Migrating POS Systems: Making the Switch in Your Grocery Store

Migrating point of sale (POS) systems is a major shift for any grocery store. Since the software touches nearly every part of your business, it’s natural to worry about potential disruptions to your daily tasks.

If you’re considering a switch, you’re not alone. Many grocers reach a point where their current system no longer meets their needs — and transitioning doesn’t have to be a painful process. 

In this blog, we’ll break down some of the most common challenges store owners face when migrating POS systems and how to avoid them so your sales keep moving without disruption.

Why Grocery Stores Switch POS Systems

Many grocery stores swap out POS systems because their current setup no longer fits their daily needs. Some outgrow their old system as the business grows, while others seek cost savings or better tools.

Here are some common grocery-specific reasons for making the change:

• Frequent downtime during peak hours that slows checkout lines and frustrates customers
• Scales that don’t integrate properly with the POS, causing errors and manual price lookups
• Missing features to track vendor pricing, promotions, or purchase history accurately
• Poor customer service or slow responses when problems arise
• Outdated technology that can’t keep up, resulting in checkout backups and longer wait times

Understanding these challenges can help you recognize when it’s time for a change — and what to look for in your next POS system.

Fears That Keep Grocery Owners From Changing Providers

Many grocery owners hesitate to switch POS systems — sometimes based on past experiences, other times on misconceptions. 

Experienced providers know these fears well and plan migrations around your busiest times, often moving the switch to weekends or running old and new systems in parallel during peak hours.

Below is a quick guide to some of those common fears and how to spot whether a POS provider will help you avoid them or just make things harder.

These concerns are valid, but the right POS provider will address them head-on with clear examples, detailed guidance, and support when you need it most. 

Don’t be afraid to ask questions during demos or onboarding — their responses will show you how well they truly understand grocery retail.

5 Steps To Migrate Without Disrupting Your Grocery Store

For a successful POS migration, you need to understand each part of the process and plan around your store’s daily operations — that means knowing what data to back up and how to prepare both your hardware and staff for the new system. 

The five steps below cover the essential actions to take before, during, and after setting up your new POS software.

1. Back Up Everything Before the Switch

Before changing to the new POS system, take time to make secure copies of the information your store depends on every day. This protects you if files get lost, damaged, or transferred incorrectly.

You can back up data directly from your POS reporting dashboard, through exports provided by your current provider or by requesting a full data pull from their support team. 

Save your backups in two places — one on a local device and another in a secure cloud account. After saving, open the files to confirm they’re accurate and complete.

Here’s how to properly back up data:

• Export sales and inventory history so you can audit past transactions and verify future imports.
• Save vendor pricing files, promotions, and purchase history to prevent missing or incorrect data.
• Copy customer accounts and loyalty program records to maintain accurate rewards and contact info.
• Include any other operational data your store relies on so nothing’s lost during migration.

For many grocers migrating POS systems, providers will import this data into the new system for you, but having your own verified copies means you can cross-check for errors, re-upload missing files, or revert to your old records if the import fails.

Related Read: 8 Grocery Store KPIs To Track in 2025

2. Run Parallel Systems During Peak Times

Going live with just your new POS system alone can put your store at risk if something goes wrong — which is why running both your old and new systems in tandem for a short period of time can give you some breathing room to catch errors, train staff, and maintain operations without stopping sales.

Here’s how to run parallel systems effectively:

• Keep the old POS active while testing the new system to maintain a reliable fallback.
• Rotate staff between both systems so everyone gains hands-on experience before the full cutover.
• Compare transactions from the old and new POS at the end of each test period to spot discrepancies.
• Monitor scale integration, barcode scanning, and produce codes to catch small issues before they affect customers.

Running both systems together briefly may feel like extra work, but it’s cheaper than losing a weekend’s worth of sales data to a system failure.

3. Schedule Migration Around Grocery Traffic Patterns

Even when running both systems in tandem, scheduling the migration during low-traffic times keeps staff from getting overwhelmed and prevents long lines, mistakes, and dissatisfied shoppers.

Here’s how to schedule effectively:

• Plan the migration for nights or weekends when customer volume is lowest.
• Coordinate with vendors and delivery schedules to avoid missed or mispriced shipments.
• Use a soft launch during off-hours (e.g. Saturday morning) to test operations before the full switchover.
• Complete the final transition when your employees finish early or when the store has minimal traffic.

Analyze past traffic data, employee schedules, and peak delivery times to identify the best migration window. You can also ask your POS provider for guidance — they often have experience pinpointing low-risk periods for grocery stores.

Related Read: 5 Challenges of Operating a Grocery Store (+ How To Overcome Them)

4. Address Scale and EBT Certification Early

Scales and EBT systems can cause delays if they aren’t ready when the new POS goes live. Integrating your scales ensures that products’ prices match their weights correctly, and EBT certification is essential to make sure benefit payments go through without issues. 

Here’s how to prepare:

• Recalibrate and certify scales immediately after installing the new POS to maintain accurate weights and pricing.
• Begin EBT/WIC reapproval well before the first benefit payout date to avoid rejected transactions.
• Test transactions for both scales and EBT cards to verify accuracy before going live.
• Notify staff of changes in scanning procedures, produce codes, or approval prompts so they handle transactions confidently.

Addressing these items early reduces costly delays, prevents customer frustration, and gives your team time to adjust to minor procedural differences before peak shopping periods.

5. Have a Rollback Plan

Even with careful preparation, your new POS system may run into problems during the first days of use. Having a solid rollback plan lets your team return to the old system quickly to keep the store running while you fix any issues.

Here’s how to set up a rollback plan:

• Set a firm cutoff time for the new system — switch back immediately if critical errors appear.
• Keep all old hardware, software, and login credentials ready for use for several days after migration.
• Restore data from your backups, including sales, inventory, and customer records.
• Refresh your team on any critical procedures in the old system so they can resume transactions quickly if you revert.

Before switching systems, review the fallback plan with both POS providers so everyone knows what each system can handle. Check that backups, transaction logs, and integrations work as anticipated.

Preparing this way helps your team handle problems quickly and keeps the store running during high-traffic hours.

Planning a Smooth Grocery POS Migration

Whether you need a system with more integrations, one that fits your budget, or something in between, switching POS systems is a common step for growing businesses. 

Careful planning and clear communication with both vendors and staff keeps everyone on the same page — especially if issues arise during the process.

IT Retail has over 30 years of experience helping grocery stores migrate POS systems without losing sales or operational data. The cloud-based POS system removes the need for server maintenance while still including essential features like EBT/WIC certification, vendor pricing imports, scale recertification, and more. 

Check out IT Retail’s build and price page to see how our system can fit your store and help your next POS migration go smoothly and confidently.