What is Retail?
Retail is the sale of goods and services from people or organizations to the end-user. Retailers are part of the supply chain of this system. They purchase goods in enormous quantities and sell them to the consumer.
What is Retailing?
Retailing is a distribution network function where one business buys goods from supplying firms or manufactures the manufacture themselves and then sells the same to consumers directly. A retailer is a reseller. Meaning it obtains the product from one party in order to sell to another from which a consumer purchases products. It can be done in either fixed locations like markets or stores, door-door or by home delivery.
What is Retailing Management Software?
Retail software is used by all small, medium, and large enterprises. The main purposes of using the software are to regulate pricing, calculate taxes, inventory management, and manage POS, billing, and payroll.
Retailing software is both Installation and SaaS-based. It is designed especially for Point of Sale (POS), Ccustomer Relationship Management (CRM), Inventory Management, and retail accounting.
The features include retail inventory management which helps to manage different aspects of the retailer’s supply chain. CRM to support multi-channel retailing and retain customers. Retail accounting for inventory control, transaction monitoring, and pricing. Order management module to keep the track of orders being made. Transportation management to track deliveries and also chain store management. Retail billing management to optimize store performance and increase productivity.
Retail management software is used in various businesses and stores which includes art and antiques, apparel, automobile, gas station, supermarkets, pharmacies and convenience stores, etc.
Benefits of Retail Management Software
Retail software works wonders for your business. Here are the benefits of having retail management software installed for your business:
Retail pos software saves your time and money. You can also manage your stores, warehouses, and even your e-commerce sites by integrating with this software.
Generating reports is easy. The best advantage of the retail billing software is that you can view the whole history of your business transactions in a single report itself.
Automation is a rewarding experience. Your data is updated from time to time. In this process, you are reminded of out of stock items and even given information about the stock of items that aren’t selling.
Decision-making gets easier. You can do better planning with all the information that you get from the inventory/items data that you have.
The customer relationship gets better. Customers get the benefit of opening their accounts on your site. The marketing efforts integrated into the retail POS software system allows you to send emailers, promotional info, and updates to your subscribers.
A Look at the Issues That You Might Have to Deal With
Entering details of customers and their addresses might be time-consuming. Customers might not like to wait, hence they might not furnish complete information.
Getting the retail software ready and running properly might be cumbersome. You might need time for your staff also to get used to working with it.
Cloud-based retail management software involves more expenses and the service providers also charge monthly fees for it.
Computer-based software has expenses related to constant updates. They also require you to invest in hardware which might make it expensive.
In computer-based retail pos software, there is a risk of exposing the PIN when customers want to pay their bills by credit card or any similar payment method.
Features of Retail Management Software
Since retail management is all about customer engagement with fast results, the following are the essential features of retail management software:
1. Point of Sale Efficiency
Point of sale means the place where the sale is made and the customer'scheckout. Most stores/malls have a point of sale that is handled in a computerized format to save time and also cut down on long lines of customers. Had this been done manually, retail pos software would take up hours instead of minutes to make a transaction and billing.
2. Cloud Computing
Cloud computing means that the data is saved securely on the internet by servers instead of being locally stored in your computers. The benefit of cloud computing in retail software is that it makes it flexible to use at any time. The data can be accessed from different gadgets. Sometimes cloud computing allows data to integrate across different areas of business making it the most preferred software choice. Employees can have the benefit of getting familiar with the items in the store. As their confidence increases, employees can also have ease of access to customer purchases and sales.
3. Real-time Purchases
On the spot, purchases mean that purchases can be done on the spot and fed into the hardware rather than making payment at the checkout counter. This option works well because customers love this approach rather than gathering all their items and going to the checkout counter. Though very few stores opt for this procedure, it is mostly seen in high-end stores.
4. Employee Empowerment
When employees have access to the tools for making customer services better, they are happy. These tools also help employees know the details about their products in the store. The way the employees use the retail software, the store managers can also make a judgment whether they are trained well in handling the software or not. If they find any gaps in the understanding or knowledge of the employees, they can train them to be better.
5. Trust
These days, most stores or e-commerce sites use different payment gateways. Of importance is that the payment sites must be secure. Most retail management software is integrated with secure payments and transactions making the customers able to trust the stores and their policies.
6. Simplify
Software that can be easily installed and quick in use saves time. Employees also are able to pick it up faster, thereby reducing training time.
7. Understanding Customers
Retail POS Software that supports you in understanding your customers and engaging with them in a better way earns better business. Retail software supports you in engaging with your customers based on their purchase history, their preferences and interests and even their birthdays gives you chances to make them feel happy.
Top Retail Software Vendors Comparison by Company Size
The global retail market is likely to reach $31.27trillion in 2025, and one of the key drivers of this surge is the rise of retail technology. The use of different retail software types has increased over the past decade, as more retail businesses are inclining towards digitizing their business operations.
The top 5 industries in terms of maximum usage of retail software are:
Retail: 36%
Restaurant: 16%
Healthcare: 9%
Education: 6%
Others: 33%
Top Retail Software Vendors for Large Retail Stores
Large retail businesses typically have stores and warehouses at multiple locations. If you're a large retail business owner, look for a cloud-based retail management solution that seamlessly interconnects all your warehouses and stores. Contrarily, you can also opt for a retailERP softwarethat integrates with other retail software tools.
The best retail software vendors for large retail businesses are:
Oracle NetSuite ERP
Horizon ERP
Uni Retail
Top Retail Software Vendors for Medium Retail Stores
As a medium retail business owner, your aim should be to make your sales process more productive and efficient. If you have multiple stores, a retail management or retail ERP system could be an ideal pick for you. If you have a single store and warehouse, you can also go for a POS system. You can choose either on-premise or cloud-based software depending on your budget or requirements.
The best retail software vendors for small retail businesses are:
Weaver POS
HDPOS Smart
Retail PRO
Top Retail Software Vendors for Small Retail Stores
Small retail shops and restaurants should invest in cost-effective point-of-sale solutions. POS systems allow you to manage the necessary sales processes, like accepting payments, billing, and getting business insights. You can pick an on-premise system if you want, but they're a bit expensive. If cost is a deal-breaker for you, stick to cloud-based sales software.
The best retail software vendors for small retail businesses are:
ANV Retail
FusionRetail
Easypos
Things to Consider While Buying Retail Management Software
Every retail business is different, and so are its requirements. What works for one retail store may not work for the other. Therefore, it's critical to consider your budget and requirements before selecting a retail software solution.
Here are some important factors to consider when choosing retail management software.
1. Types of Products
Your stock may consist of a wide range of products, ranging from apparel to glassware to electronics. To manage your inventory efficiently, find a retail solution that accurately maps various types of products and updates your inventory in real-time.
2. Support for Multiple Retail Formats
Customers love choices. One day, they want to go out shopping and buy from physical outlets. The next day, they want to shop online. To fulfill this demand, your retail management software should help you conduct business across multiple channels easily.
3. Real-Time Data Sync
If you have multiple stores and warehouses, find a solution that syncs data (sales, loyalty programs, customer information) across all stores. This way, you will allow your customer to earn and redeem loyalty points in any city where you have your store.
4. In-Depth Analytics
You need real-time data on store, stock, inventory, and customers to successfully manage your retail business. Find a retail management solution that provides real-time insights into sales, running stocks, availability, expenses, and revenue. These analytics can help you make quick, informed decisions to improve business performance.
5. Easy Usability
In the end, it all boils down to making your retail operations fast and simple. A complex retail system that requires significant training and knowledge would have the opposite effect. So, find a simple solution that can be used by almost every member of your staff.
Latest Market Trends in Retail Software
The world of retail is revolutionizing. First, the e-commerce boom led to the rise of online retail solutions. Now, the COVID-19 pandemic has further evolved retail technology.
Let's delve into some retail software trends for 2021and beyond.
1. E-commerce Friendly POS
COVID-19 has disrupted brick-and-mortar sales. Many retailers are, therefore, selling using e-commerce platforms. This has led to the transformation of modern-day POS systems to become more e-commerce-centric.
2. AI/ML Capabilities
Since big data is emerging as the cornerstone of online retail, retailers are looking for a way to make sense of customer information. To help retailers, retail software vendors are including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) capabilities. AI-powered retail tools help retailers predict shifts, optimize operations, and adapt to changes faster.
3. Staff-free Stores
Recently, the concept of cashier-less stores gained popularity. But with the COVID-19 outbreak, this concept has become the need of the hour. To enable staff-free stores, retail software vendors provide solutions that are compatible with RFID tags, computer vision systems, IoT devices, machine learning, and facial recognition.
4. Robotics
The use of robots in the retail industry has increased. Large retail businesses are readily using collaborative robots to move heavy items. In addition, delivery robots like Amazon Scout, aerial drones, customer service drones like LoweBot, and safety robots like Millie are coming into practice. To match this trend, retail software vendors are offering robotics management capabilities.
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