What is Stock Control Software & How Can it Benefit You?
If you own a retail business, streamlining the stock control process can help you save money, better serve customers, and keep a closer eye on your inventory. However, sometimes, it’s easier said than done. That’s why many retail businesses opt for investing in reliable stock control software, like the solutions offered by Eurostop. But if you’re still unsure as to whether a stock control system will benefit your business, here are some insightful facts about what they do and the advantages they have. What is Stock Control Software? Also known as inventory control systems, the main function of stock control software is to manage all the supply chain processes that affect the inventory of your retail establishment. This includes purchasing and product sales, in addition to deliveries, storage inputs, product tracking, product turnover, shipping and receiving, and reordering. Many stock control systems are also compatible with eCommerce sites, enabling retailers to manage all their inventory flow under one umbrella. For many retailers, the processes mentioned above are often divided into different departments. However, even if this is the case with your business, a stock control system will allow you to perform each step more efficiently and ensure nothing is overlooked. This is because all these processes will fall under a single system that can be accessed by multiple users from any location. Some of the most attractive features of stock control software include: Projecting Inventory Needs Accurate Recording of Inventory Data Retrieval of Products from Warehouses Sales Information Customer Histories Vendor Management Report Generation Automatic Stock Regeneration What Are the Benefits of Stock Control Software? Software for shop stock control can provide a wide range of benefits to retailers of any size. One of the primary benefits of investing in a stock control system rather than tracking sales and inventory the old-fashioned way is that it helps you maintain better control and visibility over your stock. It also enables retailers to consolidate other processes that affect stock, like sales and purchasing. Additionally, a stock control system will automatically update any changes regarding inventory in your system, so all your inventory will be accurate every time you make a sale or purchase. Stock control software also offers a host of reporting options so you can compare your sales successes from month to month and identify areas that need improvement. Let Eurostop help you get a handle on stock and inventory control! If the above benefits of stock control software have inspired you to take the next step, then Eurostop would love to show you how our systems work. You can contact us online to learn more about our EPOS and retail solutions or call +44 (0)20 8991 2700.
New Year, New Retail EPOS! A Checklist for Businesses
Is your business gearing up to ring in the New Year? One of the best ways to hit the ground running is by ensuring your point-of-sales processes are up to date. That’s why investing in a retail POS system can make a great gift for you and your employees. Eurostop wants to help make it easy to choose your new system, so we’ve collected some important information for you below! Assess Your Current Retail EPOS System’s Performance Before diving in and starting to shop for new retail POS systems and software, it’s important to assess the performance of your current setup. As you’re reviewing your business’ year-end data, determine whether your staff had trouble meeting their goals or targets. It’s also important to assess if there were any unexpected loss of sales due to POS mishaps like product inventory confusion. Once you’ve assessed your retail POS system’s performance for the past year, think about what needs to change and what type of solutions you want in your new EPOS system. Some of the most important things to consider are included in the following checklist: Make a note of all the hardware your new system will require Create a working budget for the setup and installation of your new system Define your company’s needs and how they might change in the year ahead Compare new EPOS systems Hire an expert to install your new POS system Let Eurostop help streamline your payment processes with our innovative technology! If you’re ready to move ahead and start shopping for new retail POS systems, Eurostop’s retail solutions offer a host of options. Our e-pos touch systems do much more than simply process transactions, they also enable you to collect customer loyalty information, perform upsells, and create advanced promotions. The live EPOS software from Eurostop ensures that all of your stock information is monitored and updated accordingly at every till point, and in every one of your retail locations. Our EPOS estate manager synchronises Eurostop’s stock control and merchandise management software with your EPOS estate, enabling you to provide a consistent customer experience across all channels. With it, you’ll be able to synchronize stock, security, CRM solutions, promotions, prompts, and even currencies. Additional features include: Omni-channel fulfillment Direct deliveries Inventory management International pricing Customer management Sales reporting and analytics Founded in 1980, the team from Eurostop has 30 years of experience providing global retail and EPOS solutions to a variety of clients. Over the years, we’ve become one of the industry’s leaders, providing quality retail POS systems to those in the fashion, footwear, jewelry, and general merchandise sectors. For more information about our innovative solutions, contact us online today or call +44 (0) 208 991 2700.
5 Ways Your Retail EPOS System can Boost Festive Season Sales
Running a retail establishment during Christmas and the festive months can certainly be a tough job without having to worry about your point-of-sale processes as well. That’s why many choose to invest in an affordable, reliable retail EPOS system to help them keep track of sales, customers, staff, and more. However, you might not be fully aware of what you’re missing, so Eurostop has collected some insightful information for you here! Create a More Intimate Customer Experience An affordable EPOS system can help you create a more intimate and positive customer experience by streamlining the payment process. Your system will be able to retain customer purchase information, payment details, and loyalty information all at the very touch of your fingertips. Attract New Customers with Loyalty Programs One of the best ways to draw new clients to your business during the festive season is by giving them an opportunity they can’t miss. With the right retail EPOS system, you can create enticing loyalty programs to drum up business during the Christmas season. The right software will make it easy to offer discounts, create special promotions, and launch successful festive season campaigns. Monitor Best-Selling Products During the festive season, it’s important to know which items are selling like hotcakes, so you can display them accordingly on the retail floor. You can run detailed reports to determine which products are selling best and when. This information will help you sell as much as possible and give you ideas to make those lesser-selling items more attractive. Streamline the Payment Process Gone are the days of the paper pad, calculator, and old-fashioned cash register, at least for most businesses. Having an outdated payment system, especially during the holidays, can make you lose business. But an affordable EPOS system will help streamline the payment process, enabling customers to pay in their manner of choice in a matter of seconds. With shorter lines, customers are less likely to go elsewhere to avoid a wait. Staff Scheduling Want your best salespeople on the floor this festive season? A retail EPOS system can help you identify the best members of your sales staff based on in-depth data. You can then make certain they’re working during peak hours, helping customers on the floor and raking in festive season sales! Let us help streamline your retail payment process! If you want to cut back on waste, monitor inventory and boost sales this holiday season, investing in one of our affordable EPOS systems is a great way to start. Learn more about our retail solutions by contacting Eurostop online today or calling +44 (0) 208 991 2700.
The latest trends and technology for retail EPOS systems
Today’s retail technology is defining the way that brands are interacting with customers. Providing excellent service and having the right stock are still the absolute essentials when it comes to successful retailing, however, forward thinking retailers are capturing market share with new technology that include specific EPOS features to enhance the customer experience. Clever adoption of the latest POS systems is levelling the playing field for smaller, independent retailers, enabling them to challenge the bigger players. With new EPOS features now available, the new POS systems can act as a central point for all aspects of a retailer’s business – from stock management, fulfilment, e-commerce and financial reports and customer marketing. We’ve identified four key trends in retail POS technology that can help you to compete in a fast moving market; 1. Customer experience While online shopping continues to grow, customers are still visiting stores to see and feel goods. The instore experience is becoming increasingly important. Faster checkout times, a choice of payment options and easily accessible product information are all key to a successful visit. The best EPOS features integration with your stock and warehouse systems, so that your staff can provide advice on availability across your entire store estate, and enables you to transfer items for customer collection or delivery. As well as processing transactions, they can also provide email receipts, making it easier for the customer, reducing paper and streamlining the sale. 2. Faster payment Today’s shopper is often cash rich, but time poor and won’t stand in long queues waiting to pay. Providing contactless payment, including smartphone payment options like Apple Pay and Google Pay is a faster, more convenient way to let customers pay. Investing in the latest systems that include EPOS features to accommodate these new payment methods ensures your customers never abandon their basket. 3. Collecting customer data Research by Accenture has shown that 83% of shoppers are willing to provide their information in exchange for a personalised experience. Smart retailers are taking advantage of this trend by collecting data from their customers, and using the latest POS systems makes it easy for your customers to do so. By collecting and analysing customer purchases you can gain insights on what they may buy in future, and create personalised promotions and discounts to entice them instore or to buy online. The latest EPOS also provide additional reporting features that present sales data in easy to understand formats so that you can make more effective business decisions. You can see at a glance which lines are selling well, according to colour, size or if you have multiple outlets – by location. 4. Going Mobile New mobile POS and tablets can provide smart ways for customers to pay and reduce queues at the till point. They make it easier for your staff to assist customers on the shop floor, to answer any stock queries or provide style advice. Mobile solutions are also a key technology trend, as new apps are enhancing the shopping experience. Apps like Eurostop’s MyShoppr™ are available and run on any smartphone device, enabling the shopper to check stock instantly on the shop floor, research products and product lines. Getting the balance right instore is tricky. While some customers like to be left to browse alone, others like a true personalised service to help them choose the right product. The great thing about the latest EPOS tech is that by using some of the latest features available, you can enhance your instore service to keep your customers coming back, however they like to shop. Technology vector created by macrovector – www.freepik.com
What EPOS features are needed for Fashion Retailers?
What to look for in a fashion EPOS Despite accounts in the media of the big retailers struggling – Debenhams and M & S to name but a few – statistics show that the fashion market has been growing steadily over the past few years. In fact, 2019 has seen particular growth according to the National Office of Statistics . The annual expenditure on clothing, based on sales volume, has seen a gradual increase. All of this makes good reading for fashion retailers. However, in such a competitive market, to be successful you need to keep abreast of changes in shopper tastes and habits to ensure you stay on your customer’s shopping list. Fashion is a personal thing – everyone’s tastes differ, which is why the successful retailer will be the one that can provide great service, trend and product advice instore – as well as keep up with the latest trends online. The rise of tech and online shopping has clearly made a big impact on the bottom line, but importantly for bricks and mortar shops the systems instore provide the foundations for success. Today fashion EPOS systems do much more than simply process sales. The best fashion EPOS can provide many other features including; inventory and employee management, a customer management and membership system, stock transfers, sales reporting and more. By integrating with your CRM system, accounting package, warehousing, sales data and ecommerce, it gives retailers a finger on the pulse of their business. We’ve identified three key areas to look out for in a fashion EPOS system to help you manage your stock, staff and keep customers coming back for more: 1. Choose a POS till system that’s easy to use Customers with an interest in fashion enjoy the shopping experience, as well as shopping online to get the latest look. A fashion EPOS system with a clear visual display makes it quick for staff to learn, easy to use and improves your customer experience. Being able to search for stock, manage discounts and promotions and take customer details for loyalty schemes streamlines your customer service. With additional barcode scanning, chip and PIN and contactless pay, payment is quick and easy to process. Being able to provide email receipts or gift receipts at till point also reduces administration and enhances your customer experience. New tablet POS systems also provide the flexibility of being able to serve customers away from the till, to look up products, process sales and reduce queues at busy times. 2. How easily does it integrate with your other business systems? Integrating your fashion EPOS with central stock management, warehousing and business intelligence gives a complete overview of the business. Having insights of your stock across your entire retail estate and warehouse enables you to quickly fulfil requests in different stores, or meet online demand. With complete visibility of clothing ranges, you can ensure that slow moving items are promoted or discounted, while hot sellers can be quickly replenished in stores to maximise profits. 3. Reports to keep you in control It’s worth investing in a fashion EPOS system that generates reports that enable you to drill down into sales and returns, easily and quickly, to see trends. Fashion is fast moving, which means it is essential to keep abreast of changes and respond quickly to customer tastes and demands. Being able to keep track of best -selling lines, colours and sizes means that you can reorder stock to meet customer demand, so they need never be disappointed. There is no doubt that technology plays an important part in successful retailing. The right POS system can not only help to deliver the best instore experience, it can also support your omnichannel business, opening your shopfront to the world.
Three ways to improve your Customer Experience with Retail POS Systems
Savvy retailers, both large chains and smaller independents, will know that you can’t just rely on sales spikes (like Christmas or Black Friday) and discounting offers to keep a business profitable. Customer loyalty is an important part of the retailer’s armoury, which means not only providing the right products at the right price, but giving that extra customer service that makes them come back. Customer experience is a hot topic at the moment, as retailers introduce cookery demonstrations or design workshops, even sports events screenings, to entice customers in. Furthermore, ensuring that their actual shopping experience is up to par is all part of enhancing their relationship with your brand. Here are a few straightforward ways that you can improve your customer experience; 1. Save time at the till The latest retail epos systems make it easy for staff to manage promotions, so that you can process transactions quickly and smoothly at the till – and enhance your customer’s experience with no waiting in long queues. With your multi-buy offers, or extra discounts set up on the system, a quick touch on the display is all it takes to calculate the price and process the transaction – and it’s fast and seamless for the customer. It’s a fact that no matter how many extra staff you have – or how good your team – there will always be times when there are a rush of customers. Investing in a mobile or tablet retail pos gives extra flexibility – from looking up stock when serving on the shop floor, to processing sales to reduce queues at the till. In addition, offering contactless enables faster, easier and secure payment, which means shorter queues and more choice for customers wishing to pay by card, phone or even their smartwatch with Apple Pay. 2. Offer multi-channel shopping The case for multi-channel shopping is compelling. A study by McKinsey and the Harvard Business Review , reported that a retailer’s omnichannel customers are more valuable on multiple counts, spending an average of 4% more on every shopping occasion in the store and 10% more online than single-channel customers. Even more compelling, conducting prior online research on the retailer’s own site or sites of other retailers led to 13% greater in-store spending among omnichannel shoppers. There’s no doubt that multichannel selling can help you increase your bottom line. Connected retail epos systems ensure that your customers can switch between channels effortlessly. From searching online for a particular item, selecting colour and size and then choosing whether to buy online, instore or collect in store. With connected stock control software you can fulfil orders direct to the customer from your warehouse, or despatch to a store from another outlet. You can view your stock inventory across your estate, ensuring that your customer is never disappointed. 3. Embrace the Mobile App Convenience is key for consumers. Customers don’t think about in store, or online, but simply how can I get what I want, when I want, and in the most convenient way possible for them. Providing a true omni channel customer experience means you never miss a potential sale, online or in store. Eurostop’s MyShoppr® gives your customers the right information at their fingertips. From self stock checks instantly on the shop floor, researching products, to opting for delivery later at home, MyShoppr™ acts as your customers’ personal in store assistant and makes it easier for your customers to make a buying decision. Following these three steps will help boost your sales – online and instore – and keep your customers coming back. Now is the time to review whether your retail pos systems are up to the challenge to give you and your customers what they want. Extract from ‘A Study of 46,000 Shoppers Shows That Omnichannel Retailing Works’, from McKinsey and the Harvard Business Review
All You Need to Know About Retail EPOS Software
If you own a retail business, then one of the best ways to get a handle on staff, customers, and inventory is to invest in retail EPOS software. However, before doing so, it can be helpful to learn a bit more about the different applications it’s used for and the solutions it offers. That’s why the team from Eurostop has collected some insightful facts for you below. What’s to Know Before Investing in Retail EPOS Software? Here, you’ll learn all you need to know about retail EPOS systems, so read on! What Are EPOS Terminals & Peripherals? Electronic-point-of-sale (EPOS) terminals are what retailers use to process transactions and track sales. The hardware and software often involves a touch screen terminal and EPOS peripherals such as receipt printers, barcode scanners, cash drawers, chip and pin readers, and more. Why Are EPOS Systems so Important? If you’ve been getting by with a manual system for years, it might not seem like switching to EPOS software is that important. However, you might not be aware of some of the benefits you’re missing. It can increase your overall productivity by centralizing data, providing communication management solutions, more efficient store replenishment, revealing business insights through reporting and streamlining the retail checkout process. Additionally, EPOS software helps reduce costs by allowing you to make the most of your inventory by managing stock effectively and having it in the correct place to meet demand. Important Considerations to Make Before investing in a retail EPOS system, there are a few important considerations to make, such as: Taking the Growth of Your Business into Account: Do you plan on expanding your retail business in the coming years? If so, then choosing a retail EPOS provider that can grow with you is essential. Make sure that the system you choose can be easily integrated with all your existing software, scaled up if necessary, and will be compliant in the relevant geographical locations that you operate in.. Choosing a System Specialized for Your Industry: When it comes to Retail EPOS Software and systems selecting a system designed for your industry is essential to ensure that you can get the most out of it. For example, for retailers in the fashion or footwear industry, implementing an EPOS system that can organize products at the color and size level and provide reporting along those lines is key. Eurostop can streamline your processes with advanced Retail EPOS Software! If the benefits above have convinced you to take that next step, the team from Eurostop would love to hear from you. To learn more about our innovative Retail EPOS Software and systems, contact us online today or call +44 (0) 208 991 2700.
5 Ways a POS System can Benefit Your Retail Business
Running a business can certainly be exhausting on occasion. There’s so much to keep track of, like customer information, sales, accounts receivable info, inventory, the list goes on…That’s why many businesses can benefit from implementing a reliable retail POS system. However, how do you determine the best POS system for your retail business? Features of Best Pos System for Retail Below, you’ll find some of the key advantages of implementing a comprehensive POS system, so read on! Inventory Control & Organization One of the primary benefits of POS software is that it can help your retail business organize and manage all your inventory. It eliminates the need of having to waste valuable time and staff resources entering in your inventory manually on a regular basis; instead, the POS system keeps track of it and lets you know when it’s time to replenish your stock. Implementing a stock control system and then having it communicate the proper info to your POS is also another option. Customer Insights Retail POS systems are designed to provide you with regular updates and insights into your customers. They’ll track all the relevant data, like purchase history, individual profiles, personal data, and favorite items. Each time a customer visits your retail location, all this info can be brought up at the simple click of a button, making it easier for your sales and customer service staff to help them find exactly what they need. Business Data & Forecasting Collecting data and developing forecasts and analyses aren’t just beneficial to big businesses. Even small-to-medium-sized businesses can benefit from the insight gained from a retail POS system. You’ll be able to track how much you spend on a monthly basis and what your overhead costs are, in addition to identifying areas for improvement. You’ll also be able to generate detailed performance reports that are concise and easy to read. Staff Empowerment Having a POS system can give your retail staff the tools they need to be more independent, which can boost morale and empower your employees. It can also reduce turnover, which enables staff to build more long-term relationships with clients and boost customer service. Some of the best retail POS systems are even compatible with mobile devices like tablets, giving your staff easy access to info they need to best serve customers on the retail floor. Integrated eCommerce Last but certainly not least, a connected POS systems and eCommerce platform is essential. A modern system will be able to monitor both in store purchases and those online with a central view, and adjust your inventory accordingly. This will ensure that all your stock numbers are correct and minimize any issues. Let Eurostop be your premier retail POS provider! If you’re searching for one of the best POS systems for retail, you’re in luck. The team from Eurostop is committed to providing the very best technology at the most affordable price. To learn more contact them online or call +44 (0) 208-991-2700.
Is your retail EPOS ready for Black Friday?
Black Friday is an important time for retailers to boost profits, taking over in many cases from the traditional summer and January sales. This year new figures suggest that UK consumers are predicted to spend a record amount on Black Friday despite the political uncertainty. For retailers small and large, it’s a good time to take stock, not only in the true sense of preparing for increased demand of your top selling ranges, but also of the systems you have in place in store. You may already be recruiting extra staff to meet the increased footfall, as well as training up your existing team to make sure you capitalise on opportunities, but what of your retail pos system? Your epos system can make a big difference to your customer service – it may be great at processing sales and refunds, but why stop there? A live retail epos system enables you to easily calculate promotions, take customer details for loyalty programmes and check stock across your entire store and warehouse estate – all at the till point. Black Friday is not just about maximising sales on the day – it’s also about investing in the long term by taking the opportunity to recruit new customers onto your database to build loyalty and repeat purchases. We’ve put together four ways that you can boost sales by improving your customer experience in store: 1. Get your promotions lined up The latest epos software makes it easy for staff to manage your promotions smoothly, so that customers don’t have to wait in long queues. With your multi-buy offers, or extra discounts for Black Friday already set up, a quick touch on the display is all it takes to calculate the price and process the transaction. It’s fast and seamless for the customer, and frees your sales team to concentrate on offering additional offers or signing them up for your loyalty programmes. 2. Enhance your customer experience With customer facing screens at the till point you can add a new dimension to your in store experience. A full colour multimedia rear screen can enable you to display offers in store or promote other services– maybe your café specials or a gift wrapping service. It helps make your customers wait time in the queue more enjoyable and is an opportunity to cross sell. 3. Bust those queues No matter how many extra staff you have – or how good your team – there will always be times when there are a rush of customers. Investing in a mobile or tablet pos can give you extra flexibility – from looking up stock when serving on the shop floor, to processing sales to reduce queues at the till point. Mobile epos solutions help your staff keep customer service a priority. 4. Go Contactless Contactless pay is a win-win for you and your customers. Providing faster, easier and secure payment means shorter queues, reducing the number of customers that abandon them due to a long wait. Plus, you can offer customers the choice to pay by card, phone or even their smartwatch with Apple Pay. A retail epos system is more than just a till point to process sales, it’s a sophisticated omni-channel sales tool that helps you provide the best possible customer service in store. For more information on how Eurostop’s EPOS solution, e-pos touch, could boost your Black Friday sales, contact us today. https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2019/11/shoppers-expected-to-spend-2-53bn-on-black-friday-3-4-more-than-2018/
Retail POS Systems 101: Learning the Basics
So, your company has just invested in one of today’s leading retail POS systems, are you wondering what the next step is? You and your retail team are probably excited to get started using it, which is why Eurostop has compiled some basic tips and best practices for you. Over time, POS systems have become more than simply a way to monitor cash flow, they’re now also equipped with expansive software to increase efficiency and connect with customers. Let’s look below at some of the most attractive features of today’s modern retail POS system. Sales Reporting One of the primary functions of a retail POS system is to track all your sales and purchases each day. You are able to see valuable data such as sales reports by staff member, SGV report and deposit and reserves reports. This info will then be made available with graphics and charts for easy review. A robust retail POS system should also allow you to manage complex promotions and eliminate staff error. Customer Management Another key component of point-of-sale software is its customer management solutions. Most POS systems will be equipped with customer-relationship-management (CRM) software to record customer data. They’ll also be equipped to provide services designed to improve and strengthen customer relationships, such as using till prompts to identify promotions that a customer may be eligible for, tracking the sales histories of customers so that retailers can target customers offer upsell suggestions based on such data. With a retail POS system, you can also create built-in loyalty programs to reward repeat clients by issuing loyalty points on purchases, that may then be used for future purchases, driving future footfall and rewarding loyal customers. Inventory Management Retail POS systems are also responsible for keeping track of your products and monitoring inventory across your store estate You’ll be able to keep up to the minute records and monitor all the products going in and out of your inventory. Managing inventory across your business accurately is crucial for your success in store. Monitoring the transactions and inventory on the same system eliminates the risks that might arise from unpredictable stockouts as well as time spent checking different systems. You can reduce the time spent and increase your efficiency to offer your customers the experience they deserve. Let Eurostop help you roll out your new retail POS! If you’re interested in investing in a reliable retail POS system, contact the team from Eurostop today! We have more than two decades in global retail management experience and can come up with a system designed to suit your specific needs. Founded in 1990, Eurostop has progressed rapidly to become a major force in complete EPOS and retail software solutions, with a focus in the fashion, footwear, jewelry, and general merchandise sectors. Regardless of your business, we can equip you with highly-sophisticated retail systems that help you manage your customers and merchandise with efficiency and ease. We also specialize in stock control solutions, business insights and reporting, tenant management systems, and in-store apps. Contact us online or call us today at +44 (0) 208 991 2700.