Farm Market POS Solutions
Grocery stores are convenient. Grocery stores typically have most of what the average household needs to survive. Grocery stores are often open 24/hours/day. However, nothing compares to the quality of the fresh goods you can purchase at a local farm market. Most of the available items were never transported eliminating the need for preservatives and additives that take away from the quality or the health benefits of the food.
Farm markets come in all shapes and sizes. Some big, some small. Larger farm market operations become more complex and have similar business needs to a grocery store. These markets face the same challenges on a smaller scale. So, managing these larger farm markets and maximizing their profitability and efficiency requires the same business tools implemented at grocery stores but on a smaller scale.
In essence, farm markets are retail operations. At the heart of most retail operations are the team members, the mix of products for sale, and the control systems in place to move these products from the farm to the shelves and to the checkout counter. Implementing the proper POS solution at a farm market seamlessly integrates all facets of the business to maximize efficiency and profitability.
Some of the benefits of automated POS solutions in a farm market are:
- POS Scale Integration – Much of what is sold in a farm market is priced by the weight of the item. Scales that are fully integrated with the POS solution are a must for speed of service and pricing controls.
- Touch Screen Design – The POS solution in a farm market should be designed with touch screen buttons that provide pictures of the items on them. This provides the fastest transaction times and the ultimate ease of use for the team members using the system.
- Bar Code Controls – A Farm Market POS package needs to generate bar codes for merchandise as well as utilize existing bar codes provided on products. This allows for complete inventory and pricing controls for the grocery and convenience items offered in addition to the fresh produce.
- High-Speed Payment Processing – During peak periods in the farm market, transaction times are critical. Credit card processing can be fully integrated with the POS software. Payments are processed in 1-3 seconds – faster than cash!
- Customer Management – Implementing the right POS solution allows the farm market to track customer activity, benefit from customer loyalty programs and utilize targeted marketing and communication techniques to keep customers coming back to the market for repeat business.
Farm markets have been a staple in our communities for centuries. Many of the owners are just beginning to learn about the benefits of utilizing technologies like electronic POS systems. The research and decision process can be a challenge for various reasons. If you would like to learn more about POS solutions and how they can benefit your farm market business, download our free checklist of things to consider today.