The POS Software Blog

The POS Software Blog

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

Tagvertical market software

What’s the best software for newsagents?

October 3, 2025
3 Min read
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The real question has to be what’s the best software for your newsagency business. We say this since there is a big difference between newsagency businesses. Few are the traditional newsagencies Aussies grew up with. More have transformed. Some are gift shops, others are cafes, others are homewares shops, others are very cool general stores.

If you do want to think about it more broadly when asking What’s the best software for newsagents? the answer likely is Tower Systems since more newsagents have chosen our newsagency software than all other POS software products considered by newsagents combined. We are grateful to serve close to 1,900 newsagency businesses today.

We have newsagents using our POS software to manage magazines, sales of lottery tickets through The Lott, gift products, jewellery, coffee, food, games, toys, cards, newspapers, hunting goods, camping goods, books and plenty more. The diversity in our POS software is part of what appeals not only to newsagents but to other retailers looking for software solutions for their local specialty retail businesses.

As the newsagency channel evolves, newsagents want software that evolves with them. The size of our newsagency customer base positions us well for this. Software companies with 400, 200 or fewer customers will struggle to keep up, to deliver software and customer service vital to efficient and commercially valuable retail management. The question What’s the best software for newsagents? is really about this evolution.

Our work with and for newsagents since 1981 has been every day, in creating software newsagents prefer, backing this with customer service they love and helping newsagents make business decisions that are valuable for their businesses.

The question What’s the best software for newsagents? is relevant today because so many software products pitch themselves to newsagents. few have the technical facilities to serve what’s unique and specialist about running a local Aussie newsagency business.

Our most recent innovation for newsagents is the AI tools embedded in our newsagency software. First released three years ago and enhanced in each update since, this is a rapidly evolving area of change in newsagency management. It’s a money maker for plenty, for sure. One newsagent we spoke with this week said it was saving between 3 and 5 hours a week. Now that’s a real business cost saving. Another told us about online sales they were now getting and a direct result of using the AI tools.

Retail is changing rapidly and newsagency management is changing rapidly. This brings opportunities and we are loving seeing the innovation flow.

If you are wondering What’s the best software for newsagents? we think Tower Systems is the software to consider.

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How small business retailers help POS software evolve

October 3, 2025
3 Min read
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Join us in a discussion about =t the Software Ideas platform from Tower Systems.

At Tower Systems, we believe the best insights for improving our POS software come directly from the specialty retailers who use it every day, small business retailers with the kind of boots in the ground experience that is key to helping us make best-practice POS software. That’s why we created our Software Ideas platform—a democratic and transparent space for you to help shape the future of your software.

Through the platform, you can submit your suggestions for enhancements and vote on ideas shared by other retailers. This collaborative process ensures our development roadmap is guided by the real-world challenges and opportunities you face. Every software update we release includes features born from this platform, proposed and prioritized by our customer community.

This unique approach turns you into a key partner in our development. An idea from a single local business can blossom into a feature that saves time, streamlines workflows, or unlocks new revenue streams for thousands of retailers across the country. It creates a direct channel from your shop floor to our coding team, ensuring your front-line expertise becomes our development priority.

To show you how it works, we’ve created a video that walks you through submitting an idea and our consideration process. We’ve shared it publicly on our YouTube channel as a training resource and as another example of the transparency we champion.

Tower Systems is a POS software company focused on the needs of niche, small business retailers. With Software Ideas, your voice doesn’t just get heard—it gets built into the next version of the software you rely on.

Here’s how Software Ideas makes an impact:

  • A Voice for Every User: Submit your own suggestions for new features and improvements, giving you a direct line to our development team.
  • Democratic Prioritization: Vote on ideas submitted by the entire community. The most popular suggestions rise to the top, guiding what we build next.
  • Transparent Process: Our open platform means every idea and vote is visible. We believe sunlight is good for democracy, and it’s great for software development too.
  • Real Results in Every Update: Each new version of our POS software includes enhancements sourced directly from the Software Ideas platform. You’ll see your influence in the tools you use every day.
  • From Your Shop to Our Code: You are the expert. This platform ensures your front-line knowledge is translated into powerful features that save time, improve workflows, and create new opportunities for thousands of retailers.

We are grateful to our POS software customers for their engagement with Software Ideas.

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Small business retailers benefit from EFTPOS flexibility with POS software

October 2, 2025
3 Min read
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Tower Systems does not lock retailers into a specific EFTPOS solution. retailers using our POS software can choose the EFTPOS partner that best serves their needs.

This means retailers can choose the EFTPOS partner that offers the rates they like backed by service they love and with a settlement time that serves their business needs.

More often today we are seeing POS software companies lock retailers into an EFTPOS solution that does not benefit the customers of the retailers.

If you surcharge customers for EFTPOS use and therefore think it’s not a cost to worry you, a higher than best rate cost can make your business look less competitive due to the surcharge you apply.

A better EFTPOS benefits you and your customers. This is one reason why we think it is vital that retailers get to choose the EFTPOS solution that best serves their needs. This is why we as a POS software company make no EFTPOS demands on ur customers.

We know of a software company making more money from the clip they get from each transaction in shops running their software than from what they charge for the software. This is like a sales tax applied by a software company on their customers, a tax all too often passed on to unwitting shoppers through a surcharge.

Using the Tower Systems POS software you can apply a surcharge. You can also choose the EFTPOS that works best for you. Go for a low cost solution and this means your surcharge on your customers will be low. They will love you for that. And, if surcharges are eventually banned in Australia as the RBA has foreshadowed you’re ahead of the game.

Our commitment is to your business’s success, not to creating a hidden revenue stream from your sales. This freedom of EFTPOS choice is fundamental to our partnership approach.

We believe the best POS software empowers you to make the smartest financial decisions for your store, from negotiating rates to managing cash flow with timely settlements.

By refusing to lock you into a single provider, we ensure your focus can remain on what truly matters: serving your customers and growing your business with the best-fit financial tools at your disposal.

When considering POS software for your business, research the total cost of ownership for you, and for your customers. Go into your decision with all the information. Oh, and take your time. beware any who rush you.

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While the right POS system for any retail business depends on the specific needs of the retail business, Tower Systems was built to serve Australian and New Zealand local small business specialty retailers. To see how we can 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. 

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AI enabled POS software makes it easy for garden centres to import supplier invoices

October 2, 2025
2 Min read
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Our new video shows you how. See our POS software’s built-in AI instantly import supplier invoices for a garden centre, saving time, money, and eliminating errors.

Tower Systems is an innovator in POS software made for local small business retailers. We are dedicated to delivering competitive advantages to specialty small businesses.

This video showcases one of our innovations: AI-powered supplier invoice importing.

As demonstrated with real-world invoices from garden centres, our integrated AI tools make processing supplier documents effortless. This technology is a direct result of our commitment to genuine, practical support for local retailers—a commitment we began over three years ago with the first release of AI features in our POS software.

The impact is significant. Retailers using these tools report considerable savings in time and money, alongside a marked reduction in costly mistakes. Ultimately, this technology is about resource reallocation. It automates tedious data entry, empowering business owners and their staff to dedicate their energy to core activities like customer service, stock management, and strategic growth.

Described by many of our customers as a “true game changer,” this feature is not limited to the horticultural industry; it benefits any retailer on our platform.

At Tower Systems, we practice a “show, don’t tell” philosophy. Our publicly available YouTube videos provide transparent demonstrations of our software’s capabilities. We invite you to view this video and contact us for a personalised demonstration to see how our POS software can work for you.

Now, here are key advantages of our integrated AI tools:

  • Boost Efficiency: Our garden centre clients report massive time savings by automating what was once a manual data entry chore.
  • Enhance Accuracy: By removing manual keying, the AI drastically reduces costly human errors.
  • Drive Profitability: Save time and cut mistakes to improve your bottom line.
  • Focus on What Matters: Free your team from back-office tasks to concentrate on customer care, stock management, and business growth.
  • Pioneering Technology: Tower Systems has been an innovator in this space for over three years, continuously developing our AI tools with each software update to support small business retailers.

This powerful feature is a core part of our POS software and is available for all specialty retail types, not just garden centres.

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The Halloween opportunity most Aussie small business retailers ignore

October 1, 2025
2 Min read
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The majority of small business retailers in Australia ignore the Halloween opportunity.

In the US, the Halloween season is celebrated with enthusiasm across almost every retail sector. It’s worth billions. It’s embraced as fun, nothing too scary, sinister or weird.

A remarkable diversity of retailers engage with the season, including jewellers, garden centres, bike shops, pet stores, bookshops, and even landscape supply businesses. there is no barrier to the type of business engaging with Halloween.

More than candy.

What stands out is that the approach extends far beyond simply selling candy for trick-or-treating. Retailers in the US treat Halloween as a prime opportunity for fun and, most importantly, for community engagement.

They use the season to host in-store events, offer unique photo opportunities, and run themed sales, all designed to reconnect with their local customer base in a memorable and enjoyable way. It is a seasonal embrace with a sense of fun at its heart—local, engaging, and highly effective.

A simple example can be seen in a creative display at a bike and coffee shop. An installation prompted people to stop, crouch down, and take photos. It was an engaging, low-cost feature that created a buzz and drew people toward the business.

This model presents a compelling opportunity for Australian retailers. Positioned perfectly in the retail calendar after Father’s Day and before the Christmas season fully commences, Halloween can fill a potential quiet period with valuable activity and engagement.

Events in-store, in any type of retail business, are vital to helping to be noticed, attract new shoppers, and grow a loyal customer base.

Many US retailers also use the early September start for Halloween preparations as a gentle ramp-up to the busy Christmas period, easing customers and staff into the festive shopping mindset.

Retail is a personal. Leaning into an event like Halloween allows a business to showcase its personality and connect with customers on a more human level, fostering loyalty that lasts well beyond a single season.

For businesses looking to explore this opportunity, our Tower Systems POS software is equipped to help you track the performance of seasonal campaigns, providing valuable data to measure your success and refine future events. There are countless creative opportunities for local retailers to engage, delight, and grow their customer base, no matter what they sell.

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Aussie made and supported POS software for Multi-Store retail businesses

September 30, 2025
3 Min read
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If you run a shop with multiple locations, our POS software may be a solution for you, especially if yours is a specialty retail businesses.

Our Multi store POS software pricing is simple with a single price per location.

Tower Systems specialises in serving jewellers, pet shops, gift shops, bookshops, produce businesses, stockfeed businesses, garden centres, bike shops, toy shops, charity shops (like op. shops), convenience stores, newsagents, fishing shops, outdoors shops, haberdashery businesses, fabric shops, sewing shops and more.

Using our POS software, you can manage multiple retail locations from one location, including being completely offsite from the retail businesses.

Our Multi-store POS software solution is cloud based. This offers the flexibility needed for multi-store operation.

Harnessing the power of consolidated data is a key advantage. Our software provides you with a single, comprehensive view of your retail operation. This allows you to make smarter, data-driven strategic decisions, from identifying best-selling products across all stores to understanding regional customer preferences. You can manage group-wide promotions, centralise your purchasing for better supplier terms, and implement a unified loyalty program, ensuring a consistent and rewarding customer experience no matter which location they visit.

We first expanded our software suite with multi-store functionality in 2007 and continue to install and support it for many small business retail clients, whether they have two shops or ten.

Developed initially out of our own lived retail experience running four gift shops many years ago, the software has evolved considerably thanks to advice from many different retailers.

Here are some examples of how our multi store POS software can help: if a customer asks for a product that is out of stock at their current retail location, our software will immediately check for stock in other stores and inform your customer service staff of its availability. If you have a warehouse location, your staff can provide estimates on how long it will take to restock your retail store, or to transfer stock across from another store.

Seamless connectivity is instantaneous, invisible to the customer and representative of the opportunities of a multi-store point of sale system.

Multi-store locations can also be managed remotely, from any device and at any time – all you need is an Internet connection.

You can easily do stock item maintenance for all your stores from home in the evening, or arrive invoices for some of your stores while you head to a café for lunch.

You can compare store sales data over breakfast, adjust rosters for each store’s employees from the backseat of a taxi and much more.

Multi-store POS software is this flexible: it’s small business retail management where and when you want, and need.

Our multi-store package has fixed, transparent pricing.

Our pricing is location based – not matter how many POS terminals you run.  It’s also scalable – if you have one store now, you can easily add another later.

Tower Systems’ multi-store functionality has been built from the ground up to link your stores and give you the best possible control. We want to help you grow your business.

We don’t know if our POS software is right for you. We’ll start by seeking to fully understand your needs. If at any time in the sales process we think we may not fit what you’re looking for, we will say so.

Tower Systems is a no pressure POS software company. We know that sometimes making the right decision can take considerable time. We’re patient, and grateful for your interest.

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How to create and send a Shopify marketing email to your online customers

September 29, 2025
4 Min read
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We made this short video Thursday last week to show some retailers we were talking with how to create and send a basic marketing email in Shopify. In the email we pitched a new silver coin celebrating the classic 1960s Batman car that we have at a website connected to my newsagency: www.mintcoinshop.com.au. Two hours after we sent the email we’d sold 9 of the Batman car coins – $1,890.00. The email generated $2,000.00 in sales of other coins.

Here’s the video where we show how to create and send a Shopify marketing email to your online customers:

We are sharing the video here to be transparent about the ease of sending a marketing email through Shopify. Originally, we made the video to be private and shared with a few. Today we thought why not show off this simple and successful opportunity.

Our advice on how to create and send a Shopify marketing email to your online customers speaks to the breadth of service we provide our small business retail customers.

Tower Systems has a web development team that can create beautiful websites connected to our POS software. This helps our retailers reach more shoppers. Our experience with Shopify ourselves helps inform the services we provide in this space. We speak from lived experience, which plenty of web developers are unable to do.

All of our web development is done in Australia, by our own people. There is no outsourcing of website development here.

Drawing from experience in fixing websites for retailers, we see the same avoidable mistakes time and again. By being aware of them, you can steer your project towards success.

  • Not Knowing Your Online Customer: The target customer for your website may be completely different from your regular foot traffic. Your site’s primary goal should be to reach people who would otherwise never discover your store. Define this new audience first.
  • Replicating Your Physical Shop: Creating an online catalogue of everything you sell in-store is a missed opportunity. The most successful retail websites focus on a niche. Stand for something specific online to make your site more appealing and easier to find via search.
  • Thinking the Work is Done at Launch: A website is not a “set and forget” project. Think of it as a hungry beast that needs to be fed constantly with new content, products, and updates to remain relevant and visible.
  • Assuming the Developer Knows Best: Web developers are experts in technology, not necessarily in retail. Your business strategy should lead the project. Partner with a developer who shows a genuine interest in understanding your business and your industry.
  • Ignoring the Total Cost of Ownership: The initial development fee is just the beginning. Before you sign any contract, ensure you have a clear, documented understanding of all ongoing costs, including hosting, maintenance, security updates, and support.
  • Using Generic Supplier Content: It is tempting to save time by using stock images and product descriptions from your suppliers. However, search engines penalise duplicate content. Creating your own unique photos and descriptions is hard work, but it pays off enormously in search rankings and brand identity.
  • Viewing Your Website as a Final Destination: Your website is a milestone, not an endpoint. It will need to evolve constantly, and eventually, it will need to be rebuilt. Go into the process knowing this is one important step on a longer digital journey.

From creating websites to provide advice on how to create a marketing email using Shopify, we’re here to help local small business retailers thrive. We hope our video How to create and send a Shopify marketing email to your online customers was helpful.

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How easy it is to move from a POS software solution could indicate whether that software is right for your business

September 27, 2025
2 Min read
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How easy it is to move from a POS software solution could indicate whether that software is right for your business

Some software companies make it hard to switch from their software to something else.

They may do this by not allowing easy access to your business data, a valuable asset for any business.

They may do this by locking you into a long contract.

They may do this by not offering any advice on how to switch.

We have seen software companies do these things to reduce the ease with which someone can change from their software. We think it is a weak move for if they trusted their software and their customer service they’d make it easy to switch, knowing customers want ato stay with them because they like the service, they value it.

Tower Systems makes it easy for people to move from our software because we back ourselves, every day.

Your choice of POS software is a strategic decision that impacts the future agility of your business.

Being locked into a POS system that no longer serves your needs can stifle growth, prevent you from adopting new technologies, and leave you at the mercy of unexpected price increases.

A software provider that offers a clear and simple exit path is demonstrating that they view you as a partner, not a prisoner. They are betting on their ability to continually earn your business through excellent service and innovation, giving you the freedom and control to always make the best choice for your company’s future.

If you are considering POS software for your business, take your time, investigate, be sure to ask about ease of access to your data should you decide at some point two switch software.

Also, make sure you understand the contract term and what termination may look like.

These are vital things to know in advance, so you can make a more informed decision.

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While the right POS system for any retail business depends on the specific needs of the retail business, Tower Systems was built to serve  Australian and New Zealand local small business specialty retailers. To see how we can 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. 

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It’s a public holiday in Melbourne today and we’re here for you

September 26, 2025
1 Min read
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Our head office in Melbourne is closed today for the AFL Grand Final public holiday. The good news is we are here for you regardless. Our help desk phone numbers are live and staffed by your regular POS software experts ready to answer calls, our support email is live and giving immediate responses, our Software Ideas platform for enhancement suggestions is live, our Knowledge Base is live and available and our awesome ChatBot is live and helping people.

Retail is personal and businesses like ours that support retailers understand the value of personal service.

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Retailer Roam: the sell from anywhere, any time, even without internet access POS software solution

September 24, 2025
4 Min read
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Modern retail is not restricted to four walls and a fixed counter. The smartest retailers know that the key to growth is to be where the customers are, whether that’s on the shop floor, at a local market, a pop-up event, or even off the back of a truck.

Retail is personal and the more in the moment you can be with shoppers the better.

This new landscape requires tools that are as agile and mobile as your business. Our Retailer Roam solution is a calm, capable, and cloud-based tool in the Tower Systems software suite, designed to give you the freedom to sell anywhere, anytime.

We have customers using Retailer Roam for pop-up shops, trade show events, selling from a trust, selling on the shop floor, selling from a local market and selling from out in the field and far away fro the sales counter. And, bets of all, a new release of Retailer Roam is out now, launched just a couple of weeks ago, in late August 2025.

Retailer Roam makes it easy to sell anywhere, at any time. We have jewellers, garden centres, produce businesses and not-for profit use cases from live experience.

Portability and Uninterrupted Sales

As a tablet-based app for Apple iPads and Android devices, Retailer Roam serves as a powerful extension of our core Retailer POS software from us here at Tower Systems. It’s built for small businesses on the move, but its key strength lies in its ability to operate with or without an internet connection.

We understand that reliable WiFi isn’t always guaranteed at an event or temporary location. Retailer Roam is engineered to work seamlessly even when a connection is unavailable. Sales and customer data are stored securely in a queue on the device and then automatically synchronised with your main system the moment you’re back online. This offers complete peace of mind, ensuring you never miss a sale due to a sketchy connection.

Developed with retailers, for retailers, Retailer Roam has years of in-the-field use that proves its value.

Powerful Retail Features, Right in Your Hands

Retailer Roam isn’t a scaled-down app; it provides the power of a full POS terminal in a portable format. With it, you can:

  • Transact with Ease: Effortlessly process cash and integrated EFTPOS sales, create invoices, set up a LayBy, and handle refunds.
  • Manage Stock: Sell items with serial numbers, conduct on-the-go stocktakes, and manage re-ordering from anywhere.
  • Engage Customers: Accrue and redeem loyalty points on the spot, strengthening your customer relationships wherever you meet them.
  • Customise Your Workflow: Adapt the POS screen to suit your specific needs for faster, more intuitive service.

How Retailer Roam Works

Behind the scenes, a secure and reliable three-phase process keeps your data accurate and synchronised with your main business database. It begins with an initial transfer of your base stock information to get you selling immediately. The app then receives live product updates, like price changes, and finally, all sales and customer data from the Roam terminal is sent back to your main software. This gives you a complete, unified picture of your business performance across all locations.

With the most recent version released just last month in August 2025, we continue to evolve Retailer Roam to ensure it remains a viable and loved solution for local small business retailers. It’s a proven tool for any retail business that needs to be agile, secure, and ready for anything.

While the right POS system depends on the specific needs of your business, Tower Systems was built to serve Australian and New Zealand specialty retailers.

To see how we can help you, request a free, no-obligation demo today.

Call: 1300 662 957 (in Australia) or 0800 444 367 (in New Zealand) Email: sales@towersystems.com.au

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An easy way for retailers to apportion the cost of freight across products on a supplier invoice

September 23, 2025
2 Min read
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From Frustration to Efficiency: Simplifying Freight Cost Allocation

Handling the cost of freight can be a significant challenge for any retail business. For some, a substantial freight charge on an invoice can be a source of frustration. For others, the practical struggle lies in accurately apportioning that single cost across all the different items in the shipment.

Let’s start with the frustration. The simple truth is that every single item you receive has a freight cost associated with getting it to your store. Sometimes this cost is clearly itemised on your invoice; other times, it’s hidden within the cost of the goods themselves. But either way, it is always there.

The second challenge is the practical one: how do you accurately assign a portion of a $150 freight bill to hundreds of individual products on an invoice? This is where our Tower Systems POS software can help make the process easy.

In our software, you can take the total freight charge shown on an invoice and have it automatically apportioned across all items received. This ensures the landed cost of each product is accurate. The system is flexible, too. If you feel a specific product should carry more or less of the freight burden, you can easily adjust it manually. Plus, if your invoice has more than one freight charge, you can add them all in to be spread across the items.

Handling freight costs accurately and quickly is essential for maintaining healthy margins. Our software is designed to save you time on these crucial back-office tasks. We believe that every minute saved is valuable. Labour has a cost, and the more we can do to help retailers reduce this, the better.

Our software provides independent small businesses with a framework for consistency in their operations. By simplifying processes like freight allocation, we help you establish a reliable and accurate method for reflecting the true cost of your goods, paving the way for smarter pricing and better business decisions.

We love helping local small business retailers thrive. We do this for bookshops, sewing shops, music shops, garden centres, pet shops, toy shops, produce businesses, stockfeed businesses, jewellers, firearms dealers and more – all specialty retailers, all with unique needs, yet businesses with common needs when it comes to managing freight costs.

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Your Business, Your Language: Next-Level Support for Multilingual Retailers

September 22, 2025
3 Min read
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The small business retail community across Australia and New Zealand is a vibrant tapestry of cultures and backgrounds. For many dedicated business owners, English is a second, third, or even fourth language, not the one they use most comfortably in their day-to-day communication.

At Tower Systems, we believe that language should be a bridge, not a barrier, to getting the most from your (our) point-of-sale software.

Our commitment to this isn’t new. We first introduced Mandarin and Cantonese language support from our help desk back in 2002, later adding Vietnamese. We saw then how vital it was to offer support in the languages our customers speak most fluently.

Fast forward to today, and we’ve taken this support to a new level. Leveraging a professional and secure AI platform, we can now offer assistance in a vast array of foreign languages. This technology is powered by a structured knowledge base we have built over many years, containing more than 700 articles and hundreds of videos on how to use our POS software.

The system is designed for ease and flexibility. Our customers can type a query in their preferred language and receive a clear, written response in that same language. If it’s easier to explain an issue out loud, they can simply speak their query. The platform listens, considers the question, and responds verbally. Users can even record their query and upload the file for a prompt response.

Foreign language support is vital in local retail today. It empowers retailers to use their software more effectively, unlocking benefits for their businesses and the communities they serve. Before we released this capability publicly, we tested it thoroughly to ensure the process was seamless, trustworthy, and even enjoyable. After all, a positive customer service experience is paramount.

We started with our own high school-level French, German, and Spanish. Then, we invited some of our customers to put the system through its paces, and they went far beyond our basic skills. It was a genuine treat to see people so happy and satisfied with their engagement.

While we embrace technology, we know that retail is personal. We haven’t forgotten that. Access to the people here at Tower Systems remains as easy as ever—there are no barriers or roadblocks. In fact, by having our chatbot handle many common questions in multiple languages, our human team is freed up for more complex interactions that truly benefit from personal engagement.

Helping local retailers thrive has been our driving force for decades. Offering broader foreign language support for our POS software is another way we are innovating for them. Local small businesses are the heart of our communities; they carry the local narrative and enrich our culture. Helping them succeed is good for our economy and our community spirit.

By providing this service, we are giving our retailers new opportunities to thrive. We like that. No, we love it. Because a thriving local retail sector means a thriving community for everyone.

Find out more about our foreign language POS software support:

Email: sales@towersystems.com.au Phone (Australia): 1300 772 957 Phone (New Zealand): 0400 444 367

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Our Contract is Our Commitment: Why We Make It Easy for Our POS software to Leave

September 20, 2025
3 Min read
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In the world of retail software, the long-term contract is standard practice. Twelve, twenty-four, even thirty-six-month agreements are common, locking small business retailers into a platform regardless of whether it continues to meet their evolving needs. At Tower Systems, we have a different approach. Our commitment to you isn’t written in a lengthy, binding contract; it’s proven every day in the value our software delivers.

That’s why we make it easy for our customers to leave.

With just 30 days’ notice, any retailer using our POS software for small business retail can terminate their rental agreement. There are no financial penalties, no hidden clauses, and no difficult conversations. This isn’t just a policy; it’s the bedrock of our entire business philosophy.

Putting Our Skin in the Game

This 30-day notice period is our differentiator, but more importantly, it’s our daily motivation. By giving our customers the freedom to leave, we place the onus squarely on ourselves to give them compelling reasons to stay. It keeps us accountable and relentlessly focused on what truly matters: delivering tangible value to the small, independent retailers we serve.

We back ourselves and our software. We are confident that our product, our support, and our continuous innovation will earn your business month after month. If we fail to do that, you should have the freedom to choose a solution that does.

How This “Easy to Quit” Policy Drives Us

This commitment shapes every facet of our operation:

  • It Drives Continuous Innovation: We can’t afford to become complacent. Knowing that our customers can leave at any time pushes our development team to constantly enhance our software, release meaningful updates, and respond to the real-world needs of modern retailers.
  • It Demands Excellent Support: When a retailer calls for support, they aren’t just a contract number; they are a partner whose trust we must re-earn with every interaction. Our support team understands that responsive, effective, and knowledgeable service is critical to customer retention.
  • It Fosters a True Partnership: The traditional software contract creates a power imbalance. Our model fosters a partnership. We are in it together. Your success is the only metric that guarantees our success, creating a relationship built on mutual trust and respect, not contractual obligation.

The Power of Freedom for the Retailer

For a small retail business owner, agility is everything. The retail landscape can change in a season, and your business needs to pivot quickly. Being locked into a multi-year software contract that no longer fits your workflow stifles that agility.

Our 30-day policy provides you with:

  • Reduced Risk: You can adopt our powerful, specialised POS software for your local specialty retail business with the confidence that you are not making an irreversible, long-term financial commitment.
  • Ultimate Flexibility: As your business grows, diversifies, or changes, you have the assurance that your core operational software can change with you.
  • An Empowered Choice: You stay with Tower Systems because you want to, not because you have to. You are in control.

We believe the best way to keep a customer is to deliver so much value they wouldn’t dream of leaving. That’s our promise. The 30-day notice isn’t an exit clause; it’s our commitment to upholding that promise every single day.

About Tower Systems

Tower Systems has been providing specialised POS software for small and independent retailers across Australia for over 40 years. We pride ourselves on creating practical, feature-rich software backed by industry-leading support. To learn more about our commitment to local retail, visit us at www.towersystems.com.au.

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We imported a PDF of a 16 page invoice with 480 stock items into our AI enabled POS software in no time at all with 100% accuracy

September 19, 2025
2 Min read
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Manual data entry is the silent thief of productivity in local small business retail. Every business owner knows the feeling: a thick supplier invoice lands on your desk, and you know that hours of tedious, soul-destroying typing lie ahead. It’s a process prone to errors, where a single misplaced decimal or incorrect product code can lead to stock discrepancies, pricing mistakes, and ultimately, lost revenue.

We decided to put a definitive end to that.

We took a real-world, complex challenge: a 16-page supplier invoice containing 480 individual stock items with a freight charge and including some stock items not stocked before. The kind of document that would typically take a staff member hours to process, with a high likelihood of human error.

The result? Our AI-powered POS software ingested, read, and processed the entire document in moments. Not minutes, moments.

  • Pages processed: 16
  • Line items: 480
  • Time taken: Seconds
  • Accuracy: 100%

How is this possible?

This isn’t simple Optical Character Recognition (OCR). Our Tower Systems small business POS software AI has been trained to understand the structure of an invoice. It doesn’t just see text; it identifies columns and comprehends data, intelligently mapping product codes, descriptions, quantities, costs, and taxes directly into your inventory system.

What this could mean for your business:

  • Reclaim your time: Free up yourself and your staff to focus on what truly matters—serving customers and growing the business, not acting as data entry clerks.
  • Eliminate costly errors: 100% accuracy means your stock levels are correct from the moment goods arrive. No more pricing errors or chasing phantom inventory.
  • Get stock on shelves faster: The delay between receiving a delivery and having it available for sale is drastically reduced. In a fast-moving retail environment, this speed is a competitive advantage.
  • Improve staff morale: Removing the most tedious tasks from your team’s plate is a guaranteed way to boost job satisfaction.

The days of manually processing supplier invoices are over. Technology should work for you, simplifying complexity and giving you back your most valuable asset: time.

The Tower Systems AI enabled POS software is proving to be a game changer for local and independent small business retailers. Find out more at www.towersystems.com.au or call 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au.

We love helping local small business retailers thrive!

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Looking for an MYOB Retail Manager Alternative? A Guide for Australian Retailers

September 18, 2025
4 Min read
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Here at Tower Systems, we respect the significant role MYOB Retail Manager has played in helping countless Australian retailers over the years. We are also grateful to have welcomed many of its former users into our community, providing a comfortable and welcome new home for their business operations and data.

If you’re currently using MYOB Retail Manager and exploring what else is out there, we’d like to introduce ourselves. We specialise in creating powerful, user-friendly POS software specifically for local specialty retailers in Australia.

The Tower Systems difference is about more than the software

When you partner with us, you’ll discover some key differences. We’ve built our service around the unique needs of small business owners. Here’s what you can expect as a Tower Systems customer:

  • Easy One-on-One Training: Get personalised training on our POS software to ensure you and your team are confident from day one.
  • AI tools embedded. Yes, AI tools in our POS software ready to help you work faster, smarter and more profitably.
  • Local, Experienced Support: Our friendly help desk experts are all based in Australia. Many have retail experience themselves, so they understand the challenges you face.
  • Regular, Tested Updates: We don’t just push out updates. We thoroughly test them before release, using valuable user feedback to guide the development of new features. Plus, your voice is heard when considering enhancements to our POS software.
  • Learn at Your Own Pace: Dive into our extensive knowledge base with over 600 step-by-step guides and access a library of fresh training videos anytime you need a refresher. Awe also have easy to access free training videos that are kept up top date.
  • Seamless EFTPOS Integration: We integrate with your preferred bank, ensuring smooth and reliable transactions for you and your customers. Plus, we don’t lock you in on payments.
  • Grow Your Customer Base: With so many tools and opportunities.
  • A Connected Community: Join our private Facebook group to connect with other retailers, and participate in our regular customer Zoom meetings to learn tips and ask questions directly.
  • Direct Access to Leadership: We believe in transparency and accessibility. You can talk directly with our key decision-makers.
  • Advanced Theft Check Service: Protect your bottom line with our secure service that analyses transaction data to help identify and prevent potential fraud.

Since 1981, we’ve grown to serve over 3,000 local businesses across various specialty retail channels. Our technology is cutting-edge, efficient, and developed entirely by our in-house team. We also provide all our own support, ensuring a consistent and high-quality experience.

Considering a switch from MYOB retail Manager? Here’s our honest advice

Changing your core business system is a big decision. If you’re considering a move from MYOB Retail Manager, we first recommend contacting them to see if they can address your concerns. Sometimes, staying with a familiar system is the best path forward.

However, if you’re committed to making a change, the best first step is to create a list of your absolute needs and wants in a new POS software and provider.

At Tower Systems, we’re a no-pressure company. We would be delighted to learn about your business needs, provide a comprehensive, no-obligation demonstration of our software, and then give you the time and space to consider it at your own pace.

Let’s connect

When you’re ready, we’ll be here – in person, not through an offshore call centre. Our service is personal. Call us, and a real person will answer. Visit our head office, and we’ll welcome you in. Email us, and you can expect a prompt reply.

We can’t guarantee we’re the absolute best alternative for everyone, but we’re confident we can show you a robust, supportive, and forward-thinking option for your retail business.

Check us out and see if Tower Systems is the right fit for you:

Thanks for reading!

P.S. We specialise in working with local small business retailers in Australia. This ensures our focus is always on serving your specific needs, not those of large corporations.

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Customers are loving being able to ask POS software questions in any language

September 17, 2025
3 Min read
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Our Tower Systems small business retail customers are loving the ability for our Intercom FIN chatbot to answer POS software queries in languages other than English. There is no switch for them to turn on. All our small business retail customers need do is start by speaking or typing in their language of choice. The interaction is a joy to watch.

Check out this interaction from the other day.

French, Japanese, Spanish, Dutch, German, even Pidgin English.

All one of our POS software customers need do is to ask a question in their preferred language.

Our ChatBot responses only come from the knowledge we have provided. This closed approach provided a quality interaction for even the most complex of questions put by our small business POS software customers.

Now, our ChatBot has been live for years. Its skill is growing daily. And, more of our POS software customers are using it. Their productivity is up as a result, as is ours.

What’s interesting is that our staffing of the help desk has not been cut as a result of the AI ChatBot that’s in place. rather, team members are freed to be more efficient in other ways, and this benefits our customers for ore complex queries and other work that benefits our goal of helping local small business retailers thrive.

By handling routine and repetitive queries, the ChatBot frees up our help desk staff to tackle more complex and nuanced customer issues. This shift allows our team to focus on the truly human aspects of support, building relationships, providing in-depth guidance, and offering personalised solutions that the AI cannot. It means our human team members can dedicate their time to high-value interactions, ensuring that our small business customers feel heard and supported, ultimately strengthening our commitment to their long-term success.

We continue to provide human oversight of the ChatBot responses, to ensure they are correct and to look for ways we can improve the knowledge feed to the ChatBot so that its response are even better.

Ai is not a replacement for good customer service. Rather, it is an enhancement to customer service in so many ways.

Key to the success our ChatBot has at providing responses to our small business POS software customers is the structured knowledge source we provide. This has been a hallmark of our company for decades and continues to evolve today. This is not your regular user manual or other documentation software companies produce. rather, it is structured step-by-step information, knowledge, peer-reviewed and checked to ensure its accuracy and understandability by people and by tech that have no retail reference point yet for which retail context is vital.

At the heart of the C hatBot advice is human knowledge and here at Tower Systems that’s not going anywhere. We know that retail is all about the personal experience, especially local small business retail.

We are grateful to our POS software customers for engaging with our ChatBot, providing feedback and engaging as we continue to evolve this smart tech service.

…

While the right POS system for any retail business depends on the specific needs of the retail business, Tower Systems was built to serve Australian and New Zealand local small business specialty retailers. To see how we can 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. 

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See how our pet shop software serves Indepet retailers and other pet shop owners

September 17, 2025
3 Min read
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Empowering Independent Pet Shops: More Than Just a POS System

Independent pet shop owners run a business and they nurture a community of pet lovers. They compete with passion and expertise, but to truly thrive against large chain stores, they need tools that work as hard as they do. A Point-of-Sale (POS) system should be more than a cash register, it should be a central hub for growth, efficiency, and customer engagement.

At Tower Systems, we’ve developed specialised pet shop software designed to empower local and independent retailers, including proud members of the Indepet group. Our platform helps you compete effectively by saving time, enabling genuine omnichannel sales, and providing the data you need to make smarter business decisions. See for yourself in this new video from us:

Create Unbeatable Customer Loyalty

In a competitive market, customer loyalty is your greatest asset. Our software is packed with features designed to build lasting relationships and keep your customers returning.

Imagine a system that automatically manages multi-buy promotions, like a “buy 10, get one free” offer on pet food, without the need for flimsy punch cards. The POS prompts your staff when a customer is eligible and prints their progress on their receipt, creating a seamless experience.

Go a step further by adding a personal touch:

  • Celebrate pet birthdays with special offers.
  • Send automated reminders for worming and other treatments.
  • Track pet microchip numbers for your records.
  • Share your own specialty care and product use information directly with customers.

Streamline Operations and Drive Sales

Our goal is to help you spend less time on administration and more time with your customers. The Tower Systems pet shop software is a complete tool for both your front-of-store and back-office needs. It helps you differentiate your business and grow your bottom line with powerful, integrated features.

Key Features for Your Pet Shop:

  • Save Time: Process electronic invoices directly from suppliers and slash bookkeeping fees with seamless integration into Xero and other accounting platforms.
  • Boost Loyalty: Implement automated multi-buy promotions and flexible club or group pricing to reward your best customers.
  • Increase Sales: Easily manage pre-orders, create unique product bundles to make price comparisons difficult, and market to customers based on their specific purchase history.
  • Embrace Omnichannel: Sell online with ease through a direct link from your POS software to a Shopifywebstore.
  • Modernise Payments: Move beyond outdated lay-by systems with integrated Buy Now, Pay Later options.
  • Gain Insights: Use product tags to get a fresh perspective on stock performance and track sales data by employee.

A Platform That Evolves With You

The pet retail industry is constantly changing, and your software should too. The Tower Systems platform is continuously evolving, with regular updates that include enhancements suggested directly by our customers. When you choose our software, you’re not just buying a product; you’re gaining a partner dedicated to your success.

Ready to take your pet shop to the next level?

Discover how Tower Systems can help you save time, build lasting customer relationships, and grow your business.

Website: www.towersystems.com.au Phone: 1300 662 957 Email: sales@towersystems.com.au

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Small business retailers can influence POS software enhancement at Tower Systems

September 16, 2025
2 Min read
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Small Businesses Can Directly Shape Their Point-of-Sale Software

For a small business retailer, the right Point-of-Sale (POS) software is crucial. But what if you could do more than just use it? What if you could actively influence its development? At Tower Systems, we provide our customers with a direct channel to do just that through our Software Ideas platform. Here’s a new video from us about this:

A Customer-Driven Process

Inspired by the principles in Jeff Jarvis’s book What Would Google Do?, we launched the Software Ideas platform 16 years ago to make our development process more transparent and driven by real-world customer needs.

The process is simple and democratic:

  1. Suggest: Our retail customers can submit any suggestion for a software enhancement through the platform.
  2. Assess: Our team assesses each idea for its technical feasibility and cost.
  3. Vote: If a suggestion is viable, we open it up for a community vote where all of our POS software customers can have their say on the features they want most.

This entire process is managed by team members like Mitch, who ensures that valuable customer feedback moves from an idea to a tangible feature, humanising and adding transparency to our development cycle.

Real Results in Every Update

This isn’t just a suggestion box—it’s the core of our innovation strategy. We are proud that every single update to our POS software includes enhancements suggested by our customers through the Software Ideas platform.

For example, our most recent software release in September 2025 contains eight new features that originated directly from this customer-driven process. We even highlight these user-suggested enhancements in our update notes to show the power and impact of our community’s engagement.

The result is a powerful POS system that is continuously refined to serve the real-world needs of retailers. This collaborative approach has not only enriched our software but has also built stronger, more trusting relationships with the businesses we serve.

POS Software for Specialty Retailers

Tower Systems is a POS software company focused on developing and supporting solutions for a wide range of niche specialty retailers, including:

  • Jewellers
  • Garden Centres
  • Bike Shops
  • Toy Shops
  • Produce & Farm Supply Businesses
  • Fishing & Pet Shops
  • Charity & Antique Shops
  • Sewing & Haberdashery Businesses
  • Landscape Gardening Suppliers
  • Newsagents
  • And many more.

By choosing Tower Systems, small businesses gain more than just software; they gain a voice in its evolution.

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The power of a $2 Discount: Unlocking bonus revenue you didn’t know you had

September 15, 2025
4 Min read
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In a shop using our Tower Systems POS software the other day, we saw first-hand the valuable difference $2 can make. A customer completed their planned purchase and received a discount voucher on their receipt offering $2.00 off their next purchase. They glanced at the voucher, paused, turned around, and picked up a leather purse for $99.95.

“Why not treat yourself,” they said almost to themselves.

This single, small moment perfectly illustrates the powerful psychology of a simple, tangible reward. The $2.00 wasn’t just a discount; it was the permission the customer needed to indulge. It transformed a completed transaction into a brand-new, high-value sale.

This is something we have seen and heard about from retailers since we first launched discount vouchers in our POS software twelve years ago.

This powerful sales-driving tool isn’t a future feature or a costly add-on. Discount Voucher facilities are built into our Tower Systems POS software right now. They are easy to set up, effortless to manage, and continue to deliver bonus revenue for a minimal, often zero, cost.

Why these simple vouchers work so well

The effectiveness of this feature lies in its straightforward and honest approach. In a world of complex loyalty schemes, the direct discount voucher cuts through the noise.

  • Transparency is key: We all know what a dollar is worth. When you offer $5.00 off, the value is immediate and universally understood. This clarity is more compelling than abstract points systems. Who knows how much a point is worth? The customer has to do mental gymnastics, recall the rules of the program, and wonder about the true value. A dollar discount is instant gratification.
  • It feels like ‘found money’: A voucher printed on a receipt feels like an unexpected gift. This positive emotional response creates goodwill and encourages the customer to spend their newfound “cash” immediately, just as our purse-buyer did.
  • It drives immediate action: The voucher creates a compelling reason for a customer to either return to your store soon or, even better, to continue shopping right there and then. It turns a single purchase mission into a browsing and discovery session.

Putting vouchers to work in your business

Your Tower Systems software provides the flexibility to tailor voucher campaigns to your specific business goals. You can set them up in minutes to:

  • Reward every customer: Set up a simple “catch-all” voucher that prints on every eligible receipt, offering a small discount on their next purchase. This is a brilliant way to encourage repeat business.
  • Drive larger sales (spend & get): Configure vouchers to be issued only when a customer spends over a certain amount. For example, “Spend $100 and get a $10 voucher for your next visit.” This incentivises customers to increase their basket size.
  • Move specific stock: Need to clear out last season’s items or promote a new product line? Create vouchers that are only valid for specific departments or categories (e.g., “$5.00 off any purchase from our new giftware range”).
  • Re-engage lost customers: Use your customer data to identify shoppers who haven’t been in for a while and send them a targeted “We Miss You” email.

The setup is simple, the impact is real

Activating this feature is straightforward. Within your Tower Systems POS software, you can easily define the voucher’s value, set an expiry date to create urgency, specify a minimum spend for redemption, and control when and how it is issued. The POS automates the entire process—from printing the offer on the receipt to tracking and redeeming it—ensuring it’s a seamless experience for both your staff and your customers.

Don’t underestimate the power of a small incentive. The story of the $2.00 voucher and the $99.95 purse is not an anomaly; it’s a repeatable strategy. We have seen this ourselves.

Explore the discount voucher facilities in your Tower Systems software today. Start turning every transaction into a compelling opportunity for your next sale.

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Are you looking for an alternative to Shopify POS?

September 14, 2025
6 Min read
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If you are looking for an alternative to Shopify POS for your shop, our Tower Systems POS software could be worth considering.

Now, to be clear, what we are talking about there is POS software for a physical shop.

Shopify started life as an e-commerce platform and that remains the core focus of their business. The Shopify POS app or service is an add-on for the physical shop.

Like many POS software companies, years ago we went through an approval process with Shopify to be an approved integrated POS software solution for Shopify – to offer in-store POS that’s integrated with their e-commerce platform. we continue to offer this today with many of our POS software customers using this.

What’s different about our POS software offering and how we compare to Shopify POS is that we are an in-store first solution, a physical retail first solution. That’s our specialty. In our software we go deep into serving the needs of retail businesses, workflow needs, operational needs, business growth needs. We also go deep into the needs of specific vertical retail channels: jewellers, bike shops, music shops, bookshops, pet shops, firearms dealers, camping shops, gift shops, newsagents, produce businesses, farm supply businesses, garden centres and many more.

This deep specialisation in our POS software matters because it addresses unique, real-world workflows that generic systems cannot. For a bike shop, it means seamlessly tracking serialised inventory from purchase to sale and managing workshop repairs. For a jeweller, it involves handling intricate repairs, managing consignment stock, and tracking precious metals. For a garden centre, it could be integrating scales to sell bulk landscape supplies by weight or it could be managing price changes to products when repotting or it could relate to producing product labels on weatherproof labels. These are not edge cases; they are the core, daily operations for these businesses, and our software is built from the ground up to make them efficient and profitable.

The needs of a physical shop are different to online, especially a retail business in an area of specialisation.

We think that a physical shop will be better served by something made first for their type of business and that any online business they have will be better serves by software made for the online business. That’s why we see our Tower Systems POS software as a viable alternative to Shopify POS for a physical store.

Make your own decision though. Do your research. Be sure to test all of your business specific needs against any POS software you are considering, including Shopify POS. And when you are dong the research, talk to the company, see how they handle your queries – some POS software companies are hard to talk to, you can’t pick up the phone and speak to someone. If personal contact will matter to your and your business, the availability of it should be a factor in your consideration as to the best POS software for your business.

When looking for an alternative to Shopify POS be clear about any doubts you have re Shopify POS (if any) and ensure the software alternatives you are considering do adequately address these doubts.

If you are looking for an alternative to Shopify POS for your retail business, consider Tower Systems. Our POS software might fit your needs. We’d be grateful for an opportunity to do this.

Now, here are some features and benefits with our Tower Systems POS software that customers tell us they love:

  1. The transparent approach to suggesting software enhancements.
  2. Easy access to support.
  3. Easy sales processing.
  4. Smooth counter workflow.
  5. Specialty retail functions for a range of specialty business types.
  6. Built-in AI tools.
  7. Loyalty tools customers love.
  8. Easy customisation options.
  9. The ability to sell anywhere, including on the road.
  10. Theft mitigation tools.
  11. Built in business insights.
  12. Scale integration.
  13. Selling by fractions.
  14. Selling products in kits.
  15. Comprehensive local delivery / dispatch tools.
  16. Roster integration.
  17. The ability to suspend sales.
  18. Easy import of supplier invoices without needing to use some EDI tool.
  19. Tracking and leveraging customer events.
  20. Integrated with Xero for accounting.
  21. No locked-in payment platform requirement.
  22. No cost based on each transaction.
  23. No lock-in contract.

Our POS software is about much more than this list.

Our extensive feature set is a direct result of our ‘in-store first’ philosophy. Functionality like direct scale integration for selling by weight, tools to handle fractional quantities for items sold by length, or the ability to seamlessly suspend a sale to serve another customer are born from decades of working directly with retailers on their shop floors. These are not just items on a checklist; they are robust solutions to real-world, physical retail challenges. While an e-commerce platform may eventually add such features as an afterthought, for us, they are foundational because the success of your physical shop is our foundational purpose.

Tower Systems in-store POS software solution integrated with Shopify for e-commerce gives you the best of both worlds with a single source of truth as to inventory and all transactions. While we integrate with Big Commerce, Woo Commerce and Magento, the majority of our online retail businesses integrate through our PSO software with Shopify for e-commerce.

We’d be happy to connect you with existing customers so you can talk retailer to retailer about the Shopify integration. We can also connect you with retailers who have switched from SHopify POS to our Tower Systems POS software. They can speak for themselves as to why and how it has gone for them.

If you are looking for an alternative to Shopify POS, Tower Systems might be a good choice. Let’s talk to explore that for you. No pressure. If there is anything you need that we don’t cover, we will tell you.

Before we go, here’s what we don’t have that Shopify does have when it comes Shopify POS – a huge marketing budget. We’re not paying to come first in search listings or to run billboard ads on social media. Most of our business is won by word of mouth – local small business retailers pitching us to their fellow retailers, for which we are sincerely grateful.

When we see someone ask the question what’s the best POS software for my business? or the question what’s a good alternative to Shopify POS?, we say: hey consider us here at Tower Systems. We will gladly show you what our software offers and let you experience the personal service we provide.

We’re not right for everyone, we know that. We might be right for your business. Let’s find out.

…

While the right POS system for any retail business depends on the specific needs of the retail business, Tower Systems was built to serve  Australian and New Zealand local small business specialty retailers. To see how we can 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. 

#SmallBusiness #Retail #POSsoftware

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What’s the best loyalty solution for small local retailers to offer to drive sales?

September 12, 2025
3 Min read
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Cash IS king when it comes to rewarding shoppers. We say that based on the results of the discount voucher facility in our small business targeted POS software. Launched in February 2013, this facility continues to outperform a traditional loyalty points offering, which is also available in our POS software.

In a typical shop, 20% of cash discount vouchers provided are redeemed with 33% redeemed the day of, 33% within 7 days and 33% within 28 days.

Businesses with less regular (weekly) shopper engagement benefit the most: garden centres, bookshops, gift shops, jewellers, outdoors shops.

Businesses that attract one time or very infrequent visitors benefit the most.

Guys tend to want to redeem immediately while girls will redeem over time. If they have the opportunity, girls are more likely to put two or more vouchers together for a better redemption.

Smart retailers calibrate financial support for the loyalty program in their pricing model.

The biggest discount voucher we have seen produced is $2,500 with the purchase of a jewellery piece. In that business, the typical voucher value almost always results in another purchase. In a smart move, the business rules require the voucher to cover a third or less of the purchase price.

At the other end of the scale, in newsagencies, tourist shops and discount variety shops, cash discount vouchers of $1 or less continue to drive incremental business.

The most interesting data to us is the cross product category drift: where a shopper accrues voucher value from one product category and redeems the voucher in a different product category. Newsagents offer the best example of this with accrual funded through the purchase of cards and redemption for magazine purchases.

This is all on our mind today because of the news this week that the Cashrewards program is shutting down immediately. In my experience, cash rewards offered shoppers to nurture loyal engagement help local small business retailers grow.

While we can see why some might say the Cashrewards news is a shake up for loyalty, I think it’s too early to say, especially given so many local and independent retailers are growing by offering their own self-managed cash rewards.

When it comes to shopper loyalty, Tower Systems is here to help local small business retailers to offer a loyalty solution over which you have easy and active control, to grow your business and to help your shoppers feel love from you.

…

While the right POS system for any retail business depends on the specific needs of the retail business, Tower Systems was built to serve  Australian and New Zealand local small business specialty retailers. To see how we can 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. 

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