The 3 Best POS Systems for Multi-Stores

Is your retail store looking for a new point of sale (POS) system? Do you know the differences between POS systems for independent retailers and those designed for multi-stores, such as franchises, corporate networks and purchasing groups? We’ve put together a few comparisons of different systems to help you choose the best POS system for your multi-store business.

We have uncovered three successful systems for managing a network of stores, such as franchises, buying groups and corporate networks, which are:

1. Alice POS
2. Vend 
3. Erply

This software has unique features for retail networks. See the table below presenting the main comparisons between the three systems.

*The information provided in this article may be subject to change.

Different Types of Multi-Store 

A multi-store is one or more businesses belonging to a network that is managed or organized by a banner. Network stores can have different structures. They exist in many forms, including franchises, corporate networks or purchasing groups. 

Franchising is “a method of distributing products or services involving a franchisor, who establishes the brand’s trademark or trade name and a business system, and a franchisee, who pays a royalty and often an initial fee for the right to do business under the franchisor’s name and system”. In other words, a franchise must respect the franchisor’s banner as well as certain standards defined within the company. 

Corporate networks are a collection of stores all owned by the same owner. On the contrary, purchasing groups are a group of stores within the same company, each with its own rules and standards. 

Benefits of a Good POS System

A POS system simplifies your business management by controlling your inventory lists, online sales, reports and much more. This type of software also helps manage price changes, promotions and adjustments within your business. It is the right arm of your company’s management to ensure consistency and control over the entire network.

What changes will you see after installing the software? Many retailers are saving a lot of time managing their business, which, in turn, increases their revenue. In this article, we will find out the best POS software for retail store networks.

1. Alice POS

Alice POS is one of the only software designed for independent stores and store networks.

Price

To benefit from all the network features, Alice POS offers a base price of CA$225 per month (paid annually) but also has sliding scale prices depending on the number of stores in the network. You can get more information by contacting the team.

Features

• Cross-Sell
• All-in-One Touch Solution
• “Master” and “Submaster” Accounts
• Inter-Store Inventory Transfer Management
• Multi-Stores Standardized Pricing
• Control of Everything, Anywhere
• Local Products & Prices
• Advanced Reports
• Role Management
• Promotion Management
• Ecommerce Integration

Cross-Sell 

Easily suggest similar or complementary products or services to your customers. Cross-selling helps to provide better service, to keep your staff at the top of their games, to increase the exposure of your products and, in doing so, to increase your earnings!

All-in-One Touch Solution

Enjoy an incredibly pleasant touch experience with Alice POS on your electronic devices. Alice POS displays and tablets are strong, durable and sensitive to touch.

“Master” and “Submaster” Accounts

The master account is managed by the head office and the sub-master accounts are managed by store owners with multiple stores in the same network. This feature is especially important for franchises and purchasing groups, as it saves time and reduces efforts. To learn more about store networks, check out our article on 9 Alice POS Features for Multi-Store Networks.

Inter-Store Inventory Transfer Management

If you have multiple stores, Alice POS allows you to easily and quickly transfer inventory between branches. Enjoy simplified and fast communication!

Multi-Stores Standardized Pricing

Harmonize prices across your network by editing them in your master or sub master account. With Alice POS, you can send standardized prices to all your branches to save time. 

Cloud-Based Solution

Alice POS is a cloud-based solution available anywhere, anytime. The team keeps the software up to date at no extra cost, and your data is backed up automatically. This feature is essential for retail stores. We’ve written an article on 8 reasons why you should choose a cloud-based POS system.

Local Products & Prices

The stores in your network can sell their products or set their prices. Alice POS allows the creation of local products if the master account (HQ) allows it.

Advanced Reports

Gain access to advanced, customizable reports across your branches. These reports provide you with information, ratings and trends regarding your business, sales and employee activities.

Role Management

Create customizable user-profiles and assign user rights according to your specific needs. With Alice POS, you can grant controlled access to all members of your organization by adjusting these settings.

Promotion Management

Offer various types of promotions such as percentages, dollar values, kits and more. Quickly create your inserts from promotions entered into your system and send them to all stores. You can create your promotions once in your master or sub master account and transfer them to your branch to save time.

Ecommerce Integration

Your online and in-store sales must be integrated to keep your business running smoothly. Synchronize Alice POS with your online store to centralize and organize all your orders. Read this article to see how you can make your life easier with Alice POS integrations.

Benefits

• 7-day phone support
• Available in English, French and Spanish
• Highly reliable and secure servers 
• Custom development available
• System tailored to retailers and store networks
• Offline mode that allows you to carry on with your business activities in complete peace of mind.

Good to know

If you are a business owner looking to expand and grow, Alice POS is the software for you! Our experts understand your needs. They are constantly looking to innovate and accommodate you. Plus, according to a 2015 study of 400 POS buyers, inventory control and 7-day support are two of the most used features.

2. Vend

Since 2010, Vend has been developing software that can run on multiple devices simultaneously from a web browser.

Price

The lower tier software starts at US$99 per month and offers basic operations. It is usually used for smaller stores. However, for growing businesses or multi-stores, the price is US$129 per month. Regarding more prominent businesses, it is suggested to contact a representative to get an estimate. 

Some Features 

• Cloud-based solution 
• Created for Mac, iPad and PC 
• Loyalty program 
• Customer purchase history 
• Customer profiles 

Benefits

• Works with other POS processors and hardware 
• 24-hour phone support
• 14-day free trial 
• Offline mode 
• Ease of use

Disadvantages

• Only available in English 
• Industry catalogue not preloaded 
• Additional costs for processing special orders and layaways
• Cannot order items that are not in the current inventory
• Does not track work and repair orders

Good to know

Located in New Zealand, the Vend system is designed for several industries. Also, the company was acquired by Lightspeed in 2021.

3. Erply

Founded in 2010, Erply was designed to service small and medium-sized retailers.

Price 

Prices start at US$39 per month if you want the POS software without inventory management. For both online and offline access to your inventory, the price is US$69/month. It rises to US$99/month USD for the POS software and inventory management. Like Vend, it is suggested to contact a representative to get suitable prices.

Some Features

• Cloud-based solution 
• Data import and export 
• Highly secure servers
• Personalized customer support
• Mobile app

Benefits

• Offline mode
• Free updates 
• Custom development available
• Free trial 
• Available in 9 languages

Conclusion

Were you already familiar with these programs? No matter which one you choose, your stores will greatly benefit from their use! Even if you only have one store, a POS system is essential to improve your operations. If you would like to learn more about what Alice POS can do for you, our team will be happy to answer all your questions.