getting the most from your point of sale software investment...incorporating tablet technology into...

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Thrift Shop POS Buyer’s Guide: Getting the Most from Your Point of Sale

Software Investment


If the time has come to invest in new point of sale software for your thrift shop, or you are starting

a brand-new business, it’s worth your time to research the latest technology available in the POS

market before you make a final decision. The unique environment in which you operate as a thrift

store versus that of a traditional retail business makes it necessary for you to consider a POS that

is specifically built and designed with features that will make organizing donations to your inventory,

selling merchandise and operating your store more manageable.

Consideration Areas for Thrift Store Point of Sale Software

There are seven main areas to take into account when evaluating and choosing a point of sale

software for your thrift shop.

1. Inventory Management

2. Scale and Scanner Integration

3. Pricing and Discounting

4. Mobility Options

5. Cloud Capabilities

6. Security Features

7. Loyalty


What are You Selling this Week?Knowing exactly what and how much you have in inventory is a major component of operating a

thrift shop. An inventory that is in perpetual flux and at the mercurial whim of community donations

is an added twist to the equation that other retail businesses don’t have to contend with. The

rotating roster of sellable items across a variety of departments from clothing to furniture, make a

generic retail POS inventory management system a less than ideal solution for your thrift store.

What you want to look for is thrift shop specific software and a robust and flexible POS solution with

the ability to easily track inventory in and out of your store. Having multiple ways to categorize and

label items is key whether you are adding children’s clothes or an antique vase to your inventory.

The last thing you need to worry about is whether your inventory is accurate. That’s why reporting

capabilities are an integral component to inventory management success. Look for inventory

features like:

• Sales tracking

• Profit margin reporting

• Donation trend monitoring

• Mobile reporting

• Customizable items

• Pricing and mark up calculation



Weight It, Scan It, Tag It!A must-have for your thrift shop point of sale software is a seamless integration with bar code

scanners and scales. This will make your life infinitely easier when you don’t have to worry

about adding these resources after the fact or worrying about compatibility issues within the

software. The ability to scan bar codes on items around your shop makes inventory tracking more

manageable and an integrated scale that is NTEP certified speeds up the weight-based bulk

purchase process.

Some thrift store POS systems make pricing the random odds and ends and non-bar-coded items

that come your way easier by allowing you to generate item tags and shelf labels right through the

same software.

For Sale and On SaleSince thrift shop customers are especially thrifty - they love sales and promotions. This means you

need to be a pro at running promotions and your POS must be a pro at managing pricing that can

get complicated at times when you are running multiple promotions and pricing levels. That’s why

another key function that a thrift shop specific point of sale software should be able to do really well

is pricing and promotions.

National Computer Corporation | www.nccusa.comNational Computer Corporation | www.nccusa.com

Consider the many ways you might price items in your store to move more inventory back out the

door. A couple questions about pricing to answer ahead of investing in point of sale software are:

• Will there be different levels of pricing for different groups, like member pricing or non-profit

level prices?

• Will you offer quantity-based pricing and discounts?

• Will shoppers be able to get mix and match pricing?

• Will you distribute digital or paper coupons?

• How will you update pricing on items?

• How will you shift prices by color/date automatically?

It’s extra helpful (and profitable) if your point of sale has the ability to generate coupons for you

at the register to encourage repeat visits. Often you can promote related products or advertise

upcoming sales to bring your thrifty shoppers back for more right on their receipt.

Mobility is a Game ChangerA POS feature you may not have considered in your search for the best thrift shop POS is mobility.

At first, this may not seem like an important aspect of a point of sale software but often, mobility is

something that managers, store associates and your customers really appreciate.

Incorporating tablet technology into your thrift shop has sales perks. Getting your cashiers out from

behind the register and letting them traverse the shop with a mobile checkout in hand lets them

engage customers and provide better in-store customer service. Many thrift shop owners use a

mobile checkout to help bust register lines by stationing an employee along the line to quickly do

additional transactions.

If you plan special sales events like sidewalk or tent sales you can easily move your checkout

outside with a mobile application. However, your point of sale software has to be able to operate

on a mobile platform, so if you would like to be mobile, investigate ahead of time if that is an option

with the POS solution you are considering.


Consider the CloudAny worthwhile POS will have some aspect of the solution in the cloud – think data storage and

reporting – and some of it local, like the software that runs the system. Sometimes this is referred

to as a hybrid cloud solution. You basically get the benefit of a secure backup data storage option

paired with the reliability of a traditional locally installed POS system that does not rely on wi-fi or

internet connections to function.

Benefits of a Hybrid Cloud Solution→ Data Integrity on the Cloud

When your data is stored in the cloud you don’t have to worry about ever losing this information

from a system crash. There are usually automatic backups and multiple storage locations so if

the worst-case scenario happens and you do lose your data, it can quickly be restored from the

cloud. You also get real time information since the cloud eliminates the need for syncs. It is always

accurate and up to date and can be accessed from any web browser or mobile device.

→ Internet Independent on an On-site Solution

Accessing data in the cloud requires a network or Wi-Fi connection. If service is interrupted, you will

be unable to access your data for a time. However, the software stored on your POS system works

independently of the internet and has offline capabilities in the event of an internet outage. This is

also helpful if you need to process sales offline in a mobile capacity.


Security Measures are EssentialData breaches, credit card fraud and hackers are a reality in the retail industry. The point of sale

solution you choose for your thrift shop is an important weapon in your security arsenal. Look for

a POS with an embedded operating system (OS) – one that is installed locally and not run in the

cloud. They are much more resistant to credit card cloning, identity theft, spyware, ransomware,

malware, and virus attacks.

Additionally, with out of scope payments, credit card transactions are not run directly through the

point of sale software. Nor is the data from credit cards stored anywhere in your system, providing

an extra layer of protection to your customers.

Since you are investing in the latest point of sale technology, it is recommended that you make sure

you have the latest payment processing technology as well. You need a system that can accept all

forms of payments, including EMV credit cards. Chip cards are ubiquitous and retailers are starting

to feel the pain of assessed fees and liability for fraudulent credit card charges due to not accepting

chip cards. Having a system that can process EMV transactions just gives you one less thing to

worry about.



About NCC

Since 1986, NCC has been delivering comprehensive software solutions to businesses in the

hospitality and retail industries. Our software engineers combine years of experience in software

development with a strong understanding of restaurant and retail operations to create products

designed to work in a wide variety of environments.

Through a world-wide network of reseller partners, NCC has installed over 50,000 POS systems in

more than 35 countries. NCC products are installed in wide range of retail and hospitality concepts

including Table Service, Quick Service, Fast Casual, Bars, Night Clubs, Delis, Frozen Yogurt,

Delivery and Concessions.


Keep Them Coming BackMake them an offer they can’t refuse to ensure they return to your thrift store. Provide your

customers with frequent visitor discounts, birthday and anniversary rewards, encouraging them to

return and shop with you often.

Get the Most from Your InvestmentPicking a point of sale software for your thrift shop is daunting. There are many options, features

and functionalities to consider as you do your research. Keep in mind the unique retail needs of

your particular type of store and ask good questions about the software you are evaluating. Also,

remember to explore the six areas discussed in this guide to help you get the most from your thrift

store POS investment.

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