Retail Point of Sale (POS) is a commonly used term in business. They are widely used in various retail establishments all over the United Kingdom.
They come with multiple features for different operations. POS systems also help in improving customer satisfaction levels.
Within the United Kingdom, the retail sector has become immensely popular.
From local shops to multinational chains, POS systems are used everywhere. The retail POS system has changed to meet growing demands.
UK retailers depend not just on these POS systems for processing payments; they also use them to analyze sales, manage inventory, and improve customer engagement.
They are efficient and accurate. The role of POS systems retail continues to expand in the UK.
From this content, you will learn about the top 9 retail POS systems in the UK. The UK point-of-sale software market size has a value of USD 549.0 million in 2020.
It is expected that it will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.1% from 2021 to 2028.
Selecting the appropriate POS system is essential for the optimization of business efficiency. The right POS system will automate the mundane tasks.
These tasks include inventory management, sales tracking, employee scheduling, etc. You can utilize robust reporting and analytics capabilities if you choose the right POS system.
Thus, you can get insights into the trends of sales, customer demands, and inventory turnover. Good POS systems give a seamless checkout experience. Thus, it is easy to retain customers using these systems.
However, as businesses grow, their POS needs also grow. Therefore, you must choose to use a scalable POS system for this.
It must be able to adapt to your growing requirements and accommodate your future needs.
Also, it must come with security features. It must be able to protect sensitive customer data.
Choosing a POS system that can comply with industrial regulations must be a priority.
It’s best if you look for one that has advanced features like encryption, tokenization, etc.
Top 9 Retail POS systems in the UK.
1) Epos Now
Key Features:
Epos Now is a versatile retail POS system. It functions widely in the UK. It features efficient inventory management.
It helps in real-time reporting. This POS system comes with a user-friendly interface. It supports various hardware options.
These options include touchscreen displays and barcode scanners. The system can integrate well with payment processors and other e-commerce platforms that you may be using for your business.
64,000 business locations are using Epos Now for their POS systems. It is good for retail and hospitality.
Pros:
- This POS system comes with a user-friendly interface that allows you to navigate easily.
- It has a cloud-based system so that users can have remote access and store lots of data.
- It can be customized to meet the needs of your business.
Cons:
- It has additional features but you may require subscription upgrades to access them.
- The initial setup involved in this POS system becomes quite complex for some users.
Pricing details and plans:
Epos Now offers custom pricing. So, you can take services based on your business needs. They provide a quote regarding the price after assessing your business requirements.
2) Lightspeed Retail
Key Features:
Lightspeed Retail comes with exceptionally powerful inventory management. It features multichannel retail capabilities.
It allows businesses to manage their sales, customers, and inventory effectively.
Thus, businesses can effectively make good decisions based on the information. It has a market share of 0.68% in the retail POS systems market. It has a review of 4.1/5.
Pros:
- It offers multi-store functionality, thus helping in expanding your business.
- It integrates well with e-commerce platforms.
- The robust reporting and analytics features of this platform have proved to be very beneficial.
Cons:
- The cost of using this is a little more; this small business may not be able to use it.
- The learning curve is considered steep by some people.
Pricing details and plans:
Lightspeed Retail POS system has tiered pricing. It depends on the number of registers and locations.
The plans of this system come at a monthly subscription fee.
For extra registers or locations, there are additional costs. Plans start at around £69 per month.
3) Vend
Key Features:
Vend is another of the well-known POS systems retail. It is also based on cloud. It supports both online and offline sales.
Its main features include inventory management, thorough reporting, customer loyalty programs, etc.
The system is compatible with various hardware options. You don’t have to worry about integrating it with several payment processors.
Pros:
- Vend has a user-friendly interface and you can quickly learn to use it.
- It can be easily scaled so businesses of different sizes can use it.
- It facilitates real-time inventory tracking.
Cons:
- You may have to spend additional amounts to use advanced features.
- You cannot get many customization options for receipts.
Pricing details and plans:
Vendors offer different pricing plans. Smaller businesses can avail themselves of a Lite plan.
You can also try a Pro plan if you want to use advanced features. Pricing is based on a monthly subscription per register.
However, additional users will have to pay additional charges. The plan for this POS system starts at around £49 per month.
4) Shopify POS
Key Features:
Shopify POS is an integrated retail store point-of-sale system that combines an online store with in-person sales.
It is regarded as a unified platform that allows managing inventory, analyzing sales data, and processing transactions.
The system is supported in mobiles. Thus, businesses can use this system on their smartphones and tablets.
Pros:
- You can enjoy seamless integration with the e-commerce platform of Shopify.
- It is mobile-friendly and thus the POS capabilities can be utilized using a mobile.
- It comes with robust order and inventory management.
Cons:
- It involves transaction fees if the businesses are using third-party payment processors.
- To use advanced features for your business, you will need additional apps.
Pricing details and plans:
Shopify POS is integrated within the overall pricing structure of Shopify. It includes a monthly fee for a subscription to the Shopify plan.
You will have to pay additional transaction fees for using third-party payment processors. Plans for this system start at $29 per month.
5) Square for Retail
Key Features:
Square for Retail is a widely used POS system in the UK. It tries to fulfil the requirements of various business types.
It offers inventory management. Also, employee tracking and customer relationship management are other facilities it provides to different businesses that use it.
The system is known for its simple and user-friendly interface.
Pros:
- It is transparent and is a straightforward pricing system.
- You don’t have to pay any fees if you are using its basic features.
- It allows Integrated payment processing.
Cons:
- It has less advanced features as compared to most of its competitors.
- There may be hardware costs involved while using this.
Pricing details and plans:
Square for Retail charges per transaction. There are no monthly fees for basic features.
Additional costs may include hardware purchases. You have to pay fees only if you use add-on features or services.
6) Clover POS
Key Features:
Clover POS is a point-of-sale solution. It comes with both hardware and software.
It offers features that include order tracking, inventory management, and customer analytics.
This system can be customized. Thus, it allows businesses to tailor it to their specific needs.
Pros:
- You can get an all-in-one solution with hardware and software using this system.
- There’s an app marketplace if you want some additional functionality.
- There are NFC and EMV payment options.
Cons:
- The service fees every month can be high.
- Some users often report software glitches.
Pricing details and plans:
Clover POS involves upfront costs for hardware. It takes a monthly service fee for software access. Pricing will vary depending on the hardware and software features you have selected.
7) Revel Systems
Key Features:
Revel Systems is a POS system that has multiple features.
You can use customization in this system. It offers advanced services for inventory management and employee scheduling.
Pros:
- You can use customization to fulfil your business requirements.
- You can get real-time reporting and analytics with the help of this system.
- It is capable of multi-location management.
Cons
- The costs involved in the upfront of this system are pretty high.
- The interface is not simple.
Pricing details and plans:
Revel Systems offers a customized pricing system. It can be hardware requirements and the features chosen by you for your business on which the cost may depend.
Businesses can ask for a quote for accurate pricing. There may be upfront fees. Businesses have to pay an ongoing service fee.
8) Tillpoint
Key Features:
Tillpoint is another all-in-one retail POS system. It provides inventory management, CRM, and real-time reporting. The system is scalable. Businesses can easily add modules.
Pros:
- It has comprehensive features for both retail and hospitality.
- It has a user-friendly interface.
- It allows remote access as it is based on the cloud.
Cons:
- Pricing is a little high for small businesses.
- It allows some third-party integrations.
Pricing details and plans:
Tillpoint offers tiered pricing plans. These plans are based on the number of users and the specific modules required.
The plans include a monthly subscription fee. The most basic plan comes at around £59 per month.
9) Hike POS
Key Features:
Hike POS is another cloud-based system designed for retail businesses.
It also offers inventory management, loyalty programs, and e-commerce integration. The system is simple and easy to use.
Pros:
- It has a user-friendly interface.
- It has multichannel capabilities. It supports both online and offline sales.
- It has affordable pricing, thus small businesses find it suitable for use.
Cons:
- However, the advanced features are limited.
- There may be issues in synchronization.
Pricing details and plans:
Hike POS system has tiered pricing plans that depend on the number of registers and users. The plans include a monthly subscription fee.
You will have to pay more for advanced features or integrations. The starting price of plans for this POS is $59 every month.
Criteria for selection of Retail POS systems
While choosing the top Retail POS systems for your business, it’s essential to consider some criteria. We have brought for you a list of 9 Retail POS systems based on certain criteria.
These criteria are essential to ensure that the chosen system can keep up with your needs and objectives. Here is a list of key criteria that have been considered for listing the 9 retail POS systems in the UK.
1)Ease of Use
A POS system must always be user-friendly. The list of Retail POS systems is made keeping this in mind.
A POS system must be easy to learn so that you don’t waste time learning to use it. Thus, you will be able to minimize errors while transacting money.
2) Functionality
POS systems must offer features that can offer effective functionality. You have to consider the business requirements.
These requirements include inventory management, employee management, sales reporting, and customer relationship management (CRM). This criterion has been considered for this list.
3) Integration Capabilities
Check the compatibility of the POS system with other tools and software you use. It must be flexible enough to work with other tools and deliver the best functionality.
It must be able to be integrated with accounting, e-commerce platforms, and payment processors. This parameter has to be considered to bring out the names of the top 9 Retail POS systems operating in the UK.
4) Scalability
Choose a POS system that can be scaled according to your business needs. Considering the ability to handle a growing number of products and users, the list has been made.
5) Customization Options
Look for a POS system that allows customization. It will help match your business needs and branding.
Customizable receipts, reports, and interfaces will facilitate good brand promotion. It is another criterion to be considered to find the top 9 Retail POS systems in the UK.
Conclusion
Modern POS systems have different components. They have intuitive user interfaces. Thus, cashiers can use them to make transactions quickly.
These transactions can be done using different payment methods that include cash, digital wallets, cards, etc.
Another significant component of POS systems is inventory management. All top POS systems in the UK come with these features.
