Episode 9 - Making Your POS Work Harder
Episode 9 - Making Your POS Work Harder
Hey Store Manager! Mike here on "Smoke Break." Today we're diving into your Point of Sale system - not just as a fancy cash register, but as your secret weapon for better business decisions. Truth is, most stores are sitting on a goldmine of data they never use.
You know that feeling when you're trying to figure out why sales are down, or which products to stock more of? Your POS system has those answers - if you know where to look. Let's turn those numbers into actions that boost your bottom line.
First up - transaction patterns. Your POS isn't just counting money; it's telling you stories about your business. What times are you busiest? Which days see the most sales? This isn't just interesting info - it's your roadmap for staffing, inventory, and promotions.
Speaking of inventory, let's talk about how your POS can prevent those "out of stock" headaches. Set up automatic alerts when products hit minimum levels. But here's the trick - those minimums should change based on day of week and season. Friday's minimum for beer should be higher than Tuesday's.
Your POS can spot trends you might miss. Maybe energy drink sales spike every Tuesday afternoon - turns out there's a weekly meeting at the office nearby. Or coffee sales drop after 2 PM except on rainy days. These patterns help you make smarter decisions about everything from ordering to staffing.
Customer data is gold. Your POS can track buying patterns of your regulars, especially if you've got a loyalty program. What are your best customers buying? When do they shop? Use this info to stock what they want, when they want it.
Here's something often overlooked - category management. Your POS can show which product categories perform best at different times. Maybe snacks sell better in the morning than afternoon, or certain drinks move faster on weekends. Use these insights to adjust your displays and promotions.
Returns and voids tell important stories too. High returns in certain categories might mean quality issues. Lots of voids might signal training needs or even security concerns. Don't just process these - analyze them for patterns.
Let's talk about pricing insights. Your POS can show you how price changes affect sales volume. Maybe that five-cent increase on coffee killed your morning rush, or that discount on chips didn't boost sales enough to justify the lower margin. This data helps you price smarter.
Question: Why should store managers regularly review void transactions in their POS system, even if they trust their staff completely?
Think about it. The answer? Void patterns can reveal more than just potential security issues - they might indicate confusing pricing, training needs, or product quality problems that need addressing. It's about improvement, not just oversight.
Your action item for this week: Pull these three reports from your POS: Top 20 selling items, slowest moving items, and peak sales hours. Look for surprises or patterns you haven't noticed before. Make one change based on what you find.
Don't forget to hit subscribe for more "Smoke Break" episodes. Share these tips with other managers - smart POS use makes our whole industry better.
For more ways to leverage your store's technology, visit cstorethrive.com.
That's all for today, Store Manager. Next time, we'll pull everything together and talk about making better business decisions with all these tools at your disposal. Until then, keep those registers ringing and that data working for you!
