We don’t really know what the future holds for the retail industry. It’s certainly going to change over the years, and charities are likely to be at the forefront of that, as we discussed last week. Something that everyone in the retail sector – charities included – are going to have to reckon with is how to provide modern solutions to modern problems.

For charities, tech is the answer. As we look towards being more productive, efficient, and providing an all-round better service, having the right tech is going to help us get there. But how? Let’s look at three areas of technology that are going to be integral in making your charity shops more efficient.

Stock control

There are plenty of people in the retail industry who understand the importance of accurate stock control. It’s why 67% of retail decision-makers are considering implementing a robust inventory accuracy system. This has only become more crucial the more businesses expand into other channels of selling.

One particular innovation that could be effective is the use of RFID chips. With each product having an inexpensive RFID chip on it, monitoring what products are where becomes much easier. The answer is just a quick scan away.

Charities might not get so fancy, but there is a need for better stock control. If you have an online store, you need the two systems to link up so you don’t oversell an item. It’s also useful as a way of finding out what categories of donations you need. A robust stock control system will let you monitor when you’re running low on books, for example.

Omnichannel integration

As referenced in the last point, to be more efficient, you need your retail stores and your online shops to match up. We saw more and more charities open up an ecommerce portal during the pandemic. And they’re great. They allow you to reach more potential customers.

But if you don’t integrate these different sales channels together, it leaves you open to mistakes. What happens when someone buys a vintage dress online only to find out it was bought in-store on the same day? Proper integration – and accurate inventory management as mentioned before – would remove that dress from the system as soon as it’s bought.

EPoS

Your EPoS solution is so much more than the till at the front of the store. It can help with all of the above – and then some. If you have an online store, it should integrate seamlessly with your EPoS, meaning staff don’t have to juggle multiple systems. To manage stock, it should be capable of easily adding and scanning anything to the system.

Beyond that, it should be improving efficiency just by making everything that much simpler. It should be helping daily operations run smoother, making for a better customer experience, and cutting down on the admin-heavy work. Even something like Gift Aid claiming can be made simpler with the right solution.

Ultimately, it’s all for the benefit of your staff. 75% of volunteers in the third sector believe tech is a way to effect positive change. So if you’ve got efficiency on the mind and it’s an important part of your digital strategy, look at where tech can help you.

Drawing on decades of experience in the charity sector, we’ve created a bespoke, HMRC-recognised EPoS solution – CHARiotWeb. If you’d like more information, get in touch on 01204 706 000.