Hunting and Fishing Store: 9 key features of a POS system

Hunting, fishing and trapping are major industries for many countries. According to a market study, the global market for these activities in the United States was estimated at US$522.5 billion in the year 2020. As hunting and fishing store owners, are you using the latest technologies to meet this growing demand? For example, cash register software allows you to provide flawless service to your customers while maintaining full control over your business. 

A point of sale (POS) system is crucial to ensure the efficient management of products in hunting and fishing stores. It allows the owner to categorize, manage and track the types of products in stock. A POS system helps to increase a business’s efficiency and to save money. 

The benefits of a POS system for hunting and fishing stores are numerous. Retailers in many different industries are using this technology to generate impressive results. As hunting and fishing store owners, you should seriously consider this option. Read on to discover 9 must-have features of a POS system!

1. Efficient Management of Serialized Products
2. Bulk Product Sales
3. Control of All Items
4. Inventory Control
5. Cross-Selling 
6. Promotions 
7. Providing Licences
8. Item Repair
9. E-commerce

1. Efficient Management of Serialized Products

As mentioned above, your hunting and fishing store carries an impressive array of products. The inventory must be to meet your customers’ expectations. Hunters need a variety of gear to practice their favourite sport. What is the essential equipment for hunting? You may have quickly guessed that the weapon is inseparable from the hunter, which is why your POS system must be able to manage this type of product.

Whether it’s a crossbow or a rifle, the idea is the same: the manufacturer assigns a unique code to each product when it leaves the factory, which allows you to have a clear follow-up of your inventory. In other words, serialization is the attribution of a predetermined type of coding to each product that can be tracked to find its location in the supply chain or where it has been during its life cycle.

A good POS system, such as Alice POS, allows you to enter serialized products into your system. In addition to helping you manage your inventory, serialization provides increased security for your store, since you know which customer purchased which weapon. If you value peace of mind, check out our article on securely implementing a POS system.

2. Bulk Product Sales 

Anglers have different needs than hunters, so your business must meet the demands of both industries. Fishing equipment is not just serialized: it is just one type of item sold in hunting and fishing stores. Some products do not have a unique code, but they still need to be listed in the inventory to be sold! A powerful POS system allows you to manage the sale of bulk products, such as fishing line. With Alice POS, you can see the quantities you have in stock and the quantities sold.

Selling in bulk has many advantages for your hunting and fishing store. For example, buying in bulk avoids over-packaging and is more environmentally friendly. Consumers are becoming more and more concerned about our planet, and your business should be too. With a POS that offers this option, it is possible! Meeting your customers’ expectations is essential if you want to provide good customer service. With bulk sales, you will certainly be hitting the mark!

3. Control of All Items

After serialized and bulk products, what’s left in your hunting and fishing store? Everything else! A POS system is capable of handling hundreds of products at a time. You can easily add new items to your inventory. If you have more than one store, consider a POS that allows you to synchronize several branches. With a centralized system, all stores can share information and gain efficiency.  

When you receive an order from a supplier, you simply scan the product and enter the quantity and the information is entered into the inventory. Cash register software increases your productivity: the time you save on these tasks can be used in other ways.   

The three types of products we just explored are an integral part of your hunting and fishing store. A POS system helps you satisfy your customers by offering them these items while making your job easier. After you have advised your customers, it’s time to sell! What tools will help you make the sale efficiently? We’ve written an article on six necessary point of sale hardware components.

4. Inventory Control

Inventory control is the foundation of any retail business. Stocktaking is an instrument to show the volume of your merchandise at a specific time. You need to have a clear idea of your quantities in your hunting and fishing store to meet customer demand. Are you frustrated with the manual inventory taking in your business? If so, try a computerized POS system such as Alice POS.

An effective inventory control system ensures that you have the right amount of product in the right place at the right time. Think of the time you can save if this system is integrated with your POS software! Now imagine if your POS software automatically suggested quantities of items to order based on your transaction history. Is it too good to be true? Well, no: some POS systems (like Alice POS) offer this option!

5. Cross-Selling 

You know that a POS system helps you control your products, but how can you increase the sale of those products? There are several ways you can acquire new revenue. For the rest of this article, let’s explore some of them! 

For starters, great cash register software offers the ability to cross-sell. During checkout, you can suggest similar or complementary products to your customers. Cross-selling helps to provide better service, keep your staff at their best and increase your revenue!

Once you sell more than one product, cross-selling becomes essential. The quality of your customer service will increase drastically as your employees can suggest a variety of products to consumers.

6. Promotions 

It’s no secret that consumers love deals. Most businesses offer promotions to attract new customers and your hunting and fishing store should do the same. Good POS software allows you to offer different types of promotions, such as percentages or dollar values.

We know that some periods are busier than others, so you need to schedule your promotions in advance. A good POS system allows you to create your promotions in quieter periods. Plus, if you have more than one hunting and fishing store, the other locations can benefit from your work! With Alice POS, promotions are duplicable.

7. Providing Licences

Hunting, fishing and trapping enthusiasts must obtain a licence to enjoy their favorite sport. In Canada, the provinces have different legislation: they manage the price and the distribution of licences. The same principle applies in the United States, where hunters must obtain a licence from the state in which they wish to hunt or fish. How can you get this type of licence? Only certain establishments are authorized to sell them, including hunting and fishing stores like yours. 

According to statistics collected by the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks, 1 306 638 licences were sold in the province of Quebec in 2020. This is an incredible opportunity for your hunting and fishing store! Your business needs a good POS system capable of selling licences. People will come to your store to buy it and then you will have the chance to sell other products to meet their needs. 

Alice POS allows you to easily create a service in the software. With a few clicks, the employee can give the customer hunting, fishing or trapping licences on their invoice. This feature allows you to save time and attract new customers to your business.

8. Item Repair

Product repair is another effective way to increase your revenue. Many retail businesses use this strategy to satisfy their customers. Hunting and fishing stores are no exception. Some items, such as firearms, require regular maintenance. Your employees are in the best position to help your customers with this task. 

An excellent cash register software allows you to keep track of the ongoing repairs in your store. This means that you know which item belongs to which person at all times. Alice POS’s cloud-based solution ensures that your data is safe: the information is saved on different servers. This approach is much more reliable than paper.

9. E-commerce

Selling online is an extremely effective way to increase sales and exposure. As the pandemic has shown us, change is inevitable and it is more important than ever to have a website for your hunting and fishing store. Companies that have not innovated have suffered heavy losses. However, if you don’t have a good structure in place, e-commerce can quickly become a living hell.

A great POS system, such as Alice POS, allows you to synchronize your online sales with your store to organize all your orders. The system’s integration with platforms like Ecwid, Shopify, and WooCommerce allows you to have an up-to-date inventory at all times. When a customer orders an item online, it is directly deducted from the inventory. To learn more about this, check out our article on the six essential strengths of omnichannel retail.   

In conclusion, your hunting and fishing store should get a POS system. The 9 features presented in this article are essential to ensure good management of your business. Alice POS is a powerful software that meets all your needs. Contact one of our experts to learn more.