Best POS System for Grocery Store: Reviewed By Pros

Do you own a grocery store and are looking for the right point of sale (POS) system for your business? With so many available solutions, it can be difficult to decide which is best for you.

From hardware to software and customer support, there's a lot to consider when choosing an POS system. To help you make the right decision, we've compiled this comprehensive guide on the seven best POS systems for grocery stores.

By the end of the guide, you'll have a clear understanding of:

• The best grocery pos system for you based on your needs
• The features each grocery pos system includes
• The types of hardware you need for each grocery pos system
• How to create a plan for implementing grocery pos systems

And more!

Let's get started.

What is a grocery store?

A grocery store, also known as a food market, is a retail business that specializes in selling food and other related items. It may be located either in-store or online. Grocery stores typically carry fresh produce, dairy products, meats, canned goods, frozen foods, breads, breakfast cereals, snacks and beverages.

What is a POS system?

A POS system combines hardware and software that helps merchants process transactions, manage inventory, keep track of customer data, and more. It's typically used in two industries: the retail industry and the hospitality industry. In both cases, a POS system helps streamline operations by automating mundane tasks like tracking sales and inventory levels.

Hospitality POS vs. Retail POS

Hospitality POS systems are designed for restaurants, hotels, bars, and other service-oriented businesses. They typically include features like tableside ordering, digital menus, loyalty programs, and integrated payment processing services.

Retail POS systems are designed for stores that sell physical products. They typically include features like inventory tracking, customer loyalty programs, mobile payment processing, and staff management tools.

POS software vs. hardware

POS systems typically include both POS software and hardware. The software component is the program or apps used to run your business, such as a delivery app for your restaurant or accounting software for your retail store.

The hardware component is the physical equipment used to process transactions. Some common hardware items for grocery store pos systems include:

• a barcode scanner/barcode scanners
• a cash drawer/cash drawers
• a credit card reader/credit card readers
• receipt printer/receipt printers
• computer monitor/computer monitors
• touchscreen terminal/touchscreen terminals

Now that you know the basics of POS systems let's take a look at some of the best options for grocery stores.

#1 Epos Now

Naturally, your grocery store's best point of sale system depends on your specific needs. Epos Now offers a comprehensive package that many stores find useful.

Epos Now POS software is designed to be user-friendly, making it easy to use even if you're not tech-savvy. It also offers advanced features such as inventory management, customer loyalty programs, staff management tools, and mobile payment processing. The hardware component includes a touchscreen terminal, barcode scanner, cash drawer, credit card reader, and receipt printer.

Let's take a closer look at what makes Epos Now the best grocery pos system.

Automates stock control:

Grocery stores have a wide range of inventory to keep track of, from canned goods to fresh produce. Epos Now makes it easier by automatically alerting you when stock is running low and helping you create purchase orders.

• Automatic stock alerts and purchase orders mean you never miss a selling opportunity
• Adding new inventory can be tedious and time-consuming. Epos Now makes it simple by allowing you to quickly import your inventory into the system, making sure everything is up to date in minutes.
• Creating your own barcodes makes it easier to track all the items in your store. Epos Now lets you easily create and print out custom barcodes for any item in your inventory.

Seamlessly integrates with leading third-party apps:

Epos Now is compatible with various popular accounting, eCommerce and analytics software. This lets you easily sync your data across multiple platforms and get the most out of your POS system. It also supports integrations with loyalty programs like Apple Pay and Google Wallet, allowing you to reward customers quickly for their loyalty.

Epos Now has an ever-growing list of integrations, including:

• Accounting apps: automate your financial processes with integrations for Xero, Quickbooks, and more.
• eCommerce: use the Epos Now eCommerce integrations like Shopify and Epos Now Online Store to manage your online grocery store from within the POS system.
• Loyalty programs: reward customers with loyalty points and discounts using Epos Now Loyalty, Loyalty Zoo, or Vouchercart.
• Payments: accept payments from customers through integrated payment gateways like EVO, Global Payments, and International Bancard.

POS software updates and customer support:

Epos Now is constantly updating its POS software to keep up with the latest technology trends. They also offer 24/7 customer support, so they'll be more than happy to help if you have any questions or issues. You can access their online knowledge base for quick answers to your queries or call the customer service team directly.

• Identify high-margin items with advanced sales and product reports
• Get smart insights into every aspect of your business at the touch of a button
• Use historical sales data to accurately plan for the future

Security

Epos Now keeps your data secure with its cloud-based system and advanced encryption. All transactions are securely stored in the cloud, so you can rest assured that your business is protected. The system also can set permission levels for refunds, no-sales, voided transactions, and discounts to specific employees.

Epos Now also provides remote sign-in functionality so you can access your data from anywhere at any time. Additionally, swipe cards are used for shift sign-ins for added security.

Pricing

Food waste in grocery stores is a big issue, but Epos Now makes it easy to keep costs down by accurately pricing items in the system. With automatic price calculations and barcode scanning, you can process transactions quickly and accurately without manual input.

You'll be able to speed up transactions, reduce pressure on your staff and improve the customer experience. At the same time, you'll be able to boost profits by properly pricing all items in your grocery store, leading to increased profitability.

9 alternative grocery store POS systems

There are a number of alternative grocery store POS systems available that offer similar features to Epos Now, these include:

Lightspeed Retail POS

Lightspeed Retail is a cloud-based POS solution that is suitable for retailers in industries such as apparel, footwear, bike, jewelry, pet, sporting goods and home decor. The solution offers retailers tools including inventory management, retail store management, cash drawer control, payment processing, purchase order management, customer profile access, accounting software integration and integration with POS hardware such as barcode scanner or receipt printer tools. Lightspeed offers a fully integrated eCommerce platform that allows customers to manage in-store and online inventory, have a single view of customer data across both channels, and provide customers with comprehensive support options.

Limitations to Lightspeed Retail:

Lightspeed doesn't come with an EBT/WIC integration, so you won't be able to accept those payment methods. It's also not equipped for made-to-order transactions. This means that customers won't be able to customize their orders.

Shopify POS

Shopify is an online retail platform that allows you to create an online store quickly and easily. The Shopify POS system is suitable for small businesses. With 24/7 support for almost any challenge, multi-location store tracking and powerful apps to add more features, Shopify is a good option for those looking for an all-in-one solution. Shopify also offers actionable analytics to get detailed view of your business, so you can better understand sales, orders and marketing strategies. It supports payment processing via credit cards or cash payments.

Limitations to Shopify:

Shopify can be expensive if you use premium features or apps. The transaction fees can also add up, especially if you're selling high-priced items. This means that it may not be the best choice for those on a budget.

Revel POS

Revel is another good POS system for grocery stores that  cafe or full kitchen services. It provides the following features: offline payments mode, EBT sales via third-party integrations, group/combo sales (e.g., combo meal deals), cash drawer management and reporting, employee scheduling, time clock, permissions and performance reports, age verification requirements for cashiers, highly customizable loyalty and gift card program setup, barcode scanner/scale hardware integrations, phone barcode scanner app, scan-to-pay and text-to-pay functions, bottle deposits and redemptions.

Limitations to Revel:

To really benefit from Revel, you need to already have or plan on having a large customer base. Additionally, smaller businesses' three-year minimum commitment and cost can be quite expensive. It is best suited for larger grocery stores with high customer volume and interest in multiple advanced features.

Clover POS

Clover is a cloud-based POS system specifically designed for small businesses. It includes features such as offline payments mode, EBT transactions, item exchanges and returns, integrated scale and barcode scanner, kitchen and menu management, ID verification, tobacco discount program (paid add-on), self-checkout kiosks and online ordering for pickup or delivery. Clover POS systems also allows users to set up loyalty programs and discounts, and track employees' performance. It is suitable for small businesses in retail, hospitality, eCommerce, grocery stores, beauty salons and more.

Limitations to Clover:

Clover POS systems appear to only offer 36-month and 48-month contracts with pricy early termination fees. This means that you are locked-in to the system for a long period of time. Additionally, customer service reviews have been mixed, with some customers reporting that their issues were not resolved quickly or adequately.

Square POS

Square is an all-in-one POS system that can be used for grocery stores, bars, cafes and more. It offers features such as pickup and local delivery functions, split payments, EBT and WIC transactions through Totilpay integration, CBD sales capabilities, offline payment capabilities (so you won’t slow down even if your Wi-Fi fails), and the ability to sell items by weight and by unit cost. Square is a highly popular all-in-one POS system, ideal for small grocers who are looking for a simple yet powerful solution.

Limitations to Square:

Square's inventory management features are more limited than other POS systems. As a grocery store owner, you'll need to manage inventory manually which can quickly become overwhelming.

POS Nation

POS Nation is another POS system for grocery stores. Its features include integrated ID verification scanners, regulated inventory tracking and reporting on tobacco, alcohol and lottery sales. It also has employee scheduling capabilities, customer loyalty programs and gift card setup tools. The software is highly customizable and can be tailored to meet your store's needs. POS Nation also offers integrated hardware such as receipt printers and barcode scanners, and it supports third-party integrations for payment processing. It is suitable for small to large grocery stores.

Limitations to POS Nation

In order to run POS Nation software, you must use their hardware. Additionally, their customer support and cloud backup are available as add-on services at an extra cost. If you're looking for a complete solution with all the bells and whistles built into one package, this may not be the right system for your business.

IT Retail POS

IT Retail is a comprehensive point-of-sale solution for grocery stores. It has a good number of features designed by grocers for grocers - from offline payments, EBT/WIC transactions and payments by check to ID verification, fast self-checkout, cashier to self-checkout register conversions, integrated online ordering for pickup and delivery, dollar/percentage discounts, simple rewards point program setup, automated rewards detection, till balancing and end-of-day/end-of-week reports. It also offers receipt storage and downloads to monitor your store's performance.

Limitations to IT Retail

One of the biggest challenges for IT Retail is that there pricing is not transparent, which makes it difficult to compare their costs against other POS systems.

SHIFT4SHOP

Shift4Shop is an eCommerce platform built for business owners who want to take their business online. It offers a free subscription plan that includes an online store builder with customizable templates, single-page checkout for a fast checkout experience, split payments and quotes (great for grocery stores that double as caterers).

Limitations to Shift4Shop:

When you have a Shift4Shop store, you must use Shift4 Payments on the free plan. This means that you are locked-in to the system for a long period of time and cannot switch over to another payment processor unless you upgrade to the paid plan.

Epos Direct

EPOS Direct is designed for growing businesses and provides an affordable and reliable EPOS system specializing in ED19. This system offers free online training, no license fees, no hidden fees and includes intuitive functionality with simple integration.

Epos Direct limitations:

Epos Direct is a great option for small businesses. However, the company does not develop their own POS software, so they rely on third-party software to develop their system. This means that support and pricing can be missing leading to confusion for the user. Additionally, their software is not as well-known as some of the other POS systems on the market, making it more difficult to find support if something goes wrong.

How to choose the right POS system for your grocery store

Choosing the right point of sale system is an important decision for any grocery store and requires careful consideration. Here are some tips for planning the perfect POS system for your store

Understand your business needs

Take a look at your current operations and processes to determine what features you need in your POS system. For example, if you're running a larger grocery store, ensure the system can keep up with multiple transactions and high levels of customer traffic. Or, if you're a smaller store, make sure the system is easy to use and understand and is cost-effective.

Determine your budget

Before you begin your search, knowing how much money you can spend on a POS system is important. Consider the total costs associated with the system, such as hardware, software, and ongoing support, to determine what you can realistically afford.

Some things to consider when budgeting for a POS system are:

• How much do the POS hardware and POS software cost upfront?
• How many terminals do you need
• The cost of additional key features e.g., inventory management, customer loyalty programs, etc
• The cost of installation and training
• Maintenance fees and other recurring costs

Research different POS systems

Once you have an understanding of your business needs and budget, it's time to start researching different POS systems. Read reviews from other businesses in the industry and compare features, costs, and support options for each system. This will help you narrow down your choices and find the best fit for your store.

Evaluate software features

When selecting a POS system, ensuring the software includes all the key features you need is important. Look for systems that offer intuitive and user-friendly interfaces, fast transaction times, and reliable customer support. Additionally, consider if the system offers inventory management tools, data analytics options, loyalty programs, or other features to help you maximize efficiency and increase sales.

Consider support options

When you're selecting a POS system, make sure to research the company's customer support options. Look for 24/7 technical assistance, online tutorials, or other resources that will help you get the most out of your system. Additionally, inquire about service contracts and warranties so you can rest assured that your point of sale system will function properly for years to come.

Get a free demo

A great way to determine if a grocery store POS system is right for you is by getting a free trial or demo. This will allow you to experience the system first-hand and ensure it meets your needs before purchasing. Your demo should run through the following:

• How to use the system
• Transaction processing
• Reporting and analytics features
• Inventory management capabilities
• Customization options

Read online reviews

Before making a purchase, take some time to read online reviews from other businesses in the industry. This can help you get an idea of how the system works in a real-world setting and how the customer service and support teams respond to issues.

Consider security

Data security is an important consideration when selecting grocery store pos systems. Ensure the company you're working with has stringent data protection protocols, such as encryption, firewalls, and secure backups. Additionally, look for systems that offer fraud protection, such as payment card industry (PCI) compliance and anti-fraud measures.

Look for scalability

Look for a POS system that can grow with your business. Not only should the system be able to expand its capabilities to process more complex transactions, but it should also have the ability to integrate with other business systems, such as accounting or customer relationship management (CRM) software.

Make your decision

Once you've done your research and evaluated your options, it's time to make a decision. Select the system that best matches your needs, budget, and goals for long-term success. With the right POS system, you'll have all the tools you need to streamline operations and maximize efficiency in your store.

Final thoughts

So there you have it. Selecting the right POS system for your business can be an overwhelming process. To make sure you find the best fit, it's important to research different systems and evaluate their key features, cost, and support options.

Additionally, read online reviews from other businesses in the industry and consider security protocols and scalability when making your decision.

With these tips, you'll be able to find a system that will help you maximize efficiency and increase sales in your store. Good luck!

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