Though often overlooked, your point of sale (POS) system plays a major role in your grocery store’s operations. This powerful tool shapes customers’ checkout experience, tracks your massive inventory, monitors sales trends, and more.
In short, the right grocery store POS system is crucial for your business’ day-to-day and long-term success.
To help you find the best one for your business, we’ve put together this ultimate guide to grocery POS providers! Keep reading to get our list of the top eight grocery store POS systems, plus helpful information about their key features, pricing, and reviews.
- Square: Best for new business owners
- National Retail Solutions (NRS): Best for scalability
- IT Retail: Best Features
- Markt POS: Best for specialty markets
- Epos Now: Best for small budgets
- Lightspeed: Best for e-commerce
- Revel Systems: Best iPad option
- POS Nation: Best all-around
How To Shop for a Grocery Store POS System
Before we dive into the world of grocery store POS solutions, let’s start with some basics.
Your grocery store POS system is more than a cash register; it’s an all-in-one tool that can help you manage perishable inventory, learn about your customers’ shopping habits, track your store’s growth over time, and even launch marketing campaigns.
That’s why it’s so important to choose a solution that includes the right features. Here’s what to look for:
- Integrated payment processing lets you quickly and securely accept customers’ payments, whether they’re using a credit or debit card, mobile wallet, or EBT.
- Inventory tracking helps you monitor your inventory levels of perishable or weight-based goods, simplifies restocking, and reduces waste.
- Reporting and analytics give you insights into everything from your store’s overall performance to your customers’ changing wants and needs.
- Marketing features like email and SMS integrations, promotions, and a built-in customer loyalty program help you attract and retain customers.
- Reliable, accessible support helps you make the most of your new POS system and solve technical issues before they impact your bottom line.
Every grocery store is different, so we recommend working with your team to create your own list of must-have features.
The 8 Best Grocery Store POS Systems
Ready to start evaluating providers? We’ve tried to make it as easy as possible!
Here are our eight favorite grocery store POS systems, plus all the details about their top features, pricing, and customer reviews.
1. Square: Best for New Business Owners
First on our list is Square, a provider offering all-in-one, user-friendly hardware, software, and payment processing. While Square doesn’t specialize in supporting grocery stores, we’ve included them as a solid option for beginner small business owners just looking for the basics.
Here’s what Square has to offer:
- Intuitive hardware and software that you and your team can get familiar with in minutes
- Omnichannel options that let you make in-person, online, and phone sales
- Employee scheduling and time tracking to save you time and simplify the payroll process
When it comes to pricing, Square is flexible and affordable. Their most popular plan starts at $29 per month.
“Love how Square is business-minded and keeps my small business running efficiently. There are a few items I would love the ability to do/use, but overall I love it.” — from Square’s 4.4-star Trustpilot rating
2. National Retail Solutions (NRS): Best for Scalability
National Retail Solutions (NRS) is another provider catering to retailers in all industries. They offer a scalable, no-frills solution for business owners who know exactly which features they need.
Let’s take a look at some of NRS’ best features:
- Cloud-based software that allows you to monitor and manage your store from anywhere, at any time
- A unique coupon club that lets customers save when shopping at any NRS-affiliated store
- eWIC integration to expand your customer base and sales opportunities
You can expect to pay between $19.99 to $44.95/month for a base NRS subscription, with the option to pay for a la carte features like profit margin reporting or loyalty rewards.
“After being in business for a number of years already, we really appreciate National Retail Solutions for the products and services they provide, and the support they give. The support team is AWESOME.” — from NRS’ 4.6-star Trustpilot rating
3. IT Retail: Best Features
Designed by and for grocers, IT Retail is another one of our favorite options. This provider offers an all-in-one solution to help small grocers navigate challenges and stand out from big-box supermarkets.
Here’s what makes IT Retail unique:
- Self-checkout options to keep your checkout lines short and your customers happy
- Automated purchase orders to save you time and prevent costly stockouts
- E-commerce integration that lets you take advantage of the online grocery boom
IT Retail’s software subscriptions start at $49/month, but you can use their custom pricing tool to generate an instant quote for your grocery store.
“IT Retail is reliable, easy to use, has great support, and provides the information I need to make business decisions.” — from IT Retail’s 4.6-star Capterra rating
4. Markt POS: Best for Specialty Markets
If you own a butcher shop, organic food store, or another type of specialty market, Markt POS might be the right fit for you. This provider caters to small grocery stores with unique offerings, helping them operate more efficiently and profitably.
Check out these Markt POS features:
- Scale integration to streamline weight-based sales of meat, cheese, produce, or bulk goods like rice
- Quick-serve restaurant functionality that lets you offer hot, made-to-order meals alongside traditional grocery offerings
- Marketing integrations to help you expand your reach and attract new customers
Markt POS offers custom pricing solutions to meet your business’ needs and budget. Use their build and price tool to get an estimate.
“Harry [from Markt POS] was very helpful in answering my questions. He even called me back with some additional information that we didn't cover. He put a lot of effort into being sure my questions were quickly and correctly answered. So great to get this great customer service experience!” — from Markt POS’ 5-star Google rating
5. Epos Now: Best for Small Budgets
Epos Now is a POS provider catering to retailers, restaurants, and hotels. We’ve included them on our list because they offer simple software and hardware for an affordable price.
Here’s what we like about Epos Now:
- An all-in-one hardware package that makes it simple and affordable to set up your checkout counter
- Low-stock alerts to help you stock your shelves before customers clear them
- Checkout security features like discount and void tracking to keep your profits safe
Epos Now regularly offers deals on hardware and software subscriptions, so their pricing changes frequently. Get in touch with their sales team to learn about current offers.
“Overall, the flexibility and customization are the best features and the reason we stay. In addition, Epos is always updating and improving! Very helpful customer service group!” — from Epos Now’s 3.4-star Capterra rating
6. Lightspeed: Best for E-Commerce
Lightspeed is a POS provider that promises to support retailers as they grow. We’ve included this e-commerce-focused option in our list because it can help you capitalize on the growing online grocery trend.
Here are some notable Lightspeed features:
- Built-in e-commerce that makes it easy to build your website and process online orders
- Multi-location management that lets you keep an eye on all your stores
- Inventory forecasting that helps you make smarter stocking decisions
Lightspeed is one of the most expensive options we evaluated, with monthly prices ranging from $109 to $339.
“Definitely one of the most user-friendly products around. The price is very reasonable given the suite of features including barcode scanning, inventory management, and real-time analytics, just to name a few.” — from Lightspeed’s 4.2-star Trustpilot rating
7. Revel Systems: Best iPad Option
Revel Systems is a POS provider that promises to help quick-serve restaurants and retailers operate more efficiently.
We’ve included Revel Systems on our list of the best grocery store POS systems because their software operates on an iPad. If you already have an iPad for your business or prefer the simplicity of a tablet over a commercial touchscreen PC, this option might be a good choice.
Let’s look at what else Revel Systems has to offer:
- Mobile functionality that keeps lines short by letting you check customers out from the sales floor
- Flexible integrations that let you “build your own” software with all the tools and features you want
- Multi-location reporting that lets you monitor your stock levels and sales across multiple locations
Revel Systems doesn’t include pricing information on their website, so get in touch with one of their sales representatives for a quote.
“It's easy to learn and accessible. Having it on an iPad means that it's large enough to know what button is being pressed, and to move things around if need be.” — from Revel Systems’ 3.7-star Software Advice rating
8. POS Nation: Best All-Around
The final option on our list is POS Nation.
We offer a feature-rich yet user-friendly POS solution designed to help your grocery store run more smoothly and profitably. Our powerful software, reliable hardware, and affordable payment processing options are all you need to keep checkout lines short, shelves stocked, and customers satisfied.
Here’s what else you can expect from us:
- 24/7 support from experts dedicated to your grocery store’s success — at no additional cost
- A built-in loyalty program to boost customer satisfaction and repeat sales
- Robust inventory tracking that makes it easy to manage perishable, shelf-stable, and weight-based inventory
- Advanced sales reporting with over 55 prebuilt reports and additional customizations
\We have options to meet every grocery store’s needs and budget, so check out our pricing tool for a custom quote.
“What I liked most about this software was pretty much everything. From the price, the free installation, the iCloud monthly service, the 24/7 helpline, and the overall easiness of the system. Everything was customized for the products we sell.” — from our 4.6-star Capterra rating
Start Your POS Nation Journey Today
Searching for a grocery store POS system you can trust? You’re in the right place.
POS Nation offers hardware and software designed to make checkouts, inventory management, sales reporting, and marketing a breeze. Plus, our industry-leading support team will be by your side through onboarding and beyond to help you make the most of your new POS system.
Ready to take the first step on your POS Nation journey? Schedule your live demo today.
