot of wasted time and energy. In this blog post, we will discuss some tips that can help you get ahead of the competition and stay focused on your own business goals.
First, the most important focus for any local small business retailer is their business for it is only this over which you have control. It’s like the serenity prayer, sort of – control what you can control and worry less about that over which you have no control.
You can’t control your competitors. Who cares if they copy you, or offer something cheaper than you, or claim some unique thing? Who cares?
Control what you can control.
Second, it’s important to remember that your competitors are not your only focus. You should also be thinking about your customers and what they need and want. If you’re always worrying about what your competitors are doing, you’ll lose sight of what’s important. Keep your customer’s needs at the forefront of your mind, and you’ll be more likely to succeed.
Third, try to stay ahead of the competition by being proactive. rather than reactive. This means that you should be constantly innovating and looking for new ways to improve your business. Don’t wait for your competitors to make a move before you do something yourself. By being proactive, you can stay one step ahead of them at all times.
Finally, don’t let your competitors rent free space in your head. If you’re always thinking about them, you’re not focusing on your own business. Instead, focus on what you need to do to be successful. Keep your eye on the prize, and don’t let anything or anyone distract you from your goals.
If you can follow these tips, you’ll be well on your way to getting ahead of the competition. Just remember to keep your customer’s needs in mind, be proactive, and stay focused on your own goals. With a little hard work and dedication, you’ll be sure to succeed!
Doing regular check-ins with yourself will help ensure that competitors are not taking up too much space in your headspace. Checking-in allows you to recenter yourself and your business goals. It can be as simple as taking a few deep breaths, drinking some water, or going for a walk. Checking in with yourself will help ensure that you are staying focused on what’s important.
We hope that these tips have helped you and that you feel more prepared to get ahead of the competition. Just remember to keep your customer’s needs in mind, be proactive, stay focused on your own goals, and do regular check-ins with yourself. With a little hard work and dedication, you’ll be sure to succeed! Thanks for reading!
Point of Sale Systems for Small Business Australia
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More than 97% of all Australian businesses are small businesses. The number of small businesses continues to rise despite recent challenging conditions.
Many of these businesses are in the retail sector. Small and medium-sized enterprises make up 96% of the retail sector in Australia.
Retail in Australia is highly competitive. One way you can give your business an edge is with your point of sale (POS) system. Retail POS can help you manage your inventory, employees, and customers more effectively.
Learn more about retail POS and how to choose the best system for your company.
What Is a Retail Point of Sale System?
A point of sale system is the hardware and software that let you process transactions and accept payments. Modern POS systems go beyond managing payments, though. They can help you analyze sales, manage inventory, and store customer information.
The newest point of sale tech provides a single source of truth across many facets of your business.
Retail POS Hardware
To accept payments in a retail store location, you’ll need POS hardware. Hardware can include:
- Computer monitor and/or tablet
- Cash register
- Barcode scanner
- Card reader
- Receipt printer
- Cash drawer
Your business may also need specialized hardware. This could include a scale for selling products by weight or a label printer for ticketing items for sale.
Look for a system that accepts many types of payments. Your business is more competitive if your customers have payment options beyond the standard cash, credit, or debit cards. Gift cards and mobile payments like Apple Pay are some other choices to consider.
If you’re planning to use hardware and software from different vendors, check to ensure they’re compatible.
Retail POS Software
POS software is the operating system that lets you process sales. It helps you manage your store, products, customers, and staff. A modern POS system for retail optimizes your ability to sell in-person and online.
On-Premise POS vs Cloud POS
Retail POS software can either be installed in-house or cloud-based. An on-premise system works through your internal network. This type of legacy POS stores your data on your local database.
It doesn’t rely on the internet. However, it can be expensive to implement. It’s only accessible from the terminal(s) where you installed it.
A cloud-based system uses remote servers. You can access the software over the internet from any compatible device. The system can sync your data in real time.
Cloud solutions are scalable as your business grows. They can be more cost-effective. They rely on the internet, though, so a stable and reliable internet connection is essential.
POS Payment Processor
A retail point of sale system includes the hardware and software to help you accept payments from customers. The actual payment processing is a separate service.
Some retail POS systems bundle payment processing into their service package. You may also have the option of adding it as an extra feature. Otherwise, you’ll need to find a third-party processor compatible with the system you want.
What to Look for in a Retail POS System for Small Business
Every retail business has its own specific requirements for a POS system. Before you start looking at POS for retail, take some time to determine your company’s needs. This will help you avoid paying too much for a system with features that aren’t relevant to your operations.
Ease-of-Use
Retail businesses often have high employee turnover. Choosing a POS system that’s intuitive and easy to use is especially important. Employees should be able to use the software effectively soon after training.
Sales Reporting
Retail POS can generate sales analytics to help you make better business decisions. The software can create reports based on factors like:
- Products sold
- Employee sales
- Total retail amount
- Net profit or profit percentage
A POS system that presents data in an accessible way will be more useful. A finer level of detail can give you better insights.
Inventory Management
Robust inventory management capabilities help you track products more efficiently. You know when you need to order a certain product or if a product has excess inventory on hand. Retail POS should have features like:
- Digitally scanning and counting products
- Creating product variations like size or color to manage stock
- Identifying items with unique serial numbers
- Tracking inventory levels in a multi store environment
Good inventory management helps you meet your customers’ expectations. It helps combat retail theft.
Customer Relationship Management
A retail POS system can help you track your customers’ data with customer relationship management (CRM) features.
For example, you can attach a transaction to a customer and track the customer’s purchase history. CRM capabilities simplify your email marketing. Some retail POS systems let you create a loyalty program.
The right POS system lets your store associates personalize the in-store experience for customers.
Employee Reporting and Staff Management
Your employees have a very large impact on the success of your store. Retail POS software lets you see who your top performers are. You can see any employees who may need extra coaching.
Other staff management features include:
- Creating and modifying employee schedules
- Emailing schedules to employees
- Tracking employee hours
You can stay on top of this important part of your business activity more easily.
Integrations
Point of sale technology should integrate seamlessly with your other business systems, like accounting and marketing. It should integrate with your e-commerce site. Integration ensures that your applications share data automatically.
Retail POS integration with your enterprise resource planning (ERP) program is a high priority. It lets employees access back office functions like replenishment and inventory reports.
For example, an associate could see that an out-of-stock item is due to arrive in two days. The associate can put the customer’s information into the system, set the product aside when it arrives, and notify the customer that it’s ready for pick-up. You can capture more sales.
Customization
You can tailor retail POS to meet your needs. You can set limits on what data store associates can access. You can restrict employee access to certain tasks. For example, you may decide that only store managers have authorization to give refunds.
The top retail POS systems will give you customization options regarding system features as well as employee access within those features. These types of controls are another tool for combatting retail theft.
Tower Systems Retail POS
Retail POS can bring many benefits to your business. You can better manage your inventory. You have a better management system for customers and employees.
A retail POS system from Tower Systems is a personalized solution for your business. We specialize in helping small and independent retailers in Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. We design our retail POS systems for the specific needs of your industry and your company.
Schedule a free demo today to see if Tower Systems POS software is the right fit for your business. We look forward to getting to know you!
Helping new POS software users settle in with our Tower Systems software
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A vital role within our POS software help desk team is the one that helps new POS software customers after they are trained.
This is a one-on-one role, a high-interaction role, something personal, something guided for each specific customer.
It’s a free service for our POS software customers. It kicks in the moment the structured training is complete, once a business live using our software.
Our new customer support person is there for our new customers with personal service, easy to access service, service targeted to the more unique needs or new POS software customers.
We are grateful to offer this unique point of difference in addition to our regular training and regular help desk service.
We know that the first few months using new software can be tricky for some. For those who need it, we are there, providing extra help, guidance and answers … to help them land on their feet, stable and happy in their choice for Tower Systems and our POS software.
When a retailer calls for help with their POS software, they want to chat with someone, they want to chat with a human, and not be confronted by a wall of inhuman tech
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Here at Tower Systems, we provide human based customer service for our POS software. That is, humans answer the phone, and they chat. There is no script. No agents. No set or questions to go through.
We are grateful to win business because of our human based customer service, that it is relevant, locally based, and staffed by people with lived experience working in small business retail.
Too many software companies only want customer to email them, or fill-in a form, or navigate their way through an AI driven phone system … anything to avoid having to talk to their customers.
There is no substitute for human interaction with retailers. We learn from this and that helps us provide better POS software, and better customer service.
Retail is a people business. I makes sense that a business like ours supporting retailers is, also, a people business.
Father’s Day 2022
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We are grateful to see our POS software promoted on TV again
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Always look at the POS software you are considering prior to making the decision to go with it
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There is a trend among POS software companies to get you signed up without looking at the software, their chasing a rooftop without first ensuring that the software and the retail business are a good match.
Here at Tower Systems, our preference is to demonstrate the software to you – once we understand your business requirements and what you personally want to achieve from POS software. It really does start with understanding your needs because it’s possible we are not a good fit for you.
Every one of our prospective customers has access to a personal live demonstration of the software. We do this at a time to suit. And, we record the demonstration and provide a copy of the demonstration to the prospective customer for them to share with others in their business.
We also offer access to pre-recorded demonstrations of the software. These are on our website and can be watched by absolutely anyone – without the need to login.
But, it’s the personal one-on-one demonstration that works best, that offers conversation about business needs and the exploration of these needs through the software itself. It is best to show an answer to a query rather than telling – anyone can tell, showing shows the real solution.
Anyone considering the Tower Systems POS software has access to a live demonstration without obligation or cost. Indeed, they have have 2, 3, 4 live demonstrations because we want to ensure that anyone choosing Tower Systems POS software makes an informed choice, a choice based on certainty that our POS software is a good fit for the needs of their business.
if you are considering POS software and the supplier is not keen for a live demonstration with you, if their approach is sign up and see if you like it, we suggest you pause and consider whether this approach serves your needs.
What is it you want? That is what matters most to your business. Signing up and using software through trial and error makes it harder for you. It makes you discover for yourself. It shows you what to expect from the POS software company down the track.
Here at Tower Systems we prefer a more personal approach, an approach that is rooted in the personal service we provide.
Tower Systems: the Aussie POS software company offering easy to access human delivered support
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We won another customer this week because of our easy to access human based support. Someone considering our software pretended to be a customer and called us, and we answered and had a conversation.
I can’t believe I got to speak with a human straight away. We laughed a little when they said that. Seriously, the company I used for my POS software now does not take calls. I have to log a ticket using their form, and then I have to wait for them to get back to me.
We understand that retail businesses can encounter challenges that need a response straight away.
Here at Tower Systems we make it easy for any of our customers to reach someone on our help desk, someone in management, or the leadership team – direct, live, and quickly.
Human contact is key in retail, and it is key in retail POS software support.
While our customers can send us an email, lodge a ticket or do other things they can easily call – we have state based contact numbers, a NZ toll free number as well as mobile numbers for direct and easy contact.
Big businesses structure themselves for consistent service of big volume and while that may work in some situations, when servile local small business retailers, specialty retailers, personal and direct human based support is key, and here at Tower Systems we understand that.
In our regular customer email we share direct contact details with our POS software customers:
Contact points and key information.
SUPPORT
- The BEST way to ask for support: log your query 24/7 direct at our website, where you can also search our knowledge base.
- Help Desk Mon-Fri 7am – 6pm AEST and Sat. 7:30am to 3pm.
- VIC (and national): 03 9524 8000.
- NSW: 02 8556 1600
- QLD: 07 3136 6888
- SA: 08 8121 3366
- NZ: 0800 444 367 & from a mobile: 9281 1974
- After hours support for SYSTEM DOWN: 0418 554 963 or 0419 842 334.
- Email: support@towersystems.com.au for non-urgent questions.
- Website: www.towersystems.com.au
MANAGEMENT
- COO: Gavin Williams. 03 9524 8000. Email gavinw@towersystems.com.au.
- CEO: Mark Fletcher. 0418 321 338. Email: mark@towersystems.com.au.
SALES
- Justin Randall. 0434 365 789. Email: justin@towersystems.com.au
- Tim Batt. 0401 833 917 Email: tim@towersystems.com.au
ACCOUNTS
Email: accounts@towersystems.com.au.
SUPPORT ESCALATION
If you feel we could have done better in a customer service situation:
- Email csm@towersystems.com.au with a subject of: Escalation.
- Please outline your concerns and provide as much detail as necessary.
- If you have multiple points, please number each.
- Please name the Tower team members involved and reference any ticket numbers if applicable.
Our Customer service manager will investigate and come back to you.
CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP FORM
YOU SET YOUR OWN SUPPORT TICKET PRIORITY
- P1. System down. The most urgent call we can get.
- P2. Urgent. We will deal with the call ahead of all others except P1.
- P3. Return call goal 4-6 business hours.
- P4. Non urgent question. Goal of returning a call in 24 hours.
Online, what matters more: you, or what you sell?
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Too many small business retailers focus on their business name ahead of what they sell when designing a website for their shop.
The online shopper cares more about outcome. In this video we share exampled of this, evidence of this:
While brands will tell you their brand is what is searched for, shoppers can be broader than brand in search. You only have to look at keyword variations around a brand or some other keyword to understand this.
We hope this business from Tower Systems is helpful in your planning for online.
If you want revenue from online shoppers, our advice is that you seek it from multiple channels: your own website, websites connected with your marketing group, social media and more.
How, when and where people shop has fundamentally changed. This was happening long before Covid. But, Covid, has sped things up.
A challenge when it comes to online is trust. Plenty of people and businesses make claims. Ask for evidence supporting any claim. Their response to you asking for evidence could indicate a simple mistake, deliberate misleading or ignorance … it could also provide evidence that their claim was accurate, which would be ideal.
Online is like to gold rush era of the 1800s in Australia. It’s a rush with people of varying skills and experience our there, in the rush. take care to make informed decisions.
And, yes, it is vital you join the rush. Too much business today is transacted online for you to not engage. Engage now and expect to sell to people you’ve not sold to before.
The surprise and delight of Shinola on Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice Beach
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As part of a recent tour of innovative and inspiring retail in the US, we were invited into the secret room at Shinola, Venice beach …
Watch a free behind the scenes workshop on Shopify and the POS software data flow.
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Here at Tower Systems we make and support POS software for local indie specialty retail and we make and support POS software connected Shopify websites. Two of our Tower Systems web dev and POS software experts got together for a conversation in which they offer advice and insights to retailers keen for a Shopify site connected to our specialty retail POS software.
Tower Systems is proud to serve 1,700+ local Aussie newsagents
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Grateful …
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Advice on connecting your POS software to Shopify and taking your indie retail business online
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Retail business advice: how to setup and run a pop-up shop
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Tower Systems helps local retailers run pop-up shops with its Retailer Roam, cloud based go anywhere POS software, connected to its POS system.
Definition: a pop-up shop is a temporary shop, one that is open for a limited period of time, usually around a month, rarely more than three months.
We have assembled our pop-up shop advice and tips into key topic areas.
WHY?!
Like any business decision, a decision to open a pop-up retail location needs to be based on good research and the business itself needs to have a purpose. So, before you begin, think about why.
Here are some reasons to do a pop-up shop:
- To test new product categories.
- To supplement your income.
- To help quit slow moving stock.
- To enhance your retail experience.
- To experiment with a plan b where you might land if you close your main shop.
- To engage in targeted, temporary, competition.
- To compete with yourself.
LOCATION.
With a pop-up shop you don’t have time to find your customers. The location needs to already have good traffic passing daily, traffic you can easily leverage. Even more so than in fixed-location retail, location is critical.
The best locations are shops that have good passing traffic that is of interest to you and that have been vacant for a while where a landlord might be happy with something rather than nothing.
OCCUPANCY COST.
Negotiate the lowest rent cost possible. Some landlords see pop-up offers as a reason to charge a premium. Only sign up for a price you are 100% happy with. If it is expensive and does not work financially, don’t sign hoping it works out, because in retail it rarely does work out better. In a pop-up business you have less time to see if it works out. Also, preferably, no contingency deposit.
LABOUR COST.
Staff the business with a lean roster. This shop is about selling. that means, products placed for a price proposition rather than beautiful displays that take time to maintain. Every staff member is there to sell and maximise revenue from every shopper visit. There is no room in the roster for fat.
FIXTURES AND FITTINGS.
Don’t spend a cent on fixtures and fittings. That needs to be your starting position. It’s a pop-up shop. People expect it to be efficient, cost-effective. Using tables and boxes adds to the feel of the shop feeling low-cost and that can help drive sales. Suppliers can be a good source for loaned fixtures.
INVENTORY.
Ask suppliers to offer consignment stock or special clearance deals they’d like to move fast. Go for items that can be sold out of a box, to make display and ranging easier. In-box displays of particularly cheap items can work very well.
PRICING MODEL.
Price to sell. This means being below usual retail. Price to understandable price points. For example, you might have a $10 table, a $20 table and so on. Consider bundling items into packs, which make price comparison difficult.
PROMOTION.
Don’t spend money on sign writing or marketing. Use social media and bargain websites and anywhere similar where you can list the store and its products.
Host an opening party. List this as a local event on Facebook.
MANAGEMENT MINDSET.
Your mindset in managing the pop-up shop needs to be different to a fixed-location retail situation. Pop-up shops are about low cost, low overheads, low prices. Be ready to do deals. Whoever manages the pop-up shop needs to be different to how they would be in the fixed-location retail business.
SPEED.
You need to move fast. From the moment you sign a lease or agreement, the clock is ticking. Ideally, you’d open within 24 hours and when you are done, closing and clearing out the shop is done in 24 hours or less. This is all about maximising the time for income-production.
TRACK PERFORMANCE.
Cultivate good data that can guide business decisions for your next moves.
Is a pop-up shop worth doing? Only you can determine that. We have seen plenty of pop-up shops work well for the retailers, contribute good GP, help move slow stock and help open to the owners category opportunities not previously considered.
Do the planning and you should expect to benefit.
Aussie made POS software for knitting shops
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Using our specialty retail POS software, knitting shops are able to easily manage needs in their businesses such as:
- Selling by weight.
- Selling by length.
- Selling bundles for a project.
- Tracking special orders for customers.
- Offering members of a club a special club discount.
- Offering. loyalty rewards for infrequent shoppers to encourage more value from a visit.
- Auto sharing information to help customers get more value from a product.
- Feeding product information ration and images to a website integrated with the POS software.
- A sell anywhere anytime facility for knitting shops that sell at markets.
This software for knitting shops does all this and more.
We understand the importance and value of local specialty retail like local knitting shops …
- Local matters. Local knitting shops make a vital contribution to local communities and families. Our software helps you leverage your localness.
- You are a key asset. Only your business has you and your people. You can leverage you through facilities in our knitting shop software.
- You can bank on loyalty. Points don’t reward loyalty. What is a point worth anyway? In our software, you have fresh loyalty tools you can bank on.
- The unseen can reveal opportunities. Data, good data, is evidence on which you can expect to make better business decisions.
- Not every shopper will walk past your door. A seamless connection between your software and a beautiful website can reach them.
Our Knitting Shop Software costs $185.00 for each 30 days. The $185.00 is for access from as many computers as you have in the business. There is a modest on-boarding fee to cover one-on-one training and setup support and assistance.
Here are answers to common questions about knitting shop POS software:
Can I promote local clubs and groups on receipts? Yes.
Can you pass on patterns, manuals and other documentation? Yes, you can load files, images, documents or PDFs for products (information sheets, advice) and have them automatically included in emailed receipts.
Can I remind customers about opportunities and events? Yes.
Can I do this by text or email? Either, we support both.
Can I look-up historical records for a specific customer? Yes.
Can I create a quote for a customer and manage this? Yes.
Can I track / manage quotes? Yes.
Can the software track special or one-off orders for customers? Yes, from the moment the order is placed.
Can I group items together to sell in a pack or bundle? Yes, it’s easy to create packs using the software.
I sell some items by 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.
If you run a knitting shop, this software could be useful managing workflow, tracking sales, managing stock and nurturing the business to greater value.
Hello, and welcome to Tower Systems …
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Inspiring indie retail in Cold Spring, New York.
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I got back Friday last week from a leading a group of Aussie indie retailers on a retail study tour to New York and Los Angeles. We primarily focussed on local indie retail, retail relevant to our local indie retail businesses here in Australia.
We spent a day in Cold Spring, in upstate New York. Today, I shot a short video in which I share some takeaways from this visit to one of the best local retail towns in the US. Scroll down to see the video, or use this link: https://youtu.be/Gu1_W64rzCU
My name is Mark Fletcher. I own Tower Systems. We make POS software for local specialty retail. We also run and operate 4 shops in Melbourne in the gift / homewares / collectibles spaces as well as 7 online shops. We understand the challenges of being small and local, and we have built into our software tools to help you thrive.
Cheers,
Mark Fletcher
M | 0418 321 338 E | mark@towersystems.com.au
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-fletcher-tower/
POS software made local
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Reason #7 local retailers choose Tower Systems for POS software
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