Beating Out Big Box Competition with a POS System for Small Grocery Stores
Running a small grocery store comes with its challenges and its share of competition. It can be a struggle to compete with big box stores and other small grocery stores in the same area. However, there are several ways that owners of small grocery stores can make their business size work for them. When it comes to the grocery industry, one thing is almost certain: great loyalty programs and promotions are what bring people in the door and what keep them coming back. There are many cases where smaller grocery stores have a unique advantage to excel in this regard. A modern point of sale (POS) system for small grocery stores can offer you an all-in-one solution that helps build relationships with your customer base and streamlines your workflow. Use the size of your business to your advantage by personalizing shopper experiences through exciting promotions and loyalty programs that meet the unique needs of your community.
Catch the Attention of New Customers
When enticing new customers, offering great deals and promotions is crucial when trying to win their loyalty and tempt them into making more weekly trips to your location. In addition, customizing their experience from their first interaction makes it more likely that they’ll be spending more at your store instead of shopping with competitors.
Using a modern POS system for small grocery stores to offer promotions and deals too good to pass up can be proficient and straightforward when utilizing an inventory management solution.
This integrated feature can help you:
- Manage a large volume of SKUs and price changes.
- Help track inventory shelf life so you can build promotions to help push slow-moving items before their shelf life expires.
- Highlight your most profitable products, so you know what items to showcase in weekly deals.
All of these features, and more, will help not only bring new customers into the store but help in bringing them back in on a more regular basis. Additionally, once you get the shoppers in the door, offering deals on products they need for weekly or daily use can help boost basket sizes as shoppers roam the store.
Once They’re in the Store, Earn Their Loyalty
Now that you have customers in the door keep them coming back with an enticing loyalty program. With the right POS system for small grocery stores, you can use reporting to track spending trends then use that data to offer customer-specific coupons. For example, maybe you want to offer coupons for products that compliment items a shopper frequently purchases. Do you have a customer that loves your house-made hummus? Through reporting on loyalty spending habits, you could set up a customized discount program to offer coupons on products relating to this purchase, like chips, guac, or fresh veggies.
You can also use consumer data to analyze shopping frequency. Doing so opens your business up to offer specific deals to keep customers coming back or enticing buyers who haven’t visited lately to come back. For example, you might set up a campaign to send coupons to shoppers the day before or the morning of their regular weekly visits. You could also send coupons to regular customers who haven’t visited your store in a while.
Whatever the reason shoppers return, again and again, a POS system can help you track the data to give you solid, dependable analytics on the spending habits and preferences of your shoppers. Then, use this data collected by your POS system to help bolster your business and stand out above the crowd.
Meet Customer Demands
Small grocery stores can effectively compete with big box competition by offering additional services on a cozier scale. This can include offering prepared foods for busy customers, which buyers can sometimes expect from big box grocery stores. Additionally, displaying fresh and attractive prepared foods is a great way to grab shoppers’ attention.
When investing in the right POS system, you can create a great experience, not only in-stores but also through online ordering and curbside pickup. This technology is something many consumers have come to expect and demand from corporate grocery stores and small businesses alike. American shoppers spent an estimated $72.46 billion during 2020 in online ordering and curbside pickup, and the number has only grown since. Using a tailored POS system for small grocery stores can help your business get in on this action. When customers feel their needs and desires are met, you inspire greater brand loyalty.
Additionally, the community tends to be a large part of small grocery stores; a POS solution with integrated features that can help your community while running your business is a bonus. For example, explore a system that offers a round-up feature so your customers can add donations to their purchases to help local businesses or charities.
Use a POS System to Your Advantage
Use being a small grocer to your advantage. Big box competitors can’t offer as personalized an experience as you can. A modern POS system for small grocery stores can help you create loyalty programs and promotions that other businesses can’t touch. In a smaller setting, you have a closer connection with your customers. Small grocery stores are at a place where they can more easily understand their community’s needs and create a greater experience that shows its customers you know their needs. While competition with big box stores and other small grocery stores can be fierce, using a modern POS system to provide excellent individual customer experiences will bring in more new customers and keep them coming back.