The POS Software Blog

The POS Software Blog

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

Latest stories

Using POS software to make 2021 the year of shop local

January 4, 2021
2 Min read
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In 2020, out of necessity, many Aussies rediscovered the value of shopping local.

2021 is our opportunity as local retailers to build off that, to make this the year shopping local is the preference, the year shopping local comes into its own.

We say our opportunity since we are retailers too. In addition to owning the Tower Systems POS software company, we own and run six retail businesses.

We have experienced first-hand the new love of shopping local.

In our POS software you can easily leverage local in ways that can guide deeper baskets and encourage shoppers back sooner.

We have built into our POS software these opportunities and more, to help you shine lights on what makes your business more appealing in today’s circumstances.

You can easily identify and tag locally sourced products.

You can easily share local knowledge and insights.

You can easily ‘make’ your own local products to differentiate from others.

You can easily support and leverage local community group members.

You can easily take your local pitch to the world through a Shopify website.

Our POS software is a start. Our local retail business experience can help you make the most of the POS software opportunities.

May your 2021 be healthy, happy and filled with profitable.

We are a POS software company 100% focussed on serving local small business retailers. Our software is developed to serve niche specialty retailers in selected retail channels. It is make to be fit for purpose for each of these retail channels.

Our specialty approach sets us apart from many other POS software companies. In each of our marketplace specific products you will find facilities, connections and tools that connect us with each in a deep, meaningful and commercially valuable way. This is what being specialty POS softwares is all about.

On top of marketplace specific facilities in our POS software there is our local focus, our local tools and opportunities through with our retail business partners are able to leverage shop local, buy local and support local opportunities.

Beyond the traditional POS software we go deeper into business opportunities, providing platforms from which local businesses can leverage their differentiators to shoppers, to get them spending more and to bring them back more often.

This is smart retail POS software in 2021 … a complete solution backed by training and support to bring shoppers in and guide their connection for the long term.

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Comprehensive approach to POS software onboarding helps small business retailers

January 4, 2021
2 Min read
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Aussie POS software company Tower Systems offers a structured, comprehensive approach to POS software onboarding.

Onboarding is the process of bringing on new POS software customers. It involves software installation, setup, tuning and training.

The Tower Systems onboarding approach is whole, complete and solely focussed on helping each small business retailer to achieve their goals for use of the POS software.

Onboarding is the process of installation, training and advice related to getting our new customers up and running with the Tower Systems POS software in your business.

With many new customers joining our POS software community each month, it makes sense that we have a structured process through which we deliver personal and consistent service in pursuit of you happily using our software.

Onboarding includes software installation and training experts at Tower working with you to help you achieve this goal of you happily using our software. It also includes a scheduling expert to be with you at each step of the way.

Our approach to POS software onboarding includes a team of transition experts who will help once the software is setup and the training done. These folks help you transition from high contact training to everyday help desk support access.

As an off-the-shelf software product, the Tower Systems POS software is what it is. By this we mean, it is not bespoke, not written specifically for you. However, there are many options in the software where selections can be made that determine how the software works for you. This is another reason structured onboarding matters.

The pathway we follow to guide you to be live is based on years of experience with thousands of small business retailers like you.

We follow a pathway that works. We understand some of what we suggest may frustrate, especially if you are moving from other software. Please be patient. We are grateful for your joining our community.

While our approach is structured for each specialty retail channel, it is also flexible to ensure we have time to address queries unique to each business. We understand the importance of personal service and seek to deliver a personal and appreciated experience to our customers each time.

The Tower Systems approach to onboarding of new POS software customers is comprehensive, mature and loved by customers.  It continues to evolve, too.

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It feels like we are holding our breath

January 2, 2021
1 Min read
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It feels like we are all holding our breath, wondering if 2021 will repeat 2020, as we wait to hear the numbers of the day.

The number will be what they are. What we do know is that we can do out bit to stop them growing. That’s why we are cleaning, sanitising and wearing masks … for you, and for us.

The rapid closing of borders was a surprise, yet understandable. However, it feeds into anxiety some feel.

We will do everything possible to provide for you a safe and happy place to shop, so 2021 is more like you hoped.

We are optimistic. Living in Victoria, we have been here before. We know what Victorians can do, what all Australians can do. It’s simple really … wear a mask, wash your hands, keep your distance, discover some delicious new recipes, enjoy jigsaws and talk more on the phone.

Together, we can show this shadow of 2020 that it’s not welcome in 2021.

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Welcome to 2021

January 1, 2021
1 Min read
W

Day 1 of a new year is always exciting, and full of anticipation.

We have plans for this year that we are excited to share with our customers as the year unfolds. New products. New services. New connection opportunities.

All in pursuit of helping small business retailers in our community to have an awesome 2021 using our POS software.

We have had a busy few days between Christmas and New Year planning for 2021, working on our software, working on our customer experiences and more.

The last few days have been a wonderful opportunity to set us ready for Q1 2021.

The last few days have been busy bringing on new customers, too. We have had new customers keen to use a quieter time in their shops between the major holidays to get our software installed and up and running.

2021, we’re ready and excited. Let’s do this!

 

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More retailers open for this time of the year

December 31, 2020
1 Min read
M

These days between Christmas and New Year are traditionally slow for many Aussie retailers. Many of them close for a few days.

Not this year.

Based on customer and prospective customer engagement we have had these few days, many have not closed.

This is great news. It plays into what we said here a few days ago.

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When 2020 began

December 31, 2020
2 Min read
W

When 2020 began, we were in the dark about what was coming for us, for all of us. We had our resolutions, plans and hopes. We had our cherished dreams.

We were unprepared for how 2020 would play out.

The hopes and dreams we started the year with were soon forgotten as the pandemic took over the news, our businesses, our home life and our focus.

2020 sure has been a year.

Looking back, we see heartbreaking human loss and economic challenges, which, sadly for too many, continue today.

Looking back, we also see many wonderful achievements.

There are the big pieces like the 1,000s of scientists working together to create vaccines in record time, people and businesses fundamentally changing how they work and politicians, for a moment, setting aside traditional differences to actually do good.

There is the good news of whole communities working together to ensure people remain safe and to get the numbers down.

In small business, where we spend much of our time, we have seen wonderful acts of kindness, extraordinary local shopper support, greater resilience and deeper community connections. It has been a joy to hear stories of locals consciously shopping locally and genuinely being interested in product sourcing.

We have all learnt so much about ourselves this year, what we can do, the differences we can make, new friends we can serve.

As the sun sets on 2020, we are grateful for this year, for the opportunity to be part of it and to be here, at the end, stronger and grateful for what 2021 will offer.

Happy New Year. May your 2021 be healthy, happy and filled with gratitude.

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Massive POS software knowledge base expansion

December 29, 2020
1 Min read
M

Over the last three weeks we have completed a major piece of work in relation to our POS software knowledge base.

We have added many new articles and revised even more existing articles.

This work delivers a better experience for our customers who search our POS software knowledge base.

With now more than 700 articles serving our small business retail customers, our refreshed and renewed knowledge base is a key differentiator for Tower Systems.

We are not done yet, however. We have more changes coming, new articles too.

Our knowledge base will continue to evolve in 2021.

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Aussie POS software helps retailers with Pop-Up shop help

December 28, 2020
2 Min read
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Retailer Roam, the portable POS software from Tower Systems is perfect in a pop-up retail situation.

Where a pop-up shop needs to be up and running quickly, easily, with low cost and with a small footprint, Retailer Roam delivers on all these fronts and more. It is a perfect solution for pop-up retail shops.

Retailer Roam is serves retailers looking to take their business transactions to customers no matter where they are … local markets, on the farm, from the back of a truck, pop-up stores and more. Retailer Roam is truly portable POS software thanks to smart app development from the Tower systems web team working closely with the POS software development team.

This is why retailer Roam works well in a pop-up retail situation. It is POS software ideal for pop-up shops.

With pop-up retail more popular than ever, our pop-up retail POS software solution helps retailers to be up and running quickly, easily, safely and with an easy step to a m ore permanent future. Retailer Roam is made for pop-up retail … and more.

A common question we get is: Does Retailer Roam Require An Internet Connection?

Yes and No. You will need an internet connection to install the app and to obtain the base Retailer data.

If the location you’re selling from does not have internet connectivity you can use the device to transact, however, you will not receive any product updates or send sales back until the connection is re-established.

There is an ‘Offline Mode’ that can be turned on in settings for a smoother no-internet-connection experience. While in this mode the user will be limited to completing sales with what data has already been pre-loaded on the device. No API calls can be made in this mode, and sales will be stored locally until they can be synced.

There is an option to download all stock-data on the device; so, it can be used offline.

Retailer Roam is portable POS softeware for retailers on the move.

This is a wonderful solution for retail today, for businesses that want flexibility as to where and when they trade. It is continuing to evolve too as we discover more variations to the pop-up retail business model.

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A big retail day today

December 26, 2020
1 Min read
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We have been busy helping plenty of our retailers prep for today, Boxing Day with in-store and online deals to be managed by our software, ensuring the businesses maximising the Boxing Day sale opportunity.

Using our POS software and Shopify websites connected to our POS software we have helped retailers be ready for this.

If you are shopping today, our wish is that you shop local, shop the high street.

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2020 has been the year of the POS software training video

December 24, 2020
1 Min read
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We are grateful to our team members and our customers who have participated in creating a record number of training videos that facilitate easy access to on-going learning as to how to use and get the most from our POS software.

Our videos produced this year range from fully produced in-studio content to videos of conversations from which people can learn.

Here is one example of the many videos produced for our customers this year, a video for new customers.

Tower-newcustomer from mark fletcher on Vimeo.

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Christmas / New Year POS software support hours

December 23, 2020
1 Min read
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We have shared with our customers the details of our office hours through Christmas and the New Year period, ensuring they have easy access to our POS software support services.

While our offices are closed the actual public holidays, our after hours support network will be live throughout. Outside of them public holidays, our office is open.

There will be no Aussie summer holiday here.

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January 2021 will be unlike any recent January for Aussie small business retailers

December 21, 2020
2 Min read
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January will not be normal for local Aussie retailers.

January has traditionally played out in different ways for small business retailers in different parts of Australia.

In some parts of the country, retail is usually so slow that many shops close for several weeks. In other parts of the country, towns swell with tourists and trading hours are extended.

What has been consistent about January for small business retail in Australia is that it has been prdictable.

I don’t think January 2021 will play out in a predictable way.

People are not travelling overseas. But, they are motivated to travel, to shake off 2020 and to start 2021 with new memories, from more local travel.

With plenty of annual leave not taken in 2020, I suspect more will start 2021 taking leave.

Businesses will start 2021 earlier than usual, working on new approaches to business, including on-going working from home for some, which will open opportunities locally.

Places that have not seen many tourists over the years are likely to see some. Tourist destinations will fill early, encouraging people to look elsewhere.

In short, the usual January slowdown we have been used to in small business retail in most parts of Australia is less likely in 2021, in my view.

Locals staying local will be looking to embrace optimism about 2021. Local retailers can lean into this, nurture optimism and offer opportunities for engagement with the local community. In our shops we can make January fun and feed into the desire for a good start to the year.

Be ready. Make sure the shop is fresh, that you have new product and that ou provide an entertaining retail experience. Think about your hours. Find ways to leverage the changed situation.

I mention this today so you can plan. January will be different. How it plays for you depends on you.

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How Tower Systems helps newsagents and other small business retailers sell online.

December 18, 2020
2 Min read
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More newsagents and other small business retailers are selling online with beautiful websites created by newsagency software company Tower Systems.

These and POS software connected Shopify websites.

In 2021, having a website, a beautiful POS software connected Shopify websites, for online sales is like having a fax machine or a photocopier was all those years ago.

Through a consultative process, the web specialists at Tower help newsagents discover how they can genuinely differentiate online to attract new shoppers, especially shoppers who are not local, shoppers who may otherwise not know the business exists.

By researching current search engine data as to what people are searching for, Tower Systems has been able to help newsagents pivot online with POS software connected Shopify websites while using the existing business for labour and other overheads.

While the temptation is for newsagents to represent their existing business online, the most success is had by newsagents who treat their POS software connected Shopify website as a start-up, a new business. This is where the comprehensive keyword research by Tower can help unlock commercially valuable opportunities.

One newsagency in Numurkah Victoria created a beautiful baby website, helping that business to expand their baby gifts and products offering and through this to find many shoppers interstate, adding genuine bottom line value. Today, the website for that newsagency is one of the best you will see in that category.

All website development is done in Australia by the Tower Systems web team. They have delivered many POS software connected Shopify websites for newsagents and other small business retailers. They have also delivered five websites through which newsXpress members sell collectively, to reach an even bigger audience.

While Tower partners with the Shopify, Magento and WooCommerce e-commerce platforms, it is the Shopify platform that is most widely used for newsagents.

The Tower web development experts can offer guidance on shipping, methods of payment, marketing, pricing, product category structure, photos and more. They guide newsagents and other small business retailers from beginning to going live.

By connecting their website seamlessly to the Tower newsagency POS software, newsagents are able to manage inventory and data efficiently and accurately.

2021 is looking terrific for online connected newsagents. This is great news!

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Supporting shop local with pet soap gift from our POS software co

December 17, 2020
2 Min read
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Two weeks ago, we posted 1,000 gift packs featuring pet soap handmade in Australia. each pack was carefully assembled y us and posted to a thoughtfully collated database of small Aussie specialty retail businesses.

ww bought the handmade, ethically made, soap direct from the maker, in support of their local Aussie small business and to provide a connection for our message that we are a local Aussie business supporting local Aussie businesses.

It is a campaign that we planned several months out. Choosing the right soap was important, as were the words on the locally printed card that we included with each gift pack of soap.

We shared the story about being local, that we liked to support local and that we loved connecting with retail businesses that, too, loved supporting local.

This soap gift pack campaign is our way of practically showing what local can look like.

Interestingly, we sent the free pet soap to businesses outside the pet retail channel. It’s soap pet lovers will use and that is what matters most here.

What local looks like can vary by retail channel. In our POS software, we help small business retailers to pitch local, connect with local and demonstrate support for local in myriad ways. Within our POS software retailers have levers they can pullet pitch local without being overt or shouty with there shop local pitch. For us, in our software, when it comes to supporting local, we help retailers with a show, don’t tell approach. They love it. They love that they have ways they can show their local connectivity without being noisy about it.

Tower Systems is proud to serve more than 3,500 small business retailers across multiple retail channels. We are connected with each of the retail channels in different ways and support each with nuanced software, which is tailored for them.

It’s what we do … develop and support POS software for local specialty retail businesses, serving needs unique to their retail channel.

We are grateful for the opportunity to ourselves support shopping local in the execution of a marketing campaign that has at its core a shop local message.

Next time you look for pet soap, look for a locally made product. Your pet will love you for it.

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POS software helps local small business retailers embrace Christmas

December 16, 2020
2 Min read
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Christmas is the most important season for retailers, especially local high street small business retailers.

Using our POS software, retailers can leverage Christmas for maximum opportunity. How? … you may ask. Okay, using our POS software, here’s how small business retailers are able to embrace Christmas and make the most of the opportunity this year and beyond:

Price differentiation is easy in our software since retailers can bundle items and create their own, unique to their business, packs. You decide what is in the packs, their price and other details relating to sales.

Up-selling is systemised thanks to better workflow, sales prompts and additional information in-store as well as online through which the business can maximise the sale basket value,. Our POS software brings structure to the opportunity.

Bringing them back is a key focus through the POS software with tools serves as part of each sale that are designed to encourage and cajole the shopper back in-store to find other products,. That this can be done in a systemised and automated way makes it a no-brainer move in retail.

Rewarding good purchases is something you can do with software that tracks value and kicks in a reward when a value trigger is reached. This being done behind the scenes in a systemised way is valuable in any retail business but especially in local small business retail where there is tough competition.

Adding you to personalise the opportunity. Embedded in our small business POS software are tools you can use for adding valuable information to each sale, the information and knowledge that can differentiate your business and thereby establish a deeper shopper connection.

These are just some of the ways retailers can differentiate and add value to make Christmas for successful for them. In each case, the POS software from Tower Systems enables engagement with minimal labour cost and minimal capital investment. These are key factors for retailers to maximise the opportunities in their businesses, to make Christmas a more successful this season and trough the trading year that follows.

We see Christmas not only for what it brings in the lead up, but, too, in terms of what you can achieve after Christmas, through the next year, when new Christmas shoppers may come back into the business based on what you did or offered.

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Scale integrated POS software helps local retailers sell by weight easily and accurately

December 15, 2020
2 Min read
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The federal government tested and approved POS software scale integration from Tower Systems is used by feed shops, produce businesses, pet shops, butchers, garden centres and more. Indeed, any retailer selling products that are weighed and sold by weight can love the scale integration solution from Tower Systems.

This is smart software, enabling easy selling of items by weight.

The POS software scale integration by Tower Systems was completed years ago and has been reviewed regularly since to ensure it meets current standards.

The POS software scale integration from Tower Systems makes sense for these businesses. It’s smart for the business, smart for the customer and smart for the suppliers of products to the business. Data accuracy is key these days and scale integration facilitates data accuracy.

We have plenty of local independent retail business using our POS software scale integration tools to sell easily, accurately and seamlessly, through their scale integrated POS software.

The authorised and government approved integration of scales with the Tower Systems POS software enables us to deliver a beautiful solution to small business and independent retailers in many situations.

Our Tower Systems POS software talks with the scales, reducing the opportunity for data entry mistakes, making the sales process faster and delivering business outcomes that enable small business retailers to benefit.

Any retail business selling products by weight can rely on our scales integration for fast and accurate selling at the counter or anywhere in this business.

We work with our POS software customers to deliver a solution tailored through settings and other opportunities to serve the needs of the business. Our experience over the years from our extensive work on POS software scale integration has enabled us to provide a flexible and valued solution to our customers in this area.

Using the POS software scale integration, retailers can benefit from accurate stock on hand data, easier sales counter work flow, better business decisions and more. The benefits are considerable. The business can also be seen as more professional through scale integration with POS software.

Tower Systems serves more than 3,500 small business retailers in Australia and New Zealand. We are grateful everyday to our customers for their support.

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