Craft Beer Stores: 9 Reasons to Use a POS System

Microbreweries’ popularity has been growing steadily over the last few years. In Canada, the number of brewing facilities increased by 8.0% from 2019 to 2020. To meet this demand, many retailers specialized in the sale of microbrewed beers. Craft beer stores offer a variety of beverages for their customers in one location. Managing this type of business can become complex, which is why the use of a good point of sale (POS) system is highly recommended for craft beer stores. Using POS software has several advantages these businesses.

Generally, some of the benefits of a POS system for craft beer stores are improved business efficiency, excellent inventory management and an increase in revenue. 

There are different POS software available depending on your business’ industry. A craft beer store should use a system that is tailored to the retail industry, such as Alice POS. Read on to learn about all the benefits of a POS system designed for your reality!

Improve Your Business’ Efficiency

Your employees are not the only ones helping to maintain a satisfied clientele. Indeed, your craft beer store’s systems must meet your customers’ expectations and help your employees in their tasks. A good POS software does so by improving transactions’ efficiency in many ways. 

Deposit-Return System

People are increasingly concerned about our planet and are taking action to preserve it. Did you know that your craft beer store can be involved in this cause? If your consumers can return the empty cans and bottles they bought at your store, you are all participating in the collective effort to improve the environment. A good POS system for your craft beer store should make this initiative as easy as possible for you.

A good POS system simplifies the return of bottles and cans for both the consumer and yourself. Alice POS allows you to simply take back empty bottles and cans and sort them by value in the system. The employee only has to click on the right buttons to quickly refund the customer. As a result, your business can become more efficient in its operations.

This feature is also useful when selling merchandise. An efficient POS software, such as Alice POS, offers the option to add an attribute to your products. You only need to assign the bottle or can’s value to the item once in the inventory. Then, when the customer makes a purchase, the value of the deposit is automatically entered on the invoice. The detailed description makes it easy to organize your business.

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Detailed Reports 

Remember the deposit-return system we just talked about that helps you deal with returns of bottles and cans? Well, the detailed reports feature in a POS system is also of great help! To improve your business’ efficiency, you need detailed reports. A good POS system gives access to numerous reports that help you keep track of your craft beer store’s activities. Get two separate reports detailing the bottles that were returned, and those that were sold. Making better decisions is so much easier when you can understand your business’ development, thanks to various data.

Different organizations manage the deposit-return activities depending on your location. Detailed reports allow you to know exactly what is being returned to them. You no longer need to keep track of empty containers since the POS system does it for you. The risk of errors is greatly reduced, and you can work more efficiently. 

In Canada, each province has its own regulation. For example, the Ontario Deposit Return Program (ODRP) was created so you can take back your containers at the beer store. In the United States, only 10 states have beverage container deposit laws. These states include New York, California and Vermont. With a good POS system, dealing with those various institutions to return empty cans and bottles has never been easier.

Payment

Nowadays, customers can choose between several payment methods to make their purchases. While cash is less and less used, contactless payment solutions are taking over. Your craft beer stores should be properly equipped to keep up with the latest payment trends to meet customer expectations. The combination of a POS system and payment terminals can speed up customer service. 

Alice POS software is semi-integrated with many technological devices. This semi-integration with recognized partners helps prevent potential payment errors at the checkout. Global Payment and Moneris are semi-integrated with Alice POS. By using our POS system, you can enhance the productivity of your business. 

When you get a payment terminal, you will need to link it with your POS software. Usually, the setup is quick and easy. However, a good POS system should provide adequate support when you need it. The Alice POS team remains available at all times to address your questions.

Managing Your Inventory 

You know it: convenience stores specialized in microbrewery beers, such as yours, manage a large number of beverages. The products are unique and come from different suppliers across the region. With a great POS system, managing your inventory is easier and takes way less time than doing it the traditional way.

Adding New Products 

When you receive new products in your store, they have to be listed in your inventory. A computerized POS system simplifies this task since you only have to type in the product’s name once and associate it with a barcode. Then, just indicate the number of products you have in stock. Simply scan the items and enter your quantities to have them recorded in your POS software’s inventory. 

In addition, items sold are deducted directly from the inventory with each transaction! You can monitor the quantities that your craft beer store has on hand. The software automatically suggests the ideal products’ quantities to keep in inventory according to their popularity or the manual suggestions of the manager.

This feature is especially useful if you have multiple stores. Some POS systems, like Alice POS, are designed for multi-site store networks such as franchises, corporate networks and buying groups. Communication between branches is more efficient as all users of the account have access to the inventory catalog:

Le Monde des Bières currently has 4 stores working with Alice POS and many products are frequently added to our inventory. The multi-store feature of Alice POS allows us to save 20 hours of work per week across all of our stores. Products are logged into the POS system and the information is forwarded to all locations instantly.

– Joanie Bouchard, Le Monde des Bières

This allows the main branch to enter new products into the system so others can also have access to them. This feature saves a lot of time and money since one branch can take on the entire workload. The other branches can complete their daily activities without worrying about new products.

Cloud-Based Solution 

Your microbrewery beer store’s computer data is vital to its evolution, which is why you should have security measures in place. A POS system with a cloud-based solution offers additional protection, as information is backed up automatically on different servers. In case of fire or computer failure, you won’t have to worry about losing data.

Furthermore, this feature allows you to manage your business continuously. You can access the software at any time to modify, add or delete information. Craft beer store owners enjoy this feature to manage their business even when they are on breaks.

Ordering

A POS system can provide you with better customer service since you can order products that you don’t have in your store.

With POS software that offers this service, you can see the orders you have made and the delivery date.

Increase Your Revenue 

Craft beer stores are looking for profits. A good POS system tailored for your needs can help you achieve that goal.

Ecommerce

Nowadays, online shopping is just as important as in-store sales. Craft beer stores that do not have an online store are losing sales since websites are an important source of revenue. However, you must have the infrastructure in place to manage inventory and ensure that the quantities listed on the site are correct. 

A computerized POS system, such as Alice POS, makes it easy to manage your website. The system’s integrations with platforms such as Ecwid, Shopify and WooCommerce allow you to have an up-to-date inventory at all times. When a customer buys on your online store, the item is automatically deducted from your inventory. 

If your business does not have a transactional website, now is the time to create one! A POS software such as Alice POS helps you make the jump to the digital world.

Cross-Selling

Cross-selling is an effective way to increase sales and introduce new products to your customers. When a customer buys a beer in your craft beer store, a good POS system can suggest other similar products. For example, if a customer wants to buy a fruit-flavored beer, the system might suggest a beer with the same flavor.

This feature personalizes your customer service. A satisfied customer will be more likely to return to your business. Cross-selling also simplifies the work of your employees since they won’t have to remember all the similar products that the store has.

Package Breakdown Management

Usually, suppliers deliver beer cans in packages. With a good POS system, you have the option of selling beer by the case or by the unit. You can break down a package of multiple cans into individual items in your inventory. Simply scan the product into the POS system and select the appropriate settings. This action will save you a lot of time. With Alice POS, you can easily break down packages into units.

The information you’ve just read may change your perception of POS systems. If you own a craft beer store, you’ll understand the benefits a POS system can bring to your business. 

Whether it’s to improve business efficiency, have excellent inventory management or increase your revenue, Alice POS is the solution for you. Contact one of our experts now for a system demo.