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National Computer Corporation | www.nccusa.com
Thrift Shop POS Buyer’s Guide: Getting the Most from Your Point of Sale
Software Investment
National Computer Corporation | www.nccusa.com
If the time has come to invest in new point of sale software for your thrift shop, or you are starting
a brand-new business, it’s worth your time to research the latest technology available in the POS
market before you make a final decision. The unique environment in which you operate as a thrift
store versus that of a traditional retail business makes it necessary for you to consider a POS that
is specifically built and designed with features that will make organizing donations to your inventory,
selling merchandise and operating your store more manageable.
Consideration Areas for Thrift Store Point of Sale Software
There are seven main areas to take into account when evaluating and choosing a point of sale
software for your thrift shop.
1. Inventory Management
2. Scale and Scanner Integration
3. Pricing and Discounting
4. Mobility Options
5. Cloud Capabilities
6. Security Features
7. Loyalty
National Computer Corporation | www.nccusa.com
What are You Selling this Week?Knowing exactly what and how much you have in inventory is a major component of operating a
thrift shop. An inventory that is in perpetual flux and at the mercurial whim of community donations
is an added twist to the equation that other retail businesses don’t have to contend with. The
rotating roster of sellable items across a variety of departments from clothing to furniture, make a
generic retail POS inventory management system a less than ideal solution for your thrift store.
What you want to look for is thrift shop specific software and a robust and flexible POS solution with
the ability to easily track inventory in and out of your store. Having multiple ways to categorize and
label items is key whether you are adding children’s clothes or an antique vase to your inventory.
The last thing you need to worry about is whether your inventory is accurate. That’s why reporting
capabilities are an integral component to inventory management success. Look for inventory
features like:
• Sales tracking
• Profit margin reporting
• Donation trend monitoring
• Mobile reporting
• Customizable items
• Pricing and mark up calculation
National Computer Corporation | www.nccusa.com
National Computer Corporation | www.nccusa.com
Weight It, Scan It, Tag It!A must-have for your thrift shop point of sale software is a seamless integration with bar code
scanners and scales. This will make your life infinitely easier when you don’t have to worry
about adding these resources after the fact or worrying about compatibility issues within the
software. The ability to scan bar codes on items around your shop makes inventory tracking more
manageable and an integrated scale that is NTEP certified speeds up the weight-based bulk
purchase process.
Some thrift store POS systems make pricing the random odds and ends and non-bar-coded items
that come your way easier by allowing you to generate item tags and shelf labels right through the
same software.
For Sale and On SaleSince thrift shop customers are especially thrifty - they love sales and promotions. This means you
need to be a pro at running promotions and your POS must be a pro at managing pricing that can
get complicated at times when you are running multiple promotions and pricing levels. That’s why
another key function that a thrift shop specific point of sale software should be able to do really well
is pricing and promotions.
National Computer Corporation | www.nccusa.comNational Computer Corporation | www.nccusa.com
Consider the many ways you might price items in your store to move more inventory back out the
door. A couple questions about pricing to answer ahead of investing in point of sale software are:
• Will there be different levels of pricing for different groups, like member pricing or non-profit
level prices?
• Will you offer quantity-based pricing and discounts?
• Will shoppers be able to get mix and match pricing?
• Will you distribute digital or paper coupons?
• How will you update pricing on items?
• How will you shift prices by color/date automatically?
It’s extra helpful (and profitable) if your point of sale has the ability to generate coupons for you
at the register to encourage repeat visits. Often you can promote related products or advertise
upcoming sales to bring your thrifty shoppers back for more right on their receipt.
Mobility is a Game ChangerA POS feature you may not have considered in your search for the best thrift shop POS is mobility.
At first, this may not seem like an important aspect of a point of sale software but often, mobility is
something that managers, store associates and your customers really appreciate.
Incorporating tablet technology into your thrift shop has sales perks. Getting your cashiers out from
behind the register and letting them traverse the shop with a mobile checkout in hand lets them
engage customers and provide better in-store customer service. Many thrift shop owners use a
mobile checkout to help bust register lines by stationing an employee along the line to quickly do
additional transactions.
If you plan special sales events like sidewalk or tent sales you can easily move your checkout
outside with a mobile application. However, your point of sale software has to be able to operate
on a mobile platform, so if you would like to be mobile, investigate ahead of time if that is an option
with the POS solution you are considering.
National Computer Corporation | www.nccusa.com
Consider the CloudAny worthwhile POS will have some aspect of the solution in the cloud – think data storage and
reporting – and some of it local, like the software that runs the system. Sometimes this is referred
to as a hybrid cloud solution. You basically get the benefit of a secure backup data storage option
paired with the reliability of a traditional locally installed POS system that does not rely on wi-fi or
internet connections to function.
Benefits of a Hybrid Cloud Solution→ Data Integrity on the Cloud
When your data is stored in the cloud you don’t have to worry about ever losing this information
from a system crash. There are usually automatic backups and multiple storage locations so if
the worst-case scenario happens and you do lose your data, it can quickly be restored from the
cloud. You also get real time information since the cloud eliminates the need for syncs. It is always
accurate and up to date and can be accessed from any web browser or mobile device.
→ Internet Independent on an On-site Solution
Accessing data in the cloud requires a network or Wi-Fi connection. If service is interrupted, you will
be unable to access your data for a time. However, the software stored on your POS system works
independently of the internet and has offline capabilities in the event of an internet outage. This is
also helpful if you need to process sales offline in a mobile capacity.
National Computer Corporation | www.nccusa.com
Security Measures are EssentialData breaches, credit card fraud and hackers are a reality in the retail industry. The point of sale
solution you choose for your thrift shop is an important weapon in your security arsenal. Look for
a POS with an embedded operating system (OS) – one that is installed locally and not run in the
cloud. They are much more resistant to credit card cloning, identity theft, spyware, ransomware,
malware, and virus attacks.
Additionally, with out of scope payments, credit card transactions are not run directly through the
point of sale software. Nor is the data from credit cards stored anywhere in your system, providing
an extra layer of protection to your customers.
Since you are investing in the latest point of sale technology, it is recommended that you make sure
you have the latest payment processing technology as well. You need a system that can accept all
forms of payments, including EMV credit cards. Chip cards are ubiquitous and retailers are starting
to feel the pain of assessed fees and liability for fraudulent credit card charges due to not accepting
chip cards. Having a system that can process EMV transactions just gives you one less thing to
worry about.
National Computer Corporation | www.nccusa.com
National Computer Corporation | www.nccusa.com
About NCC
Since 1986, NCC has been delivering comprehensive software solutions to businesses in the
hospitality and retail industries. Our software engineers combine years of experience in software
development with a strong understanding of restaurant and retail operations to create products
designed to work in a wide variety of environments.
Through a world-wide network of reseller partners, NCC has installed over 50,000 POS systems in
more than 35 countries. NCC products are installed in wide range of retail and hospitality concepts
including Table Service, Quick Service, Fast Casual, Bars, Night Clubs, Delis, Frozen Yogurt,
Delivery and Concessions.
National Computer Corporation | www.nccusa.com
Keep Them Coming BackMake them an offer they can’t refuse to ensure they return to your thrift store. Provide your
customers with frequent visitor discounts, birthday and anniversary rewards, encouraging them to
return and shop with you often.
Get the Most from Your InvestmentPicking a point of sale software for your thrift shop is daunting. There are many options, features
and functionalities to consider as you do your research. Keep in mind the unique retail needs of
your particular type of store and ask good questions about the software you are evaluating. Also,
remember to explore the six areas discussed in this guide to help you get the most from your thrift
store POS investment.