Best EPOS System for Retail 2023

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. The best POS System option for your retail business depends on several factors, such as specific requirements, the size of your business, budget, the features you need now, and those you will need in the future, etc.
Still, there are some essential tips for you to consider when choosing your POS System.

This article is for you if:

• You are opening a new business and need an EPOS System.
• Your business is running on old technology, and you need a modern POS.
• Your current system is not giving you access to real-time customer data and sales reports.
• You want to provide the best and fastest customer service at the point of sale counter.
• Your current system does not allow for efficient integration with customer loyalty programs, customer relationship management (CRM) software, accounting software and other integrations.
• Your employees complain that your current system is not user-friendly.
• You can’t access accurate real-time data and can’t effectively control your stock.

How to choose the best EPOS system for Retail 2023

If you own a retail store, you need a POS to run your business and drive your back-office operations. Decades ago, clunky cash registers filled countertops worldwide and were a nightmare for business owners.
Today, business needs are met by fast, mobile, and powerful POS systems at a fraction of the cost. Today, point of sale software is at the heart of mobile payments and business management, and finding the right POS is essential to ensure business efficiency.

Let’s dive in!

What is an EPOS (point of sale) system?

A point of sale system, or POS/EPOS system, is a collection hardware and software that allows retailers to accept payments, manage inventory, and manage sales. There are three basic components to today’s POS systems:

Hardware: There are a few different components to POS hardware. A card terminal is required to accept credit cards, debit cards and mobile wallet payments. Other tools include a receipt printer, cash drawer and scanner to register items with barcodes.

Software: The software in your POS allows you to choose from a database of items to charge for. Make a sale, view customer transaction records, manage inventory, and get analytics and reports through a POS platform.

Payment transfers: POS sends money from the guest’s account to your retailer’s linked bank account after each sale.
These are the main components of a POS system – but they come in all shapes and sizes.

Essential retail EPOS features

There are a few must-have features for any retail POS system. These essential features include:

• Inventory management: Retail businesses need to track what products are in stock at all times. A POS system with inventory management features simplifies this process by automatically updating your inventory count when sales are made.
• Customer management: A retail POS system should allow you to create customer profiles and track purchase history.
• Hardware compatibility: A retail POS system should be compatible with a variety of hardware, including receipt printers, barcode scanners and cash drawers.
• Mobile payments: A retail POS system should allow you to accept mobile payments, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay.

These are the essential features that any retail POS system should have. However, there are a few additional features that can be useful for certain businesses.

• Multi-location inventory: A POS system with multi-location inventory management features can be helpful for businesses with multiple stores. This feature allows you to track inventory at each location and transfer inventory between locations.
• Website integration: A POS system that integrates with your website can be helpful for businesses that sell both online and in-store. This feature allows you to manage inventory and customers in one place.
  Accounting software integration: A POS system that integrates with accounting software can be helpful for businesses that need to track sales and expenses in one place.

These are a few additional features that can be useful for certain businesses. However, not all businesses need these features. It’s important to choose a POS system with features that are right for your business.

Extra tip: Stock management is crucial

A word of advice: INVENTORY – All POS systems ring up sales and track inventory. But a good one will let you assess your inventory easily and manage it thoroughly.
The best systems offer a balance of important features, functionality, and ease of use. Look for a system that can grow with your needs and match your future expansion plans.

Questions you need to ask

When choosing your store’s POS system, ask the questions below. If the system doesn’t meet these standards (or the sales person cannot answer your questions), you should continue your search for viable options.

• Is it easy to use?
• Does it have integration with other store features?
• Is the price transparent, and in line with what is offered?
• Can it be used anywhere?
• Does it analyse relevant metrics and data?
• Does the POS provider have good customer service?

Other questions can be asked throughout your search for a good POS system, such as:

Is the POS provider reliable? Can it offer service and support for a long time, or are there signs that it will go out of business?

• Has the POS provider previously worked with stores like yours (or similar niches)?
• Has the POS provider already received customer reviews, and are they negative or positive?
• More than an excellent POS, you must also find a reliable provider, as the partnership will be a long one.

The truth is, if the chosen provider does not have good recommendations or presents extremely confusing rates and poor customer service, it is better to give up on that system and start the search again. One thing, after all, is certain: with a low-quality POS service, your store will certainly suffer.

Understand your needs first

The vast majority of POS systems come with features, benefits, and other exclusivities that may seem highly lucrative at first glance. However, it’s important to remember that if you get carried away by a vendor’s talk, you’ll likely end up with a POS that may look nice on the outside – but it’s unlikely to have all the features you were looking for.

To avoid an unnecessary purchase, it’s essential that you know exactly what you’re looking for.

It is worth remembering, then, that your store’s POS system must:

• Be easy to use.
• Have integration with other systems (and connection to the cloud).
• Automate processes and reduce manual data entry.
• Display a transparent value.
• Be usable anywhere.
• Provide customer service that is efficient and of high quality.

In addition, the POS system also needs to be able to handle processes such as:

• Inventory management.
• Customer management.
• Exchange and return policies.
• Compatibility with the hardware and technical components of a sales system.

Retail Solutions EPOS System

We are specialists in providing Retail Technology Solutions, such as EPOS Systems, Self-scan Checkouts, Electronic Shelf Edge Labelling, Loyalty Programs, Online Sales Integrations and many other products and services to ensure you have the right technology for your business.

We are an Irish Company with over 25 years of experience, serving over 2,000 sites in Ireland, with an ever-growing presence in The United Kingdom and Australia, where we are the first-choice EPOS partner for many of the Retail industry’s best-known and most progressive brands. We work hard to build long-standing partnerships built on trust, and are committed to ensuring that our products exceed our client’s expectations in terms of performance, value for money and service.

We are an established market leader in the Electronic Point of Sale Systems provision, providing the best in class, tier 1 global brands within the Convenience, Supermarket, Forecourt, and other retail sectors. Combining cutting-edge software and hardware solutions, we develop all our own software in-house.

Our industry-leading EPOS products offer exceptional value for money as they are designed to meet both the present and future needs of a dynamic commercial environment and are the foundation for your business’s sustainability and profitability.

We support customers large and small, from individual stores to multiple locations, that require total, seamless connectivity and integration.

By combining superb project management and installation with training, support and software development, we deliver customer service that gives our clients peace of mind through all stages of system integration and use.

Benefits

• Cost-Effective – Value for money solutions that accelerate the return on investment.
• Increased Client Productivity & Profitability – Streamlining client business operations for better control of stock, margins, cash, and human resources.
• User Friendly Software & Hardware – Solutions that are designed to handle the most basic to the most complicated functions at the touch of a button.
• Customising Technology – From stand-alone to multi-branch outlets, each solution is tailored to the specific needs of each of our clients.
• Continuous Software Improvement – Always working behind the scenes to create and implement improved retail technologies, often delivered to clients’ systems automatically.
• Fast & Efficient Customer Service – Passionate technical support staff who handle and resolve all enquiries effectively.

Who are we?

Retail Solutions is a market-leading EPOS provider with over 25 years of business experience. Our leading sectors are convenience stores, supermarkets, forecourts, and pharmacies.

We are dedicated to providing your store with the most up-to-date and reliable point-of-sale hardware and software tools to help you manage your business effectively.

To find out more about what we do, get in touch to chat with one of our knowledgeable consultants:

Contact us!

About the author:

Juliane Camozzato is the Head of Marketing at Retail Solutions. You can follow her on LinkedIn!