What is an POS System in a Supermarket?

No matter where you are in the world, you’re never too far away from a supermarket. Every day, millions of people spend an hour or two in the comforting glow of fluorescence lights and the steady hum of coolers as they stock on the essentials for the coming week. 

POS systems and supermarkets make a perfect pair. Many systems, such as the Epos Now Convenience Store solution, are specifically designed to handle the large stock levels and speed that customers expect. 

If you’re considering adding an POS system to your supermarket, this blog is here to help. We’ll be explaining what an POS system in a supermarket is, how to use them, and the best option available for your business. 

What is a supermarket POS system? 

A supermarket POS system is exactly what it sounds like. It’s an electronic point of sale (EPOS or POS) that operates in a supermarket. An POS system itself is essentially a computer loaded with sales and inventory software  that operates as a trading and admin hub for your business. 

The Epos Now Grocery Store system offers the best POS software for supermarkets and can easily handle the day-to-day tasks of your business. This includes improving customer service, speeding up transactions, getting a better grip on your staffing, and streamlining your processes. 

It’s hard to say what POS company offers the best supermarket POS software so it’s important to do your own research and compare systems when shopping for your own. 

Features of a supermarket POS system

The benefits that are included with Epos Now systems are, but are not limited to, the following: 

Stock takes - How do supermarkets use POS systems for automatic stock control? It’s simple. The system keeps track of every item sold and provided real-time updates to your stock levels. Having a precise stock count at all times is essential, especially when operating multiple checkouts at once. Your POS system should be able to keep up to speed with your sales at all times and hold a vast inventory. 

Automated purchase orders - Supermarkets stock hundreds of items and if their stock levels are monitored manually, it can lead to shortages. A POS system removes human error from the process and automatically purchases items you’re running low on. This guarantees more efficiency and organisation for shop owners. 

Payment flexibility - Epos Now has partnerships with major payment processors all over the world. This means you can access cash, contactless, debit, and credit card payments. Since profit margins per item are generally quite thin in supermarkets, it’s essential to keep a close eye on your cash flow. Epos Now Payments offers a fixed rate on all card transactions so merchants can always predict their payment processing fees, with no unexpected charges. 

Profit margin data - Thanks to smart business reports and analytics, you can easily identify your best and worst sellers and items that have the best profit margins. Every business has unique goals. Epos Now offers customisable, filterable reports so merchants can quickly access the data that matters to them. 

Apps and integrations - It’s important that you’re able to personalise your system so that it best serves your supermarket. An App Store with a suite of hundreds of leading integrations serves to allow you to run your business the way you want.

How to use a POS machine in supermarkets

Your point of sale system is the beating heart of your business. This means that it’s absolutely vital that you and your staff know how to use it to the most out of it. While these specialized supermarket POS systems can seem intimidating but once you know the basics, you’ll be able to improve your business with POS software and hardware.

In its most basic function, the system operates as a POS billing machine for supermarkets. That means that it is a collection of tools to ensure accuracy in all the transactions that pass through your till. 

Our team will onboard you to the system so you’ll have a basic understanding of how to work the hardware such as the receipt printer and the cash register, the rest is simply practice. There are a few ways you can process transactions, these include: 

• You can manually search for each product registered in the system. Our display is designed to be simple and intuitive. This can take a while so be sure to do it only when necessary.
• Scanning the product’s barcode using an attached scanner. This is the fastest way to process products and speeds up wait times considerably. 
• Some systems include shortcuts directly on the screen for more popular items. This means your staff can quickly key in items without having to use a scanner. 

Once you have a handle on transactions, you and your staff will quickly become adept at the process. The system will automatically keep track of your transactions, stock levels, and sales data, this will save you hours of time that would have otherwise been spent on tedious admin and inventory management. 

Integrations are also an important part of retail POS systems. These integrations, or apps, are typically offered through an App Store like ours and allow you to customize your system to meet the needs of your business.

Popular apps include loyalty programs that allow you to reward your regular customers with rewards and benefits for their continued custom. These programs not only encourage your old customer to shop with you, it also encourages new customers to visit. 

The best system for supermarkets

The Epos Now Complete Solution is an industry-leading retail POS system. Our system is designed to make life easier for business owners, improve customer service, and streamline processes. With Epos Now, you can handle employee management, get insight into your sales, and inventory management. 

If you’re interested in finding out how Epos Now could help your supermarket, get in touch with our expert team below.