Top 5 retail reports every store owner should track from their POS

Modern retail moves fast, and decisions based on instinct alone are not enough. The most successful stores don’t just use their POS to process transactions, they treat it as a source of truth for performance, profitability, and growth.

The reporting tools inside your POS reveal exactly what is happening in your business – minute by minute, hour by hour –  so you can make smarter decisions supported by data rather than guesswork.

And the best part? Retailers don’t need dozens of reports.

When used consistently, a core set of five POS reports offers a clearer view of performance than most spreadsheets or manual calculations ever could.

Here are the top 5 reports every store owner should be reviewing regularly to drive growth, efficiency, and profit.

1) Sales by hour – know when your business peaks

Timing matters, and this is one of the most overlooked insights in retail.

Hourly sales reports (often referred to as hourly departments reports) show exactly when your store is busiest, and how those peaks vary across days of the week and seasons of the year.

With accurate real–time data, which can also be viewed directly through POS enquiry live hourly,  you can:

• schedule staff more efficiently
• adjust opening hours if needed
• time promotions at the most profitable moments
• focus attention on the hours that genuinely matter

Staffing costs are one of the largest controllable expenses in retail, so aligning labour to real trading patterns makes a measurable difference to margin.

2) Sales by supplier / category – understand what is driving revenue

A product sales report that helps you see where your revenue is coming from, which ranges are performing strongly, and which areas may require attention.

This insight supports better buying decisions, stronger supplier relationships, and more efficient use of shelf space.

When you can clearly see which categories are growing, which are stable, and which are trailing, it becomes easier to:

• prioritise stock investment
• challenge slow-moving areas
• refine displays and merchandising
• focus on what customers are actually choosing to buy

Product sales data is one of the clearest indicators of where your business is winning, and where small changes can unlock more value.

3) Margin analysis – profitability always matters more than turnover

Turnover is important, but margin is what keeps the lights on.

A detailed margin report helps you identify where profit is strongest and weakest, which lines are silently eroding value, and where cost price changes have not been reflected equally in sale price.

Margin analysis helps retailers:

• tighten pricing strategy
• protect cashflow
• identify shrink and waste signals
• understand the real contribution of key categories

Gross profit is not simply a number, it is a decision-making tool. Margin insight allows you to steer daily strategy with clarity rather than instinct.

4) Stock on hand / stock movement – reduce waste and avoid out-of-stocks

Inventory is money in another form, so visibility matters.

A stock on hand and stock movement report gives you an accurate picture of what you actually have available, what has moved, and what needs replenishment.

This is vital for:

• reducing over-ordering
• preventing out of stock situations
• spotting slow movers early
• improving cashflow and shelf space utilisation

When stock is controlled, everything works smoother – pricing, buying, storage, even customer experience.

And when this report is reviewed regularly, waste reduces naturally, because decisions are based on live evidence rather than assumptions.

5) Promotions performance – know which offers truly work

Promotions drive sales, but not all promotions are created equal.

A promotions performance report tells you exactly which deals delivered volume AND margin – and which simply moved stock without adding long term value.

This helps avoid “discount for the sake of discounting”, and instead directs focus to offers that genuinely perform.

This insight supports:

• smarter promotional planning
• stronger return on discount investment
• better decision making for the next promotion cycle

Promotions are most profitable when measured, not guessed.

Final thoughts

The idea that retail reporting is complicated is one of the biggest barriers to retailers getting the most out of their POS.

The reality is the opposite.

A small number of well chosen reports, reviewed consistently, can have more impact than dozens of spreadsheets or annual reviews.

The five reports listed above deliver clarity on the fundamentals:

• when customers shop
• who and what is selling
• where profit is really made
• where stock is being tied up
• and whether promotions are working

This is how retailers shift from reacting to planning, and from short-term firefighting to sustained growth.

Want to see these insights in action?

At Retail Solutions, we provide expert guidance and advanced EPOS systems that help retailers improve efficiency, strengthen margin, and make confident, data-led decisions every day.

Request a demo today to see how powerful, intuitive POS reporting can transform the way you manage your business.

Who are we?

We are a market-leading EPOS provider with over 25 years of business experience. Our leading sectors are coffee shops, off licences, forecourts, convenience stores, supermarkets and pharmacies.

We’re dedicated to providing your store with the most up to date and reliable point of sale hardware, along with software management tools to help you manage your business effectively.

Our self-checkout partners are NCR, who are global leaders in self-checkout technology.

About the author:

Susan McGuire is originally from London, United Kingdom, and has now lived in Galway, Ireland, for 19 years. She has been with Retail Solutions for 10 of those, and during that time has enjoyed various roles within the areas of Maintenance, Finance, & Marketing. You can follow her on LinkedIn!