Why Smart Retailers Are Switching to EPOS — And What It Actually Changes

The retail business today is not what it was like 10 years ago. Customer expectations have changed, margins are slimmer, and all decisions need to be data-driven. One of the most underrated but impactful systems to help you through this change is the Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) system.

At Retail Tills we help independent retailers, chain retailers and start-up retail businesses, bring clarity and control to their day-to-operations. This isn't about flashy dashboards or beautiful screens, it's about giving retailers real tools that actually work.

What Makes an EPOS System more than a Till?

Forget about 'a till that takes payment'- a proper EPOS sits within your infrastructure. It ties in shop inventory with staff and sales. It tells you what's selling, what's not, who is performing and where you are wasting time and/or stock.

Put simply, a retail EPOS system includes:

• A touchscreen terminal or tablet display

• A bar code scanner and receipt printer

• Retail specific software the tracks sales, stock, and staff

• Optional modules for eCommerce, multi-store management, etc.

More importantly, it is not just the hardware. It is all of the above!

Three Things Retailers Say After Switching to EPOS

We've worked with retailers in nearly every sector, whether it's fashion, electronics, homewares, or specialist shops. When we ask retailers what they thought of EPOS (electronic points of sale), the feedback is usually quite similar to this:

1. "I did not realize how much stock I was sitting on."

Inventory control was never just about running out of your 'bestsellers'. It was about having capital tied up with stock that does not sell. EPOS will manage inventory in real time, recording how inventory is behaving and will notify you as its changing objects, rather than you having to guess to the changing patterns of the inventory.

You will realize trends, discover your dead stock or even identify theft, well before the restocking and reporting cycle allows you to.

2. "It encouraged us to actually think about the customer experience."

It is so easy to focus on how EPOS is about your company, internal processes, and store performance. Employee face time with customers is essential. When employees can quickly find their product information, pricing and stock availability, they become a lot more helpful people. When checkout is fast and your e-receipts finish within seconds, customers notice.

When your reward program or targeted promotion is delivered and relevant, and results in customers returning, it's personal.

3. “The data made it easy to stop spending hours, any hours, on admin.”

With systems tracking sales data, generating reports and tracking staff shifts, a good EPOS system will save you hours, each week. Imagine all the time you could spend training staff, enhancing your shop floor, or simply moving away from the spreadsheets.

What Retailers Should Expect from Their EPOS Provider

Not all EPOS systems are created equal. And not all providers are in it for the long haul. So when you're looking for a system remember to look for:   

• Customizability - will it flex with your type of business?

• Support - is there help available when you want it, not just in the context of a sales demo?

• Ease of use - can your team actually learn it without using a manual every time?

At Retail Tills we have a simple philosophy: we build our systems around retail; tools that work in proper shops with real staff and proper goals - no jargon or grandiose promises.

Should You Upgrade?

If you're running sales, stock and staff using one or more other platforms - or even worse, you are not tracking them at all - it is quite likely that you are already losing money or wasting opportunities.

A properly implemented EPOS system will potentially pay for itself quickly, not because it is expensive or flashy, but because it can help you avoid the pit falls. Even if you are only opening a second location or just want better visibility of your store, it is a good time to ask yourself what your current set-up is actually doing.

 

Interested in seeing how an EPOS system can fit your business?
Visit Retail Tills or speak to our team for a walkthrough of what’s possible. You don’t need to overhaul your operations—you just need better tools to support them.