Tired of putting in 60+ hour workweeks and still feeling behind?
This grueling schedule might seem like the reality of being a small business owner — but it doesn’t have to be.
While it’s true that running an independent grocery store requires hard work and strategic moves, you don’t have to carry the burden of day-to-day operations on your own.
Instead, you can work smarter with technology.
In this blog, we’ll explore seven essential tools for grocers, explain how to use them, and share how to get them for less.
Let’s increase your revenue and free time!
As long as your grocery store stays afloat, it might seem like manual methods only affect you. You might spend hours counting inventory by hand and manually updating spreadsheets, but the work still gets done, right?
Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Here are the three major consequences of relying on outdated (or nonexistent) tech to run your grocery store:
Ready to take back your time, protect your bottom line, and boost customer satisfaction? Let’s look at seven tools to help you accomplish these goals.
If you only have the budget to upgrade one piece of technology, it should be your point of sale (POS) system.
Modern POS solutions go beyond simply processing transactions and include a full suite of features designed to help you run your business. Here are just a few examples of what to look for in an upgraded grocery store POS system:
Cloud-based POS systems are the gold standard for grocery stores. Along with lower hardware and maintenance costs, cloud-based systems can be accessed from any internet-connected device at any time.
This means you don’t have to be physically present at your grocery store to check inventory records, review sales reports, or even create purchase orders.
Related Read: Cloud-Based Grocery Store Software: Features, Benefits, & Top Providers
Your cashiers are tired of typing in SKUs manually, and your customers are tired of waiting in line.
That’s why barcode scanners are a must-have tool at the checkout counter. Instead of ringing up every item by hand, your cashiers can use a convenient barcode scanner to achieve faster, more accurate transactions.
Plus, 3D scanners allow for quick, secure age verification if your grocery store sells items like alcohol or tobacco.
The checkout counter isn’t the only place you need barcode scanners — they can also help your sales floor staff count on-hand inventory, receive deliveries, and ensure the freshness of perishables.
Razor-thin grocery profit margins mean constant price changes. When there’s a dairy supply chain interruption and your wholesale costs go up, you have to adjust your in-store prices for milk, dairy, and butter to stay profitable.
But manually updating price tags to account for these changes is one of the most time-consuming tasks on your to-do list.
Enter: electronic shelf labels (ESLs).
These small yet powerful tools connect to your POS system wirelessly and update your shelf prices automatically. When you change a price in your system, the ESLs update within minutes.
They also make it easier to launch and manage promotions! Your ESLs will display promotional pricing on the schedule you set — eliminating manual label switching and preventing customer confusion.
Related Read: How Much Do Electronic Shelf Labels Cost? (+ 4 Benefits of ESLs)
The deli counter is one of the most profitable departments in your grocery store — but it’s also one of the toughest to manage.
That’s because traditional deli operations require your employees to weigh items, calculate prices by hand, and manually enter these numbers into the register at checkout. These old-school processes slow your team down and leave room for error.
Instead, consider investing in a deli scale and label printing system that seamlessly integrates with your POS software. Here’s how these tools work:
This process eliminates time-consuming calculations and manual entry, boosting speed and accuracy at the deli and checkout counters.
Related Read: Deli Scales 101: What To Look for & Top 7 Options
In the grocery world, profitability depends on your ability to maintain accurate stock records, monitor freshness to prevent spoilage, and adjust your product selection and ordering strategies with the seasons.
However, many independent grocers don’t have the time or resources to accomplish these tasks, leading to frequent stockouts, excessive food waste, and dented profits.
Fortunately, inventory management software can help. This powerful tool:
We recommend investing in an all-in-one grocery store POS solution that includes these inventory management features. That way, you can access all of your inventory and sales data in one convenient place.
Struggling to keep up with the afternoon grocery shopping rush?
Boost customer satisfaction, shorten checkout lines, and reduce your labor costs with self-checkout technology.
Self-checkout might seem like a huge investment, but some systems, like IT Retail, offer dual-purpose hardware. This means you can use the switch between cashier and self-checkout mode in seconds — letting you open more lanes during your busiest hours.
Related Read: 6 Pros and Cons of Self-Checkout in Grocery Stores
Marketing your grocery store can feel like a full-time job, but the right tools can make it effortless.
Specifically, you need software with built-in marketing features. Here are the must-haves:
Putting all these methods together can help you attract and retain customers — without spending hours per week on marketing.
Ready to try these powerful grocery store tools but worried about the cost? We have good news: The right POS solution includes all of these features for one affordable price.
IT Retail, our all-in-one software, is designed uniquely for grocers and includes:
Start building your custom grocery store software and get an instant quote using our Build and Price tool.