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Key Features to Look for in a Supermarket POS Software

According to Fortune Business Insights, the Point of Sale (POS) market is projected to grow to USD 110.22 billion by 2032. Have you ever thought about why this is happening? The primary reason why most enterprises and small merchants adopt POS systems is that they reduce human errors and provide an accurate and detailed overview of inventory, market trends, sales, and more.

In the scenario of a supermarket, if a POS solution is integrated, it not only helps the merchant but also reduces the work burden of employees and increases customer satisfaction. So, finding the best supermarket POS software to automate your business is important. If you are concerned about what features you should consider while purchasing POS for your supermarket, this article will be helpful for you.

Top 5 Supermarket POS Software Features

Before finalizing on a POS software for your supermarket, it is crucial to consider deeper into what all features are mandatory and what all additional features will be useful for utilizing the software for a longer period. This depends solely on the business requirements. But, below are a few of the common key features that might be required for automating supermarkets worldwide.

1. Inventory Management Module

For any supermarket or retail business, the primary feature required is the inventory management module. By considering the market trends, it is required to keep sufficient stock in the inventory of the supermarket. With a POS software, managers/merchants can keep track of out-of-stock and overstocked products. With this data, restocking will become simple and faster.

Most POS Software available in the market will generate reports on product availability, which can be used while sharing purchase orders. Moreover, for supermarkets offering online sales, the inventory module can be integrated with the corresponding e-commerce portal as well.

If cloud-based supermarket POS is integrated, merchants/managers can track the inventory in real-time and can take well-informed decisions. Cloud-based POS software will also provide feasibility to integrate multiple stores at different locations. Other benefits of the inventory module are efficient order fulfilment, reduced manual effort, and more.

2. Employee Management Module

There would be multiple designations and numerous employees in a supermarket. Recording their profiles and organizing their documents would be difficult, if done manually. This can be done with the employee management module in POS software. Depending on the employee responsibilities, POS software access can be customized by setting privileges. I.e., a billing staff member is supposed to handle only the billing module of the software, no other access would be allocated to that person. Whereas, the managers are required to view the overall business details including sales, inventory, and more.

Payroll module and attendance module can also be integrated with the employee management module, which simplifies the salary processing and related tasks. In general, if your POS software has an employee management module, it would be possible to find the complete history of the employee from recruitment to resignation.

3. Customer Management Module

An ideal POS software will collect and record the customer information and their purchase history. This helps the customer support and management teams to identify potential customers and plan different strategies to boost business. The initial goal of this module is to improve customer satisfaction by keeping track of their purchase habits and providing loyalty rewards.

If your supermarket offers online sales, the customer management module plays a key role in customizing the e-commerce portal view depending on the past purchases and search history. Also, this module can send automated notifications to customers regarding special offers, discounts, and order status updates. Additionally, certain advanced POS systems in the market will include features for feedback collection, customer complaint tracking, and more.

The key advantages of including a customer management module in the supermarket POS are that it provides insights into customer buying behavior, allowing businesses to optimize product placement and promotions.

4. Billing/Sales Module

Billing is the stage where the customer indirectly connects with the POS software and is considered the heart of any POS system. This module should be designed for speed and accuracy, reducing wait times and improving the overall shopping experience. The billing/sales module is supposed to include the following features:

• Need to be capable of accepting various payment methods such as cash, credit/debit cards, mobile payments, and gift cards.
• Barcode scanning provision to speed up the billing process and to avoid errors in data entry.
• Automated tax calculation depending on the predefined criteria.
• Ability to customize the invoices with the store’s branding and conditions.

Reporting Module

Reporting module in POS software will provide insights into sales, inventory, employee performance, and overall profitability. This module generates detailed reports that help supermarkets to make data-driven decisions and improve operational efficiency.

It is mandatory to generate accurate reports on sales, inventory, employee performance, customer behaviour and financial (such as profit and loss statements, tax summaries, and cash flow analysis).

Other than the above listed features, always make sure that the purchased software is highly secure and faster. If you are purchasing an untrustworthy POS software, there is a higher possibility for data loss and security threat. Also, check if the software is having loading issues when accessing from multiple locations. Along with these, confirm with the POS software provider whether future integrations and customizations would be possible with the software.