Taglocal retail

Managing a cake supply or decorating business involves balancing a high volume of small items with specialized services like equipment hire. Our Tower Systems POS software is designed to make these daily tasks more efficient, allowing you to focus on your customers rather than your admin. One of the most helpful features for these stores is the ability to create customizable shortcuts on the sales screen. You can set up buttons for your most popular items, such as cake boards or food colorings, so that processing a sale is quick and intuitive.

The system also handles promotional pricing automatically. For example, if a customer buys a set of food colorings, you can set the software to apply a discount once they reach a certain quantity. If you offer equipment hire, such as cake tins, the software tracks deposits and prints specific return instructions directly on the receipt. This level of detail helps prevent misunderstandings and ensures your hire stock is managed professionally.

Keeping your inventory up to date is simplified through our integration with online product databases. When you add a new item, you simply scan the barcode and the software often finds the product name, image, and description for you. If you sell online, you can even use built in tools to generate professional web descriptions based on the product details. For larger updates, the stock manager allows you to change pricing or descriptions for hundreds of items at once, saving you from hours of manual data entry.

We also offer loyalty features that reward your customers without requiring them to fill out forms. You can print discount vouchers at the bottom of receipts based on what they have spent, giving them a reason to return for their next project. This approach builds goodwill and repeat business by offering clear, immediate value.

If you are looking to move from an older system, we make the transition easy. Our team can help extract your current product and customer data and preload it into our software. We also provide full training to ensure you and your staff feel comfortable with the new tools. Whether you are curious about managing variants or want to see how the software integrates with your EFTPOS, we are here to show you how our system can support your unique business needs.

…

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

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

In the world of small business retail, there is a fatigue that comes with shopping for POS software. Usually, it begins with a slick website and ends with a “Request a Quote” button, a barrier that often means your details are about to be fed into a high-pressure sales funnel.

We think it says something about how good POS software might be if the price is not easily accessible, if they have sales people in place as gatekeepers.

At Tower Systems, we believe that if you are transparent about how you help a business, you should be equally transparent about what it costs. Our POS software pricing is transparent.

Why transparency matters

For a small business retailer, “hidden costs” can be a threat to cash flow. When pricing is tucked away behind sales calls, it’s difficult to perform a genuine side-by-side comparison. You find yourself wondering if you’re being quoted the same rate as the shop down the road, or if there are “success fees,” “exit fees,” or “integration levies” waiting in the fine print.

We’ve always felt that if we can’t tell you the price upfront, we aren’t respecting your time. Our pricing is public because we want you to have all the facts before we even have our first conversation.

The Tower Systems approach: No lock-ins, no surprises

Retail is unpredictable. The last few years have taught us that flexibility is a necessity, not a luxury. That is why our software is available on a simple monthly rental basis.

• No long-term contracts: We don’t believe in “lock-in” periods. If the software isn’t serving your business, you should be able to walk away.

• Unlimited terminals: Many providers charge “per lane” or “per device.” We don’t. Our pricing is per location, meaning you can add an extra counter during the Christmas rush without your monthly bill spiking.

• What you see is what you get: Whether you choose our Standard, Advanced, or Ultimate plans, the inclusions are clear—from our Australian-based help desk support to software updates and Xero integration.

Here at Tower Systems we don’t charge a fee based on each sale you make. Some software companies hire this as a payments gateway charge. With us, choose the payments gateway that best serves your needs.

Beyond the price tag

While transparency starts with the cost, it extends to the partnership. When you look at our pricing page, you aren’t just looking at a subscription fee; you’re looking at a commitment to local support.

Our team is based in Australia. When you call, you speak to someone who understands the local retail landscape, GST requirements, seasonal peaks, and te specific needs of niche industries like jewellers, bike shops, produce businesses, newsagencies, garden centres, and pet stores.

Control is back in your hands

Choosing a POS system is one of the most significant decisions a retailer can make. It’s the engine room of your business. By being open about our costs, we hope to make that decision a little less daunting.

We encourage you to compare us. Take our pricing, look at our features, and put them next to any other provider. We’re confident in what we offer, and we believe that a relationship built on honesty from day one is the only way to help a small business truly thrive.

If you’re ready to see how our software works in practice, you can view our full pricing here or book a no-obligation demo with our team.

…

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

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

We are grateful to the retailers who have switched from Lightspeed Commerce POS software to our Tower Systems POS software. Enquiries have increased, for which we are also grateful.  Many of these conversations stem from a common point of friction: a shift in how some software providers are structuring their fees and payment processing requirements.

At Tower Systems, we believe in transparency – see our approach to pricing for a good example of this. To be clear, we have never used Lightspeed ourselves, and we don’t spend our time dissecting their code. We can’t offer a feature-by-feature technical breakdown of their software versus ours. However, we can speak to the fundamental differences in business philosophy, and how those differences can impact the bottom line of an independent retail business.

If you are currently using Lightspeed POS software in your shop and evaluating your POS options, here is what we believe sets Tower Systems apart as a viable alternative.

1. Payment independence vs. transaction fees

The most significant feedback we hear from Lightspeed users relates to “Lightspeed Payments.” By integrating their own payment platform, the software provider takes a percentage of every sale you make.

Tower systems has offered POS software integrated payments for close to 20 years. BUT, with us you can choose the payments platform that best suits your needs.

From our perspective, your POS provider shouldn’t be a “silent partner” in your revenue. We view a per-transaction fee as a tax on your growth—the more successful you become, the more you pay them.

• The Tower Approach: We have no requirement regarding which payment platform you use. You are free to negotiate the best possible rate with your bank or any third-party provider (we’ve seen customers secure rates at 1% or lower). We don’t take a cut of your sales. We believe our job is to develop great software, not to clip the ticket on your hard-earned turnover.

2. Built for the specialist, not the “Big Box”

Lightspeed has publicly stated they target businesses with significant annual turnovers (often cited around US$500,000). Their trajectory suggests a focus on larger entities and franchise networks.

At Tower Systems, our focus remains exactly where it started: local, independent specialty retailers. We serve niche markets like:

• Jewellers and Gift Shops

• Garden Centres and Produce stores

• Bike, Fishing, and Outdoor shops

• Toy and Hobby stores

• Pet shops and Firearms dealers

We don’t chase massive corporate contracts. Because we don’t prioritise “big” business, every customer, no matter their size, has an equal voice in our software enhancement process.

3. Local support, human connection

In an era of automated tickets and overseas call centres, we remain committed to human-to-human contact. Tower Systems develops its software locally in Australia and New Zealand, and our support team is based here too.

When you call us, you speak to a person who understands the local retail landscape. We also operate a transparent enhancement process where every customer gets to vote on future software updates. Your feedback directly shapes the tools you use every day.

Is Tower Systems right for you?

We aren’t here to tell you that we are the only choice. Let’s talk, find out what matters to you and see whether what we offer is a viable solution. No pressure from us. If you use Lightspeed today, let us know what you love and what you’re not a fan of. We can see how we step up to each of these.

 If our solution isn’t the right fit for your specific operational needs, we will tell you so. But if you are looking for a system that offers flexibility, local accountability, and a predictable cost of ownership, we would love to chat.

Would you like to see how we compare to Lightspeed? Contact us for a no-obligation demonstration. You can reach the team on 1300 662 957 or via email at sales@towersystems.com.au.

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

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

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

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

What is “Unified Commerce”

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

The Power of Connection: Seamless Integrations

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

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

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

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

Why This Matters for Your Bottom Line

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

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

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

Ready to Unify Your Business?

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

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

…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

…

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

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

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

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

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

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

What can you use Recurring Billing for?

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

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

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

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

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

Key Features that Save time

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

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

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

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

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

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

How it works

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

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

Getting started

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

1. Go to Customers -> Recurring Invoices.

2. Click New Recurring Invoice.

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

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

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

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

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

…

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Seamless scale integration (NMI Authorized)

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

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

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

2. Visual Touchscreen Buttons

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

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

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

3. Handling Bulk Breakdowns (“Manufactured Goods”)

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

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

4. Smart Currency & Import Management

Dealing with imported goods often means juggling exchange rates.

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

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

5. Community & Loyalty Features

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

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

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

6. Flexibility for the Real World

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

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

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

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

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

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

…

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

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