If you’re the proud owner of a small corner store, you know that keeping things running smoothly is essential to your success.
You also know that keeping track of inventory and sales can be daunting. But thanks to modern point of sale (POS) software, managing your store is easier than ever. You’re not asking for the world. You want a simple POS system that’s easy to use, reliable, and secure.
This blog post will look at some of the best POS software options for small store owners and highlight their key features and benefits. We’ll also provide reviews from business owners who have used these programs in their stores.
So if you’re looking for a more efficient and streamlined way to run your business, read on!
5 Best Options: Corner Store POS Software
Like convenience stores, your corner store likely provides on-the-go groceries and household goods to residents in your local area.
And we’re willing to bet that at times, it gets super busy; you end up working a full day and then need to count inventory and do a bunch of other tasks that leave you tired and sometimes frustrated. POS software is here to save the day!
With POS software, you can:
- Automate inventory management instead of manually counting inventory.
- Accept multiple payment types, including mobile payments.
- Personalize communications with loyal customers.
- Use centralized data for live inventory updates, improve checkout, and access valuable sales insights.
And we’re still barely scratching the surface. Without robust POS software, you can’t efficiently process customer purchases. You may always feel behind when tracking inventory and leave yourself open to human error. You’ll also struggle with customer interaction and marketing — two critical factors to building lasting relationships with your customers.
Before we show you the best POS software providers, let’s look at some of the features you should look for.
Key Features of Corner Store POS Software
Not every POS system is the same. Some providers offer all-in-one solutions that promise a POS system with all the bells and whistles. But do you need all those features? Other providers offer custom POS systems and software built to help you run your store efficiently.
- Inventory accuracy: Stop handling inventory tasks manually. Keep inventory updated and reduce human errors so you always have the correct stock levels.
- Improve checkout: It should be easy to ring up customers and take payments, speeding up the checkout process.
- Integrations: Look out for the various integrations that help smoothen operations for your store; dual prices, alerts to deter shrinkage, lottery ticket sales, loyalty programs, and age verification for alcohol and tobacco sales.
- Sales monitoring and reporting: With accurate inventory and sales reporting, you’ll always know what’s in stock, but you’ll also know what’s selling well and what isn’t. You can use reports to inform inventory replenishment and make informed decisions to drive your bottom line.
5 Best Corner Store POS Software Providers
1. National Retail Solutions
Features: NRS offers an all-in-one POS solution and takes pride in heavy-duty hardware and state-of-the-art merchant software. From sturdy metal cash drawers to thermal receipt printers, NRS provides everything you need for a seamless checkout experience.
NRS provides cloud-based POS software only, with inventory management tools, a price book, vendor payments, and store promotions and discounts automatically added during checkout.
They also offer a customer-facing display. However, if you don’t want their advertisements on the screen, you have to pay a monthly charge. There are some hidden costs, add-on charges, and monthly subscriptions that add up quickly. Unfortunately, their customer support doesn’t appear to have the best reputation based on reviews.
Pricing: Software plans start at $19.99 per month for the basic package, $29.95 per month for the pro plan, and $39.95 per month for the advanced plan.
2. IT Retail
Features: IT Retail understands that speed and reliability are essential to corner stores. Their POS system is fast and helps check out customers quickly. With over three decades of experience, they consistently refine their hardware and software.
Fully cloud-based, you can review sales data, inventory levels, and employee performance from anywhere. Their POS system accepts most forms of payment and integrates with third-party apps like QuickBooks to make accounting easier.
Because their system is designed primarily for large grocery stores, the layout is intuitive and having an extensive database of items makes inventory easy to manage.
Pricing: Software subscriptions start at $79 per month for markets. Build a custom quote for supermarkets and enterprises.
3. Lightspeed
Features: Lightspeed is a highly customizable cloud-based POS system. You can pick and choose the hardware features you need. The software is robust, and features include email marketing and gift cards. They support all payment types, and their hardware is Mac-based.
Managing stock inventory is a crucial feature, and Lightspeed offers a diverse range of features that you can find on their website. Set up is where you’ll struggle most, primarily if you’re not used to the Apple ecosystem – but Lightspeed has staff to guide you through this process.
Pricing: There are four pricing tiers, which can feel a bit overwhelming. Lean starts at $89 per month, Standard is $149 per month, and Advanced is $269 per month. If you want advanced reports, you’ll need the Advanced package. Finally, Enterprise requires a custom build-out and quote.
4. Brilliant POS
Features: Brilliant POS is a good choice for corner store owners looking for a simple yet customizable POS system with a range of hardware and software. You can track every item in your inventory and understand what’s selling well and what isn’t.
With cloud reporting, you can run reports in real-time and monitor the data from anywhere. Manage employees, analyze their performance, and see when they clock in and out. You can purchase add-ons from Brilliant’s marketplace like QuickBooks and NitroSell.
The user interface is intuitive, and its dashboard has easy access to inventory tools and employee management.
Pricing: With various price points depending on your needs, it’s best to get a free quote.
5. POS Nation
Features: POS Nation offers a solution that meets the needs of any convenience store. For corner stores, we know features like robust inventory tracking and management — including purchase order automation for items that are low on stock — are crucial.
Take advantage of a unique mix and match pricing feature to create and sell grouped items and product bundles for increased sales and inventory cleanup.
Collect contact information and track purchase history with our customer management tool. Personalization is essential to provide better customer service and loyalty programs, even in small stores. Our loyalty program is included in our software, not sold as an add-on.
Specifically for corner stores, our software can handle both regular sales and lottery ticket sales from the same device instead of switching between two machines. Additionally, dual Pricing, formerly known as cash discounting is an add-on feature that allows retailers to pass their credit card processing fees to customers, giving them a discount if they use cash.
Finally, we support add-on security cameras and other integrations that help deter shrinkage. Blind cash drawer counts and employee permissions/management are baked into the software, too.
Pricing: The Flex Monthly plan is $99 per month and includes 24/7 unlimited support and training. The Freedom plan is $999 (one-time fee), and you own the POS hardware instead of paying monthly. Alternatively, we can build a custom POS system, so you only pay for what you need.
The Corner Store POS Software That’s Best for You
The POS software you choose will be the one that makes the most sense to you. What features do you need? What don’t you need? And what will make your life easiest and streamline your business?
At POS Nation, we pride ourselves on being a comprehensive yet customized POS provider for any store that wants to manage its inventory better, provide a seamless customer experience, and drive revenue.
If you’re ready to build your POS system with POS Nation, use our build and price tool to get a custom quote. Or, schedule a customized demo to learn more about what POS Nation can offer your corner store.
