Like any retail establishment, operating a liquor store requires excellent business management skills. Business owners need to know how to manage in-store operations that take place on the shop floor as well as work that occurs behind the scenes in the back office.
The proper management tools can help liquor store owners organize their stores efficiently and deal with any problems that might arise. Choosing an effective point-of-sale system (also known as a POS system) for your liquor store can simplify payment processing. However, many POS systems also have more advanced features that can help with other areas of your business, from inventory control to email marketing.
Deciding which of the various liquor store POS systems is right for your business can take time and effort. This article will give you a breakdown of three different point-of-sale solutions and help you choose the best liquor store POS system for your business needs.
A POS system is like a cash register but with more advanced features.
Similar to a cash register, a POS system lets customers checkout and pay for their orders — but unlike a cash register, POS software can also have inventory management tools and real-time sales reporting.
Some POS systems can even synchronize with third-party accounting software like Quickbooks. They can also be used to manage email marketing campaigns and help store owners with employee management.
Think of your POS as a piece of software designed to help you simplify your operating procedures by keeping all the tools you need in one place.
You might think you’re fine just using an old-fashioned cash drawer in your liquor store, but all kinds of small businesses can benefit from a POS system. Here are some of the many advantages to using them:
Simplify your payment processing: Point-of-sale software lets you ring up customer purchases quickly and easily. Credit card processing as well as cash and gift card payments are all possible. Moreover, the software is usually straightforward to use and easy to set up, so staff can jump right in.
Streamline your operational procedures: POS software can provide up-to-date inventory counts and sales reporting in real time. Since many POS systems have instant reporting, you can see all your latest sales information at the touch of a button.
Improve customer management: Some POS systems feature customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities. You can store customer information on your POS, making it easier to identify loyal customers and keep track of customer feedback.
Enjoy built-in marketing tools: Email marketing features are often included in POS software, meaning you can quickly improve your digital marketing strategy. Combined with CRM features, you can target specific customers to tempt them back to your store for another purchase.
Combining various operational programs in all-in-one liquor store POS systems means you can enjoy greater efficiency in your business. It can also save you money, as you won’t have to purchase separate software for different aspects of your business.
Now that you know why you might want to purchase POS software, let’s look at some different liquor store POS systems that you could choose from.
Square offers retail POS software that’s excellent for use in liquor stores. It’s a cloud-based POS solution available on Android and iOS devices that’s quick and easy to set up. It has a fantastic range of features, including:
In-app sales reporting
Inventory management tools, including low-stock alerts
Customer loyalty programs
Employee management functionality
Email marketing software
With added hardware, Square can let you accept credit card, contactless, and cash payments and process gift card payments. You can even add on third-party integrations like KioskBuddy, which enables you to turn your tablet into a self-service kiosk.
Since Square’s POS works on tablets, it’s great for small businesses who want to keep initial costs down but enjoy all the functionality of an all-in-one POS system. There’s no need to purchase lots of additional hardware until you can afford to — all you need to accept payments is an iPad and any Square payment hardware.
Another popular liquor store point-of-sale system is Lightspeed Retail. It has a specific interface made for use in liquor stores, meaning it’s well-suited to shop managers selling alcoholic drinks.
In addition to its general payment processing features, Lightspeed Retail has:
Comprehensive inventory tracking tools
Age verification reminders
Sales reporting functionality
CRM tools
Email marketing capability
Lightspeed Retail POS works with various types of hardware, but the company also sells its compatible hardware to ensure users have everything they need in one place.
Bottle POS is a dedicated liquor store POS system, which means it has all the features you could need without unnecessary extras that you can find in more general retail POS systems.
Features of Bottle POS include:
Age verification
Automatic ranking of bestsellers
Easy-to-use customer rewards program
Loss and shrinkage monitoring (great for tracking smashed bottles and case breaks)
Automatic invoicing
Offline functionality so you can work even if your Wi-Fi is down
You can use Bottle POS with a list of approved POS hardware options or purchase their dedicated liquor store hardware from their e-commerce store.
The pricing for POS systems can vary. Some brands sell POS software with a monthly fee that includes POS hardware in the price. Others sell the hardware separately, meaning you have additional costs to account for.
For example, a hardware bundle from Bottle POS costs $999 and includes a monitor, cash drawer, card reader, barcode scanner, and receipt printer. The initial price includes one month of software use. After that, BottlePOS software costs an additional $49 per month.
Lightspeed Retail’s POS charges a monthly fee plus transaction fees, but this includes a POS register. The “Lean” plan starts at $69 per POS per month, while “Standard” and “Advanced” plans start at $119 and $199 per month per POS, respectively. Transaction fees are 2.6% plus $0.10 per transaction for all plans.
Some POS software can actually work on the hardware you already have, such as an iPad or a tablet — Square is one example. You can download a fully functional POS right to your tablet. It’s a great way to cut costs, as you don’t have to pay for expensive hardware.
Square POS also has no monthly fees for its most basic plan, so you just pay a commission on your sales: 2.6% plus $0.10 per transaction. Transaction fees are reduced if you purchase a paid monthly plan (prices start at $60 per month for Square Retail POS). If you want to add a Square Kiosk mount, it costs $149.
Lastly, if you want to expand your POS to also provide self-checkout for your customers, you can get the KioskBuddy app for as low as $41.67 per month.
Once you’ve chosen the right liquor store POS system, you can enjoy faster payment processing and a more streamlined approach to your retail management operations.
KioskBuddy is user-friendly self-service kiosk software that lets you turn a tablet into a self-checkout machine. It works in conjunction with your POS software, simplifying your in-store operations and improving the customer experience.
Sign up for KioskBuddy today to receive a 30-day free trial.