Finding the right POS system for your beer store is paramount to its success. A great beer store POS system allows cashiers to quickly confirm a customer’s age, monitor inventory, manage employees, and more. Most importantly, these systems enable business owners and managers to operate a safe, secure, and profitable business.
A great beer store POS system can process a debit card or credit card transaction in seconds. A bad POS system can take much, much longer. Today, faster checkout times mean happier customers, and those happy customers are much more likely to become repeat customers. And we all know that more repeat customers means more money!
Are you struggling to find a POS system that is right for your unique beer store? In this article, we’ll shed some light on the industry’s top five POS systems for you and your company to consider investing in this year.
The Best Beer Store POS System: 5 Top Vendors
Not all beer store POS systems are created equal. The right system should deliver on all the features you need and nothing you don’t. In this way, you’re not overspending on a system that comes with features that you don’t need or will never use.
In addition, factors like ease-of-use and management should be considered when looking for a new POS system. You must also consider how your inventory is tracked, if you plan on building a loyalty program, and how your sales records are kept. In most cases, all the best POS systems can do this (and more)!
Here are some of the top beer store POS system vendors you should prioritize this year.
1. ShopKeep
ShopKeep is one popular POS system known for being reasonably affordable and user-friendly. The basic package is only $49 a month, though shop owners should be advised this amount is billed yearly rather than monthly.
It is easy to use and navigate, making it an extremely popular software piece, but it is known to have the occasional bug pop up making certain functions difficult. It also costs more per month to gain access to features like making and buying gift cards, and if you want to think about a loyalty program tracked in your POS, it’ll only be included in the $179 per month tier.
Another advantage to ShopKeep is that you can use online sales services at the $79 a month tier. If your beer store operates in an area allowing online sales, this is one way you can keep your online and in-person sales together, organized in one place.
If you’re a small business looking for baseline services for an affordable price, ShopKeep is the way to go. While it lets you choose from different packages to gain access to specific services, you may only want one or two items from their most expensive packages, making you waste a lot of money.
2. Lightspeed POS
Lightspeed POS is another somewhat affordable POS system that you should consider when exploring your POS options. With prices starting at $69 a month, it won’t exactly break the bank, though it isn’t the most affordable option.
Some users complained of difficulty choosing which register was being used and some minor inconveniences with the card reader’s connectivity. Though, many other customers enjoyed the customization options and the customer service from the Lightspeed POS team.
There are many customization options — to the point some customers struggle with experimenting to get all of their needs met within the system. The 24/7 customer service is a great bonus, though.
Because of the complexity of customization, this is usually a good option for medium-sized businesses. One major downfall, though, is that the system needs an iPad to operate. An iPad is necessary to make sales at all, making this a difficult situation if you and your business don’t use Apple products.
3. POS Nation
POS Nation is one of the most highly-reviewed POS systems available for beer stores. In fact, we’re routinely voted as one of the top POS systems for small businesses.
Pricing starts at $99 per month and works on Windows software. POS Nation offers 24/7 customer service help available and online and in-person training to ensure your staff knows exactly how to use the program. POS Nation offers an amazing variety of POS system features and can truly handle anything, including gift cards, loyalty programs, sales tracking, inventory management, and more.
Additionally, we offer built-in age verification features that make it simple and easy for business owners to manage the sale of age-restricted products to minors.
Recently, Ocean Wine & Spirits needed to upgrade their point of sale system. Owner Monty Lalwani chose POS Nation. “We saw the issues with a standard cash register – inventory is never on point. That’s when I found POS Nation,” said Lalwani.
4. Korona
Korona is a bit broader of a POS system, offering support for beer stores like yours, wineries, and theme parks. Being cloud-based, it works well if you have multiple locations or franchised operations, as it can keep track of company-wide information.
However, Korona’s lower-cost packages miss out on many features included in lower-cost options from other contenders on this list, including the ability to add product variations.
Customer service isn’t available 24/7, and few apps can be integrated into the software without serious fiddling. It’s challenging to use in the best of times, impossible at some times.
Korona’s significant advantage is that the free trial can be as long as you wish it to be. If you’re in a pinch and need a free program, it might work to try out the free trial, but it isn’t our recommendation by a long shot.
5. Clover POS
Clover POS is straightforward and easy to learn. Base offerings are fantastic for small business owners, and there are multiple ways to upgrade the system as your company grows. It sounds like the perfect system, right? Well, unfortunately, it isn’t. There are serious customer service issues and issues with processing speeds as well.
The biggest downside is the hardware investments you’ll have to make before even using and paying for Clover POS. Don’t forget about the per-transaction fee tacked on.
Overall, while it’s extremely powerful and might work for your small business, there are better options out there that may cost a few dollars more a month but will get you all of the services your business needs.
Download the Guide to POS Hardware
Ultimately, POS Nation’s fast, affordable and customizable POS system is one we highly recommend for your business. Whether you’re just getting started or have been in the game for years, the system can handle anything your business might need — even as you grow into multiple storefront locations.
Still stuck on which POS would work best for your beer store? We recommend downloading our Guide to POS Hardware. Inside, we’ve highlighted each type of point of sale system hardware, outlining the purpose, pros and cons, and whether it’s a worthwhile investment for your business.
The fact is, whether you’re opening a store for the first time or trying to manage multiple locations, finding the right POS system hardware and software for your business is critically important.
