How Restaurants and Delis Can Drive Sales with POS Software

Anyone managing delis or restaurants knows all about the challenges that come with it: sudden stock changes, running out of products, long waiting lines, or customers facing payment difficulties – and the list doesn’t end there.

Luckily, there is a solution to all these problems: integrating point-of-sale (POS) software. This handy software acts like a mobile and online cash register, updating your sales and stock in real time. According to a Modern Restaurant study, 95% of restaurateurs said POS improves business efficiency, drives better guest experiences, and multiplies sales revenue. 

Businesses today still shy away from leveraging POS software, mostly because they fear a laborious onboarding process or high maintenance costs. However, with the right POS software at hand, those hurdles are a thing of the past.

In this blog, we explore how your deli or restaurant can embrace all opportunities that POS systems bring, and what to keep in mind when choosing your POS provider.

Identify Customer Demand and Use this Knowledge to Boost Sales

One of the best features of POS software is that it can identify the most in-demand products in real-time. With this knowledge at hand, you can constantly tailor unique promotions around them. So, if your POS tells you one day that your most in-demand product of the week is Argentinian beef and chimichurri, why not organize a “Culinary experience through Argentina” and give a little extra boost to all related products? Promotions like those can drive sales massively! 

And that’s not all: You can use the information given by the POS system to identify the most and least sold items on the menu, assess their profitability, and adjust your offering accordingly for maximum financial return.

Craft Loyalty Programs and Targeted Offers

It is no secret that the best customers are those that come back frequently: 20% of your current customers will make up 80% of your company’s future revenue. The good news is, you don’t have to passively wait for your clients to visit you again – you can actively draw their attention with loyalty programs. 

POS systems help you figure out what products your individual customers have acquired, and they can automatically assign points to the account of your client registered in a loyalty program. Additionally, the best grocery stores’ POS systems track customer action in real-time and report on how well loyalty programs and special deals are doing overall.

In the culinary business world, Panera Bread is one of the prime examples of how a good loyalty program could look like. Panera offers a card-based loyalty program called MyPanera, rewarding its customers with cost-free foods and baked goods, invitations to events, recipes, and much more. Crafting these special offers, MyPanera attracts 21 million active members, and 50% of the company’s transactions occur on loyalty cards.

Streamline the Performance of Your Restaurant or Grocery Store with POS

With POS software, you won’t only improve your customer experience, but your business operations will benefit as well.

First of all, POS software can optimize transactions by enabling real-time communication between kitchen staff and the cashier. So, while your cashier is processing the order, your kitchen staff can already start preparing the dish, which saves valuable time during busy business hours. Further, POS systems give real-time information on inventory and stock, telling you exactly when you are running out of products or when to schedule the next order with your distributors.

As the main purpose of POS software has originally been improving and facilitating cashless payments such as mobile payments, it will optimize your mobile payments as well. In a business environment where 44% of payments in restaurants are made via phone, offering mobile transactions is vital. Additionally, POS can be customized with buy-now-pay-later options and gift cards. 

Lastly, your POS software can become your personal detective, used to prevent fraud and theft. Using a POS gives confidence to your customers, the system does not store credit card information. Moreover, staff theft – responsible for up to 75% of all theft in restaurants – is no longer a threat when stock and inventory are updated 24/7 by a reliable and fully automated system.

What You Need to Know About Choosing the Best Restaurant/Deli POS Software

Because of the high demand for POS software, there are also numerous service providers on the market. However, to reap the full benefits of POS systems, there are a few features and aspects to take into consideration when choosing the right solution:

1. Find a system with an EMV compliance chip, as this service supports most credit cards, debit cards, and cashless payment options.

2. Watch out that your grocery store POS software enables inventory management and has real-time syncing capabilities (including reporting on customer preferences, top-selling, and least-selling items).

3. Choose a POS that is easy to use and supports quick onboarding. At best, your POS enables customization for your business and your customers.

4. Finally, a white-labeled POS system means you can upgrade your deli or restaurant POS with your own branding features.

You are budding to integrate a grocery store POS, but are not sure about your business needs? Contact Local Express today for a customized consultation.