Inventory discrepancies, long checkout lines, and stagnant profits: If these issues sound all too familiar, your grocery store’s point of sale (POS) system could be to blame.
Switching to a new POS solution requires thorough research, careful planning, and a significant investment — which is why we’ve put together this guide to help you decide whether it’s worth your time and money to upgrade.
Keep reading to explore the seven signs it’s time to replace your grocery store POS system, what features to look for, and our shortlist of the five best providers.
If your current POS system has inadequate inventory tracking features (or worse, none at all), you’ll experience problems like:
Plus, manually tracking inventory drains your time and resources — costing upwards of 20 hours per month!
Modern grocery POS systems can help you solve these inventory issues through automation.
Instead of counting your inventory levels, updating spreadsheets, and creating purchase orders by hand, you can trust your POS software to do the heavy lifting. This eliminates manual error, prevents stockouts, and allows for more accurate inventory forecasting to minimize spoilage.
Does your grocery POS system still run on a physical server in your back office? Then you’re due for an upgrade.
Server-based POS systems are often more expensive, require more maintenance, and are more vulnerable to hardware failures than modern, cloud-based options.
Plus, you have to be physically present in your store to review your inventory and sales data.
Instead, we recommend investing in a cloud-based POS solution. Cloud-based systems are usually more affordable, need less setup space, and require less ongoing maintenance.
Another significant benefit of this approach is that you can monitor your business from anywhere, at any time. For example, you can check your stock levels, create a purchase order, and even adjust your grocery store’s prices on the go.
Grocery stores already have thin margins, and excessive POS fees can make them even thinner.
Check your POS provider’s monthly invoice to see what you’re really paying for. Often, companies charge fees for ongoing phone support, advanced features, and even access to your full sales data.
These fees might seem small individually, but they can add up over time — increasing your expenses and decreasing your profits.
When evaluating new POS providers, look for a clear, upfront pricing structure.
You shouldn’t have to pay separately for every single feature you use. Instead, your providers should let you choose between a few different service tiers and pay a single, transparent price for access to your software.
We also recommend looking for providers that offer month-to-month pricing rather than locking you into a six-month or year-long contract. This protects you from expensive cancellation fees and gives you the freedom and flexibility to switch to a new system on your schedule.
Long lines are another sure sign that it’s time to replace your grocery POS system.
Old, clunky cash registers mean that your cashiers have to hunt for the right buttons, restart their stations regularly, and ring up items manually — making it nearly impossible for them to provide the fast, accurate service your customers deserve.
As your checkout lines get longer, you might even lose sales from shoppers who don’t have time to wait.
Let’s look at a few must-have features that can make the checkout process a breeze for your cashiers and your customers:
A POS system with these features can help you keep up even during your busiest days — keeping customers happy and sales flowing.
It’s Sunday afternoon, and your grocery store is packed with customers stocking up on food for the week. Your checkout lines are wrapped all the way around the store, and each shopping cart is filled to the brim.
All of a sudden, your POS system crashes. Until you get in touch with your support team and restart, you can’t make any more sales — sending customers down the street to one of your big-box competitors.
If this nightmare sounds too real, it’s time to invest in a more reliable grocery store POS system.
If system crashes and internet outages are common occurrences in your store, we recommend looking for a POS system with an offline mode.
This allows you to continue serving customers and making sales even when your system is disconnected from the internet.
A POS solution is only as good as its support team.
If you can’t get in touch with yours due to limited support hours, email or chat-only support, or long phone holds, it’s time to switch to a provider who cares about your grocery store’s success.
Look for a grocery POS provider that offers 24/7 support over phone, email, and chat. This allows you to get in touch with them how and when you want — ensuring you always have answers to your questions and solutions to your problems.
Some companies charge extra for ongoing support, but high-quality providers should include it as part of your monthly software subscription.
Grocery pickup and delivery services have exploded in popularity, and offering them is a must if you want to stay competitive.
However, if your current POS system isn’t equipped with e-commerce tools, it’s tough to launch your online grocery store, track and fulfill online orders, and sync inventory and sales data across your in-store and online operations.
Your best bet is to invest in a grocery store POS system with e-commerce integration.
This lets you choose which grocery e-commerce platform works best for you and your customers and seamlessly connect it with your POS system.
That way, you can avoid manually syncing your data and provide a consistently excellent experience for your online and in-store shoppers.
Ready to make the switch to a modern, reliable grocery store POS system? We’re here to help.
We’ve created a shortlist of our favorite POS providers for supermarkets, small grocery stores, and specialty food stores. Let’s explore your top options:
Each of these providers offers different software features, hardware options, and price points — but they can all help you modernize your grocery store’s operations.
Built by and for grocers, IT Retail has been helping business owners like you save time, simplify operations, and make more sales for more than 30 years.
Our software includes powerful yet user-friendly features to help you tackle the toughest tasks on your to-do list — from perishable inventory management to marketing. Plus, it’s backed by an always-accessible team of grocery industry experts who are committed to your business’ success.
We offer flexible, transparent pricing options to meet every grocer’s needs and budget. Use our build and price tool to create a custom solution for your store and get an instant quote.