Case Study: How a UK Retailer Saves More Time After Switching to Epos Now

We get thousands of reviews on platforms like Trustpilot. However, it can be good to get a detailed picture and some concrete information on how the POS system can help. So today, we’re bringing you one of our Epos Now success stories.

When Siven Cook opened Pets Paradise in 2021, he was determined to run a business putting pets first. One that was environmentally-friendly, and helped give pet owners all the information they needed to take the best care of their best pals. So he needed a system that let him keep his focus where it needed to be, which is why he chose Epos Now for his POS system.

Today, we’re going to share what Siven had to say about his Epos Now experience. You’ll get his thoughts on:

• The tools he used to create his ideal POS setup

• Epos Now’s interface and flexible settings

• Epos Now’s customer support

• How Epos Now helped him save time running his business

Let’s get started!

Pets Paradise: the dream made real

Pets Paradise was founded in Fakenham, a friendly North Norfolk town, as the result of years of saving and dreaming by owner and manager Siven Cook. Siven describes Pets Paradise as a “traditional pet shop [...] but also as a bit of a community hub”.

Siven is an animal-lover, driven by passion, compassion, and a social desire to work towards the well-being of local animals. But running a business isn’t always as easy as your passions, and the hard, stressful work can make it impossible to find the time to appreciate what drove you to open a business in the first place. Siven wanted to spend time with customers (animal and human alike), so to do that, he needed to make a good choice on his POS system.

He went with Epos Now. Siven knew he would be alone to begin with, so he wanted assistant technology that would make his life simpler and leave him free to focus on his passion. When he saw the price, he thought (as he later told us), “very, very competitive, and it looks really smart”. 

Which tools Pets Paradise used to create their perfect setup

POS technology helps take care of enough of that gritty reality of business, letting you focus on the fun bit. Users like Siven Cook can focus on advising pet owners, finding animal and environmentally-friendly goods, and enjoying the dream. In his own words, the Epos Now POS system has been “a lifesaver” for Siven.

The Complete Solution setup

So what POS hardware and software did Pets Paradise go for? To begin with, the Epos Now Complete Solution includes all the key tools the business needs, including real-time, cloud-based POS software. The current Complete Solution includes Epos Now’s latest Countertop sales terminal. This includes a built-in 80mm thermal receipt printer, water-proof touchscreen, and the option to add a customer-facing touchscreen for a more interactive customer experience.

Alongside the Countertop terminal, Siven has a fully connected, wireless barcode scanner. Rather than being tied to his checkout, this means he, and the staff he hired once he was up and running, can freely roam the floor with his customers, filling up a basket as they shop, or checking inventory. Anything he scans syncs straight up to the terminal instantly. For Siven, this means he can even handle items without barcodes, thanks to on-screen buttons built into Epos Now’s interface: “having buttons on the screen for things that haven't got barcodes … makes it really nice and simple”.

Next to the Countertop terminal, Siven also has a Link card reader. The Link syncs up to the POS software, with seamless integration and card payments that “come through perfectly every time”. Pets Paradise gets affordable card payments and smooth service. As Siven says, “you obviously need to get the balance right between quality customer service and not keeping people waiting”, but the Link keeps his checkout clear and ready for the next customer. It also means Siven doesn’t have to worry about taking an extra few seconds to check on the customers and their pets!

Pets Paradise choice of app

The Epos Now AppStore is packed with first and third-party integrations ready to adapt your POS system to your specific needs. For Siven, that meant adding in the Epos Now Loyalty app. Siven loved how easy it was to offer a simple, effective loyalty program: “Once you start building those loyalty points up, people start coming back. It’s a win-win”. For the Pets Paradise team, repeat visits meant another chance to nurture the customers and the animals, helping to build the caring community Siven always wanted the business to be.

Instinctive software you just know how to use

Once his hardware was in place, Siven Cook needed to get up and running quickly so he could sort out the thousands of products he had arriving multiple times a week. Epos Now’s inventory management software can sort orders by supplier and brand, and monitor purchase orders so that when they arrive, stock updates at the touch of a button! “It’s so quick to edit!”, Siven told us. He even used the minimum and maximum stock levels so he never had too much or too little of his stock.

He also kept a watchful eye on the inventory reports. “The reports give me a chance to review what I'm actually holding: what's selling, what's not selling, how long it's been out there”. Thanks to the data analytics offered by his POS system, Siven knows which dead stock to get rid of with a promotion, freeing up space for the big sellers!

Siven also gains access to staff management, which is handy for the part-time, volunteer, and student staff that come and keep the Pets Paradise wheel turning. They get their own users, automated payroll calculation, and full data records on transactions and sales, which makes sorting out refunds and disputes a breeze!

What’s most important for Siven and the staff is how easy the POS system is. “Once I was shown, and once I was walked through it, it was a very simple process, and for the staff as well because you literally follow it as you go”. If someone’s coming in for a few short shifts, Siven doesn’t need to worry about training. His sales process is as simple as scan and sell!

In short, Siven’s Epos Now setup isn’t just functional — it gives him back time, clarity, and the headspace to run his business the way he always envisioned. With payments flowing smoothly, customers coming back, and stock under tight control, he’s freed up to focus on what really matters: caring for the animals, supporting his community, and watching his dream grow.

Siven’s customer support lifeline

When Epos Now customers like Siven Cook purchase an Epos Now system, if they’re not sure how to set up and save time, the customer support team is on hand to make sure they get the most out of it. The same goes for any issues that arise. In Siven’s own words:

“Every time, the issue is resolved instantly. If I can’t do it following the instructions, they’ll take control and show me how it’s done."

Every Epos Now customer gets standard support as part of the Complete Solution package. This means business hour support over the phone, through Livechat, as well as SideKick, Epos Now’s exciting AI assistant!

As Siven’s retail hours are close to business hours, Pets Paradise get complete customer support Monday to Friday. But the team also offers critical support if something was to go wrong over the weekend, giving Siven total peace of mind!

How Epos Now save UK retailers time, from switching to selling!

If you’re looking to give your business a boost, but you’re worried about making a big change, there’s no hassle to switching over. New users get an implementation assistant to help them get started. You can also upload your product data to Epos Now by downloading it and reuploading it via spreadsheet, making switching to Epos Now a seamless process!

Siven told us: “Once you've built the blocks, where the suppliers come, repeat orders, minimum and maximum stock levels, and you know what you need to order, it’s fantastic! It’s so quick to edit.”

Once you’re up and running, Epos Now’s no-nonsense interface and comprehensive business tools come together to make taking care of business quick and easy (as Siven is equally quick to mention!). From simple scanning and selling for the young team members, to detailed reports on stock turnover that makes tricky decisions much more obvious, the Epos Now Complete Solution is designed to make trading sweat-free.

Siven’s send off from our chat? A full endorsement of Epos Now’s retail software:

“Would I recommend Epos Now? 100%. I talk about it, and I think there’s another five in the town that have taken the system!”Want to find out more about Epos Now’s retail tools?

Click the link or speak to our sales team to get your questions answered.