Ever feel like your point of sale (POS) system is holding you back? Slow checkouts, missing inventory, and confusing reports create costly bottlenecks that drain your time, reduce sales, and frustrate your customers.
Luckily, the best POS system for small retailers connects sales, inventory, customer insights, and back office operations, giving you the information you need to run your store profitably.
In this blog, we’ll explore the essential POS features to look for and compare the three top options for small- to medium-sized retail stores.
The best POS systems for small businesses support your day-to-day workflows. Every feature should simplify your shop's operations, from the front counter to the stock room. You need tools that speed up the flow, reduce errors, and help you plan with real data.
The right POS system should help you:
Reduce wait times with touchscreen layouts: Ring up sales in seconds using clear menus, barcode scanning, and quick-access discounts. A user-friendly interface helps staff stay efficient and keeps lines from backing up.
Track inventory the moment it moves: Update stock automatically as items sell, arrive, or transfer. Get low-stock alerts before shelves go empty and avoid reordering items that aren’t selling.
Pull real-time reports: Review sales by item, category, staff member, or time of day. Use the data to spot trends, adjust ordering, and plan displays that reflect what’s selling now.
Create customer profiles to encourage loyalty: Track purchase history, preferences, and loyalty activity in one place. Recommend new arrivals, send personalized offers, and trigger rewards based on shopping behavior.
Set up flexible checkout across devices: Run the system on iPads, tablets, or mobile devices that give you access to the POS from anywhere in the store. Add scanners, receipt printers, and card readers as needed.
When your POS system improves your backend task flows, your team has more time to focus on sales, service, and business growth.
Plenty of POS systems offer retail features, but many include extras you’ll never use — or miss the ones you need. The best options for small stores balance sales, inventory, and customer tools without making things harder to manage.
Here are three of the best POS software providers for retail that provide practical features for easier store operations.
Comcash POS helps small- to mid-sized retailers manage in-store and online sales from a single dashboard. With more than 25 years in the industry, it’s designed for businesses that need detailed inventory control, multilocation support, and built-in e-commerce integration.
Key features:
Comcash POS’ cloud-based system includes modern tools that allow you to:
Monitor inventory across multiple locations: Track real-time stock, transfer products between stores, and set restock alerts to prevent shortages. Use multilocation management tools to keep everything synced without manual tracking.
Sync sales and inventory between online and in store: Connect your e-commerce platform with POS data, so product availability stays accurate and centralized — no double-entry or mismatched updates.
Create detailed reports that support planning: Use built-in reports to review sales by product, employee, or department. Build custom dashboards to make informed decisions quickly.
Store customer data across channels: Track purchase history and shopping behavior to build targeted promotions and customer loyalty programs that reflect how people actually shop.
Comcash gives retailers more control over inventory, online orders, and in-store sales by automating routine tasks and offering real-time insights. This allows you to avoid stockouts, catch slow sellers early, and keep product information accurate across channels.
Pricing:
Comcash builds pricing around your store type and setup. Contact their team for a custom quote based on your retail needs and the tools you want to include.
Reviews:
“Most of the other POS systems that I get correspondence to purchase are not nearly as robust as Comcash. I would not be able to effectively manage my stores without the enterprise (cloud) system. The multi-store component is great.” — Bob Froehlich, Froehlich Enterprises
“We have been using Comcash as our point of sale system for the past three years and have been extremely satisfied with its performance. The cloud-based platform is fast and easy to use, and the customer support team is quick to respond and resolve any issues we have had. The system is consistently reliable and has improved the efficiency of our daily operations.” — Mike Fisch, Gary’s Wine & Marketplace
Square for Retail is a cloud-based POS that combines essential POS features like payment processing, inventory management, and customer relationship tools into a single platform. It’s ideal for retailers just starting out.
Key features:
The system helps with the day-to-day needs of small retail stores, letting you:
These tools make it easier to stay organized, mobile, and focused on what’s selling.
Pricing:
Square for Retail offers a free plan with core features and essential payment tools. Advanced options are available with monthly pricing based on your store setup — contact a sales rep for details.
Reviews:
“With Square Terminal, everything is very simple and transparent. All things considered, we save money with Square.” — Kerrie Volau, Eye Carumba Optometry
“As we’ve grown in size and complexity, Square has kept up and matched our needs. As we realized our business needed to evolve, Square has kept up with the curve.” — Mat Pond, The Epicurean Trader
Lightspeed Retail is designed for shops that carry multiple stock-keeping units (SKUs), manage inventory across locations, or sell in store and online. It offers advanced tools for businesses with more complex operations.
Key features:
The system offers a range of easy-to-use tools to help retailers manage and grow their business. You can:
Import and manage thousands of SKUs: Upload inventory in bulk, track variations like size and color, and organize special orders in one dashboard.
Sell online with full POS integration: Sync products and stock levels between your store and e-commerce site to simplify fulfillment and avoid double-selling.
Track customer behavior to build stronger relationships: View purchase history, set up loyalty programs, and segment shoppers for targeted follow-up.
Connect your POS to accounting software: Export sales data into tools like QuickBooks to simplify bookkeeping and reduce manual entry.
It’s a solid choice for stores that handle multiple products and want everything working in one system.
Pricing:
Lightspeed Retail offers several plans based on your store’s size and setup for a monthly fee. Contact their team to get a quote that fits your business and the features you need.
Reviews:
“By choosing Lightspeed, we were able to ensure that not only did we have the ability for omnichannel loyalty across our different channels, but we could ensure that our retail staff had an easy-to-use POS system…” — Paul Stephens, Neal’s Yard Remedies
“Lightspeed as a tool is very comprehensive. I think it’s one of the best ones with the touchscreens. It’s very smooth, very easy. Cashiers generally pick it up in five minutes.” — Michael Slagle, Imagine Exhibitions
Choosing a point of sale tool isn’t a box-ticking exercise. To find the best POS system for your small retail store, you need to align tools and features with your needs.
Comcash POS offers real-time inventory management, multistore support, and detailed reports that help you run a tighter operation without extra overhead.
Want to see how it works in your store? Book a demo with Comcash to see firsthand how our all-in-one solution supports your team from check-in to close.