The POS Software Blog

The POS Software Blog

News from Tower Systems about locally made POS software for specialty local retailers.

CategoryCharity shop software

Small business retail management advice: map your GP by shop floor layout

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A few minutes spent analysing space allocation performance often reveals opportunities based on our years working with and helping local small business retailers.

With retail space usually costing between 11% and 15% of (non agency) revenue, it is usually the next highest cost outside of the cost of stock itself. The key is to make the space work well, to be financially efficient for the business.

Retailers often argue that rent should be lower. It could be that a different view of shop floor performance helps you achieve a better return.

Here’s a quick and easy way to assess your current use of your floorspace:

  1. Take a blank sheet of paper and sketch out the layout of your shop, marking in display units, shelving, the counter – everywhere you have product. Include your back room if you have stock there.
  2. Colour-shade the layout by department.
  3. List the departments on the side of the floor plan.
  4. Calculate the percentage of total space used for each department. This does not need to be accurate to two decimal places. List this next to each department you have listed.
  5. Use your POS software to report on gross profit dollars earned by each department over the last year, or calculate it from sales figures knowing the average GP% per department.
  6. Calculate the percentage of total gross profit contribution earned by each department and list this next to the floor space allocated to each department – on the floor plan map you have done.
  7. Circle in green those performing the best, where the GP% contribution is more than the GP% space allocation, and in red those performing the worst.

Typically, a business owner doing this for the first time will have an ah ha moment, seeing something they had not realised.

This is advice anyone can use, as any good POS software will report on GP by department. Getting this mapped on the floorpan of your shop lets you see the hot and cold spots, where you are making money, and where you are losing it.

This is retail management advice for any business owner, regardless of education level.

We have seen business owners make changes including to floor layout, quitting suppliers and increasing stock weight for some departments.

You can take the analysis a step further by looking only at one department and analysing performance by category within that department, using the method outlined above.

Our specialty retail POS software can help with this and more business performance analysis.

Our goal is to help you run a more appealing, successful and valuable retail business. As retailers ourselves, we use our software this way every day.

We can help if you are interested.

Find out more: www.towersystems.com.au 1300 662 957 sales@towersystems.com.au

Thanks for reading.

Excellent POS software for charity shops, op. shops and community owned enterprises

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Here at Tower Systems we are grateful to serve plenty of local op. shops, charity shops and community owned and run enterprises with POS software that suits the needs of these businesses.

Our charity shop POS software is made to serve needs unique to charity shops, op. shops and community owned enterprises where the day to day workforce is often volunteers who may only do a few hours each month.

Our software is easy to learn and suitable for a variety of settings common to charity shops, op. shops and community enterprises. For example, it’s easy to track sales at a high level buy product type to a next level down based on size / colour / style or a mix of these, down to individual item level. Using our POS software these organisations can learn more about what they sell, when they sell and how products sell.

In service of the valuable work of charity shops, op. shops and community owned enterprises we offer our POS software at a significantly discounted price. This is part of our own commitment to give back where we can, to help support the good work of these enterprises.

We have traditional Aussie op. shops using our POS software, community owned enterprises in the nursery / garden space, church related charity shops, community owned enterprises in other spaces too.

Charity and op. shops are unique and loved businesses and our software covered unique needs like:

  1. Easy to learn. We have found that in community enterprises easy to learn / easy to use really does matter. Volunteer turnover makes this essential. We can record training specific to your needs and make these videos available for future volunteers.
  2. Easy shopper loyalty.  While the software offers a loyalty points system, we have found the cash-off approach in our loyalty tools works better in local retail. People understand money. A receipt showing an amount they can save on their next purchase gets, usually, at least 20% of people spending more that visit.
  3. Manage inventory your way. You can sell by barcode, products code, department, category within department, price point. You can sell, measure and report at the level point appropriate to your needs.
  4. Secure. You can lock down parts of the software to secure them for management access only.
  5. Check and balances. This software guides processes. It also provides hidden tracking so you can investigate should the need arise.
  6. Club / group marketing and support. Leverage clubs and community groups with offers and pricing just for them.

Our Australian made and supported charity shop, op. shop and community owned enterprise shop POS software does more than what’s on this list.

We understand the importance local community groups to the local community.

  • Local matters. Community groups contribute to local communities and families. Our software helps you leverage your localness through many touchpoints.
  • You are a key asset. Only your business has your people. You can leverage them through facilities that share your knowledge of what you sell.
  • You can encourage loyalty. Our loyalty facilities are tuned to charity shop opportunities.
  • The unseen can reveal opportunities. Data, good data, is evidence on which you can expect to make better business decisions, decisions like what can be placed with what to speed sell-through.
  • Not every shopper will walk past your door. A seamless connection between your software and a beautiful website can reach them.

Tower Systems offers local charity shops, op. shops and community owned enterprises exclusive special pricing as part of our community outreach and support commitment. This is something we have thankful to have been able to do for decades.

POS software for Not For Profit, Charity Shops, Op. Shops and Community enterprises

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Tower Systems is grateful to offer Not For Profit, Charity Shops, Op. Shops and Community enterprises special, significantly discounted, pricing of its POS software as part of our commitment to give back to the community where we are able.

All retail businesses in the Not For Profit, Charity Shops, Op. Shops and Community enterprise sectors qualify for this pricing for accessing our Aussie designed and development POS software.

Not For Profit, Charity Shops, Op. Shops and Community enterprises are unique and loved businesses, providing valuable service to the local community and to those supported by the charity. We are grateful to serve these community enterprises with POS software made for charity / op. shops:

  1. Easy shopper loyalty. While the software offers a loyalty points system, we have found the cash-off approach in our loyalty tools works better in local retail. People understand money. A receipt showing an amount they can save on their next purchase gets, usually, at least 20% of people spending more that visit.
  2. Manage inventory your way. You can sell by barcode, products code, department, category within department, price point. You can sell, measure and report at the level point appropriate to your needs.
  3. Easy to learn. We have found that in community enterprises easy to learn / easy to use really does matter. Volunteer turnover makes this essential. We can record training specific to your needs and make these videos available for future volunteers.
  4. Secure. You can lock down parts of the software to secure them for management access only.
  5. Check and balances. This software guides processes. It also provides hidden tracking so you can investigate should the need arise.
  6. Club / group marketing and support. Leverage clubs and community groups with offers and pricing just for them.

We understand it can be a challenging and fine line walking between running a business and serving a community in need, especially in a setting that relies on many volunteers. We try and walk this road with you, helping where we can, helping you to serve while at the same time respecting the tech. professionals on our team who help us do this.

Embedded in our Not For Profit, Charity Shops, Op. Shops and Community enterprises software are tools to help the charity or community enterprise more efficiently focus on the mission of the organisation.

Our POS software for Not For Profit, Charity Shops, Op. Shops and Community enterprises is constantly evolving. we are grateful to so many who have helped and continue to help us on this path.

Do good in the community with charity boxed Christmas cards

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Christmas all about connecting with others, and what better way than through a charity boxed Christmas card.

At www.myornaments.com.au we offer charity boxed Christmas cards. This is a website we built, connected to a shop we run. That’s right, we are a POS software company that runs shops and online businesses. We do this to walk in the shoes of our customers.

If you’re looking for a way to make your Christmas greetings extra special, consider buying charity boxed Christmas cards as each box purchased supports a local Aussie charity, enhancing the good delivered through your purchase and sending of the cards.

The charity boxed Christmas cards support many charities and they’re often printed right here in Australia, so you can feel good about supporting your local community.

At MyOrnaments, we have a wide selection of charity boxed Christmas cards to choose from, with many different packs available. We also offer a variety of designs and price points, so you’re sure to find the perfect cards for your loved ones.

Whether you’re sending cards to clients, staff, or community members, charity boxed Christmas cards are a great way to show your appreciation and support. And with so many different charities to choose from, you can find a card that benefits a cause that’s close to your heart.

What we are doing with charity boxed Christmas cards at our www.myornaments.com.au website is another example of how Tower Systems plays outside what is usual for a POS software company. By using the software and websites we make ourselves we are thankful to have a user perspective on our software and services. This changes what we do and how we do it.

You can’t buy the insights of someone using your software. We have learnt so much by being our own customer, not only selling charity boxed Christmas cards at www.myornaments.com.au but with so many other things we do in businesses we run that use our POS software.

Managing inventory, connecting to the POS, calculating freight and handling special price point offers is part of what Tower Systems has created at the MyOrnaments shop and part of what brings the charity boxed Christmas card 0ffer to life. We are proud to have this website as part of our calling card mix of websites we have developed, to show the comprehensive nature of what we  offer.

Now, think about buying charity boxed Christmas cards for your customers, friends, neighbours and others this Christmas and spreading not only greetings but the feeling of doing good in the community. That’s a wonderful Christmas spirit.

Christmas marketing tips for local small business retailers

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It’s November 1. The countdown to Christmas is well and truly under way. The next 8 weeks are probably the most important weeks of trade for most retailers.

Here are some free tips to help you make the most of the opportunities, to help you separate your business from the Christmas noise.

Over the next 8 weeks most retailers will pound hard Christmas products, sales and opportunities. Many will be loud, screeching for people to look at them. In local retail businesses it’s hard to compete with the noise of national retailers.

The best advice we think we can give local retailers is to have fun, enjoy yourselves, help customers enjoy themselves.

In your social media posts, focus on having fun and sharing joyful stories.

In your window, be local, shine a light on local talents from kids to retirees. have your shop software people want to visit to see their friends and neighbours and themselves reflected.

In your shop be sure to keep it light, relaxed and fun.

We could give you a list of things to do. Not this year. This year we think you’ll get more value from a relaxed and fun-focussed Christmas season. let the others do the heavy lifting with Christmas noise. In your shop let people relax and catch their breath.

Being calm and relaxing will separate your shop, get it known for being this place rather than the shrill and bustle of Christmas retail elsewhere.

Make it easy, too. People often talk about how hard Christmas is. Be the business that makes it easy. The ways to do this are have bundled gifts ready to go, pre-bagged or wrapped, with some card selections that are relevant, offer easy payment options including buy now pay later, free wrapping, better shop floor help, guide buying advice or tips on perfect gifts no one else will think of. Consider making Christmas easy as being a key part of your messaging.

You could also help your shoppers help others. Setup a whiteboard or sheets of butcher’s paper, yes keep it simple. Get customers to write gift suggestions under different age/gender groups. For example: Girls 18 – 25, Boys 55+. Encourage your customers to help each other.

Stand out this Christmas by being different, calm, relaxed, fun. Shoppers will notice this, and appreciate what you have done.

Have an awesome run up to Christmas!

Advice for small business retailers on dead stock

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Dead stock has no value in any retail business. Indeed, it has a cost as it takes up space and needs labour to keep it clean at least. It sits there, occupying this space, not being bought, paging with each day.

What constitutes dead stock will vary by type of retail business. In some, stock has an expiry date, making that the drop-dead date for the stock. In other businesses, stock is dead when a new version or new release of an item is out.

For the purpose of the advice we provide here, our definition of dead stock is that which has not sold whatsoever in six months or more. The is, you have a quantity of an item on hand and have not sold any of then in six months.

Knowing what stock is dead in your small business shop is critical. It is the start, the beginning, of resolving the issue of dead stock.

Our Tower Systems POS software helps local small business retailers easily identify dead stock. You can decide what constitutes dead stock in your business and list it, bring it up on the screens for attention.

Start there, start with your definition. next, use your software to identify what’s dead. Once you have this information you need to jump, what for some, is a hurdle … you need to decide to quit that stock.

Some retailers are adamant that they need to make a profit on everything they sell. These retailers don’t like discounting to quit dead stock. The thing is, the stock on the shelf is worthless until someone pays you something for it.

In our pragmatic view, getting something, anything just about, is for stock that is dead is better than waiting longer and getting nothing for that same dead stock.

Quitting dead stock is best considered a freeing cash move. That’s what we say getting anything at all is better than the stock sitting on the shelves and not moving.

Use your POS software to identify the dead stock and then jump that hurdle and quit it, quickly, freeing the space and allowing you to focus on what’s next.

In our Tower Systems POS software, the Stock manager tool is best for identifying stock that is dead. You can easily see when you last arrived stock, what’s on hand and when it last sold. In seconds you can have a hit list of stock that could benefit from action. Stock manager operates in a way that any retailer could use it. It’s not complex, not daunting. We have a terrific video showing how to do this with Stock manager. We also have a wonderful advice sheet.

Retail businesses exist to support those who rely on them for income. Dead stock is not helping with this.

Unfortunately, too many small business retailers do not actively engage with the opportunity of dead stock.

We are grateful to serve more than 3,000 local and independent small business retailers here at Tower Systems. Our POS software community is diverse and very much appreciated by us for their support and feedback.

The advice we share here comes from our years of engagement with them and our own experience as engaged retailers ourselves.

Our POS software for op. shops, charity shops and community enterprises is part of our giving back commitment

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We price our POS software for op. shops, charity shops and community enterprises differently to our commercial offer. The pricing is subsidised by us to make the cost as low as possible for these valuable community enterprises.

Charity and op. shops are unique and loved businesses, providing valuable service to the local community and to those supported by the charity. We are grateful to serve these community enterprises with POS software made for charity / op. shops:

  1. Easy shopper loyalty. While the software offers a loyalty points system, we have found the cash-off approach in our loyalty tools works better in local retail. People understand money. A receipt showing an amount they can save on their next purchase gets, usually, at least 20% of people spending more that visit.
  2. Manage inventory your way. You can sell by barcode, products code, department, category within department, price point. You can sell, measure and report at the level point appropriate to your needs.
  3. Easy to learn. We have found that in community enterprises easy to learn / easy to use really does matter. Volunteer turnover makes this essential. We can record training specific to your needs and make these videos available for future volunteers.
  4. Secure. You can lock down parts of the software to secure them for management access only.
  5. Check and balances. This software guides processes. It also provides hidden tracking so you can investigate should the need arise.
  6. Club / group marketing and support. Leverage clubs and community groups with offers and pricing just for them.

Our Australian made and supported charity / op. shop POS software does much more than what’s on this list. See it for yourself, live and obligation free, to see if it could serve you and your business. We’d be glad to show it to all involved in the operation.

We understand it can be a challenging and fine line walking between running a business and serving a community in need, especially in a setting that relies on many volunteers. We try and walk this road with you, helping where we can, helping you to serve while at the same time respecting the tech. professionals on our team who help us do this.

Embedded in our software are tools to help the charity or community enterprise more efficiently focus on the mission of the organisation.

Our POS software for charity / Op. shops is evolving. we are grateful to so many who have helped and continue to help us on this path.

It’s stocktake season and Tower Systems is helping small business retailers be ready

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Our advice to retailers re stocktake is first and foremost: never pay an outside party to do your stocktake and never do a stocktake outside of your POS software.

The most accurate stocktake result for any retail business is doing it yourself, using your POS software. The Tower Systems POS software offers easy to use and reliable stock facilities and workflow.

Last year (2022), we got together with one of the stocktake experts at Tower Systems to discuss this and answer common stocktake questions we are asked. Here’s the video.

Our help goes beyond this. We have written advice, and we offer personal training. We make stocktaking easy and reliable for local samall business retailers.

How retailers are using POS software integrated ChatGPT to create more valuable product descriptions

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Local small business retailers are short on time and challenges in competing with well-resourced big businesses.

The ChatGPT AI integration delivered by Tower Systems in its local specialty retail POS software early this year is being used by small business retailers to create for search friendly product descriptions.

Using this optional and free facility, retailers are able to describe products faster and in search friendly terms. Here’s a short video we made for our customers to show how it works:

No, we’re not going all AI is replacing the world on our customers. Rather, we are providing access to optional time saving tools. Feedback from our local retailer community has been wonderful, for which we are thankful.

5 ways retailers can use the POS software from Tower Systems to pitch value to shoppers

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Plenty is being written about the economy at the moment and it is negatively impacting consumer confidence. There are things you can do with the Tower Systems POS software to show your business offering value to shoppers, and thereby nurturing more value for you.

And here in this post, value means the value shoppers perceive in dealing with your business. You could also use the term savings.

While value can be about price, it is often not as straightforward as that. Something could cost more but it could last longer or you might get more pieces than if you pay a lower price or there may be some other add-on that drives value.

While our POS software offers many ways retailers can pitch value to shoppers, here are 5 ways retailers can use the POS software from Tower Systems to pitch value to shoppers:

  1. Discount vouchers in Retailer are a perfect way to pitch value. A dollar amount discount is better understood than points. You can set the vouchers up in a way so costs are covered by benefits. Show your shoppers what they can save.
  2. Offer to fund raise for local charities, community groups and clubs. They could give their members a card that gets them, say, a 5% discount off purchasing from you while also earning for the charity a 5% donation. The goal here is to bring new shoppers into your business.
  3. Offering a coffee card type discount of, say, buy 9 and get your 10th free for habit-based purchases, like coffee, pet food, cards, magazines, fertilizer etc. can help nurture shopper stickiness to your business.
  4. Bundling products together into something that only your business offers can pitch a value proposition unique to your business.
  5. Volume pricing, where the cost of an item decreases as the quantity purchased increases, can help shoppers save and you sell more.

Your software offers more ways of pitching value to shoppers than these, and it helps you systemise pitching value. Being consistent about this is key to it working for you.

Consider this list of 5 a starting point, a jumping off point for exploring other ways for your business.

Tower Systems offers business management advice like this to all of its POS software customers, taking the POS software help desk experience beyond the technical and onto the shop floor, to help our local small business retailer customers to themselves get more value from their use of our POS software.

Charity shop software Op. shop software – helping community groups support their communities

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Tower Systems is grateful to the many community groups that have chosen its community charity shop / op shop software.

In support of the work of this valued community enterprise sector, Tower Systems offers its Aussie made and supported POS software for $99.00. This is a price specifically for charity shops, op. shops and other community enterprise retail businesses.

In our work with many different Charity and op. shops, we have found unique and loved businesses with common needs, needs covered by the POS software have for them, like:

  1. Pricing flexibility. Some charity shops price each item while others have a range off prince points and sell without tracking each item. Our software handles this.
  2. Easy shopper loyalty.  While the software offers a loyalty points system, we have found the cash-off approach in our loyalty tools works better in local retail. People understand money. A receipt showing an amount they can save on their next purchase gets, usually, at least 20% of people spending more that visit.
  3. Manage inventory your way. You can sell by barcode, products code, department, category within department, price point. You can sell, measure and report at the level point appropriate to your needs.
  4. Easy to learn. We have found that in community enterprises easy to learn / easy to use really does matter. Volunteer turnover makes this essential. We can record training specific to your needs and make these videos available for future volunteers.
  5. Secure. You can lock down parts of the software to secure them for management access only.
  6. Checks and balances. This software guides processes. It also provides hidden tracking so you can investigate should the need arise.
  7. Club / group marketing and support. Leverage clubs and community groups with offers and pricing just for them.

Our Australian made and supported charity / op. shop POS software does much more than what’s on this list. See it for yourself, live and obligation free, to see if it could serve you and your business. We’d be glad to show it to all involved in the operation.

Here’s what’s included in the $99 monthly rental cost: software licences for unlimited computers in the location, help desk support (by phone or email) 6 days a week (including Saturday), access to a comprehensive support knowledge base, after hours support call access for urgent system down queries, access to our Shopify, Xero and other integrations, access to our supplier invoice import tools.

The $99 is not a short term price, a limited time offer. It is our standard price for charity shops / op. shops and community enterprises. It has been priced this was as part of our commitment to  support good works in local Aussie communities. We are grateful to be in a position to offer this pricing to this loved group of retail businesses.

Here’s a Q&A about this POS software for op. shops, charity shops and community enterprises:

We work on behalf of several local charities. Can we track purchases by their members as a fund raising tool? Yes.

We have a lot of volunteers, is the software easily learnt? Yes.

We report to a board, are there good checks and balances? Yes.

Do we have to barcode everything we sell? No.

So when we don’t sell by barcode how do we track what we sell? You decide the level of reporting you want and that determines the best sales tracking approach.

Can we compare the performance of different categories of what we sell? Yes.

Can we report on sales by product type so we can understand the categories that sell? Yes.

Does the software produce WAS / NOW price labels so we can show what something would cost in a regular store? Yes.

Our manager is off-site. Can they access the software from there? Yes.

Does the software support a loyalty program? Yes, there are several loyalty options that work in different situations from infrequent shopper visits to regular shopper visits.

Can we set a quantity purchase price for items? Yes.

Can we bundle items together, like into a hamper, and easily sell that? Yes.

Can I include product care instructions on the receipt? Yes.

Does the software handle LayBys? Yes.

Does the software connect with my website? We partner with Shopify, Big Commerce, Magento and WooCommerce and offer direct links to these.

If you are connected with a charity shop, op. shop or a community enterprise, reach out to Tower Systems and see whether our software serves your needs. We’re a no pressure software company. It’s important to us that people who decide to use our software do so because it its a good fit for their needs.

How our Aussie made and supported POS software helps charity shops, op. shops and community enterprises better help those they serve

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Tower Systems has been serving local charity shops, op. shops and community enterprises for years with POS software that serves a variety of retail needs in this broad charity shop space. the latest release of our software serves this space well.

We know from experience that charity and op. shops are unique and loved businesses, providing valuable service to the local community and to those supported by the charity. We are grateful to serve these community enterprises with our POS software:

  1. Easy shopper loyalty.  While the software offers a loyalty points system, we have found the cash-off approach in our loyalty tools works better in local retail. People understand money. A receipt showing an amount they can save on their next purchase gets, usually, at least 20% of people spending more that visit.
  2. Manage what you sell your way. You can sell by barcode, products code, department, category within department, price point. You can sell, measure and report at the level point appropriate to your needs.
  3. Easy to learn by volunteers. We have found that in community enterprises easy to learn / easy to use really does matter. Volunteer turnover makes this essential. We can record training specific to your needs and make these videos available for future volunteers.
  4. Secure for your peace of mind. You can lock down parts of the software to secure them for management access only.
  5. Check and balances. This software guides processes. It also provides hidden tracking so you can investigate should the need arise.
  6. Club / group marketing and support. Leverage clubs and community groups with offers and pricing just for them.

Our Australian made and supported charity / op. shop POS software does much more than what’s on this list. See it for yourself, live and obligation free, to see if it could serve you and your business. We’d be glad to show it to all involved in the operation.

While we serve many charity / op. shop retail stores in many different situations, we know this every shop is unique, with its own requirements. Our goal is to offer charity shop software that is as useful as possible, while being affordable for these tight budget businesses.

Here are answers to some of the questions we have been asked about our Charity / Op. Shop Software over the years.

When you are ready, we’d love to show you our Charity / Op. Shop Software and through that show you answers to other questions you have.

Does the software support community group member pricing? Yes.

We work on behalf of several local charities. Can we track purchases by their members as a fund raising tool? Yes.

We have a lot of volunteers, is the software easily learnt? Yes.

We report to a board, are there good checks and balances? Yes.

Do we have to barcode everything we sell? No.

So when we don’t sell by barcode how do we track what we sell? You decide the level of reporting you want and that determines the best sales tracking approach.

Can we compare the performance of different categories of what we sell? Yes.

Can we report on sales by product type so we can understand the categories that sell? Yes.

Does the software produce WAS / NOW price labels so we can show what something would cost in a regular store?Yes.

Our manager is off-site. Can they access the software from there? Yes.

Does the software support a loyalty program? Yes, there are several loyalty options that work in different situations from infrequent shopper visits to regular shopper visits.

Can we set a quantity purchase price for items? Yes.

Can we bundle items together, like into a hamper, and easily sell that? Yes.

Can the software handle tracking sales to group members to calculate a rebate for the group?Yes.

Can I include product care instructions on the receipt? Yes.

Does the software track where I have stored a box for an item? Yes.

Does the software handle LayBys? Yes.

Does the software connect with my website? We partner with Shopify, Magento and WooCommerce and offer direct links to these.

Can I email receipts? Yes.

Can I track where my customers come from? Yes.

Do I have to pay for software on additional computers in my business? No.

Can I connect with my EFTPOS terminal? Yes. We have a direct link to Tyro and through Linkly we connect to all major banks.

Can I use my existing hardware? Yes, as long as your hardware meets our minimum standards.

Can I use my existing data with the software? Yes. We’d like to check your data to be sure. We will advise what can be safely brought across.

Does it integrate with Xero? Yes.

Find out more at www.towersystems.com.au/charity.

How our Aussie POS software company offers practical help to local community groups

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Community enterprises, like Op. Shops, Charity Shops, Community Workshops, Community Garden centres and similar play vital and cherished roles in their local communities.

We make software that can help these Community Enterprises run more efficiently and, through this, provide better assistance to those they serve. Our charity and community group POS software can track sales, report on categories that sell and directly support those who may qualify for special pricing when shopping in the charity or community shop.

Our charity and community group and op. shop software does more than this.

While there is a cost for the software, we often discount this as well as the training cost to make the solution even more affordable.

We consider each situation on its merits and our circumstances at the time. Our goal is to help as much as we are able remembering that everyone who works in our business needs to be paid a fair wage for their work, and given that we have costs and overheads to be in business and do what we do.

Our charity shop software can be rented for $99 a month. This is a low price when compared to other POS software a charity shop may consider choosing. we have deliberately priced this at close to half our usual price for such software.

This is software that offers access to benefits like:

  1. Easy shopper loyalty.  While the software offers a loyalty points system, we have found the cash-off approach in our loyalty tools works better in local retail. People understand money. A receipt showing an amount they can save on their next purchase gets, usually, at least 20% of people spending more that visit.
  2. Manage inventory your way. You can sell by barcode, products code, department, category within department, price point. You can sell, measure and report at the level point appropriate to your needs.
  3. Easy to learn. We have found that in community enterprises easy to learn / easy to use really does matter. Volunteer turnover makes this essential. We can record training specific to your needs and make these videos available for future volunteers.
  4. Secure. You can lock down parts of the software to secure them for management access only.
  5. Check and balances. This software guides processes. It also provides hidden tracking so you can investigate should the need arise.
  6. Club / group marketing and support. Leverage clubs and community groups with offers and pricing just for them.

Our Australian made and supported charity / op. shop POS software does much more than what’s on this list tho.

There is a training and setup cost, which we also consider before settling on a price for a charity or community group.

We genuinely try and make the cost for accessing our charity and community group software as low as possible without cutting the services provided.

Charity shop op. shop POS software Q&A

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While we serve many charity / op. shop retail stores in many different situations, we know this every shop is unique, with its own requirements. Our goal is to offer charity shop software that is as useful as possible, while being affordable for these tight budget businesses.

Here are answers to some of the questions we have been asked about our Charity / Op. Shop Software over the years.

When you are ready, we’d love to show you our Charity / Op. Shop Software and through that show you answers to other questions you have.

Does the software support community group member pricing? Yes.

We work on behalf of several local charities. Can we track purchases by their members as a fund raising tool? Yes.

We have a lot of volunteers, is the software easily learnt? Yes.

We report to a board, are there good checks and balances? Yes.

Do we have to barcode everything we sell? No.

So when we don’t sell by barcode how do we track what we sell? You decide the level of reporting you want and that determines the best sales tracking approach.

Can we compare the performance of different categories of what we sell? Yes.

Can we report on sales by product type so we can understand the categories that sell? Yes.

Does the software produce WAS / NOW price labels so we can show what something would cost in a regular store? Yes.

Our manager is off-site. Can they access the software from there? Yes.

Does the software support a loyalty program? Yes, there are several loyalty options that work in different situations from infrequent shopper visits to regular shopper visits.

Can we set a quantity purchase price for items? Yes.

Can we bundle items together, like into a hamper, and easily sell that? Yes.

Can the software handle tracking sales to group members to calculate a rebate for the group?Yes.

Can I include product care instructions on the receipt? Yes.

Does the software track where I have stored a box for an item? Yes.

Does the software handle LayBys? Yes.

Does the software connect with my website? We partner with Shopify, Magento and WooCommerce and offer direct links to these.

Can I email receipts? Yes.

Can I track where my customers come from? Yes.

Do I have to pay for software on additional computers in my business? No.

Can I connect with my EFTPOS terminal? Yes. We have a direct link to Tyro and through Linkly we connect to all major banks.

Can I use my existing hardware? Yes, as long as your hardware meets our minimum standards.

Can I use my existing data with the software? Yes. We’d like to check your data to be sure. We will advise what can be safely brought across.

Does it integrate with Xero? Yes.

Find out more at www.towersystems.com.au/charity.

POS software for charity shops helps them spread goodness

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The Tower Systems POS software for charity shops and community groups is helping to spread love, joy and comfort through the community.

Right around Australia from community eeterprises, to local op. shops, our locally made and supported POS software is in use, serving locally.

Charity shop software / community group software helps local groups serve the local community

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Tower Systems is grateful to serve many different community groups, offering POS software for charity shops and community run retail businesses. This is software tuned to the needs of charity shops.

Here’s a Q&A that answers common questions we are often asked by managers and committee members:

Does the software support community member pricing? Yes.

We work on behalf of several local charities. Can we track purchases by their members as a fund raising tool? Yes.

We have a lot of volunteers, is the software easily learnt? Yes.

We report to a board, are there good checks and balances? Yes.

Do we have to barcode everything we sell? No.

Can we compare the performance of different categories of what we sell? Yes.

Can we report on sales by product type so we can understand the categories that sell? Yes.

Does the software produce WAS / NOW price labels so we can show what something would cost in a regular store? Yes.

Our manager is off-site. Can they access the software from there? Yes.

Does the software support a loyalty program? Yes, there are several loyalty options that work in different situations from infrequent shopper visits to regular shopper visits.

Can we set a quantity purchase price for items? Yes.

Can we bundle items together, like into a hamper, and easily sell that? Yes.

Can the software handle tracking sales to group members to calculate a rebate for the group?Yes.

Can I include product care instructions on the receipt? Yes.

Does the software track where I have stored a box for an item? Yes.

Does the software handle LayBys? Yes.

Does the software connect with my website? We partner with Shopify, Magento and WooCommerce and offer direct links to these.

Can I email receipts? Yes.

Can I track where my customers come from? Yes.

Do I have to pay for software on additional computers in my business? No.

Can I connect with my EFTPOS terminal? Yes. We have a direct link to Tyro and through Linkly we connect to all major banks.

Can I use my existing hardware? Yes, as long as your hardware meets our minimum standards.

Can I use my existing data with the software? Yes. We’d like to check your data to be sure. We will advise what can be safely brought across.

Does it integrate with Xero? Yes.

Charity and op. shops are unique and loved businesses, providing valuable service to the local community and to those supported by the charity. We are grateful to serve these community enterprises with our POS software:

  1. Easy shopper loyalty.  While the software offers a loyalty points system, we have found the cash-off approach in our loyalty tools works better in local retail. People understand money. A receipt showing an amount they can save on their next purchase gets, usually, at least 20% of people spending more that visit.
  2. Manage inventory your way. You can sell by barcode, products code, department, category within department, price point. You can sell, measure and report at the level point appropriate to your needs.
  3. Easy to learn. We have found that in community enterprises easy to learn / easy to use really does matter. Volunteer turnover makes this essential. We can record training specific to your needs and make these videos available for future volunteers.
  4. Secure. You can lock down parts of the software to secure them for management access only.
  5. Check and balances. This software guides processes. It also provides hidden tracking so you can investigate should the need arise.
  6. Club / group marketing and support. Leverage clubs and community groups with offers and pricing just for them.

Our Australian made and supported charity / op. shop POS software does much more than what’s on this list. See it for yourself, live and obligation free, to see if it could serve you and your business. We’d be glad to show it to all involved in the operation.

Thrift shop POS software helps local thrift shops manage

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Thrift shops, like charity shops, have unique needs when it comes to business management. The Tower Systems thrift shop software helps these businesses meet plenty of uniquer needs in their service of local communities and causes.

The Tower Systems thrift shop software has facilities designed to serve these unique needs such as:

  1. Easy shopper loyalty.  While the software offers a loyalty points system, we have found the cash-off approach in our loyalty tools works better in local thrift shop retail. People understand money. A receipt showing an amount they can save on their next purchase gets, usually, at least 20% of people spending more that visit.
  2. Manage inventory your way. You can sell by barcode, products code, department, category within department, price point. You can sell, measure and report at the level point appropriate to your needs. This means thrift shops have multiple ways in which they can track what they sell, to understand what they sell.
  3. Easy to learn. We have found that in community enterprises, like thrift shops, easy to learn / easy to use really does matter. Volunteer turnover makes this essential. We can record training specific to your needs and make these videos available for future volunteers.
  4. Secure. You can lock down parts of the software to secure them for management access only. With volunteers working in thrift shops they may not need access to some parts of the software.
  5. Check and balances. This software guides processes. It also provides hidden tracking so you can investigate should the need arise.
  6. Club / group marketing and support. Leverage clubs and community groups with offers and pricing just for them. Thrift shops often exist to serve local community needs, our thrift shop software makes it easy to incentivise engagement by locals for the support of locals.

Our Australian made and supported thrift shop POS software does much more than what’s on this list. See it for yourself, live and obligation free, to see if it could serve you and your business. We’d be glad to show it to all involved in the operation.

Here are some questions we have had from thrift shop managers:

Does the software support community group member pricing? Yes.

We work on behalf of several local charities. Can we track purchases by their members as a fund raising tool? Yes.

We have a lot of volunteers, is the software easily learnt? Yes.

We report to a board, are there good checks and balances? Yes.

Do we have to barcode everything we sell? No.

Can we compare the performance of different categories of what we sell? Yes.

Can we report on sales by product type so we can understand the categories that sell? Yes.

Does the software produce WAS / NOW price labels so we can show what something would cost in a regular store? Yes.

Our manager is off-site. Can they access the software from there? Yes.

Does the software support a loyalty program? Yes, there are several loyalty options that work in different situations from infrequent shopper visits to regular shopper visits.

Can we set a quantity purchase price for items? Yes.

Can we bundle items together, like into a hamper, and easily sell that? Yes.

The best way to see if this thrift shop software is good for your situation is through a demonstration.

We are grateful to support the work of local charity / thrift shops:

Specialty retailer POS software enhanced

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Tower Systems has released a new functionality POS software update, delivering genuinely new facilities to it’s customers, enabling some to offer and manage services they have not offered before.

This advance in POS software functionality for local retailers has some about through extensive customer and sales prospect consultation and comprehensive new tech. software development. The project has been many months in the making, involving several members of our local Aussie based POS software development team.

Our existing POS software customers have been provided access to there software update through an easy implementation pathway, along with easy access to training so that they can fully learn how these new facilities work and how to implement them within their business.

Our POS software rental customers have immediate access.

Our hosted close POS software customers have the update installed for them, when they want – with timing 100% their call.

As well as the new facilities introduced with this POS software update, plenty of existing facilities have been enhanced based on suggestions made through our transparent Software Ideas platform. Software Ideas is where our customers can suggest enhancements and other customers get to vote on these once we have provided feedback as to technical feasibility. Software Ideas is a differentiator for Tower Systems as it provides to our customers a level of transparency and and democracy that is not common in the commercial software space.

At the same time as releasing this update, we are releasing access to the most comprehensive overhaul of our POS software documentation in more than 15 years with new articles released as well as many existing articles enhanced and adjusted to serve the software its it is today and our customers as they make use of the software today. Our commitment to continual improvement of our documentation and user training resources is key to helping our customers leverage more value from their POS software investment.

Tower Systems is grateful to the active engagement of its customers as this is at the heart of what we deliver for our customers through these POS software and documentation enhancements. 3,500+ local small business retail customers do make a difference.

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