Wednesday, 07 December 2011 00:00
1 Comments
Liquor and wine stores have their own unique demands of POS software. Since both federal and state governments regulate the sale of alcoholic beverages like beer, wine and spirits, a good wine and liquor store point of sale (POS) software incorporates business rules and logic unique to the liquor store industry.
Here are some of the features you need to look for in wine and liquor store POS software.
Strong Security
Liquor store POS software is secure and prevents shrinkage--a common occurrence in liquor stores. Shrinkage refers to product loss caused by damage, paperwork errors, cashier errors, theft, sweethearting, shoplifting and other activities. Employees cause shrinkage by giving away, or "sweethearting," products to friends and family at the point of sale terminal, usually through scan avoidance, unauthorized discounts, refund fraud, fake gift cards and overriding of prices. Good liquor store POS software, such as CAP Retail Systems, has security features to help prevent these types of activities. (Screenshot, right - used with persmission from CAP Retail)
Age Verification
In most states, possession and consumption of liquor by people under the age of 21 is considered a misdemeanor. Violation of this legislation can result in a year in jail and up to $5,000 in fines for the minor. A store that sells alcohol to minors will face penalities such as losing its liquor license and paying heavy fines. Liquor store POS software, such as Retail Anywhere, helps prevent alcohol sales to minors by faciliating age verifaction through driver's license checks. Liquor store POS software can also restrict sales depending on time or day to comply with state regulations.
Inventory Tracking and Management
Good inventory management (knowing what you have and when to order more) is essential to a successful liquor store. CATAPULT, a liquor store POS software by ECRS Retail Automation Solutions, has a customizable POS touch screen that makes it easy to manage inventory, forecast inventory needs, automatically reorder items and synchronize data from multiple liquor stores. This ensures that stocks are always replenished at the appropriate time. Liquor store POS software can also track bottle deposits and has single and six-pack control. It can easily handle pricing, promos and markdowns.
Advanced Reporting
Here are some of the features you need to look for in wine and liquor store POS software.
Strong Security
Liquor store POS software is secure and prevents shrinkage--a common occurrence in liquor stores. Shrinkage refers to product loss caused by damage, paperwork errors, cashier errors, theft, sweethearting, shoplifting and other activities. Employees cause shrinkage by giving away, or "sweethearting," products to friends and family at the point of sale terminal, usually through scan avoidance, unauthorized discounts, refund fraud, fake gift cards and overriding of prices. Good liquor store POS software, such as CAP Retail Systems, has security features to help prevent these types of activities. (Screenshot, right - used with persmission from CAP Retail)
Age Verification
In most states, possession and consumption of liquor by people under the age of 21 is considered a misdemeanor. Violation of this legislation can result in a year in jail and up to $5,000 in fines for the minor. A store that sells alcohol to minors will face penalities such as losing its liquor license and paying heavy fines. Liquor store POS software, such as Retail Anywhere, helps prevent alcohol sales to minors by faciliating age verifaction through driver's license checks. Liquor store POS software can also restrict sales depending on time or day to comply with state regulations.
Inventory Tracking and Management
Good inventory management (knowing what you have and when to order more) is essential to a successful liquor store. CATAPULT, a liquor store POS software by ECRS Retail Automation Solutions, has a customizable POS touch screen that makes it easy to manage inventory, forecast inventory needs, automatically reorder items and synchronize data from multiple liquor stores. This ensures that stocks are always replenished at the appropriate time. Liquor store POS software can also track bottle deposits and has single and six-pack control. It can easily handle pricing, promos and markdowns.
Advanced ReportingIn addition to inventory tracking and point of sale transactions, liquor store POS software, such as CAM Commerce Solutions, has advanced reporting to help store managers analyze data. Reports, such as end-of-day profit & loss statements and balance sheets in real time, are useful to ensure that the liquor store is profitable. Advanced reporting is also useful for tax purposes and audits.
When looking for a wine and liquor store POS software, make sure you keep these features in mind for the best return on investment. A well-chosen liquor store POS software will help you save time and money.
(Image, left - used with permission from CAM Commerce)
CAP Retail Systems (www.capretail.com)
Retail Anywhere (www.retailanywhere.com)
ECRS Retail Automation Solutions (www.ecrsoft.com)
CAM Commerce Solutions (www.camcommerce.com)
Other helpful links:
