As a liquor store owner, your success hinges on the delicate balance of supply and demand. Finding the best point of sale for liquor stores depends on your shop’s specific needs.
This article will highlight different POS software systems that effortlessly manage complex inventory and facilitate easy checkout while maximizing your revenue and efficiency.
Best Point of Sale Systems For Liquor Stores – A Quick Look:
- KORONA POS: Best for advanced automated inventory features
- Lightspeed Retail: Best for retailers looking for automated marketing
- mPower Beverage: Best for eCommerce shops
- IT Retail: Best for remote reporting and monitoring on the go
- ePOS Now: Best for businesses with many integrations
#1: Best For Advanced Inventory Management: KORONA POS
KORONA POS overview
Managing a complex inventory is a breeze with KORONA POS. It has tools to handle SKUs, categories, brands, promotions, case breaks, bundled deals, and more.
You can set par levels, track usage, and get low-stock alerts to avoid running out of popular items.
Pros
- Robust reporting
- Customer support
- Marketing and promotions
- Scalability
Cons
- Learning curve
- Longer training time
KORONA POS Pricing
Core
$59/mo
Retail
$69/mo
Enterprise
Custom
Key Features
- Maintain a digital catalog of all your liquor, beer, and wine
- Distinguish between cases received and individual counts
- Transfer inventory between locations or warehouses with just a few clicks
- Conduct regular cycle counts to ensure your records match what’s actually on the shelves
- Set reorder points and receive notifications when stock is running low
- Automated order-level optimization
- The power to handle the most intricate discounts, like a mix-and-match offer for craft beers or special holiday bundles
Pros
- Robust reporting
With KORONA POS, you’ll gain valuable insights into your business through its advanced reporting and analytics features. Track popular brands, see sales trends, and identify your most loyal customers.
- Customer support
To help with any questions retailers may have about setup, features, or troubleshooting, KORONA POS offers phone, email, and chat support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Optional on-site training is available for new liquor stores or for those looking to switch to a different POS provider.
- Marketing and promotions
KORONA POS offers powerful tools to help you market your business and promote special offers. Send customized email campaigns, text messages, and social media posts to connect with customers. Create discounts, coupons, and loyalty programs to drive repeat business.
- Scalability
KORONA POS is suitable for liquor stores of all sizes with multiple locations. It starts with a basic single terminal setup but can scale up as your business grows to support multiple stores and terminals.
Cons
- Learning Curve
Its rich feature set and advanced functionality can result in a slightly steeper learning curve for those unfamiliar with such comprehensive systems.
- Longer Training Time
New users may find navigating and utilizing all the features challenging without investing time in training and learning.
Pricing
- KORONA POS Core: $59/month
- KORONA POS Retail: $69/month
- Multiple Add-Ons, including Ticketing, Invoicing, Integration, and more
Ready to take your business to the next level?
Boost store performance and improve sales with the advanced features and tools KORONA POS offers.
#2: Best For Marketing Automation: Lightspeed Retail
Lightspeed overview
Lightspeed offers robust marketing automation tools, streamlining promotional efforts. With features like customer segmentation and personalized campaigns, it targets specific demographics effectively.
POS data allows for insightful analytics and optimized marketing strategies. Automating tasks like email campaigns enhances customer engagement and boosts sales.
Pros
- Strong inventory management
- Age verification
- eCommerce integration
Cons
- Commitment and termination fees
- Potential business disruptions
- Poor response time
Lightspeed Pricing
Lean
$69/mo
Standard
$119/mo
Advanced
$199/month
Key Features
- In-depth marketing automation with tools such as sending marketing emails and text messages
- Connection with Mailchimp to run targeted email campaigns
- Features for scheduling in-store shopping appointments, enabling exclusive shopping experiences
Pros
- Strong inventory management
Lightspeed simplifies managing diverse liquor inventories. It offers product descriptions, automatic reordering, and multi-store management to keep shelves stocked efficiently.
- Age verification
Quickly verify a customer’s age by scanning the barcode on their ID.
- eCommerce integration
The system’s integration with eCommerce platforms also helps liquor stores expand their reach beyond their physical location, bringing in additional revenue.
Cons
- Commitment and termination fees
If you’re not fully satisfied, canceling your plan early can be expensive.
- Potential business disruptions
According to one review, a company was forced to close its shop for a week due to problems, resulting in lost sales. Others have similar complaints.
- Poor Response Time
Many users have complained about slow response times. This can be frustrating, especially when experiencing issues that need immediate assistance.
Pricing
- Lean: $69/month
- Standard: $119/month
- Advanced: $199/month
- (Also options for Enterprise)
#3: Best For Selling Online: mPower Beverage
mpower Beverage overview
mPower Beverage facilitates seamless online sales with its user-friendly platform tailored for beverage businesses. Its intuitive interface simplifies inventory management and order processing, ensuring efficient operations.
Integrated payment gateways and customizable storefronts enhance the online shopping experience, driving sales and customer satisfaction.
Pros
- Robust reporting tools
- Solid inventory management
- Easy compliance
Cons
- Limited 24/7 tech support
- No automatic reports
- Restrictions on credit card processors
mPower Beverage Pricing
First Register
$1000 upfront costs and $120 per month
Additional Registers
$250 upfront and $120 per month
Key Features
- Integrates with ten different eCommerce tools
- Helps companies with mobile app branding, local delivery, eCommerce website creation, and customer promotions
- Works with BottlecApps and Drync for branded mobile apps
- Easy synch with Drizly and Minibar for local delivery services
- Connects with CityHive, Sellr, and WineFetch for eCommerce website creation
Pros
- Robust reporting tools
mPower offers detailed insights into customer buying habits, identifying popular products, and making informed decisions about stock and promotions.
- Solid inventory management
It simplifies managing diverse liquor inventories. mPower offers product descriptions, automatic reordering, and multi-store management to keep your shelves stocked efficiently.
- Easy compliance
mPower Beverage’s system also helps maintain compliance with local laws by offering an integrated age verification system, ensuring all sales are legitimate.
Cons
- Limited tech support
While mPower offers technical support, they are not always immediately available. You may have to communicate through email or leave a message, which can delay problem-solving.
- No automatic reports
With mPower, its users can’t generate reports automatically, creating extra work and costing more time.
- Restrictions on credit card processors
The software only integrates with certain third-party credit card processors, limiting flexibility in payment methods.
- No coupon module
mPower lacks a module for tracking coupon usage or auto-scanning coupons. This might make it harder to manage promotions.
Pricing
- First register: $1000 upfront costs and $120 per month
- Additional registers are $250 upfront and $120 per month
#4 Best For Owners on the Go: IT Retail
IT Retail overview
IT Retail empowers retail owners on the move with its mobile-friendly POS system, enabling remote management of sales, inventory, and staff from anywhere. Its cloud-based architecture ensures real-time data access, facilitating informed decision-making on the fly.
With features like mobile payments and customer relationship management, it enhances efficiency and customer satisfaction, making it an ideal choice for busy retail entrepreneurs.
Pros
- Enhanced security measures
- Loyalty and rewards program
Cons
- Hidden costs
- Uncertain payment processing rates
IT Retail Pricing
Starts at $129/month and goes up from there.
Key Features
- With IT Retail’s mobile reporting app, you can conveniently access your store’s business insights remotely from your smartphone, tablet, or home computer
- Enables you to monitor real-time revenue and sales, track customer activity data over time, and stay updated on inventory levels while moving
Pros
- Enhanced security measures
The software actively examines each transaction for suspicious activity and highlights those that require managerial review. It also integrates with Remote Eyes, a video surveillance system, to correlate questionable POS transactions with corresponding video clips.
- Loyalty and rewards program
IT Retail provides a type of loyalty and rewards program wherein customers can accumulate points with every purchase. They can later redeem these points for discounts or store credit.
Cons
- Hidden costs
IT Retail does not fully disclose its fees upfront. To find out the costs, you need to sign a processing agreement. This could mean you might become aware of extra expenses once you’re committed, which can be a disadvantage.
- Uncertain payment processing rates
IT Retail claims to offer the lowest payment processing rates. However, it’s best to double-check this claim and shop with other payment processors to find lower processing fees, then ask IT Retail if they can match them.
- Non-refundable hardware
IT Retail does not accept returns on hardware. Before investing in the hardware, you’ll want to be sure IT Retail is the best fit for your business.
Pricing
Starts at $129/month and goes up from there.
#5: Best For Liquor Stores That Need Vast Integrations: Epos Now
IT Retail overview
Epos Now is the premier choice for integration-dependent liquor stores, seamlessly combining POS functionality with inventory management and accounting systems.
Its robust integration capabilities streamline operations, allowing liquor store owners to effortlessly manage stock levels, track sales, and reconcile finances in one unified platform. With Epos Now, liquor retailers can enhance efficiency, optimize workflows, and focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences.
Pros
- Efficient inventory management
- Intuitive interface
- Robust reporting
Cons
- Poor customer service
- Add-on costs and hidden costs
- High termination fee s
Epos Now Pricing
$449 to get started
Key Features
- Epos Now integrates with a multitude of software apps
- Third-party integrations include everything from delivery services to loyalty to accounting
- Epos Now also integrates with a wide variety of payment processors
Pros
- Efficient inventory management
Effortlessly track and manage a wide range of products, including spirits, wines, and beers, and ensure accurate stock levels.
- Intuitive interface
Epos Now’s user-friendly design makes it easy for staff to process transactions quickly, handle age verification checks, and manage promotions or discounts, providing a seamless customer experience.
- Robust reporting
Epos Now offers acclaimed retail sales analysis capabilities for liquor stores.
Cons
- Poor customer service
Communication with the company can be a significant issue. Emails go unanswered, and getting hold of anyone who can resolve problems is often hard.
- Add-on costs and hidden costs
The base subscription to Epos Now is affordable, but there are many additional costs for add-on features and support, which can add up. Also, despite assurances of transparent pricing on the cost of their POS, there are many instances of users reporting unexpected fees.
- High termination fees
If you wish to cancel your service, be prepared to pay a significant early termination fee.
Pricing
- The upfront cost is $449, but it is unclear what this includes
How to Choose the Best POS for Your Liquor Store
- Speed and Reliability
Find a system that can handle a large volume of transactions quickly and efficiently.
- Robust Inventory Management
Look for a system that gives you real-time visibility into stock levels, helps optimize ordering, and aids in supplier management.
- Loyalty Programs and Rewards
Get a POS that can easily handle loyalty enrollment, points accrual, and redemption. The ability to capture customer data and run targeted promotions is a huge plus.
- Reporting and Analytics
A system with advanced reporting tools will give you insights into sales, profits, trends, and more so you can make data-driven business decisions.
- Don’t Forget About Integrations
If you use other software like accounting, payroll, or email marketing apps, choose a POS that integrates with those platforms. That way, all your systems can share data for maximum efficiency.
- Consider Customer Support and User Experience
Assess UI/UX, and training requirements for staff usability. Test out the friendliness, reliability, and hands-on nature of your customer support.
- Evaluate Ongoing Costs
Consider hardware, software licenses, payment processing fees, training, support, and contract terms.
Liquor Store POS Frequently Asked Questions
- What makes a great POS for liquor stores?
A great POS for liquor stores should prioritize speed and efficiency in handling transactions while offering robust inventory management features that provide real-time visibility into stock levels and sales trends.
A liquor store point of sale should integrate with loyalty programs to enhance customer engagement and offer advanced reporting and analytics tools for making data-driven business decisions. Finally, it should be user-friendly, cost-effective, and offer reliable support to ensure smooth operations and maximize profitability.
- What is the best POS system for a liquor store?
The best POS system for liquor stores is KORONA POS. The software can efficiently handle vast and dynamic inventory with real-time stock tracking while processing high transaction volumes.
KORONA POS integrates seamlessly with loyalty programs, provides advanced reporting, and offers the best customer service in the industry.
Best POS System for Liquor Stores: Wrapping Up
Choosing the best POS system for your liquor store is a crucial decision that depends on your specific business requirements and priorities. Due diligence to ensure that all of your needs are met will guarantee long-term profitability and success.
Many liquor stores deal with a vast array of different products with fluctuating prices and seasonal popularity. KORONA POS is built to handle this type of dynamic and varied stock list. Click the link below to learn more about how it can work at your business.