Family Fun Center POS Solutions
A couple of vertical markets have managed to perform extremely well during this prolonged economic downturn. It seems that consumers have continued to spend money on their pets and their kids regardless of the situation. I suppose it makes sense that people continue to invest in what makes them happy and what brings them the most joy and satisfaction in their lives. Hence, the pet industry and several industries that focus on children continue to experience growth.
One of these successful markets focused on the kids is the family fun center market. Some larger franchise chains like Bounce U have continued to build new units across the U.S. However, most of these family entertainment centers are local start-up entrepreneurs. These business owners enjoy the satisfaction of serving their communities while earning reasonable profits along the way. Further, the concept comes with special perks like reasonable hours, a fun and playful atmosphere and far less headaches then running a restaurant or retail establishment. No late nights. No returns. No liquor license required.
However, one challenge these business owners face that is similar to any other business is finding the right technology tools to gain efficiencies and maximize profits. One of these technology tools is the POS system deployed at the fun center. The proper POS solution needs to come in the form of a hybrid solution due to the unique nature of the business. A family fun center typically combines entertainment, retail and light hospitality to create a complete experience for children and parents alike. Therefore, the POS requirements for these facilities are a bit different than with traditional retail or hospitality merchants.
Family fun centers require a special blend of features and functionality from a POS provider. Examples of these requirements are:
- Support for inventory and sales of retail merchandise in addition to admissions and food and beverage
- Robust customer management features including electronic punch passes, tiered pricing based on membership levels, integrated email marketing component, accounts receivable for party reservations, etc
- Integrated reservation software for booking parties and events
- Gift Card and Customer Loyalty programs fully integrated with POS
- Hybrid touch screen design to support speed of service for a mixture of tangible and intangible products sold at the facility
Although the business model appears to be relatively simple on the surface, the reality is that the family fun center is fairly complex in terms of the mixture of methods it generates revenue. Therefore, the POS solution deployed at these facilities must provide a hybrid solution to support the hybrid business model. Standard retail or hospitality POS packages don’t typically provide the solutions required by this hybrid business model.
If you are considering owning and operating a family fun center, your future is most likely a bright one. These facilities continue to generate profits for small business owners across the country. Be mindful of the importance of the proper POS solution particularly if this is your first effort as a merchant. The industry standard packages in retail and hospitality may not be the best fit for your business. If you would like to learn more about other items to consider when seeking POS solutions, download our free checklist on POS selection.