Tower Blog

The Discount Vouchers facility released in the Tower Systems Point of Sale software two weeks ago is an excellent example of the value of retailers being covered by a software support agreement.

Tower Systems included the completely new facility in the software for no extra charge – even though it could have charged since this was a completely new facility- separate to existing VIP and loyalty facilities in the software.

Adding value like this, delivering completely new functionality, is not what software companies usually do. It reflects on the tower commitment to genuinely add value without costing its user community anything extra.

Tower Advantage^TM customers have access to the Discount Vouchers facility and other enhancements in the software for not additional charge.  In addition to the Discount Vouchers facility itself there is documentation on how the use the facility, personal setup support and other facilities for making the best use of the new tools in your own retail business. Tower is taking a whole of business approach to introducing Discount Vouchers.

This is an excellent and appreciated point of difference for Tower Systems customers. It provides retailers using other software another reason to make the switch.

Two weeks ago Tower Systems released an update to the MrNews newspaper distribution software to meet the latest standards from West Australian Newspapers.  Developed overs several months in consultation with WAN and active distribution newsagents, this latest update is available to all MrNews newsagents.

Tower Systems acquitted the MrNews software business late last year, bringing another 100 newsagent customers to the tower Systems newsagent community.

The Tower Systems garden centre software is on show this week at the Green Expo Sydney, an event of the Nursery & Garden Industry Association of NSWACT.

We are honored to be a silver sponsor of the association and this important event.

On show will be our new software for garden centres and nurseries.  Trade show attendees will get to see fresh software designed for their particular business niche, software developed in close consultation with their colleagues.

We are looking forward to feedback that will help up enhance our garden centre software event further – trade shows are an excellent opportunity for this type of networking and learning for our sales and software development teams.

The image shows a flyer we have produced to promote our participation in and location at the trade show. It’s been sent to all garden centres and nurseries in NSW and ACT over the last week.

We’re excited for what is expected to be a terrific event.

Small independent retail businesses have one major benefit over their big business competitors – their size. Being small makes it easier to implement change and change is where innovation can be tested, refined and leverage.

Big retail businesses, by their very size, take time to develop new initiatives and roll them out through their network.  Small business retailers can move fast and they can change from a plan fast. This is an opportunity.

Tower Systems will happily work with any of its small business retailer customers on assessing plans and opportunities to make changes in the business. We can look at your data and talk with you about opportunities. We will happily do this with any of our customers as often as they like – because change is important in retail.  The days of set-and-forget retail are over.

So, small business retailers can embrace the opportunity of their size and change regularly. We’ll help in any way we can.

Tower Systems is proud to be exhibiting its newsagency POS software at the Lottery Agents Association of Victoria conference tomorrow. we are grateful of the opportunity to mix with lottery agents and share our latest tools that could help them build more efficient and successful businesses.

Thanks to the secret trial release of the EXCLUSIVE Discount Voucher facilities in the Tower Systems Point of Sale software in February this year, the company has access to insights into how shoppers are interacting and changing behaviour as a result of the new tools.

From anecdotal evidence of behavioural change at the sales counter to shopper returns a week or more out from receiving a voucher, the Discount Vouchers are changing shopper behaviour.  We see this across various businesses.

Thanks to smart tracking and reporting, we see how every voucher is treated. If someone comes back in 20 days after receiving a voucher, the software knows what was in the original purchase and what is in the purchase in which the voucher is redeemed. This data provides retailers with evidence backing up anecdotal data – it can feed fact-based decisions on adjusting the levers of the Discount Vouchers tools.

One retailer shared this story:

We had one customer shopping with us for the first time buying ink for work. The voucher he received was enough for him to buy a magazine he’d only occasionally treat himself with. He said for sure he will be back within the month for more ink and another free magazine. We expect this customer to be worth $1,500 a year.

And here is another story:

A mum bought some birthday cards and gave the voucher to her daughter who used this and her pocket money to buy a Beanie Kid.  She’s a Beanie Kid collector and said she will be back for more.  A young Beanie Kid collector can be worth hundreds of dollars a year.

Every day in the secret trial stores since February there have been stories like these playing out, stories of customers deepening their engagement with retail businesses because of the Discount Vouchers.

Tower Systems published comprehensive written advice when releasing the Discount Vouchers facility with its Point of Sale software earlier this month. This peer-reviewed advice has been instrumental in helping many retailers embrace the new facility.

By providing written documentation as well as over the phone advice and other support access points, Tower Systems is ensuring that retailers are able to access everything they need to use the new Discount Vouchers. Indeed, the level of care taken in providing advice and help speaks to the extent Tower Systems goes to ensure its customers have a good experience with new facilities.

Provided with the software update, the advice sheet is comprehensive and offers excellent guidance to retailers in the setting up of Discount Vouchers for the first time.

The latest release of Point of Sale software from Tower Systems, released today, delivers support for the recently announced changes to the Tourist Refund Scheme announced by the government.

Specifically, the POS software is being enhanced to reflect the following:

• Duty Free purchases can be made up to 60 days; previously 30 days.
• Travellers Statement is updated with new rules.

The TRS website has details on the latest changes.

In developing these enhancements, Tower Systems reinforces its commitment to maintaining the currency of its software.

Jewellers, bike retailers, gift shops, homewares stores and garden centres will all benefit from these latest changes to the Tower software.

Tower Advantage^TM customers will receive access to the update for no additional cost.

Retailers using the Tower Systems Point of Sale software have rushed to take up the opportunity of the ground-breaking Discount Voucher facilities released for commercial use in Retailer 2.5.

Seen as a game-changer in shopper loyalty stakes, the Discount Vouchers facilities are being discussed by Tower users when talking about the update. the company is tracking uptake and it’s considerable.

While the Tower software continues to support VIP / loyalty cards (as it has done for many years) if’s this new and innovative approach to shopper loyalty that has captured the imagination of the Tower retailer community.

By front-ending the loyalty reward, the Discount Vouchers engage shoppers earlier. They also enable the capture of shopper details for marketing and promotions - offering the best of the old and the innovation of the new.

While they have been in live use since February this year, Discount Vouchers were only commercially released to the wider Tower user community earlier this month.

In addition to tracking vouchers issued, redeemed and expired using the Discount Vouchers facilities released by Tower Systems in its Point of Sale software, there is a report that shows the products benefiting from redemption of the vouchers. This report helps retailers make more money.

Retailers secretly testing Discount Vouchers since February this year have been excited to see the categories of products shoppers use the vouchers to purchase as they have often been products they did not expect. This information is an eye opener, providing a fresh view of the business.  This delivers even more value from the Discount Vouchers than the facilities themselves.

In providing retailers with these Discount Vouchers reporting tools, Tower Systems is empowering retailers with information to drive business decisions and an delivering insights into how the facilities are being used by shoppers – this is gold for retailers.

The Discount Vouchers facilities come with excellent business levers that can be adjusted to change shoopper behaviour. This is where the reporting tools shine – in guiding retailer engagement and through this driving business performance.

The new Discount Vouchers facility released by Tower Systems after months of secret in field testing has been packaged with a suite of business performance reports that help retailers drive maximum value from the power new shopper loyalty facilities. These reports document shopper engagement and the value to the business of this. They are key to retailers extracting value from the new facilities.

Packaged with three valuable management reports, the Discount Vouchers facilities enable retailers to track shopper engagement from the initial purchase through to the redemption. The report shown here is the first of three reports, it provides a snapshot view of what is happening in the business – vouchers issued, redeemed and expired and the speed within which shoppers engage.

The experience over the almost four months secret trial of these exclusive facilities is that retailers use this reported performance data to tweak the levers within the Discount Vouchers to deliver even better outcomes from the shopper loyalty program.

Delivering a powerful facility and backing this with professional and well considered management reports gives to shoppers a more valuable solution. This is the feedback from the retailers who have been testing and using the Discount Vouchers in their businesses through the secret trial period.

In delivering Discount Vouchers in its Point of Sale software, Tower Systems is delivering leading-edge loyalty facilities that enable retailers to break free from the me-too approach of points based programs that shoppers have become bored with and untrustworthy of.

POS software company Tower Systems launched a powerful new sales driving tool in the latest release of its Point of Sale software last week.

Discount Vouchers are proving to be an excellent driver of shopper engagement in the retail businesses. Live testing commenced in secret in February this year.

Vouchers are automatically printed based on items purchased and based on rules set by the owner of the business in which they are running.

The new Discount Voucher facilities provide retailers with powerful levers with which to drive greater shopper engagement, to get people buying items they had otherwise not intended to buy.

Discount Vouchers are changing shopper behaviour – from small impulse purchases to considered purchases.  we know this from the comprehensive data we have gathered from the live use of the facilities since February.

What Tower Systems has delivered in Discount Vouchers is genuinely unique, fresh and exclusive to the business. Others may copy or say they have what is available in Tower today but they cannot because of the proprietary nature of what has been carefully crafted and now delivered.

Beyond the vouchers themselves and how they change shopper behaviour is the powerful business reporting that empowers retailers to control the vouchers for the financial benefit of the business.

A feature for decades in our software is the daily sales snapshot (CTRL/D).  This quickly shows sales so far in the day, by department. This can be useful in checking how a sale is progressing or checking a cash balance for one part of the business where you may track cash separately.

retailers are best advised to check in with their businesses in this way – either in-store or remotely – as a means of keeping the finger on the pulse and managing cash. The result is a message to team members that you’re watching the business and a reminder to yourself that data is king in retail management.

CTRL/D from any screen connected to the system provides a quick and valuable insight into sales so far in the day. Try it.  It’s another Tower Advantage.

Tower Systems has announced a special POS software offer for gift shops, promoting its gift shop software with an offer of a free PDE – for fast, easy and portable stock takes – for anyone purchasing a package system by June 30 this year.

The latest gift shop software offer, promoted using a professional postcard, has been sent to all gift shops in Australia. The postcard itself reflects the professionalism of the company and our software.

We are targeting the end of financial year stocktake time given that it’s tough work for many small business retailers like gift shops.

Our solution saves time and money – every year.  Plus it provides a more consistent and valuable data framework on which the gift shop businesses can rely for making good business decisions.

Gift shops using our gift shop software tap into benefits beyond easy stock takes – they save time and money in many other areas plus they benefit from greater control over the business and better quality business decisions which flow.

As the first week of the Tower Systems sponsored Newsagency of the Future workshop series draws to a close, we are pleased to have been able to ahre insights with more than 200 newsagents already.

Developed for all newsagents and not just the newsagents using our newsagency software, this workshop is a must-attend event as it opens discussions around what newsagencies will look like in the future and what can be done today to ensure a stronger future.

The next round of sessions include:

• May 20 @ 11am Canberra
• May 21 @ 11am Newcastle
• May 22 @ 11am Albury
• May 23 @ 10am Geelong
• May 24 @ 11am Hobart
• May 28 @ 10am Gold Coast
• May 29 @ 11am Cairns
• May 30 @ 10am Darwin

Click here to book online or email bookings@towersystems.com.au. This session is open to all newsagents and suppliers.

Tower Systems yesterday released a major software with new features and enhancements to a range of existing features. The release was made to our community of retailers without fanfare or undue noise. The result has been many customers installing the software update and letting us know how thrilled with the update.

We will share more here over time about some of the terrific enhancements delivered with this POS software update.

Gun shops have needs beyond traditional retailers, needs that are often not covered in off the shelf software. This is where the gun shop software from Tower Systems helps, we address needs unique to the channel including these important areas:

1. Customer age checking and management.
2. Serial number tracking.
3. Repairs.
4. Storage for safekeeping.
5. Services – such a range access.

In developing these and other facilities, Tower Systems has consulted with professional gun shop owners to ensure that our software is indeed a useful and appreciated solution.

For the best advice on choosing software for your gun shop, read How to choose the best gun show software.

With more gun shops added to our users community in the last few months, we are building better experience and expertise which we can use to help more businesses drive efficiency and business success.

Garden centres and nursery businesses using our very latest Garden Centre software are enjoying our new shopper loyalty facilities.

Developed with a couple of proactive garden centres, these new facilities work a treat at bringing shoppers back into the business.  The facilities take a unique approach to encouraging shopper loyalty, an approach that is proving to be successful.

The development of these new facilities is another example of Tower Systems adding value to its software long after a system is purchased an installed. It is also an example of the company offering choice in addressing a need.  Too often, retailers and given one way to address a need – loyalty for example. The Tower approach is to serve multiple approaches.

The latest garden centre software update from Tower Systems also have other facilities developed for this retail channel, beyond loyalty.

Retailers selling jewellery are benefiting from excellent jewellery stock facilities embedded in the Tower Systems Point of Sale software.

Thanks to engagement with a broad range of retailers as well as suppliers, the Tower software has been empowered with excellent stock control, sales, repairs and business management tools.  These are used in a range of retail channels selling jewellery … from high end jewellers selling pieces priced at $20K and more to retailers selling everyday jewellery items such as those in the photo.

It’s our engagement at the supplier end that helps us help the retail channels better manage stock. recently, we attended a supplier trade show, where the photo was taken, and discussed accurate product tagging and the supply of electronic data to retailers to help stock management from the get go.

Tower Systems works with suppliers to help improve the experience for retailers. The result is more accurate data and time saved.

We have just switched another retailer to our Point of Sale software thanks to the $3,000+ annual software support fee charged by the company they had been using for some time.  The excessive charge got the retailer look8ing and thankfully that got them to us.

Our commitment on software support costs is to keep them low and fair. We understand the challenges of small business retailers and that software must deliver excellent value each year.

In the past year we have expanded support services and launched an extensive online video training program for retailers and continued with our weekly live training workshops … all for no extra cost. The expansion of services has been achieved through an expanding customer based and without the need to increase software support fees.

We welcome every new customer as it strengthens our ability to invest in better software and better service.

There has been a saying, a truism, in small business retail for decades – cash is king. While this is as true today as when it was first uttered, data is king is more important for good data, accurate data, can generate excellent cash for any small retail business.

When we switch retailers from other POS software, too often we find data that has not been respected. The result is poor business decisions and a business suffering. Too many software companies do not respect data and do not encourage and guide their retail customers to respect and manage data for success.

We urge retailers to treat data with respect. Do this and expect to profit.

Track all stock entering the business. Track all sales by scanning them. Track all returns by scanning them. Do regular stock takes. Order new stock using your software.  Where possible – process invoices and orders electronically.

Every keystroke removed is another mistake saved.

We have received wonderful feedback from retailers who are engaging with the extensive and exclusive and comprehensive online training platform we launched close to a month ago. Here’s one example:

What you have created is just fantastic. I just hired a new junior and thanks to your training they are more productive using the software than any other new employee in the fifteen years I’ve owned the business. Thank you Tower!

Our online Training Academy provides access to training by retail channel and work niche. It gives retailers and employees access to a comprehensive site suite of training videos – enabling the undertaking of professional training in a way that builds knowledge and drives valuable experience.

We are thrilled that our customers are loving the new training resources.

Tower Systems will launch its next major Point of Sale software update late next week. With an extensive beta release close to an end further comprehensive quality assurances reviews in-house, this latest POS software update is ready for mass release.

Packaged with extensive advice, documentation and assistance, retailers using the Tower Systems Point of sale software will be able to install it knowing the update has already been extensively field tested. Tower users will be able to install the update when they choose. This is an important difference over other software companies that impose their software updates often without warning.

Retailer 2.5, as this major update is known, delivers access to excellent new facilities and many enhancements to existing facilities. The release of the update will come with considerable documentation listing all changes and new facilities. We’re not detailing them here as we don;t want to provide competitors with a shopping list for spoiling.

We’re thrilled to be so close to releasing another good quality software update in a way our retail customers like and respecting their desire to control when they install this in their business.

Jewellers using the Tower Systems jeweller software are enjoying the facilities for handling special customer orders. These facilities enable jewellers to track special orders for customers from the moment an order is placed right through to final delivery and payment.

Created specifically to serve the needs of jewellers who handle special orders, these facilities are channel-specific, delivering an excellent solution and serving a need at the higher end of the jeweller marketplace.

Jewellers are able to maintain accurate record and, at the same, time, give their customers accurate and professionally presented records of their special order placement. This is important given the preciousness and value often associated with special orders.

Getting special orders right in this specialist software for jewellers sets the Tower software apart from generic products like MYOB and some other everyday POS products being offered to jewellers. Smart jewellers who see their businesses as specialists get more value from specialist software developed for their retail channel. This is the focus of the Tower Systems jeweller software.

In addition to the excellent new video based, website accessible, training curriculum launched a few weeks ago, Tower Systems engages with its customers and others in its retail niches through an extensive range of free face to face and online training opportunities.

Second to none in each of its specialist marketplaces, the Tower suite of training is a valuable point of difference for Tower Systems and its partners.

As the image shows, plenty are engaging with the training opportunities, learning better abut how to use the software to their advantage.

By publishing its training schedule long in advance, retailers and retail employees can schedule their time to engage when it suits their feeds.