9 Best POS Features for Bicycle Shops

Having a bicycle shop can be complex, considering that this field offers so many business opportunities and that sport is becoming more and more popular. This is why it is essential to choose a good point-of-sale software that can improve and optimize the management of your business in order to offer a high-quality service. 

What are the strengths of an excellent point of sale? Here are nine features that a point-of-sale system should have in order to improve the management of your bicycle shop:

1. Inventory Management 
2. Rentals
3. Repair and Maintenance
4. Used Item Maintenance
5. Promotion Management 
6. Consignment 
7. Cross-selling
8. Gift Cards and Memberships
9. eCommerce Integrations

There are many point-of-sale software programs that offer options for your business, but some features are much more important than others for your bike store. Read on to find out more!

1. Inventory Management

Inventory control is an essential element in order to optimize the management of your bike shop store. Indeed, this allows you to rigorously monitor stock and forecast future quantities for future product orders. If you have an independent store, franchise, buying group or a growing business, computerized inventory tracking is the most efficient and effective option. Computerized tracking also saves money and time, which is much more beneficial for you and your company. 

Also, by choosing software with excellent inventory management, you will be able to quickly consult the items in your inventory, create promotions and update prices.

2. Rentals

The option of being able to offer sports equipment rentals is essential when you own one or more bicycle shops. Indeed, if you rent certain bicycles and related items, you need software that offers this feature. If not, you will end up with two inventory management systems, which can generate more costs and increase your operations. With Alice POS, you can activate a full rental management feature, which allows you to closely monitor your rentals and manage delays or late fees.

3. Repair and Maintenance

Choose point-of-sale software that offers a repair tracking function if you provide bike repair services to your customers. If you have a bicycle shop, it is likely that some customers will bring back damaged bicycles or equipment. If you offer a repair service or simply manage this service, it is essential to purchase point-of-sale software that offers this functionality natively. Without all-in-one software, you will need two (or more) software to manage your repairs. Thanks to internal notes in Alice POS, you can ensure a rigorous follow-up of the products to be maintained, repaired or given to the customer. This feature can help employees provide quality service and optimize the management of your bicycle store. 

4. Management of Used Items

When you own a bicycle store, you most likely manage used items, such as the resale of used bicycles and  other related items. With point-of-sale software that offers this functionality, you can manage used inventory with customizable statuses. This can be an excellent new source of revenue for stores looking to offer better service and products than those available on online classified sites and used goods marketplaces.

5. Promotion Management

Managing promotions in point-of-sale software such as Alice POS allows you to control the duration of promotions in a specific time, even if you have several stores (it is important to ask the company you are interested in since not all software offers this option). Indeed, you can plan the precise date and time of a promotion, the type of promotion (balance, percentage), the products or categories concerned, modify it if necessary or delete it. With Alice POS, if you have several stores, it is also possible to set up local promotions, i.e. a promotion in one of your stores, without this one applying in your other bicycle stores. For example, if an item sells less in one store but sells quickly in the others, you can promote, manage and modify it remotely, without it applying elsewhere.

6. Consignment

Take items in consignment and offer your customers credit or cash in store if the items they would like to sell. By choosing a powerful point-of-sale system, such as Alice POS, you can track consigned items. This is also an excellent source of new revenue. You can offer this service exclusively for high-performance road bikes, for example. This will increase the return on investment in terms of dedicated floor space.

7. Cross-Selling

With this feature, you can improve your service by offering similar or complementary products to your customers. Cross-selling increases your revenue through the items presented if your customers buy the products offered. Cross-sales are configurable as you wish.

For example, in your sports store, when a customer buys a new bike, the point-of-sale system automatically suggests items that the customer may need or be interested in to complement their purchase. He could then be offered a helmet, bicycle gloves or shoes adapted for pedals, to name a few.

8. Gift Cards and Memberships

Having a gift card and membership program can allow you to boost your sales by offering end-of-season discounts or promotions on specific products from your bike store. This makes it possible to retain your current customers, attract new ones, increase your revenue and benefit from higher visibility. For example, Alice POS offers a membership loyalty system, and also integrates with Como Sense, which offers advanced marketing features.

9. eCommerce Integrations

If you sell online, it is important to find point-of-sale software that offers eCommerce integrations. Indeed, for your bike store to continue to grow and prosper, your online sales and in-store sales must be integrated. Indeed, an excellent point of sale software must be able to synchronize all your items sold online as well as those sold in stores, or you will have to manage your inventory manually.

Alice Answers your Questions

How can I manage my business’s inventory?  

There are many inventory management systems available to optimize the smooth running of your company’s activities, such as manual, computerized, or robotic tracking. Each of these tracking systems allows you to accomplish specific tasks according to your needs and the needs of your company. 

Are there any other features in a point of sale for a bicycle shop? 

Yes, there are many other features that are not written in this article and that can be very important in the proper management of your bike shop. My state-of-the-art point-of-sale software propels retail into the modern era and offers many important features. Do not hesitate to contact one of my experts for more information.

-Alice