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What to Look for When Choosing your EPOS (and What You Can Ignore)
If you run a convenience shop, you’ll know your till is much more than just a way to take money. Your EPOS (Electronic Point of Sale) is the engine room of your business—managing stock, tracking sales, keeping reports tidy, and sometimes even running loyalty schemes.
But choosing the right EPOS can feel a bit like choosing a new boiler: important, potentially expensive and hard to compare from the outside.
Here’s a straightforward guide to what’s genuinely worth paying attention to—and what’s mostly marketing fluff.
What Matters
Solid, Human Support (Especially When Things Go Wrong)
No matter how shiny the system, things occasionally go awry. When they do, you want a support team that actually pick up the phone—and know their stuff. ShopMate support is UK-based, available 365 days a year, and staffed by real people—not robots or endless menus. If your till is down or you can’t print labels before your delivery arrives, it’s not just inconvenient—it’s money lost. Reliable support isn’t a bonus; it’s essential.
Easy-to-Use Interface
You and your team need to be able to use the system quickly and without a degree in computer science. A good EPOS should make everyday jobs—like processing refunds, checking stock levels or updating prices—quick and painless.
Reporting That Makes Sense
There’s no point collecting sales data if you can’t read it. Look for systems that give you clear, useful reports—like your bestsellers, POR and cash profit on those products, quiet times, or stock that's not shifting. Ideally, Tthis should help you make better ordering and merchandising decisions without digging through spreadsheets.
Compatibility with the Way You Work
Every shop is different. Your EPOS should adapt to your way of doing things—not force you into new routines. Whether it’s handling PayPoint, running promotions, or dealing with cash and card smoothly, it should work with around you.
Longevity & Reliability
A cheap system might look tempting, but if the hardware breaks or the software freezes regularly, you’ll wish you’d spent a little more. A reputable EPOS supplier will keep things running smoothly—and update your system frequently without fuss. New ShopMate till hardware comes with a 6 year warantee with periferals protected for a year.
Integrations
You’ll want your EPoS to work with the services you use – if you offer home delivery through a service like Snappy Shopper, it’s important that your stock levels are correct to avoid shopper disappointment – and that their system knows which items are on promotion.
You may find integration with your accounting system like Sage helps you make easy work of tax returns.
What You Can Probably Ignore
Fancy Touchscreens That Look Like They Belong in a Sci-Fi Film
Unless you’re running a trendy café, you probably don’t need a system that glows blue. Function beats flash in most convenience stores.
Dozens of Features You’ll Never Use
Some systems promise everything under the sun—CRM dashboards, deep AI insights,—but if you're a single-site convenience store, a lot of this won’t matter. At ShopMate we know that careful stock management can help you make spending decisions, place orders and keep surplus stock to a minimum – but we also appreciate that many stores don’t use this function. For some retailers, it’s an essential part of running an efficient inventory and for others it’s too complicated.
Locked-In Contracts with Sneaky Fees
Watch out for suppliers that tie you into long contracts with high exit fees or costly add-ons for basic features. Transparent pricing is worth its weight in gold.
Choosing the Right ShopMate for Your Store
Whether you're just after something that works or need the full toolkit, there’s a ShopMate setup to suit how you run things:
ShopMate 360
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Ideal for shopkeepers who want a no-fuss, straightforward system with up-to-date wholesaler pricing and promotions. It’s simple for your whole team to use, does the job well, and can save you money—especially when paired with ShopMate Pay for seamless payments and competitive rates.
ShopMate
Our full-featured EPOS software for those who want a bit more. Includes integrations with MediaMaster, multiple payment options, stock control, and everything you need to manage a busy store—backed by friendly, everyday support.
ShopMate Fuel
Built for independent forecourts, this version includes everything in ShopMate—plus the tools needed for handling fuel sales and taking payments, including fuel payment cards. It’s all managed from one system, keeping forecourt retailing simple and efficient.
Final Thoughts
At ShopMate, we’ve been working with independent retailers for over 25 years. Our focus has always been on support that’s reliable, helpful and available every day of the year—because when your shop’s open, so are we. That’s why we’ve grown steadily over the years, and now have more than 4,000 live customers using more than 6,000 till systems. If you're looking for an EPOS that won’t let you down—or just want a no-pressure chat—get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.
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