It’s a tough time for the fashion and clothing retail industry.
Customers are increasingly concerned about sustainability and apparel retailers are struggling to retain talent. Demand for higher wages is increasing and profit margins remain small — so what can small retailers do to keep up?
The good news is that many trends in the apparel industry provide opportunities for smaller clothing retailers to make their mark — and modern point of sale (POS) systems are giving them the tools to do it.
The right POS system can help your store modernize the customer experience, gain insights into buying behavior, and support your business as it expands. With so many choices out there, what’s the best POS for your retail clothing shop?
Read on to understand the benefits of modern POS systems and find out what the best POS for retail clothing is.
Benefits of Using a POS System in Your Retail Clothing Shop
While many shops have a basic way to process payments, the best retail clothing POS systems can offer a lot more value.
- Inventory management: Track your inventory in real time and maintain optimized stock levels to uncover sources of shrink and improve profit margins.
- Sales data and forecasting: Monitor your sales data to identify your bestsellers, find trends, and improve your demand forecasting. With rampant returns eating into profits at many stores, you can use the reports on your POS system to find commonalities between frequently returned items.
- Contactless payments: The majority of consumers prefer paying with tap-to-pay cards and digital wallets. Ensure your POS system can process these transactions to provide the most convenient customer service.
- E-commerce support: Fashion e-commerce is bigger than ever, so find a POS system that seamlessly handles both in-store and online sales in one place.
- Marketing support: Many POS systems support built-in customer loyalty, customer relationship management (CRM), and other tools to more effectively connect with your customers.
- Employee management and training: Track time, automate payroll, and streamline training of new hires with training modules or by customizing the interface to fit your needs.
Related Read: 4 Features of a Best-in-Class Boutique Inventory System
What features your store needs will depend on your goals — both for the long and short term. Before shopping around, make a list of your store’s strengths and weaknesses. What areas are you hoping to improve in the next three months? What about the next few years?
Don’t get stuck with a basic POS system that can’t grow with your business or a complex, feature-rich system that does more than you need.
Retail Clothing POS Systems: 4 Top Solutions
The right POS system won’t replace great staff, store layout, and selection, but it will improve the way you manage them. It will also give you more flexibility to adapt to changing retail trends and customer preferences.
Every store’s needs are a little different, and some POS solutions will be a better fit than others. Here are our top four picks for your retail clothing business:
1. Comcash
Our powerful POS solution is designed for independent retailers. We have over 25 years of experience working with retailers in various industries.
Best for: Small to mid-sized clothing retailers
Key features:
- Advanced inventory management
- Built-in CRM
- Online sales and e-commerce support
- Customizable customer loyalty and discounts
- Large POS hardware selection
- Employee management software and time tracking
- Mobile inventory scanning
- Robust reports and analytics
- Multi-store management features
- In-house payment processing
- Automated restock orders and vendor management
Pricing:
We specialize in working with small businesses and offer custom pricing plans based on your needs.
2. Lightspeed
Based in Canada, Lightspeed has quickly grown to a global name in POS software, serving over 160,000 locations worldwide.
Best for: Rapidly growing and enterprise retailers
Key features:
- Robust inventory management and counting features
- E-commerce support and ability to connect existing website
- Social media integration support
- Built-in reporting tools
- Customer profile support
- Integrated payment processing
- Multi-location support
Pricing:
Lightspeed has several pricing tiers, with their core retail package starting at $149/month.
3. POS Nation
POS Nation is a top-rated POS solution that serves a large number of general and specialized retail industries looking for more advanced (but user-friendly) features.
Best for: Growing small and mid-sized businesses
Key features:
- Seamless employee management
- 55 pre-built and customizable reports
- Customer loyalty programs
- Custom label and barcode printing
- Accounts receivable/accounts payable (AR/AP) tracking
- Advanced inventory tracking
- In-house payment processing
- Customizable user interface
- E-commerce and online sales support
Pricing:
POS Nation has several pricing tiers starting at $69/month.
4. Shopify POS
Shopify established itself as a giant in independent e-commerce solutions but also offers a number of in-store solutions.
Best for: Tech-savvy retail clothing shops and e-commerce-first retailers
Key features:
- Hardware included in plans
- Connected e-commerce and in-person sales
- Powerful e-commerce support and website customization
- Mobile POS support
- Customizable features using the Shopify App Store
- Staff management features
- Automatic sync with Google Merchant Center
Pricing:
Shopify offers several pricing tiers based on your needs and the number of stores you own. The basic in-person retail option (with one store) starts at $89/month, and the sell-everywhere option for small teams starts at $105/month.
Elevate Your Clothing Retail Sales With the Right POS Solution
Adopting a new POS system can be intimidating, but the benefits far outweigh the risks. When looking for the best POS system for retail clothing, keep the following items in mind:
- Budget: Find a POS system that works with your budget. How much does the system cost monthly? Do they process payments in-house, and what are the transaction fees?
- Data: What kind of data does the POS system store? Does it keep track of information that will help you make smarter decisions and grow your business?
- Usability: A POS system with many advanced features will not help you if it’s hard to use. Find a system that is easy to use and customize to your needs.
- Security and compliance: Any POS system you use should secure customer and business data. Payments must also be PCI-DSS compliant.
If you’re ready to level up your retail operations with a powerful POS solution, the right time is now. Comcash POS was designed based on 25 years of retail experience and built specifically to address the challenges of running small clothing stores.
Contact us today to see how we can improve your store management, boost sales, and improve customer loyalty.