While selling online is extremely popular these days, owning a brick and mortar store has it’s own benefits. With a physical store, you may not be able to reach out to many people living in the next locality even, but you can be the first solution to people in dire need for some things. Read further to understand what people still prefer to buy in physical stores and why you need a point of sale.
Physical Stores vs Online Stores
In the past few years, the number of online stores have increased exponentially, but even otherwise, about 85% of the people prefer buying products in physical stores. And if given the opportunity to buy from either of them, 71% of the people still prefer physical stores compared to online stores.
But why?
These 85% of the people say that they prefer touching and feeling the product before they buy them. And when it comes to a place like India, most people are skeptical about the quality and durability of the things you buy online. Along with this, about 36% of these people don’t like to wait for the products to be shipped to their home and another 30% of the people said that they like suggestions whenever they buy something.This experience for many people is important when buying something. In fact, 90% of the people agree that they like it when someone knowledgeable person helps in buying what they want.
These days, online shopping is more popular amongst millennials, but they are just as much likely to purchase from a physical store instead of an online one. However, about 61% of these people use their mobile or computer to compare prices. And at least 50% of these people perform research on their devices to find the right product for them. And if the prices are lower online than it is likely that they buy it online and wait a couple days instead of paying more and getting it instantly.
If you want to know more about how physical and online stores stand against each other, then click here.
In the end it boils down to the preference of your customer. But that doesn’t mean that you should give up on having a physical store. If you’re already doing good online, then it is time that you expand your horizon and get more customers with a physical store.
Point Of Sale: What Is It?
Along with a building and an in-store staff, you need another extremely crucial element to complete your brick-and-mortar store. A Point Of Sale (POS).A point of sale is the central hub of your entire business, the point where everything merges. It is a combination of hardware and software that helps you manage your inventory at your store. The POS is a software that has to be installed into a computer at your store, which then behaves as a cash register.
A POS software solution keeps a track of all the products in your store or inventory. To understand this, imagine this scenario. You have a store that sells three different types of candies. Everyday before you open your store, you will need to know the number of candies you have under each type, say in a register.
Now, every time a customer buys a candy from you, you will need to deduct one from the that candy type in your register. And if they want a bill, you will have to write one physically. This process becomes extremely tedious if you have a lot more products, like most physical stores.
With a Point of Sale installed in your system, the computer can keep a track of all the candies in your store and instantly calculate the number of candies remaining in your store every time someone buys one. It can also generate a bill, all you need to do is connect the computer to a bill printer. Simply put, the POS system is an inventory manager in your store.
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Shopify Point Of Sale
As time passed, POS systems have been improved to a great extent. Not only do they manage your inventory in your store, but it can also link to your website or online store. One such POS is the Shopify POS. And it comes with all the features you need from a POS, whether you are a beginner or an expert businessperson. Shopify POS gives you,
- An unlimited bandwidth, customer data, and product inventory.
- It comes with a fully customizable online store, website, and blog.
- Make sales on new platforms like Amazon and Pinterest.
- It supports over 70 international payment gateways if you need to make transactions overseas.
- You have the option of automating the delivery and 3rd party apps for shipping.
- A 24/7 customer support is available to you whenever you need assistance.
So go ahead and expand your horizon and business with Shopify POS. And sit back and let it do all the work for you.