New to Retail Systems?

Some questions that you may want to consider:-

Should I choose software specifically designed for my type of business?

Answer. Not necessarily so, because sometimes the more specialised the software is, the more complex it becomes and often it will not have the depth of software readily available in more general packages. However the software market does split between clothing, general retailers (e.g. giftware, jewellers, kitchenware etc), and “Hospitality” – (e.g. Hotels, pubs and restaurants). Trackit addresses both clothing and general retailers.

How much does a retail system cost?

Answer. It can be likened to buying a car, it depends on what you want, what features you need. What areas do you want to cover? Do you want “real time” connections between your shop(s), ecommerce site(s) and office. Do you want a common database that will populate all your sales channels?

To give you some guidelines, for a touch till unit with software, onsite training, backup and warranty, you should be budgeting from £2500 depending on options. Add to this “Back Office” costs starting from £2000 and fully designed linked web sites from £3000.

There are many retail systems out there. How do I choose?

Answer. You need to decide what you want to achieve from a system. You need to have an idea of how you will finance the investment – outright payment, lease or rental. Pick a reputable business that has been operating for several years, has “mature” software to meet your needs. Ask for references from customers who are in a similar market to yourselves. Look at support and after sales – this will be a long term relationship with your supplier.

How will a Retail System make me money?

Answer. Essentially it increases your profits. You will undoubtedly carry less stock, stock which is turning over quicker, stock that minimises “out of stock” situations, meaning your customers will be spending more. Allied to this is the benefit of computerised tills which can collect customer information and offer loyalty schemes and multi buy offers. You can easily get back to your higher spending customers by mail, email or texts – result, an increase in your sales with the added benefits of integrated ecommerce bringing more business without shop overheads.

A lot of my staff are frightened of computers.

Answer. Think of the system as a till, not a computer. Our tills are “touch” making it easy to follow, and if your staff make a mistake, it is easy to correct. On site training is also very helpful to allay staff fears.

I already have a cash register. Why do I need a Retail System?

Answer. A cash register is suitable for tracking money, but installing a retail system will simplify your life in running your business, and help with customer enquiries. You will streamline operations, increase efficiency, have a much tighter control of stock and have many sales and stock reports at your fingertips to help run and grow your business. The right system will pay for itself within the first year of operation.

Is my shop too small for a Retail System?

Answer. More likely, can you afford NOT to have a system, with starting prices typically from £3,500. This over 5 years represents an investment of £700 per year or less than £14 per week. The benefit a system can bring you far outweighs this level of costs.

I don’t have a shop, only ecommerce

Check out systems that do not rely on the need for tills. You can run “Sales Order Processing” from a PC which will automatically update your web sites and shopping markets such as eBay. This removes the heartache of populating these separately, whilst trying to keep control of stock levels, and knowing when to reorder.