Retail POS system: how to pick one for your shop
Which POS is best for a small shop? A POS (point of sale) is the register system that rings up sales, takes cards and tracks stock. The best one is the one that fits how you sell. Before you buy, make sure it can track stock, scan barcodes, take cards and keep your website count right. Then match it to your floor. We carry several retail systems, so we can lay them side by side for you.
What a retail POS must do
Four things matter. If a system misses one, you will feel it within a week.
Will it keep count of my stock? It should show what you have and what isn't selling. Korona POS tracks how fast each item sells and when to reorder. Retail Cloud sends low-stock alerts and suggests what to order from your suppliers. Clover tracks items in real time, warns you when stock runs low and prints labels.
Can it scan barcodes and print labels? Any retail POS should. Retail Cloud works with standard retail barcode and label tools. Korona works with handheld scanners, which helps when you count stock on the floor. The PAX A920 terminals can even scan a barcode with their camera.
Will it take every card? Chip, tap, swipe and contactless should all work on day one. Your pricing setup should already be on the terminal when it reaches your counter. See our credit card terminals.
Do you sell online too? Then the count on your shelf and the count on your website need to match. Korona and Retail Cloud both do this out of the box. You won't sell the last one twice.
Retail POS systems we carry, by fit
Start with what you sell and where you sell it. Each row sticks to what that system's own page on our site says.
| System | Best fit | Stock and online | If the internet drops | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clover | Retail shops of any size, especially smaller counters | Real-time item tracking; connects to your website with add-on apps | Keeps taking cards and syncs after | Software plans add up if nobody watches them |
| Korona POS | Shops with more than one store, liquor stores, garden centers | Deepest stock reports we carry; one stock count for your store and your website | Stops working without internet | Too much for one simple register |
| Retail Cloud | Clothing and electronics shops, stores with pop-ups or events | One stock count for store, website and events | Needs internet to work | Price is quoted, not posted |
| Exatouch | Shops that cannot afford downtime | Tracks stock, suppliers and orders to suppliers | Keeps taking cards on the terminal | Plain, work-ready Windows hardware |
| GRETA | Shops that sell by weight: markets, butchers, specialty grocers | Tracks stock by shelf spot, with expiration dates | Ask us; it depends on your setup | Specialty food retail only |
Not sure which row is you? Our POS comparison lists all eleven systems we carry.
Questions to ask any POS vendor
Take these to any sales call. The answers tell you more than the brochure does.
- Does stock update across every register and my website at once?
- What happens at the counter if the internet goes down?
- Am I locked to one card processor, or can I pick my own?
- What does each software plan include, and what costs extra?
- Can my gift card balances and item catalog move over?
- Who do I call when it breaks, and are they local?
How we help you choose
We don't make a POS, so we have no house system to push. We quote the system that fits you. Then we shop your card processing to several companies, apart from the POS. Korona and Retail Cloud do not care who handles your cards, so any rate we bid down is yours.
We're based in Federal Way. We install and support shops there and in Tacoma and Seattle. When you switch, your catalog and stock counts come with you, and we do it on a quiet morning. Want to read more first? Start with retail payment processing, or see how dual pricing works at a retail counter.
Get a free statement review
Send us one statement for a free review, or call 253-336-6321.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the best POS system for a small retail shop in Federal Way?
It depends on your floor. Smaller counters often start with Clover. Larger or multi-store floors look at Korona or Retail Cloud. Still stuck? Call us and we will talk it through.
2. Do I need a POS that syncs with my website?
If you sell online, yes. Korona and Retail Cloud keep one stock count for the shelf and the web, so you don't oversell.
3. Can I keep my current hardware?
Sometimes. Retail Cloud is flexible here and often runs on tablets you already own. Other systems need their own terminals. We check this when we quote.
4. What does a retail POS cost?
It depends on the system and the plan. Retail Cloud is quoted per setup. Ask us for a written quote after a free statement review.
5. Will switching stop my sales?
We do the switch on a quiet morning. Your catalog and stock counts come across.
6. Do you serve Tacoma and Seattle shops?
Yes. We are based in Federal Way and install in person across the Seattle and Tacoma metro.
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