Businesses are constantly on the lookout for ways in which they can improve the way in which they function. This may be through speeding up sales transactions, saving money or even just simply bring in more money into the business through boosting sales.

Electronic Point of Sale (EPoS) systems are one of the most effective ways to improve the efficiency of a retail business, no matter what sector you are in. In fact, the charity sector in particular can benefit from the use of specially designed charity EPoS systems that cater to the specific needs of charity businesses.

They are a crucial component in the success of a business; removing the need to spend an extended amount of time on transactions and other admin tasks – but what do they really do? What makes an EPoS system the best choice for retail businesses when it comes to boosting their business?

What Is It?

An EPoS system provides a computerised platform for retail companies to process transactions during the sale of goods.

These efficient systems consist of all the essentials that a sales representative will need to be able to complete a transaction. This includes a display, some form of input peripheral such as a keyboard or touch activated screen, a display for the customer to view, some form of scanner, a receipt printer and more commonly a form of card payment option such as chip and pin reader.

The EPoS sytem stores information about every single transaction that goes through it, and allowing this information to be easily accessible if required.

How Does It Work?

Using the peripherals that we mentioned above, the EPoS system essentially acts as a data entry system during a transaction.

It takes away all the tedious steps that many sales associates must do in order of the transaction to be successful. For example, after scanning an item through the EPoS system’s barcode scanner, all sales information – including price – is input into the system, removing the need for the cashier to input these details.

They also act as a data collection system; storing information about each transaction which could potentially be useful in the future. This can include automatically updated stock levels and pricing information which can be used to determine sale success or failure which would usually take a sales associate a while to work out.

What Are the Benefits for Charity Businesses

Every single transaction that takes place is an important one, but due to the nature of a charity retail business and where the money from these sales goes, it’s important to make sure that the point of sale system that you are using is reliable.

Having a specially designed charity EPoS system in place allows your staff to quickly and efficiently ring up accurate transactions; boosting customer satisfaction as well as reducing the chance of error with regards to pricing.

An EPoS system also gives you access to accurate sales reports and instant access to every transaction made using the system should they need to be checked. You will have an up to date stock count and will be able to see which departments are doing the best during certain points through the year, allowing for a more targeted strategy to bring in those important sales.

It is also incredibly easy to implement price changes, or even add Gift Aid onto a transaction using an EPoS system, something which could be time consuming to do if calculating mentally.

The smoother a charity retail business can run, the more successful they will become. As the proceeds from transactions are integral in the upkeep and service provision of the charity that they are representing, the more successful the charity store can be, the better.

If you’re looking for a reliable charity retail EPoS system, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us here at Charity Retail Systems where we will be happy to discuss your business’ specific needs and requirements.