A guide to point of sale systems

As a youngster, way back in the early 1980s, I remember visiting the local farm shop with my parents. Shelves of healthy eating foods as far as the eye could see with one of those old-fashioned manual cash registers in the corner. The owner would type on the keys like a typewriter. By ‘80s standards, this was regarded as state-of-the-art.

Forty or so years later, and times have changed. Out go cash registers and in their place are sleeker, accessible and portable card readers, POS and EPOS solutions. The modern world aims to use technology make any business run a tighter, efficient ship, and this sector is no exception – with many farm shops and delicatessens opting for these products for these and many other reasons.

SumUp provides a wide array of card readers and POS solutions for small businesses, such as farm shops and delis. “Systems such as POS Lite prove popular amongst these kind of merchants,” says Rémi Sablong, VP of marketing and growth at global fintech, SumUp. “As well as creating a quick and simple checkout process, POS Lite makes life easier for merchants with cataloguing options and easy to integrate add-ons like printers and cash drawers. Merchants also receive extended hour customer support from SumUp to help ensure everything is working correctly, meaning their business can run smoothly.”

CSY Retail Systems is best recognised for its EPOS, which is tailored to meet the specific needs of all farm shop and deli customers. Managing director Ross Pierrepont says that EPOS is essential for producing thorough reporting, managing sales, and managing inventories. “To help give back to their customers, some of our clients have also put in place a customer loyalty scheme. Their loyalty cards can be custom produced to meet their company’s brand image thanks to our in-house designer. Your customer’s collection and redemption of points is made simple for them by integrating your customer loyalty programme with our EPOS.”

Cunninghams EPOS Group’s Quantum system also has loyalty incentives for farm shop customers. Becketts Farm Shop, for example, used this facet of the system to offer special experience days for visitors, including cream teas and butchery days, plus gift cards that could be used to put towards shop and cafe items.

Likewise, Orchard View used Quantum’s loyalty module to customers’ advantage with a loyalty points scheme. This means that customers have the chance to enjoy special offers and to pre-order and put down deposits for seasonal meats for Christmas dinner.

CSY’s electronic shelf edge labels are also becoming increasingly popular among farm shops and delis. “Our labels make it simpler and more understandable for your customers to see prices, product details, promotional offers, and allergen information,” says Ross.

Working on a big scale

In addition to EPOS, scales are proving vastly popular. CSY provides weighing scales that are fully integrated with its system, assuring accurate and simple item weighing. “We offer a vast selection to meet every demand, whether it be a butcher, deli, or zero waste!”

David Seville, business development manager at Cunninghams EPOS Group, concurs that, “Scales – without a doubt” are popular choices for farm shops and delis.

“Scales can sometimes be limiting for food retail businesses like farm shops and delis, so our unique approach is to install our own EPOS software on the popular Avery XTi400 scales. This means food retailers can benefit from the scales they know and love but with an integrated, feature-rich EPOS solution that lets them take payment, manage stock, redeem gift cards, plus much more, straight from their scales! This helps businesses streamline operations, improve customer service and save precious counter space.”

POS and EPOS technology is used as a solution with respect to growing a farm shop business. This was the case for Arrow Farm Shop, which used a CSY EPOS system to help manage the expansion into farm shop, butchery and dining facilities. This included increasing levels of stock and staff, requiring a system that could effectively compartmentalise the different aspects of the business. The new CSY system adapted the previous one, taking on the requirements of both the main farm shop business and the new cafe/diner.

A similar scenario necessitated the replacement of Rhug Estate Farm Shop’s extant EPOS system with a new complete one. Rhug selected a complete Quantum package from Cunninghams, which comprised five EPOS terminals, three windows scales and three portable tablets.

Support in place

An important aspect of new technology at farm shops and delis is ensuring that the right level of customer service is available. If any member of staff has difficulty or issues with a new system, it’s important that the manufacturer is freely available to provide the relevant support. “Our professional services team are on hand to guide customers through the whole process, including delivery of equipment, setup, installation, and training,” explains David.

“Our seven-days-a-week help desk team, as well as our dedicated account and project managers, work together to ensure our customers receive the support they need,” adds Ross. “Our team of engineers install every installation, no matter where you are in the UK. Additionally, we offer monthly EPOS training sessions to help our customers maximise the benefits of their system.”

As an example, Hardy’s Farm Shop has used CSY’s help desk with relation to advice about its EPOS and weighing scales. Hardy’s commented that it received patient and efficient responses, ensuring that any issues were swiftly resolved.

In many cases, however, setting up new systems is relatively simple, as Rémi Sablong outlines, “Most SumUp products can be easily set up and installed after delivery, meaning there is little to no need for an installer. For some products, such as the POS Pro, the hardware comes with detailed installation videos.”

Indeed, Arrow Farm Shop found its new CSY EPOS system was easy to use by staff, including newest recruits who could handle the technology with ease.

New technology has enabled farm shops and delicatessens to keep up with the times. In today’s post-Covid-19 age, more customers have swapped cold, hard cash for bank and credit cards. While Richards of Cornwall installed CSY’s Vector at the end of 2019, little did the team know that three months later there would be an unforeseen global pandemic. As more businesses used cashless means of taking payment, this coincided with Richards’ integration of card machines which, as well as making life easier for staff (in terms of time saving and accuracy by not having to type in the cost manually), reduced the risk of staff catching Covid-19 when money changed hands.

On a more general note, Richards chose to replace its previous EPOS technology with a more up-to-date model. Transferring information from the previous to new model proved to be an easy process.

An older, and in some cases, obsolete piece of technology can hamper a farm shop’s efforts to build a business. Farm shops such as Hardy’s have acknowledged this problem, with its old system lacking the capability to boost the retail side of their business – something that the CSY EPOS system could make happen.

The transition between old and new system was also handled by Cunninghams for Becketts, enabling the farm shop a greater degree of efficiency. As an example, Quantum has the ability to reduce waiting times for customers by using a FIC compliant scale and labelling facet (integrated with EPOS). This means that customers can pay from a single terminal instead of having to stand in line at different parts of the shop. However, in the event of a potential issue with the central master terminal, the 18 Chip & PIN terminals can also work of their own volition. And as a bonus, given the rural location of the shop, the system doesn’t have to rely on the internet to work.

New horizons

SumUp has a selection of new, and existing products, that can be suitable for merchants of farm shop and deli size. These include its smallest and most accessible device, The SumUp Air (which is smartphone enabled and allows merchants to stay taking payments straight away) and larger systems like the POS Pro, which is an all-in-one POS solution which includes advanced features and integrations. “The SumUp business account also offers merchants the support they need to start an SME from scratch, with no opening or monthly fees,” adds Rémi. “It is perfect for smaller merchants that want to take control of their business.”

Cunninghams recently released Quantum Go, which is a new, updated, all-in-one mPOS and payment device. “This is a really exciting new solution for farm shops and delis!” says David. “Quantum Go lets food retailers process sales and accept payment using just one device, on the move. This could be from a shop floor, café, pop up event, market stall etc – the possibilities are endless.”

Quantum Go is particularly useful for retailers in remote locations who require an extra till for seasonal events. “For example, a farm shop might plan to hold a pumpkin picking event,” he explains. “Quantum Go means the retailer can take payment there and then in the field but also set up a temporary café or food truck for customers, to help generate extra revenue.”

Far more than the simple till at the farm shop all the way back in the early ‘80s, today’s technological systems enable businesses fast, efficient operations. Tasks that would have meant a long, laborious process can now be done at the press of a button. Hardy’s Farm Shop, for instance, uses the EPOS system for monitoring stock reports, noting what sells well and what doesn’t. Hardy’s can now manage and observe stock levels and trends from the shop floor, meaning that the overall running of the business is not disrupted in any way.

Furthermore, Hardy’s has experienced a higher degree of accuracy when it comes to checking reports and accounts. As opposed to leafing through reams of notes and invoices, the system has all the requisite data in place, which can be accessed in a matter of seconds. By having all the information in one online location, accounts can be scrutinised and acted on speedily in the event of any potential issues.

With the latest technology in place, farm shops and delicatessens now have greater control and freedom in expanding their business, and taking it to an even higher level.