This guide shows you how to track monthly stock sales over the last two years using your POS system's 24-month trend report. You'll learn why two years beats one, how to run the report step-by-step, and how to use the insights to boost your retail profits. Let's dive in and make your data work harder for you.

Why Two Years of Data Beats 12 Months

Your POS system automatically records every sale. But a standard 12-month report often misses the full picture, especially for seasonal items.

Think Easter. Chocolate eggs and decorations sell well in March or April. A 12-month view skips last year's Easter rush entirely. That's why smart retailers and suppliers always check two full years. They compare "this time last year" figures to spot real trends.

Your POS System makes pulling this data simple. Here's exactly how.

Step-by-Step: Run Your POS Stock Sales Report

Well, it's easy to do and will take you a second to find out.

To get started, go to Register Reports > Sales Stock > Stock Sales Details 24 Month Trend.

Now enter the criteria you want, and you will see the report above.

You get a lot of detail: the stock-on-hand figure, two years of history, total sales, etc.

No need for the whole department; filter to a single supplier or product range. It takes seconds.

Turn Data into Real Retail Wins

This report isn't just numbers – it's your secret weapon. Here's how top Australian retailers use it every day:

• Plan stock smarter: Order exactly what sold last Easter, not a guess.
• Talk terms with suppliers: Show "last year we moved 100 units"
• Fix your store layout: Put hot items front and centre during peak months.
• Save cash: Spot slow movers before they tie up your money.

When you line up both years side by side, patterns jump out. You'll see your store's real rhythm.

Why "POS System Australia" Retailers Love This

Australian shops face unique seasons, think Christmas heatwaves or Anzac Day baking. A good POS system in Australia delivers these reports fast. No spreadsheets. No hassle.

Two years of data reveal what one year hides.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don't just glance and go. Dig deeper:

• Compare year-on-year growth.
• Check stock-on-hand against trends.
• Filter ruthlessly – too much data overwhelms.

Pro tip: Run this monthly. It's your early warning system for stock-outs or overstock.

Ready to Unlock Your Sales Insights?

Log in to your POS System now. Pull that 24-month report. See what last Easter really taught you.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

This report can help you to get helpful insights into the stock that you sell.

We decided to analyse a major retailer's top 40 best-selling pens, pencils, and writing supplies in Australia to see what shopper preferences are now. Interestingly, they had no problem giving us the list or with our distributing it. We offer these insights to help you stock smarter and boost sales, as they give you a clear view of what customers really want now.

The Top Five Best-Sellers Right Now

Here's what topped the list:

1. Bostik Blu Tack 75 g, blue/grey
2. Sharpie Permanent Markers, Fine Point, Black, pack of 2
3. Duramax Super Glue Tube Sticks 3 g, pack of 3
4. Scotch Utility Purpose Masking Tape 24 mm x 55 m (2010)
5. BIC 4 Colours Shine retractable ball pens, medium 1.0 mm, pack of 3

These items blend utility across categories, but we decided to go deeper into the top 40.

Everyday Basics Drive Repeat Sales

We found that shoppers today are prioritising practical tools such as ballpoint pens, gel pens, whiteboard markers, erasers, and correction tape. These everyday items make up most of the top 40.

Interestingly, traditional wooden pencils are hardly seen. People today are choosing convenience over the constant need to sharpen.

Trusted Brands Lead the Pack

A handful of brands rule the list: Sharpie, BIC, Faber-Castell, Staedtler, Zebra, Stabilo, Uni-ball, Prismacolor, Ohuhu, and Shuttle Art. People clearly are looking at brand names.

I suggest that you look at these brands.

Multipacks Boost Basket Value

Nearly every top seller comes as a multipack—2-packs, 3-packs, up to 150-colour sets.

Markers Outsell Traditional Pens

Markers take nearly half the list: permanent markers, highlighters, whiteboard pens, chalk markers, and art markers. Labelling, colouring, and highlighting rival plain writing.

Aussies create as much as they take notes. Visual tools win big as people write less and less. I know anything big, I am using a computer.

Diverse Needs: Work, School, and Art

Breaking the list down, it's clear that the best-selling items appeal to three main shopper groups.

• Office workers want BIC ballpoints, Uni-ball pens, and correction tape.
• Students grab Stabilo highlighters, Zebra Mildliners, and pencil cases.
• Artists choose Prismacolor sets, Ohuhu alcohol markers, and acrylic pens.

Smart Pricing: Impulse Meets Splurge

Most items cost under $15, and for the higher prices, we saw large art sets, not luxury singles. If you want to sell the luxury singles, you need the knowledge and the customers. It's not easy selling a $100 pen today.

Key Retail Strategies

These trends boil down to three truths:

1. Practicality trumps flash.
2. Brands build loyalty.
3. Value packs lift profits.

Use your POS System to Stay Ahead

A Point of Sale (POS) system turns data into action. Only it can tell you what is selling in your shop and confirm what works.

Here's how:

• Daily reports show your top 10 movers.
• Inventory alerts reorder before stockouts.
• Customer trends reveal school season spikes.

Expand to 2026 Trends

Brands sell, and it looks like Art sets are rising now.

Give me a call if you want the full list of 40 items.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

Choosing the right Charity (op shop) POS system in Australia is not the same decision as choosing retail software for a regular store. Donors bring stock directly to your door. Every donation arrives as a unique, one-off item. You rely on volunteers who give their time generously but may turn over frequently. We know that we have a lot of charity shops using our system now, community hospitals, Salvos, etc.

All our charity shops face the daily challenge of keeping shop sales and donations clearly separated. What we find is that standard retail POS will frustrate your volunteers and leave your people doing manual corrections at the end of every week. But our purpose-built, tested charity shop POS transforms how you work, making every shift smoother for your entire team.

Let's look at exactly what features you need to run a smarter Charity op shop.

A Note on Hardware Flexibility

Before we dive into the software, remember that hardware flexibility matters. Not every charity shop has the budget for brand-new, top-of-the-line registers. You can have them in our system, but you do not have to.

Make It Simple for Volunteers

Charity Op shops often see high volunteer turnover, so your system must be easy to learn. If the software is complicated, volunteers are more likely to make mistakes. Transactions get voided incorrectly. Prices get entered in the wrong fields. The queue at the counter builds up while someone tries to remember which button to press.

A truly volunteer-friendly POS System like ours uses large, colour-coded buttons for product categories on the main screen. Often, volunteers do not need to search for individual items. They tap the category and enter the price.

Speed

The industry standard is 40 seconds per transaction, plus 3 seconds per item. So if a sale has three items, the time is about 40 seconds plus 9 seconds per item in their basket. Thus, you are looking at about 50 seconds.

Consider this:
80% of customers say they are unwilling to wait for more than 5 minutes in line. So if your queue is six people, there is an 80% chance that someone will walk out.

Retailer needs speed.

I extracted about 20,000 cash register transactions from one of our clients' systems. Here is what the graph above looks like for transaction speeds. As you can see, our average transaction time was 36 seconds per sale. In a pinch, our client was doing much better.

On speed, I am sure we beat almost any POS system on the market.

Handle One-Off Donated Stock With Ease

Here is the inventory challenge that every op shop manager knows well: you do not have supplier barcodes or consistent stock levels. So, how do you manage donated goods inventory management without it becoming a full-time job?

The answer is generic department pricing buttons. Rather than creating an individual product record for every shirt or vase, you set up categories like "Menswear," "Bric-a-Brac," or "Books". Then you have clear, tappable buttons so that when a customer brings that item to the counter, the volunteer taps the category and manually enters the price from the tag. The system records the sale against that department. It's quick.

For items that require specific tracking, our point-of-sale system lets you make in-house barcodes quickly. After you print a label, stick it on the item. Then scan it at the counter like a standard product. It is practical and keeps the checkout fast.

Keep Donations Separate From Your Retail Sales

Many charity op shops accept cash donations directly at the counter. This is highly convenient for your supporters. However, lumping those funds in with your retail sales data creates a major reporting problem. Our reliable POS system for charities in Australia lets you set up a dedicated "Donation" button on the screen. When a supporter donates, the volunteer taps the button and enters the amount. Your POS categorises funds as non-taxable donations instantly.

While processing these donations, your POS should also allow for easy donor capture. Recording a donor's name and email right at the counter lets your charity send automated thank-you messages. This helps you build stronger community relationships and encourages future support.

EFTPOS

We do not lock you into any EFTPOS system; you are free to select whoever you want. Because we have so many EFPTPOS suppliers linked into our system, you can really shop around.

Issue Proper Tax-Deductible Receipts

If your charity holds Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status, your supporters are entitled to a tax-deductible receipt for any donation over two dollars. The last thing you want is a supporter asking for a receipt and your volunteer not knowing how to produce one. Our POS software lets you customise your receipt footer. You can easily add your ABN, your DGR status details, and the exact wording required by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Then, when a volunteer processes a donation at the counter, the system automatically prints a legally compliant receipt. You can also automatically email it.

Issuing the right receipts is only one part of keeping your financials clean, and connecting your POS to your accounting software handles the rest.

Connect Directly to Your Accounting Software

Manual data entry errors account for a significant share of financial discrepancies in small nonprofits. If your admin team manually re-enters daily totals into your accounting software at the end of every shift, you are wasting valuable time.

Strong charity retail accounting integration changes everything. Our charity op shop POS integrates directly with leading Australian platforms, including Xero and MYOB. At the end of each trading day, your totals automatically sync. Your retail sales, EFTPOS settlements, and cash donations are pushed through to the correct accounts without any double-handling.

Want to see how the sync works? Book a free 15-minute demo. We'll walk you through a live op-shop setup and show you how much time you will save.

Protect Your Data With Manager Controls

Volunteers are wonderful, but accidents happen. A transaction gets deleted accidentally. A discount gets applied that shouldn't have been.

In a charity shop, these errors drain revenue and create compliance issues for you. So we can protect your data with a comprehensive manager permission system. You can lock functions like voids, refunds, or large discounts behind a manager PIN.

Furthermore, the system logs almost every action taken on the POS. This clear audit trail shows exactly who processed a refund or correction.

Handle High-Value Donations and Bids

Occasionally, a generous donor drops off something genuinely valuable, like a piece of vintage jewellery or an antique. These items need a different approach at the checkout.

A flexible POS lets you set up a quote or bid system. Interested customers can register an offer on a high-value item directly through the till.

You should also consider lay-by options for customers who want to pay off a larger purchase over time. This ensures you get the best possible return for your premium donations.

Manage Everyday Discounts and Welfare Pricing

At the other end of the pricing scale, charity op shops also need flexible discount tools to quickly find and move older stock.

Your system should easily handle colour-tag sales. For example, you can set a rule that all items with a green tag are half price this weekend. The POS automatically applies the discount, so the volunteer doesn't have to do the math. You should also be able to process concession pricing for welfare cardholders or "free but tracked" items for emergency relief vouchers. Tracking these giveaways is vital so you can report the full scope of your community impact to your board.

Reports That Work for Charity Shop Managers

End-of-day reporting is essential for running an accountable op shop. A basic till summary is not enough for a charity board. You need clear insights to make confident decisions.

Key Reports Your Charity POS Should Produce:

• Sales by department: See exactly which categories (like homewares or clothing) bring in the most revenue.
• Stock variance: Compare what you processed against what you expected.
• Donation totals: Keep direct donations entirely separate from retail sales.
• EFTPOS reconciliation charity data: Match your card payments perfectly against your bank statements.
• Cash reconciliation: Ensure your cash drawer matches your recorded sales securely.

Scale Across Multiple Stores and Channels

Many Australian charity organisations operate more than one op shop. Managing them with disconnected systems creates massive headaches for area managers.

POS Australia offers true multi-store support. Managers at the head office can see sales and stock data across all stores in one place. Setting up a new store becomes straightforward, and the volunteer training remains the same across all locations.

You should also look for a system with reliable offline capability. If your internet drops out on a Saturday afternoon, your POS must keep working and sync the data later. Additionally, if your charity shop is expanding into e-commerce, consider our online links that let you push your donated items directly to platforms like eBay or Facebook Marketplace from your main system.

What to Look for in a Charity Shop POS: A Quick Checklist

Before you make any software decision, run the system against these core criteria:

• [ ] Simple enough for a first-time volunteer to learn in 15 minutes.
• [ ] Supports category-based pricing for unique donated stock.
• [ ] Automatically separates donation income from retail sales.
• [ ] Produces compliant DGR tax receipts for donors.
• [ ] Integrates seamlessly with Xero or MYOB.
• [ ] Features manager PIN controls and a secure audit trail.
• [ ] Handles bids, lay-bys, and colour-tag discount rules easily.
• [ ] Works offline, so you never miss a weekend sale.

The Right POS Makes Every Shift Easier

A charity shop POS system needs to do more than take payments. It should be simple enough for any volunteer, flexible enough for one-off donated goods, and robust enough to give your managers clear control over every dollar.

The right system saves your team hours of admin time, stops costly till errors, and gives your organisation complete financial clarity. When your operations run smoothly, more of your energy goes exactly where it belongs — toward your mission.

Ready to give your volunteers a POS they'll actually enjoy using? Book a free demo, and we'll show you exactly how it handles donated stock, DGR receipts, and Xero sync in a real charity shop environment — no lock-in, no jargon.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

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Connecting your Point of Sale (POS) system to MYOB can save your retail business hours of admin every week. When the setup is done properly, your sales data flows through cleanly, your reports make more sense, and you spend less time fixing mistakes at night. This guide explains how MYOB POS integration works, how it can work with other accounting systems like Xero, what can go wrong, and the simple checks you can use to keep everything running smoothly. It's been in our POS system for many years, works well, is well-tested, and is free.

How POS and MYOB Work Together

Your POS system and your accounting software serve different purposes.

Your POS system handles the action on the shop floor. It records sales, tracks stock, manages returns, applies discounts, and helps your team serve customers quickly. It is where your daily retail activities take place.

MYOB can sit in the background and record the financial side of that activity. It helps you track revenue, expenses, GST, bank transactions, supplier bills, and your business's overall health. In simple terms, your POS system runs the front of the shop, while MYOB helps you understand the financials behind it.

When the two systems are properly integrated, you do not need to enter the same information twice. That means fewer manual errors and faster reconciliation.

However, automation only helps when the information going in is correct. If the data in your POS system is wrong, the data sent to MYOB will also be wrong. This is the big danger of integration, and the reason many do not like it.

Why So Many Retailers Use MYOB

There is a reason MYOB remains a popular choice for Australian retailers. It has been part of the local business landscape for decades, which means many business owners, bookkeepers, and accountants already know how it works. That matters when you need support and want answers quickly.

For retail businesses, MYOB is also attractive because it can handle important retail tasks without forcing you to bolt on too many extras. If you sell a wide range of products, carry stock, manage GST, etc, it can be a practical fit.

That said, this article is not about claiming MYOB is the only good accounting platform. Many good accounting software programs can help you stay compliant, properly track finances, and make decisions with confidence. The real question is not whether MYOB is the best. The real question is whether it can support how your retail business actually works.

For many Australian retailers, MYOB does that well.

Learn the Basics Before You Integrate

Before you connect your POS system to MYOB, please take time to understand a few basic accounting ideas. You do not need an accounting degree. You do not need to become a bookkeeper. But you do need to understand what the software is doing in the background.

This is where many retailers get stuck. They assume the software will think for them. It will not. It will follow the rules you give it.

If you do not understand the difference between income and liabilities, or how GST works, or why stock adjustments matter, it becomes very hard to spot a problem early. You may still get reports. You may still see tidy dashboards. But you will not know whether the numbers are telling the truth.

I have seen retailers jump into setup too quickly because they want to get moving. That is understandable. Running a shop is busy work. You are thinking about staff, customers, stock, rent, and cash flow simultaneously. Still, a few hours spent learning the basics can save you weeks of clean-up later. YouTube is great for this; it has many good tutorials on the major accounting programs in Australia.

Start with these simple ideas:

• What counts as income?
• What counts as an expense?
• How GST is applied.
• What are assets and liabilities?
• How stock affects your reports.
• What happens when you refund, void, or adjust a sale?

Once you understand those basics, MYOB becomes much easier to use. More importantly, your reports start to mean something. You can look at the figures and understand what your business is actually doing.

Set Your Accounting Rules Before You Start

Once you understand the basics, you can set clear rules on how you want your business to handle its GST, refunds, stock adjustments, supplier invoices, cash movements, owner drawings, etc.

If you do not set these rules early, you can end up with inconsistent entries and a messy accounting system. What you will find is that sometimes people put these transactions one way, and the next month another way. That makes it much harder to produce good historical comparisons, rendering many of your financial reports useless.

Cash or Accrual: Which One Fits Retail?

One of the most important decisions in your accounting setup is whether to use cash or accrual accounting.

This choice affects how your business appears on paper. It also shapes how easy your bookkeeping feels day-to-day.

Accrual accounting

With accrual accounting, you record income when the sale occurs and expenses when the bill is received, even if the money has not yet moved.

Accountants often prefer this method because it provides a more comprehensive picture of profitability over time. It matches income and expenses to the same period, which makes your profit reports more accurate. For example, say you spent $1200 on insurance for the business, in an accrual system, you might have paid it at the start of the financial year, but you actually are spending $100 a month, so January is a $100 expense, February is $100, March is $100, etc.

It's great for profit calculations, but it's a lot more work and much more complex, which creates confusion.

Cash accounting

With cash accounting, you record income when money actually hits your bank account and record expenses when the money leaves it.

This is usually easier to understand. It also gives you a better picture of what is happening in the bank account.

My practical view for small retailers

For many retailers, cash accounting is the better system because it's simpler and more relevant, as it monitors cash flow and keeps your doors open. You can be profitable on paper and still get into trouble if cash is tight. In my experience, wages, rent, suppliers, and stock orders all depend on what is actually available in the bank. I have seen so many businesspeople tell me that I cannot afford this customer because he takes so long to pay.

That said, there is no one-size-fits-all answer; both are very good systems.

What MYOB POS Integration Actually Does

A good MYOB POS integration automatically moves key information from your POS system into your accounting file.

Depending on your setup, that can include:

• Daily sales totals.
• Payment type breakdowns, including cash, cards, and gift vouchers.
• GST collected.
• Department or category sales.
• Refund and return figures.
• Stock-related information.
• End-of-day summaries.

This saves time. Instead of relying on someone to enter numbers into MYOB every day manually, the system handles the transfer for you. That reduces double-handling and lowers the risk of basic entry mistakes.

However, if the POS System data is incorrect, the result will be incorrect too.

For example, if a product has the wrong tax code in the POS system, that problem can flow straight into MYOB. If staff use the wrong department button at the register, your sales reporting may become distorted. If refunds are processed inconsistently, your accounting records will not reflect what happened on the shop floor.

This is why a strong setup and simple controls matter.

The Most Common Setup Mistakes

Retailers often blame the software when integration problems appear. In reality, many of the issues come from setup problems, often due to weak checking routines.

Here are the mistakes I see most often.

1. Poor product mapping

If products, categories, tax codes, or sales accounts are mapped incorrectly, your reports will not make sense. This is one of the fastest ways to create confusion between what your POS says and what MYOB says.

2. Too many people changing settings

If every staff member can edit product records, GST settings, pricing rules, or integration fields, mistakes become almost guaranteed.

3. No test process

Many retailers switch on an integration and trust it immediately. That is wrong. Any update, new product category, or settings change should be tested before you assume the numbers are landing correctly. Nothing can muck up figures quicker than a computer.

4. Weak refund controls

Refunds, voids, and manual overrides are common trouble spots. If these are not handled correctly, your accounts will be incorrect.

5. No daily checking habit

Even the best integration still needs human oversight. A two-minute weekly check can catch issues before they become a month-end disaster, compare:

• Your POS total sales.
• Your EFTPOS or card settlement report.
• Your counted cash.
• Any refunds or adjustments.

If something does not match, deal with it while the matter is still fresh in everyone's mind. Small gaps are easier to solve immediately than three weeks later.

Once a week, review reports for:

• Refunds.
• Voided sales.
• Manual discounts.
• Price overrides.
• Stock adjustments.

These are the areas where errors, training issues, and fraud risks tend to hide. A weekly review keeps you in control without adding much admin.

You do not need a big process manual. You need good habits.

Lock down critical settings.

Only trusted managers should be able to change GST codes, accounting mappings, product categories, and key system settings.

Test before you trust

If you add a new product range, update your POS software, change GST settings, or adjust your account mapping, run a controlled test first. Run sample transactions and confirm they post correctly in MYOB.

Never assume an old setup will still work perfectly after a system change.

A Practical Setup Mindset

The best MYOB POS integration is not always the most advanced one. It is the one your business can understand, manage, and trust.

That means keeping things simple where possible. It means using clear categories, sensible naming conventions, and reports you will actually look at. It also means building a system that works for you.

What Good Integration Feels Like

When your POS system and MYOB are working together properly, several things happen.

First, your daily admin gets faster. You stop re-entering sales data and rely on the system to handle routine tasks.

Second, your numbers become easier to trust. You can compare sales, payments, and bank activity with confidence because your process is consistent.

Third, decision-making improves. You get the information to focus on your financial information.

That is the real goal. Integration is not just about convenience. It is about giving you the information you need to run your shop better.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does every POS system integrate with MYOB?

No. Only some POS platforms have direct integration.

Will integration fix bad bookkeeping?

No. Integration reduces manual work, but it does not replace understanding. If your chart of accounts, GST setup, product mapping, or staff processes are wrong, all you have is rubbish in and rubbish out.

Is cash accounting always best for retail?

Not always. It is often easier and more practical for many retailers, but your final choice should reflect your business model.

How often should I review my setup?

Check your totals daily, review exception reports weekly, and revisit your broader setup any time you add new categories, update software, or change key business processes.

Final Thought

A robust integration between MYOB and your POS system is essential. It can save time and minimise errors.

So you can use MYOB to make informed retail decisions.

Ready to Elevate Your MYOB POS Setup?

If your POS system and MYOB aren't communicating effectively, it's a problem. Don't hesitate to reach out if you need assistance. We’re here to help you succeed.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

We're all constantly seeking ways to attract customers. We do not want to spend a fortune on advertising. Birthday marketing is a simple retail tactic that helps you connect with your customers in a personal, relevant way. Instead of sending another generic promotion that gets lost in the noise, you reach out on a customer's special day. If you do not know their birthday, you can use the anniversary of their joining your loyalty program. What you send is a warm message and an offer that gives them a genuine reason to visit your shop again.

Birthday campaigns are widely used because they feel much more thoughtful than standard promotions. They are a highly successful feature in modern marketing platforms. A birthday message stands out because it arrives at a meaningful moment in your customer's life.

Why this works so well

People buy on birthdays

Birthday offers typically have about 25% success with our clients. Here are some figures from Experian

In many ways, this strategy taps into what great retail is all about. Customers want to feel noticed. They want to feel remembered. When they walk into your shop, they want to feel like a regular. A well-run birthday campaign gives you a simple way to create that exact feeling, while also driving repeat visits and sales.

Most promotional messages compete for attention at the most competitive time of the year. Your customers will see so many discount emails, catalogue drops, social media ads, and SMS. A birthday message is completely different because it is unique to the customer, and the timing holds deep meaning for them. Hence, a customer is far more likely to notice it, open it, and remember your business.

You are not inventing an excuse to contact; you are responding to a date that matters to them. When you pair that happy message with a modest reward such as a discount, bonus points, or a gift with purchase, you create an offer that feels generous without costing your business a fortune.

Another massive benefit is consistency. Seasonal campaigns like Christmas or Mother's Day come and go, and as I said, they are incredibly competitive. Birthdays come all year round. This gives you a steady, reliable stream of marketing opportunities.

Birthday or anniversary?

If you can collect a customer's birthday through your loyalty program, that is your best option, as a birthday is inherently personal, so the message feels warmer and much more memorable. It gives you a clear chance to reward the customer in a way that builds deep loyalty and encourages repeat visits. However, let's be realistic. Not every retailer has the customer's birthday on file, and not every customer wants to share that information at checkout. That does not mean you miss the opportunity completely. Use the anniversary of a customer joining your loyalty program or making their first purchase. It works too. I went to the shop a few days ago, and the shopkeeper told me, "You brought it here eight years ago." It got a smile.

Now you do not need a huge database or a complicated corporate marketing team to make this work. You need a date, a friendly message, an easy-to-understand and redeemable offer, and a decent POS System.

How to naturally collect birth dates at the counter

One of the biggest hurdles small retailers face is actually getting the data. Asking a customer for their date of birth can sometimes make your staff feel awkward. The trick is to explain the benefit immediately.

Next time you sign someone up to your loyalty program, try having your staff use a simple script like this:

• "Would you like to join our loyalty program today to earn points on this purchase? We also send you a special gift on your birthday if you'd like to leave your birth month and day with us."

Notice that you do not need their birth year, and with our privacy laws, I would not suggest it. In any case, people are much more comfortable sharing just the day and month. Once they understand that a gift or discount is involved, most customers will hand it over.

Keep it simple

One reason this marketing style is so appealing is that it does not need to be complicated. In fact, simple usually works better in retail. A short email or SMS can be more than enough if the message is personal, the offer is clear, and the timing is right.

This is where your technology steps in. A modern Point of Sale (POS) system can make a massive difference here. A good POS system helps you easily store customer details, track loyalty sign-ups, record their visit history, and connect your sales right back to your marketing campaigns. That turns birthday marketing from a tedious manual task into a smooth, manageable process.

You do not need a flashy graphic design or a massive discount that hurts your margins. Many independent retailers get fantastic results with a straightforward message.

For example:

• Happy Birthday from all of us at the shop!
• Here is a small gift to help you celebrate.
• Enjoy $3.00 off your next purchase this month.
• Show this message in-store to redeem your offer.

That kind of message works beautifully because it is easy to read and easy to act on. Your customer does not have to jump through hoops, print out barcodes, or work out what the offer means. They can walk in, show their phone to your staff, and enjoy the reward.

A practical monthly routine

The easiest way to run birthday marketing in your shop is to make it part of your regular monthly routine. You do not need to think about this every single day. Instead, run once a month. Find an offer that works, and load the details into your POS system.

1. Start of the month: Select your VIP customer list.
2. Pick an offer: Choose one clear, profitable offer.
3. Write your message: Write one friendly message. You can often use the same template

4. Set an expiry date: Always set one. This creates urgency and gives the customer a reason to act now.
5. Send it out: via email or SMS through your marketing platform.
6. Track the results: Use your reporting tools to track who redeemed the offer and what else they bought.
7. Review and refine: Check your results each month to stay close to the numbers and improve your offer as you go.

This process is incredibly easy to manage.

What to send: getting the tone right

Your message should feel warm, human, and local. It should sound exactly like it came from a real person who knows and values the customer, not from a faceless, automated corporate system pushing a quick sale.

A good birthday or anniversary message usually includes four key elements:

• A personal greeting (using their first name).
• A short, warm celebratory line.
• One crystal clear offer.
• Simple instructions for redeeming it.

For example, you might write:

"Hi Sarah, Happy Birthday! We hope you have a wonderful week celebrating. As a small thank you for shopping with us, we'd love to give you 15% off any full-priced item this month. Just show this message at the counter next time you pop in."

That is all you need. It is personal, clear, and gives the customer a compelling reason to come back without making the offer feel overly sales-driven.

Choosing the right offer for your shop

The best birthday offer is usually modest but meaningful. It should feel like a genuine reward to the customer, but it absolutely must protect your profit margin. Offering $2.00 off might work for a local cafe, but for a boutique or hardware store, it won't be enough to drive a dedicated visit.

Here are some other great ideas you might consider offering, depending on your business type:

• Percentage discount: 10% or 15% off a single purchase.
• Bonus points: Double or triple loyalty points for one visit during their birthday month.
• Gift with purchase: A free, low-cost add-on item when they buy something else (e.g., a free pair of socks with a new pair of shoes).
• VIP reward: A slightly larger physical gift for your top-tier, high-spending VIP customers.
• Dollar-value voucher: A $10 or $20 voucher with a minimum spend attached (e.g., "$15 off when you spend $50 or more").

The right option depends entirely on your retail category, your average sale value, and your margins. The key is to make sure the reward feels worthwhile to the customer while remaining sensible for your cash flow.

It also helps to set conditions to protect yourself. For example, you may want the offer to be valid for exactly two weeks, or strictly for the customer's birthday month. You will likely want to exclude sale stock or clearance items. You should definitely limit it to one redemption per customer. Setting clear rules reduces awkward confusion for both your team members and your customers at checkout.

Should you use Email or SMS?

Retailers ask me this all the time. There is no single perfect channel. The best one is the one your specific customers are most likely to notice and use.

Email Marketing:
Email is often the easiest place to start because it is very low-cost and incredibly easy to automate. Many retail businesses use birthday email workflows because they can be scheduled months in advance and sent automatically at exactly the right time without any manual effort from you. If you already collect email addresses through your loyalty program or newsletter sign-up, this can be a highly efficient and profitable option. You also have more space to include nice imagery of your shop or products.

SMS Marketing:
SMS can work exceptionally well if your customers are comfortable receiving text messages from your business. It feels highly immediate, it is very easy to read on the go, and it perfectly suits simple, time-sensitive offers. While sending an SMS costs a bit more than an email, the open rates are massive. People read almost every text they get, usually within minutes. If your offer is strong, SMS can drive foot traffic into your shop that very same day.

Being more clever: The Birthday Sequence

Suppose you send a sequence of birthday messages to improve sales? A short sequence of messages will work even better in practice.

By sending a pre-birthday reminder, the actual birthday message, and a final reminder before the offer expires, you give the customer multiple opportunities to notice and respond.

For an independent retailer, a simple sequence might look like this:

• A few days before: A friendly email teasing the reward. "Your birthday treat is coming soon! Keep an eye on your inbox."
• On the day, or start of the month: The main message containing the actual offer and barcode.
• A few days before expiry: A gentle, final reminder. "Don't forget to treat yourself! Your birthday voucher expires this Friday."

Do not need to overdo it. I recommend pushing it more than three times. You do not want to annoy people.

What to measure to ensure success

One of the biggest advantages of birthday marketing is its measurability. Unlike most advertising, like a newspaper ad, you can track exactly what happens. So you can start small, watch the results, and improve your strategy over time.

To see if your campaign is working, look at simple numbers such as:

• Send rate: How many messages were successfully sent?
• Open rate: How many customers opened or clicked the email (if you used email)?
• Redemption rate: How many customers redeemed the offer? This is the most important KPI.
• Average spend: How much did they spend when they came in?
• Upsell rate: Did they buy more than the offer required? (e.g., They used a $3.00 voucher but spent $80 total).

These basic measures tell you exactly whether the campaign is doing its job. If your redemption rate is low, your offer may not be strong enough. If customers redeem the offer but spend very little else, your offer conditions may need to be revised (like adding a minimum spend). If the response is strong and highly profitable, you should absolutely repeat the format for other milestones, like store anniversaries or VIP nights.

Common mistakes to avoid

Birthday marketing is a simple concept, but a few easily avoidable mistakes can severely weaken your results.

Make sure you avoid these common traps:

• Making the offer too complex: If there are too many terms and conditions, the customer will ignore it.
• Sending the message too late: Sending a birthday discount on the last day of the month gives them no time to visit. It must be sent close to their birthday.
• Forgetting the expiry date: Without urgency, the customer will put it off and forget about it.
• Offering a weak reward: An offer that is too small (like $1 off) won't motivate anyone to leave their house.
• Not telling your staff: Making store staff unaware of the campaign leads to a terrible, confusing customer experience at the counter.
• Sounding like a robot: Sending a generic, stiff message that comes across as cold or overly automated ruins the personal feel.

The best campaigns feel personal, generous, and easy. If the customer reads your message and instantly understands the benefit to them, you are on the right track.

Start with one simple campaign.

If you want to bring more of your loyal customers back into your shop with far less guesswork, right now is a great time to start. Set up one single birthday campaign for this coming month and see how you go.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

If shoplifting feels tougher than it used to, you are probably right as crime statistics are showing. I hear many retailers tell me the same thing. Thieves today seem bolder, and the usual “soft” approaches struggle. In an effort to battle this, AI security is moving into Australian retailers next, after what the Bunnings facial recognition decision signals for our industry.

One important note upfront: we’re not selling AI security systems to because the market isn’t quite there yet at an affordable, plug-and-play level. However, it’s coming, and we are preparing so you’re ready to adopt it when it makes sense for your store.

The real cost of a stolen item

When an item gets stolen, you don’t just lose the shelf price. You lose the profit that pays your rent, wages, power, and supplier bills.

That’s why theft hurts so much in retail. There is no giant buffer in margins today. Every missing item means you have to work harder just to stay even.

There’s also a human cost. Retail crime can feel more aggressive and unpredictable and the law is demanding that you do more.

Why traditional “soft” approaches struggle now

Most retailers already do the basics, like:

• Greeting customers as they enter. I really like the idea of having grandmother greet personally every customer into your shop.
• Keeping the store tidy and easy to see through.
• Using mirrors to reduce blind spots.
• Running CCTV cameras.
• Tagging higher-value items.

These are good practices. They set the tone and they reduce easy opportunities.

However, they have one big weakness: they rely on your team noticing the problem in real time.

Even your best staff can’t watch every aisle while also:

• Serving customers
• Answering questions
• Unpacking stock
• Running the counter
• Handling returns and exchanges

Traditional CCTV often becomes “after the fact” footage. You might confirm what happened later, but the stock is already gone.

So the gap remains: what happens on the shop floor doesn’t always connect to what your business systems record.

What “AI security” usually means (in plain English)

When people say “AI security cameras,” they often mean one of two things:

• Behaviour detection: The system looks for actions linked to theft (like concealment or rapid grabbing) without needing to identify a person.
• Identity detection (facial recognition): The system attempts to match a face to a watchlist of known repeat offenders (high impact, high compliance).

Why AI security isn’t mainstream for small business yet

If you’ve looked at AI security options and felt they’re “not built for my shop,” you’re probably right.

Right now, common blockers for retailers include:

• Upfront costs that are too expensive.
• Complex setup (new hardware, new software, new processes)
• Too many false alerts, which staff quickly ignore
• Unclear privacy obligations and paperwork
• Limited support once the system is installed

That’s exactly why we’re not pushing AI security systems to retailers today.

But the direction is clear. Prices will come down over time, and as products get simpler, and POS integrations improve it will come.

The best thing you can do today: tighten the link between CCTV and your POS

Here’s the “future-proof” move that helps you now and later:

Make your Point of Sale (POS) system the centre of your loss-prevention process.

A modern Point of Sale (POS) system does more than take payments. It holds your product list, pricing, stock movement, and transaction history. That makes it the best place to spot patterns and tighten controls.

When AI security becomes cost effective for businesses, the best results will come from systems that connect video events to POS data. Even today, you can use POS reporting to target your prevention effort instead of guessing.

How your POS helps reduce theft (without any AI)

Find what’s going missing most often

Use your POS to run inventory variance-style checks. You want to identify:

• Products that should be on-hand, but aren’t
• Categories where shrink keeps showing up
• High-value items with unusual stock movement

Even if your stocktake isn’t perfect, patterns usually show up quickly.

Once you know your “hot” products, you can:

• Move them closer to the counter
• Limit how many are displayed at once
• Use locked displays or staff-assisted access for the highest-risk lines

Tighten refunds, voids, and discounts

Not all loss is shoplifting. Some comes from process gaps.

Your POS can help you control:

• Who can apply discounts (and how much)
• Who can process refunds
• When a manager PIN is required
• How you track “no sale” drawer opens

These settings protect you without changing the customer experience.

Use your stock exception reports

• High discount rates at certain times
• Frequent voids on one register
• Refunds without receipts
• Transactions with unusually low basket value during busy periods

Make your existing cameras more useful (without buying new ones)

You don’t need fancy gear to get a quick win. You need the right camera placement and a simple routine.

Camera placement that actually helps

Aim for coverage of:

• Entry and exit (clear face-height view where possible)
• The counter and cash drawer area
• Your top theft “hot spots” (based on POS patterns and empty packaging finds). Here is how you can do it now with your POS System
• Blind corners and back-of-store pockets
• High-value shelves (tight view, not wide and blurry)

A common mistake is too many wide shots and not enough close, usable angles.

A 10-minute weekly routine

Set one time each week (same day, same time) to:

• Review any known incidents
• Check whether hot spots have shifted
• Confirm cameras are recording clearly
• Ensure time and date stamps are correct
• Confirm only the right people can access footage

This tiny habit keeps your CCTV reliable.

Staff safety comes first (and you can still act)

When theft rises, some retailers feel pressure to “do more” on the floor. I understand that feeling. But staff safety must come first.

Train your team on responses that reduce risk:

• Use customer service as the first step (“Can I help you find a size?”)
• Avoid physical contact and blocking exits
• Don’t chase outside the store
• Escalate to a manager when needed
• Call police when there’s a clear threat

You can also support staff confidence by writing a simple, one-page incident plan. Keep it near the counter so nobody has to guess in the moment.

If AI security becomes affordable, what will it look like?

When AI solutions do become small-business friendly, expect features like:

• Real-time alerts to a phone and POS System
• Simple “clips” instead of hours of footage
• Behaviour-based detection
• Heat maps of hot spot zones
• Better reporting that ties incidents to products and times
• POS links to confirm whether a sale happened

This is where the POS connection becomes a game changer. If the system can check whether the item was sold, alerts become more accurate and useful.

What to ask any future AI security provider

When you start seeing these systems marketed to stores, use these questions to protect yourself:

• “Can I use my existing cameras, or do I need new hardware?”
• “How do alerts reach my staff, and who gets them?”
• “How do you reduce false alerts?”
• “What data do you store, for how long, and where?”
• “Can I turn off face identification and use behaviour detection only?”
• “Do you integrate with my POS now, or is it ‘coming soon’?”

Getting your store “POS-ready” for the next wave

Even if you never buy AI security, these steps will pay you back. If you do buy it later, you’ll be in a strong position.

Clean up your product data

• Make sure barcodes match products correctly
• Remove duplicates
• Standardise product names and categories
• Keep pricing consistent

Good data makes reporting trustworthy, and trustworthy reporting drives better decisions.

Improve stock accuracy in small steps

You don’t need perfection. You need progress.

Try:

• Cycle counts on your top 20 shrink lines (weekly or fortnightly)
• Counting one category each week (rotating schedule)
• Recording write-offs properly (damaged, expired, staff use)

The goal is to reduce “mystery loss” by tightening visibility.

Lock down staff permissions

Most modern POS platforms let you control actions by role.

A simple structure works well:

• Team members: sales only, limited discounts
• Supervisors: moderate discounts, exchanges
• Managers/owners: refunds, large discounts, voids, reports

This keeps things fair and reduces risk without blaming anyone.

Where this is heading in Australia

The Bunnings decision shows how quickly the conversation around retail facial recognition and crime prevention is evolving, as long as customer notification and other conditions are met.

At the same time, the privacy scrutiny around facial recognition shows that retailers can face serious consequences if they don’t handle biometric data properly.

That mix of “momentum” and “risk” is exactly why small retailers should prepare carefully, not rush.

Next step: strengthen your POS and loss-prevention basics

You don’t need to wait for AI security systems to arrive for your business before you take action. Start by using your Point of Sale (POS) system to tighten stock control, improve reporting, and identify your highest-risk products and times.

If you want help, book a demo and we’ll show you how a modern POS can support smarter loss prevention today (inventory insights, staff permissions, exception reporting), and keep your store ready for future camera and AI integrations when the market catches up.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

Stephen Ferguson's recent article is worth your time because it explains publicly, in plain language, why Australia's digital payments system is fundamentally unfair. With the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) now nearing a final decision on merchant card payment costs and surcharging, the timing of this conversation couldn’t be more important.

As someone who supplies and consults for small businesses, I spend a lot of time listening to owners talk about rising costs, shrinking margins, and "death by a thousand fees." I’ve helped my clients save significant amounts on their EFTPOS and credit card fees simply by auditing their systems. Our thoughts on the RBA matter are in our submission here.

What I liked about Ferguson's article is that it puts a spotlight on a problem many retailers can’t easily see from behind the counter: the hidden mechanics of these fees. However, from a supplier's perspective, there are a few points I need to add to the debate.

The Great Rewards Rip-Off

The most glaring issue in our payment system is the deep unfairness of who actually pays for consumer rewards. It is completely unjust that every day, merchants are forced to foot the bill for the luxury benefits enjoyed by premium credit card users.

When a customer taps a high-tier credit card, they earn frequent flyer points, airline lounge passes, and free international travel insurance. But the credit card company does not pay for those perks. You do.

In reality, processing a rewards credit card can be three to five times more expensive than a basic debit transaction. If you are on a "blended" merchant rate, you are actively subsidising these premium costs every time a customer pays with their own money via debit.

I doubt consumers will save much

As the RBA decision looms, you will see big headlines about a surcharge ban "saving consumers," with figures like $1.2 billion a year being thrown around.

Personally, I am highly sceptical that most shoppers will actually feel that in their weekly budget. As I stated in our recent industry submission, these massive processing costs will not just vanish. If merchants are forced to absorb them, those costs will inevitably be passed on to higher shelf prices and greater bank fees elsewhere in the system.

What I’d add to the article

While Ferguson champions Least Cost Routing (LCR), we need to acknowledge that Dynamic LCR is not consistent across banking providers, and that is a massive problem.

The banks use entirely different types of LCR—such as "binary" or "threshold" routing—and these older methods do not deliver the same financial outcome for small businesses as true, real-time Dynamic LCR. Just because one bank states it has "LCR enabled" does not mean it operates the same way as another bank's system. This lack of standardisation desperately needs to be addressed.

Furthermore, we cannot ignore the rapid rise of premium debit cards, like Platinum Visa or Mastercard debit options. These cards offer consumer rewards, but they still only cost merchants around 0.5% to 1% to process. Why should they be lumped into the same high-fee bucket as premium credit cards?

Take Action and Protect Your Margins

I would not suggest waiting around, hoping the RBA or the big banks will voluntarily fix a system that is currently so profitable for them. You need to protect your own margins right now.

I strongly recommend you contact your EFTPOS or credit card provider this week and ask them these three specific questions:

• Am I currently on a blended rate?
• Do you provide true, real-time Dynamic LCR, and is my terminal actively using it?
• Can you provide a monthly report showing the percentage of my eligible debit transactions routed via the lowest-cost network?

Have a read of Ferguson's article when you get a chance, and let me know what you think in the comments below. Have you checked your LCR status recently?

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

Fresh fruit and vegetables are steady sellers. I like them in a shop, as people buy them in good times and tough times. While your customers might cut back on luxury items, they always need food. Integrating a fruit‑and‑veg point of sale system into your store can bring in steady foot traffic, but fresh produce also puts unexpected pressure on your operations.

Can your current setup handle it? Yes, we have many fruit shops successfully using our Point of Sale (POS) system. However, getting it right requires some planning. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the common challenges of selling fresh produce and show you practical ways to avoid headaches from day one.

Why Produce Changes Your Checkout

Most retailers run a smooth counter because the workflow is simple: scan a barcode, take payment, and print a receipt. But once fresh produce enters your inventory, that simple routine changes.

Here is what happens when you add fruit and veg to your checkout:

• Weight‑based selling: You sell many items by weight rather than per unit. This means your cashier has to take extra steps before they even know the price.
• Manual entry: A lot of loose produce has no standard retail barcode. Your staff must search a screen menu or enter a PLU (Price Look‑Up) code instead of just scanning. (As a workaround, most of our clients slap an in‑house barcode on these products.)
• The multiplier effect: Customers tend to buy several produce lines at once. If a customer buys eight produce items and each one takes 10 seconds longer than a simple barcode scan, that adds an extra 80 seconds to a single sale. Over a busy day, those seconds add up quickly.

These extra steps can affect your queue times, staff training, and overall customer satisfaction.

Choosing Trade‑Approved Scales

If you sell loose produce by weight directly to customers, the scale becomes a legal part of the sale. You must use trade‑approved scales.

In Australia, the National Measurement Institute (NMI) legally requires retailers to use their certified scales when selling by weight. A standard kitchen scale might be accurate, but you can only use it for back‑office use, not for customer transactions.

Furthermore, if you want your scale to talk seamlessly with your POS system in Australia, you need to check compatibility. Not all scales integrate smoothly with our software, so it’s best to chat with us first.

Setting Up an Efficient Counter

Once you have chosen the right scale, your next challenge is fitting it into your existing counter. This gets tricky in smaller shops. Because you must accommodate new hardware alongside your existing registers, you need to carefully measure your counter space. Alternatively, many of our clients find a hanging scale to be a great space‑saving solution.

Before you commit to a layout, do these three quick checks:

1. Measure your usable counter space.
2. Plan the “hand path” (where staff place items, where the bags sit, and where the EFTPOS terminal goes).
3. Decide if customers can see the weight and price clearly without having to lean over the counter.

A clean, logical layout reduces mistakes because your staff won’t need to juggle items awkwardly.

What a Good Setup Looks Like

In a well‑designed checkout:

• Staff places the produce on the scale just once.
• The weight transfers to the POS system, either manually or electronically.
• The cashier selects the item by scanning an in‑house barcode or by tapping a quick key.
• The POS system automatically calculates the final price, and the sale continues smoothly.

Managing PLUs and Barcodes

Produce creates a unique “product data” problem. You are not just selling new items; you are selling items with different identifiers, packaging, and pricing rules. You might even need several codes for the exact same product, which can easily cause errors at the till.

Using PLU Codes Effectively

A PLU is a short code used to quickly identify produce items. Many retail scales and produce workflows rely on PLUs and the scale’s “memory” functions to speed up the checkout.

PLUs work incredibly well, but they depend on you keeping a tidy product list. They also rely on your staff finding the right item quickly while under pressure. If you want PLUs to succeed, I strongly suggest keeping your range tight and manageable.

Barcode Challenges and Solutions

Packaged fresh items often use GS1 DataBar barcodes. These barcodes carry richer information than basic retail barcodes, and GS1 publishes clear guidelines to help you sell fresh foods efficiently. However, if your scanners are older, they might struggle to read these complex barcodes.

Additionally, standard barcodes on fresh produce are sometimes hard to read because the fruit or packaging surface is often curved, uneven, or wet. If you are struggling with supplier barcodes, printing your own in‑house labels is often the most reliable fix.

Handling Waste and Shrink

Beyond checkout efficiency, managing fresh stock is a daily balancing act. Fresh produce is time‑sensitive inventory. It will inevitably create “shrink”—meaning stock you paid for but can’t sell due to bruising, spoilage, or handling errors.

Simple Waste Tracking Tips

You need to give your staff a single, simple method for recording waste, and have them do it daily. Review your stock regularly, pull out the damaged items, and decide what to do with them.

A very popular strategy is to have a dedicated stand for quick‑sell items at markdown prices. This allows you to recover some costs before you have to throw the produce away.

Good markdown habits include:

• Marking down items at the same time each day, usually early in the morning.
• Keeping a short, clear list of eligible items for markdowns.
• Clearly marking the discounted items, for example, by drawing a coloured line on the label.

POS FAQs for Produce Retailers

Here are the most common questions small retailers ask about selling fresh produce through a Point of Sale (POS) system.

Q: Do I need “trade‑approved” scales to sell loose produce by weight?
A: Yes, if you are selling directly to customers. If you are only weighing items in the back office for your own prep, then no.

Q: What’s the difference between trade‑approved and non‑trade‑approved scales?
A: Trade‑approved scales are specifically designed, tested, and legally verified for selling goods to consumers by weight.

Q: We’re weighing items, but staff still have to type numbers into the POS. Is that normal?
A: It is very common. Fully integrated scales exist, but they are more expensive and less commonly used in smaller shops.

Q: We sell loose produce—do we need PLU codes?
A: Yes, using a PLU is the most common and efficient way to sell loose produce when there’s no barcode to scan.

Q: How do we stop staff from selecting the wrong item (e.g., standard tomatoes vs. organic tomatoes)?
A: The best way is to use in‑house barcodes where possible. Otherwise, ensure your POS descriptions are crystal clear. Be very careful with similar‑looking items; use distinct names like “Organic Tomatoes” versus “Truss Tomatoes.”

Q: What should an itemised receipt show for loose produce?
A: The receipt must clearly show the item name, the weight, and the price basis (for example, $4.99 per kg).

Q: Our barcode scanner won’t read the produce stickers from our supplier. What do we do?
A: You will likely need to print and use your own in‑house barcodes for those items.

Q: Should we start by selling pre‑packed items or loose items at the scale?
A: Pre‑packed, barcoded produce is usually the easiest way to start because it keeps your checkout fast. Loose produce offers your customers more flexibility, but it requires trade‑approved scales and a tighter integration with your POS.

Q: How often will we need to update produce prices in the system?
A: Much more frequently than other retail categories. The easiest way to stay on top of it is to set a strict routine—update prices at the same time each day or week—and make one specific staff member accountable for it.

Q: We need to clear old stock at the end of the day. How do markdowns work in a POS?
A: I suggest using markdown pricing rules on the existing item rather than creating a brand‑new “discounted” product in your system. This makes it much easier to keep your sales and inventory reports accurate.

Q: Our counter is tiny. How do we fit the POS, scale, and EFTPOS without creating a mess?
A: Look into hanging scales. They clear up valuable counter space while keeping the weight visible to both the cashier and the customer.

Ready to Streamline Your Produce Sales?

Selling fresh fruit and veg doesn’t have to slow down your checkout. With the right hardware, clear processes, and a smart software setup, you can keep your queues moving and your customers happy.

If you want to know more, reach out to us.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

Running a retail shop in Australia can pose financial challenges that even the most experienced business owners may not anticipate. One of my clients, after spending thousands reorganising the financial structure of their new shop, was told that the costs were not tax-deductible. Actually, they were claimable as Blackhole expenditures, but it was a problem they did not expect. It paid them to get a second opinion from me 

They’re real business capital expenses like legal fees or feasibility studies that don’t produce something you can touch or easily depreciate. Because of that, they can feel like money disappearing into a financial Blackhole.

What is Blackhole expenditure ATO?
Blackhole expenditure refers to specific expenses that are neither tax deductible for a business under the general deduction rules nor otherwise recoverable as the cost of a depreciating asset or CGT asset. Such expenditure may be claimed over a 5-year period if they satisfy certain criteria.

Retailers often miss these costs on their tax returns, since, say, a Point of Sale (POS) system is tangible. A payment for a shop fit-out plan that you never built isn't. Let’s look at why these differences matter and how to manage them effectively.

What Is Blackhole Expenditure?

Under Australian tax law, Blackhole expenditure refers to capital costs that can't be deducted elsewhere and don’t form part of a tangible asset’s value. They’re legitimate and often essential for your business to function or expand, but they don’t fit the usual depreciation or immediate deduction rules.

For example:

• Buying a new display fridge gives you a clear physical asset—easy to account for.
• Paying a lawyer to draft a partnership agreement gives you only paperwork. It’s essential, but it doesn’t create a depreciable asset, so it falls into the Blackhole expenditure category.

Common Blackhole Expenses in Retail

These costs often appear at three stages of a retail business journey:

Store Setup and Legal Fees

Before you even make your first sale, bills start piling up. Business name registrations, legal contract drafting, and trust or company setup costs are classic Blackhole expenditures. Without these, you can’t operate—but they don’t result in a tangible asset.

Failed Expansion or Planning

Sometimes research or consulting leads nowhere. Perhaps you pay a deposit for a shop fit to open a second shop, then cancel the project. You have nothing to show for it. These non-productive outlays are Blackhole costs.

Business Restructuring

As your shop grows, you might transition from a sole trader to a company for liability or tax reasons. The accounting and legal fees involved don’t create an asset, but they do qualify as Blackhole expenditure.

Your Five‑Year Deduction Safety Net

Thankfully, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) now recognises these situations, as you can sometimes deduct eligible Blackhole expenditure evenly over five years, provided it’s not otherwise deductible.

Example: If you lose a $10,000 deposit on a shop fit above because you cancel the project, you may claim $2,000 each year for the next five years. It’s a slower recovery, but better than nothing.

To qualify, you need to keep detailed records showing the expense was genuinely incurred in running or establishing your business.

Blackhole Costs vs. Tangible Capital Assets

Physical assets, like shelving or POS terminals, generally qualify for faster, depreciation‑based deductions or even instant write‑offs. Blackhole expenses don’t, because there’s nothing physical to depreciate.

If you can reasonably classify a cost under another depreciation rule, you'll usually gain faster tax relief. However, be careful as misclassifying an expense can cause problems. When in doubt, get professional advice.

The Instant Asset Write‑Off Advantage

What we suggest is that if you qualify as an SMB business with an annual turnover below $10 million, you can often take advantage of the $20,000 instant asset write‑off, which is valid through to 30 June 2026. It lets you immediately deduct the full cost of eligible physical assets if you qualify.

Some expenses, such as legal or accounting costs to set up a new business or register with ASIC, may also be immediately deductible if they relate directly to establishing a business, but unfortunately not for a business restructure. Always check this with your accountant before claiming.

Smart Expense Planning for Retailers

Blackhole expenditure often sneaks up when projects don’t go as planned. Before committing large sums, consider how each expense fits into your long‑term strategy. Ask some extra questions:

• Does this create a tangible asset I can depreciate?
• Is there a way to structure this so it qualifies for faster deduction treatment?
• Most importantly, what happens if this project doesn’t go ahead?

Seek Professional Advice

Tax law is detailed, highly qualified and tightly regulated. While this will provide you with a practical overview, you should always seek advice from a qualified tax professional before making claims, something I am not and do not pretend to be.

Key Takeaways

• Blackhole expenditure covers necessary business capital costs that don’t produce tangible assets.
• You can typically deduct these under Section 40‑880, spreading the deduction evenly over five years.
• If your business closes or is sold before the five‑year period ends, you may lose these deductions.
• The $20,000 instant asset write‑off applies to physical depreciating assets, not intangible costs.
• Keep detailed records and plan ahead to minimise wasted spending.
• Always consult a professional before claiming Blackhole deductions.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

If you run a local shop or community business, imagine walking into your store and hearing your very own theme song playing — created in minutes and completely free. Google's Gemini app now lets you generate a theme song with a simple text prompt or even a photo, complete with lyrics and a video image. In this guide, I'll show you how to use it step by step, share ready prompt examples, and explain the rules so you can use the music in-store and on social media.

What is it and why should you care?

It's called Lyria 3, a computer-generated music creator now rolling out in the Gemini app. It quickly creates a music track and lyrics for your song.

For retailers, the value is simple: you can test small bits of branding and marketing without paying an agency or a music band. What I like is that you can make it feel local and personal.

Here's what it can produce right now:

• Text to track: You describe a genre, mood, and scenario, and it creates music and vocals.
• Photo/video to track: You upload an image or video, and Gemini matches the mood with a soundtrack. Note: I haven't had much luck with this in the current Australian release yet; I suspect it's a bit more advanced in the US version, where the documentation comes from.
• A finished file you can download to share, with cover art.

Prompt tip that actually works: Start with “create", "write", or “compose", then add genre + mood + what the song is about.

How to create music step by step

This is the easiest way I found to do it now.

What you'll need:

• A Google account, signed in.
• To be 18+.
• “Keep Activity” turned on.
• A desktop or laptop helps, because the feature is rolling out gradually on mobile and may not appear for everyone yet.

Steps (desktop):

1. Go to https://gemini.google.com on your computer.
2. Click Tools below the text box.
3. Click Create music.
4. (Optional) Upload an image or video for extra context. This may not work yet; it's in the documentation, but it didn't for me.
5. Type a prompt to generate your 30-second track.
6. Download it using the buttons on the track card.

Example prompts you can copy:

“Create an upbeat folk song for a friendly local newsagency: warm community feel, magazines, cards, gifts, and a cheerful chorus.”

“Create a country and western song for our local pet shop: Where Every Pet is Family.”

Ways to use it without overthinking

You don't need a “perfect” song for this to be useful. You just need something that fits the moment and gives customers a reason to smile or share.

Here are practical ways I'd use it for a typical Aussie shop:

• In-store atmosphere: Generate a light seasonal track for school holidays, Easter, or footy finals and play it quietly (where appropriate for your shop and customers).
• Social posts that stand out: A 30-second clip with a custom jingle can outperform yet another still image of “new stock has arrived", because it feels more human and unexpected.
• Local community content: Create a “welcome back to school” tune, or a short “thank you” track after a community fundraiser weekend.

A simple rule: keep it fun, short, and clearly “you".

Newsagency prompts (copy/paste)

Try these exactly as written, then tweak one detail at a time (genre, mood, instruments, or theme).

• “Compose a cinematic theme for a newsagency's new magazine wall reveal: big, uplifting, modern, catchy chorus.”
• “Create a rock ’n’ roll hype track for back-to-school stationery: energetic, family-friendly, fun hook.”
• “Write a warm country song about a friendly local newsagency full of cards, gifts, and books: storytelling style, gentle tempo.”
• “Create an upbeat pop jingle for footy finals: community vibe, quick chorus, big finish.”
• “Write a cheerful birthday song for a loyal customer who loves puzzles and books: sweet, simple lyrics, light acoustic instruments.”

A real example (and what it taught me)

I tested it by feeding it my business story: "POS Solutions company has empowered thousands of small and medium-sized retailers across Australia with reliable, industry-specific Point of Sale software and hardware. Since 1983, we've specialised in retail sectors including newsagencies, pet shops, and pharmacies, helping our clients streamline operations, boost sales, and adapt to an evolving digital landscape."

I experimented with a few different music styles before deciding on “cinematic,” as I like a bold, dramatic sound. I then told it I wanted music and a song by a powerful diva singer. After a few attempts and redos, I then changed the music styles and see what you think. Please let me know which one you liked best.

Digital Dawn

Use your POS system data to write better prompts

Here’s the clever part: on your Point of Sale (POS) system, you already have the best content prompts sitting in your sales history. Your POS data tells you what customers actually buy, and when they buy it, so your marketing can match reality, not guesswork.

Use your POS system to spot patterns, then turn those patterns into short music ideas:

• Father's Day spike: If cards lift then, write a Father’s Day jingle and schedule it for your Facebook page.
• Christmas build-up: If gifts and books surge in December, create a “gift inspiration” song to start the momentum.
• Seasonal magazine demand: If a title sells strongly during footy season, generate a short “finals time” track and post it with the display.

This is the practical link between back-of-house operations and front-of-shop marketing: your POS system tells you what to promote.

Commercial use

For casual in-store use or social posts, you’re generally in low-risk territory — just follow Google’s Terms and policies. Google says the music generation is “designed for original expression” with filters that check outputs against existing content.

Two practical points matter most:

• SynthID watermark: Google embeds an imperceptible digital watermark in tracks to identify them as AI-generated.
• You can verify audio: Upload an audio file to Gemini and ask if it was created or edited by Google AI, and it will check for SynthID. So don't lie and say you wrote it; as people can see Google did, you can, however, say truthfully that you created and edited the idea many times and shaped much of the arrangement and music style.

Ready to try it?

If you don't see “Create Music” yet, it may still be rolling out to you, its really new.

Go to https://gemini.google.com on your computer

Click Tools → Create music,

Test a prompt with something current, revise it a few times to get something you like and post it to Facebook or Instagram.

Then see what your clients think.

Then let me know, as I am very interested in using technology to improve SMBs.

Happy music creation.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

I reviewed the latest RBA Economic Snapshot this morning, and it said a lot. On the surface, our economy grew by 2.1%. That sounds acceptable, but Australia has experienced 1.5% population growth. The math is simple but scary. When you subtract the population increase (1.5%) from the economic growth (2.1%), real economic growth per person is just 0.6%. Now add that Inflation (3.8%) is currently running higher than Wage Growth (3.4%), and we are down to almost zero (0.2%). Before you think that's bad for your shop, not necessarily, read on.

If you want to review the figures yourself or run RBA comparisons, you will find them here. One trap with the comparisons is to check the dates for each comparison, as the RBA provides the latest available figure, which may be well off the date you are looking at. 

More People, Less Money

What does this mean for your shop? It means more people are buying but the average customer walking into your store doesn't have more money to spend than they did last year.

The Retail Reality Check:

See what is happening in your shop, review your POS System, and compare revenue and basket size. These figures suggest that many of you will find that you are serving more customers to maintain the same profit. In other words, you are working harder for the same result. If you want to know how to check your basket size and some ideas on how to improve the basket size click here.

The “Mortgage Belt” Squeeze

The Cash Rate is sitting at 3.85%. Historically, people might say, “That's not high.” People my age can remember the 17% days in the 70s and 80s. But that is a dangerous assumption. Today's mortgages are much larger than they were then. A 3.85% rate today sucks a huge amount of cash out of the local economy. Every dollar your customer hands to the bank for their mortgage is a dollar they cannot spend in your shop.

We can also see that the Household Saving Ratio is good (6.4%). It indicates that your customers have money but are worried. They are choosing to hoard cash for a rainy day rather than spend it on non-essentials. They aren’t broke; they are just scared.

Labour Market

The unemployment rate is 4.1%. This is okay, but see that new job creation is slowing.

• The Good News: It should be slightly easier for you to find casual staff than it was a year ago.
• The Dubious News: It can be argued, depending on how you think, that your labour costs are still rising or about the same if you take inflation into account. You decide.

Strategic Takeaways: How to Win

Leverage the “Stay-at-Home” Economy

In this environment, big-ticket purchases suffer. People will put off buying new furniture or taking expensive trips. If you are not in this type of business, the situation might actually be good for you: when times are tough, and people still have money, they still want to treat themselves. The trip is gone, but they will still buy a $25 paperback book or a gift. It is a guilt-free dopamine hit that fits in their budget. Market yourself as the budget-friendly alternative.

The “Grandparent Economy”

While Mum and Dad are hammered by mortgages, don't forget the grandparents. They often own their homes outright and are unaffected by interest rates. They are the “shadow economy” of your newsagency. Make sure your kids' toys, books, and art supplies are front and centre for them. They are still willing to spend on the grandkids even when parents can't.

Protect the “Obligatory” Spend

People might stop buying for themselves, but they rarely stop buying for others. Your Greeting Cards and Gift lines are your recession-proof anchor. Today, people will often buy a premium card to “elevate” a cheaper gift. It makes a $20 gift look like a $30 gesture.

Get Traffic

Today, more customers are rushing past your shop. You need to break that rush. Place low-cost, high-impulse items (such as children's magazines or clearance books) at the entrance. Offer them a low-risk, high-reward treat that doesn't require a finance plan.

Your POS System can tell you the truth

Do you know if your basket size is dropping, or are you just guessing? Do you know what is happening in your shop? The only way to find out is in your shop, in your POS System.

Data is your best weapon.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

Managing a retail business in Australia now requires financial agility. While many shops start with a single bank account, growth often demands juggling funds across multiple institutions to secure the best loans and merchant rates.   However, without a central information centre, this strategy can cause issues. Over the years in retail, I've seen the challenges owners face when reconciling transfers across different banks. It's called Banking Chaos, but it's easier to use our POS System.

Why Multiple Accounts Are Happening

Retailers rarely choose this complexity; business necessity drives it.

1. Smart Financing Requires Flexibility

We all need a business loan at some point in our ventures. Different institutions offer various interest rates and terms. Often, the best financing deal may not come from our current bank. If we choose a better offer, we need to open a secondary account solely for loan disbursements.

2. EFTPOS Savings

We all want to save on merchant fees. Sometimes, a third-party EFTPOS provider offers a much better rate or service than your main bank. To get that 0.5% saving or faster transaction processing, you often need to settle funds into a specific account provided by the EFTPOS provider.

3. "Bucketing" for Tax and Bills

Experienced retailers often place GST, PAYG withholding, and superannuation into a separate holding account to avoid accidentally spending this money.

This leaves many retailers splitting their finances. But this doesn't have to be a major headache. You can keep it under control by using your point-of-sale system as your financial hub, managing as many bank accounts as you need.

Separating Your Funds

Beyond external bank accounts, you also need to manage our fund allocation. Think of your revenue like a stream of water. If funds are mixed, it becomes difficult to determine the intended purpose. It looks like you have a lot of money, but a lot of that money might already be spoken for. This is a common problem with GST and lotteries.

Maintaining separate accounts simplifies your tracking for accurate cash flow analysis even if physically they sit in the same account.

Centralise Control: Your POS as a Financial Dashboard

This is where a modern POS system shines. It acts as your central dashboard. It doesn't matter how complex your banking is in the real world; your software should make it as simple as possible.

Our system allows you to define all these different accounts, loans, savings, trading, and tax holding rights in the setup.

Receipting to the Right Landing Spot

When a customer pays at your counter, our system allows you to receive the payment to the specific bank account the funds will be deposited into.

If they pay using a specific card terminal that settles into Bank A, the POS System records the payment for Bank A. If they pay cash and you deposit it into Bank B, the system records it as a Bank B deposit. This means your records match reality in real time.

How to Set Up Accounts in Your POS

We have designed this to be as painless as possible. Adding a new bank account or a new "bucket" to your POS system is quick.

1. Navigate: Go to the main menu and select "Bank Accounts."
2. Add New: Click the green "+ Add" button.
3. Details: Enter the details. This serves as your label. You might name one "NAB Trading" and another "Lottery Holding." You can add BSB and account numbers for your own reference.
4. Repeat: Do this for every distinct place money lands or needs to be tracked.

That is all there is to it!

The Result: Total Financial Flexibility

The POS stores these details securely. You can access any linked account at any time.

With the ability to add unlimited accounts and switch between them at will, your POS software makes managing your business banking easier.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

Your retail work does not end just because the Valentine’s Day 2026 rush is over. While the roses have wilted, effective post-holiday analysis is critical for maximising future profits. While the February 16 rush is over, some customers are still purchasing what remains. Control your instinct to pack away the displays and immediately shift your focus to Easter. Also, you need to determine what went right and what went wrong for Valentine’s Day.

Here is how to effectively measure your Valentine’s Day 2026 performance.

1. The “Hangover” Period: Don’t Pack Up Yet

First, a tactical reminder: keep your displays up. Many Valentine's Day purchases are impulsive or made at the last minute. We often see a “long tail” of sales from people who forgot the date or are celebrating a bit later.

Action: Maintain a condensed Valentine’s display for another week.

Opportunity: This is the prime time for bargain hunters. Use this period to clear leftover stock immediately rather than storing it. Cash in the till today is better than dead stock in a box for 12 months.

While you clear the physical floor, it is time to turn your attention to the digital footprint left by yesterday’s shoppers.

Once the physical floor is sorted, you must shift focus to the hard data sitting in your POS system.

2. Year-on-Year: The 2026 Reality Check

You cannot improve what you do not measure. Go to your POS system and run a comparison report for February 14, 2026, versus February 14, 2025.

Do not look at the total revenue figure alone. Drill down into specific departments that drive our local traffic, specifically Cards, Gifts, and Books.

Did you beat last year? If so, was it driven by higher transaction counts (more people) or by what many reported as a higher average transaction value?

3. Strategic Metrics: Moving Beyond Revenue

The following KPI metrics tell you how well you sold it.

Gross Profit (GP) Contribution vs. Floor Space

Did your Valentine’s display earn its rent? First, measure the length of your seasonal display. Next, compare the GP dollars generated by that space against your standard mix, such as stationery. If the love hearts didn’t outperform the ballpoints, that space was wasted. You might need to condense the footprint next year to maximise return on investment.

Revenue Per Rostered Hour

Review your roster for February 13th and 14th. Calculate your total revenue divided by the total labour hours paid.

If your revenue per hour was too low, you may have over-rostered. If it was too high, you likely burnt out your team and missed sales due to long queues. Sustainable labour costs are key to long-term viability.

4. Inventory Forensics: Audit Your Valentine’s Stock

Every item left on your shelf tells a story.

The “Sold Out” Items

These are your most expensive mistakes. If you ran out of specific card captions (e.g., “Wife” or “Husband”) by 2 PM, you capped your own revenue. Plan to increase these specific lines next year.

The Leftovers

These items highlight what did not resonate. Was it the price point? The design? Make a note now. If you are left with too many red candles, do not repeat the order in 2027.

Dead Stock Audit

Use this post-event lull to run a store-wide dead stock report. Identify items that haven’t moved in six months. Clear this inventory to free up cash flow for higher-margin categories like gifts or new book releases.

5. Staff Performance: The Human Element

Did your team handle the pressure? Review your employee. Identify who did well on that day and who struggled. Use this data to plan your Easter rostering.

Summary

The difference between a “busy day” and a “profitable day” is data. By moving away from habit-based buying and using evidence to guide your decisions, you ensure your business remains valuable and relevant.

Key Takeaways for Next Year:

• Measure: Compare specific dates (Feb 14) and departments (Cards/Gifts).
• Analyse: Look at GP per square meter and labour efficiency.
• Act: Clear dead stock now and document “sold out” items for future ordering.

Checklist Contents:

7 Comprehensive Sections:

• The Hangover Period – Display maintenance and clearance priorities
• Year-on-Year Comparison – POS data tracking for 2025 vs. 2026
• Strategic Metrics – GP per sq. meter and labour efficiency calculations
• Inventory Forensics – Sold-out items, leftovers, and dead stock audit
• Staff Performance – Review how your employee behaved

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

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Valentine’s Day is almost here. Consider setting up a pet display now, or you might miss a good opportunity. This may sound counterintuitive, but over the last 15 years, we have seen a massive change in consumer behaviour. Industry data and our sales analysis show a significant increase in pet spending among consumers celebrating Valentine’s Day. Today, many purchase gifts for their pets, and most of those are on impulse, right at the last minute.

This Trend is Real (and Accelerating)

Our industry data confirms this isn’t a fad. In 2020, we estimated that approximately 20% of consumers purchased Valentine’s Day gifts for pets. Other POS Companies do not see it, but we do, thanks to our unique ability to analyse big data. Today, when I checked, I saw projections for 2026 indicate this has risen notably to about 35%.

Experts say this growth is stimulated by the “humanisation” of pets. As birth rates decline and people delay having children, owners increasingly view their pets as family members deserving of holiday recognition. In Australia specifically, engagement is often even higher, with some surveys suggesting up to 80% of pet owners buy gifts for their “fur babies”.

The Opportunity for Your Location

This is where your specific location might come in handy. If you are in a family-oriented hub or suburban centre, you have a distinct advantage over big stores, as your customers are likely already in your shopping centre purchasing their weekly groceries. They are in “chore mode,” but they are also seeking small emotional boosts. This presents a clear opportunity to leverage your greeting card and gift sections to drive impulse purchases.

If you sell gift lines, adding small, low-cost pet items serves as an easy “add-on” for these customers. These people are unlikely to make a special trip to a pet warehouse to buy a $10 toy for their pets, but they may buy while lining up for the Superdraw ticket this week. $80 million is quite a drawcard. Do not underestimate the draw power of the lotto in a shop.

What You Can Do Today (Using Existing Stock)

You don’t have time to order new stock. You need to merchandise what you have to capitalise on this pet economy immediately.

1. Greeting Cards: The “From” Factor

Prominently display pet-related cards. The ones I like are:

• For the Pet: (e.g., “To My Dog”).
• From the Pet: These are working and becoming increasingly popular. Find any cards that say “Happy Valentine’s Day, Dad, Love the Dog” and move them to eye level.

2. Books: Highlight Pet Titles

Don’t leave pet books in the hobby section. Move them to the front counter display.

• Cookbooks: Look for titles on dog treats
• Stories: Heartwarming titles for pet lovers.

3. Gifts: The Counter Impulse

Since you sell gift lines, consider adding small, low-cost pet items, such as plush toys or treats, near the POS system. These serve as easy impulse buys. If you have any red plush toys, heart-shaped items, or small curios, re-purpose them as “Pet Gifts” with a simple handwritten sign.

Why This Category is “Safe”

This segment is resilient. Even when consumers cut back on other discretionary spending, they often continue to treat their pets. It is a safe category for your store to expand into because the “guilt factor” of leaving the dog out is a compelling motivator.

Use Your POS to Track the Rush

Even at this late stage, your POS system remains vital.

• Watch the Velocity: Keep an eye on your sales reports over the next 48 hours. If the “From the Dog” cards are selling out, move the remaining stock to the absolute front of the rack.
• Capture the Data: Ensure these sales are recorded correctly now so that next year, you aren’t guessing—you’ll have hard data on exactly how big the “fur baby” rush was in your specific suburb.

It’s not too late. The customers are walking past your door right now. Put the dog books on the counter, flag the pet cards, and capture additional sales.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

I was reading when two men posing as delivery drivers tried to bust into a coin shop in Clayfield, Queensland, with hammers last month. They hit the owner with a hammer, and the 68-year-old owner, Andrew, was quickly fighting for his life. Check the video. He barely managed to push them out. Then he grabbed a machete to defend himself. He was lucky his neighbours heard the commotion and rushed over to help. When the offenders saw the neighbours, they fled.

Unfortunately, many shop owners will not get that chance. There were 800,000 retail crime incidents in 2025. Violent events jumped 66% year-on-year.

Now, What If No One Heard You?

Thieves look for when you are most vulnerable. They will try to ensure no one is close enough to hear them. For many shop staff, that's the real risk. With retail crime involving weapons up 66% in 2025, say they are working late when someone suddenly threatens them, shouting may not bring help quickly enough.

You need a way to call for help. Most phones have emergency buttons. They are, in practice, cumbersome to use. You have to reach for the phone, find the right spot, and send an alarm. For this reason, few set it up.

The "Better Than Nothing" Reality Check

Let’s be honest: a dedicated, professionally monitored, hidden silent alarm from a security company is the gold standard. Many security providers also offer residential security and fire alarms. If you have the budget for a 24/7 security team watching your back, stick with it. It is the best protection money can buy.

But for many independent shops, that ongoing expense is hard to justify. Does that mean you should go unprotected? Absolutely not.

This is where your POS System panic button fits in. It is infinitely better than being isolated with no way to signal for help. It bridges the gap, ensuring that even without a security contract, you are never truly facing a threat alone.

Don't Have Emergency Protection Yet?

Setting up an emergency alert button in our POS software is easy. Once set up, it sits in the cash register and sends instant SMS or email alerts to your nominated contacts when activated.

Using a Retail Panic Button Inside Your POS System Offers Distinct Advantages

• It’s Discreet: Most of the time people are in front of the POS System, they quick press a button and its sent.
• It’s Always There: You can't lose it, and it never runs out of batteries. As long as your POS system is on, your protection is active.
• Faster Response: In a confrontation, every second feels like a minute. Because you are already facing the screen, you can trigger the alert instantly without moving your feet.

How Retail Emergency Alert Systems Work in Your POS

Here is how our POS-integrated feature works in practice:

1. The Trigger: On your POS sales screen, there is a dedicated, discreet button.
2. The Silent Action: When you press the button, the screen does not flash or make a noise. To the customer (or the thief), it looks like nothing happened. However, in the background, the system immediately sends a digital "duress" signal via your internet connection.
3. The Response: Your nominated contacts, such as the business owner, a manager, or neighbouring shop, receive an instant notification (via SMS or email) that the duress alarm at "Register 1" has been activated. They can then call 000 or come to check on you.

Practical Tips for POS Safety

To get the most from your panic button for small business safety, follow these simple tips:

• Staff Training: Train your staff to know where the button is on the screen. Make sure they know when to use it.
• Network Checks: You need a decent internet connection to make it work.
• Test the system regularly: Run a test alert regularly to make sure it works.

These simple steps ensure your system works when it matters.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

We all store confidential information on our computers. For example: supplier pricing lists, customer contact details, payroll information, private and business documents, etc. Too many underestimate how easily this sensitive information can fall into the wrong hands, especially on shared devices that most businesses now rely on. Think about it: to keep your POS system running, you probably have staff and repair technicians accessing it many times. Each of them has plenty of opportunities to access it, and today it only takes them a moment. This has been a problem for years, and our preferred solution is VeraCrypt.

Everyday Data Risks in Your Store

In most retail businesses today, information in the system is shared with many people, including staff. While this is great for the business, it creates weak points in your data security. Here are some everyday risks you face:

• Employees snooping through documents on back-office PCs.
• Unattended computers are often left unlocked while you're busy serving customers on the shop floor.
• Stolen devices from your office, car, or home.

These risks mean even honest mistakes or casual curiosity can expose confidential information. That's where a simple tool like VeraCrypt provides a safety net, even when devices slip out of your control.

What VeraCrypt Is and How It Works

At POS Solutions, we've recommended VeraCrypt for years as one of the simplest and most effective tools for securing confidential retail data. How can you keep your information secure in your business?

VeraCrypt is a free, open-source program that protects your privacy.

You can think of it like a digital safe on your device. You simply drag your private files into it, such as staff wages, supplier price lists, agreements, customer lists, and financial spreadsheets. Without your password, no one can open or read a single file inside. Even if a curious staff member tries to get in or a thief steals your laptop, they see only a locked, meaningless file. Your business secrets remain encrypted and safe. Only you can read it. If I were on the front computer and you were on the back computer, you could read this information, but I could not.

How VeraCrypt Protects Your Retail Business

VeraCrypt delivers practical protection tailored to retailers. Here's how it helps you every day:

• Stops staff snooping: Without the password, no one, not even tech-savvy employees, can access the encrypted volume.
• Prevents accidental access: Leave your computer safely. Files stay invisible and locked until you mount the volume.
• Guards against theft: If your laptop, back-office PC, or USB drive is stolen, thieves can't access customer data, bank details, or private documents because they remain encrypted.
• No IT skills needed: A simple setup wizard guides you. Secure your data without hiring expensive tech support.

These features mean you can share devices confidently while keeping critical information private.

A Real-World Example

There are two prominent court cases that demonstrate its mathematical resilience.

1. The Brazilian Banker Case (Operation Satyagraha)

The Target: Daniel Dantas, a Brazilian banker, was suspected of financial crimes.

The Incident: In 2008, Brazilian police seized five hard drives from his apartment during a raid. The drives were fully encrypted using TrueCrypt (older version of VeraCrypt).

The Effort: The Brazilian National Institute of Criminology (INC) attempted to crack the drives for five months using dictionary attacks but was unsuccessful. They then enlisted the FBI for assistance. The FBI spent 12 months attempting to break the encryption, but ultimately admitted defeat and returned the drives to Brazil still locked.

2. The "Philadelphia Police" Case (Francis Rawls)

The Target: Francis Rawls, a former police sergeant suspected of possessing illicit material.

The Incident: In 2015, Philadelphia police seized his devices, including two hard drives encrypted with TrueCrypt/VeraCrypt.

The Effort: Forensic examiners from the Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory (RCFL) and, potentially, federal partners attempted to decrypt the drives but were unsuccessful. They could not brute-force the password.

The Outcome: Unlike in the Brazilian case, the U.S. legal system invoked the All Writs Act to order Rawls to unlock the drives. He refused, pleading the Fifth Amendment. The court held him in civil contempt and jailed him for more than 4 years (he was released in 2020), during which he never unlocked the drives. The government never accessed the data.

Based on this, VeraCrypt is very secure.

Let us get started with VeraCrypt

Give me a call if you have any problems or want some pointers.

Get VeraCrypt from its official website here. It's free and easy to set up.

1. Install VeraCrypt and launch it.
2. Create a new volume and select a size, such as 4GB, for your files.
3. I prefer the default AES encryption. Then set a strong, unique password of at least 12 characters (20 is better) that includes letters, numbers, and symbols.
4. Once mounted, it will appear as a new drive letter (e.g., I:).
5. Move your sensitive files in. Work as usual, but now your private files stay under lock and key.
6. Once finished, dismount it to end.
7. Always back up your volume header (VeraCrypt shows you how) in case of issues.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even simple tools like VeraCrypt work best with good habits.

• Weak passwords: Avoid "password123". This is the first thing that a hacker will try; in the example above, that is what the Brazilian National Institute of Criminology (INC) did. Pick something like your wedding song and year. 
• Suspicious filenames for the vault: Avoid names that will stand out, using something like "Mr Piper - The Proud Princess.AVI".
• Forgetting backups: You still need to back up the file. 
• Leaving volumes mounted: Always dismount when stepping away; this only takes seconds.
• No recovery plan: Note your password in a secure location. If you lose your password, you have lost the files and no one can get them back.

Follow these, and VeraCrypt becomes a reliable daily shield.

Boost Your Overall Retail Cybersecurity

VeraCrypt is one piece of a strong defence. Combine it with these quick wins:

• Lock computer screens after 5 minutes of idle time.
• Staff should not use work PCs for personal use.
• Update antivirus regularly.
• Review the Australian retail cybersecurity checklist for more information.

These steps take little time but pay off big.

VeraCrypt vs. BitLocker

I know I am going to get questions as why I prefer VeraCrypt to BitLocker. I have tested them both and both are very good, why I prefer VeraCrypt:

Here are some Key Differences

Who Holds the Code?

• VeraCrypt: Only you. No backdoors, no cloud storage.

• BitLocker: Microsoft. Recovery keys are automatically backed up to your Microsoft Account by default. You need to remove this to ensure security. Its not hard, just something else you need to do.

Trust Factor

• VeraCrypt: High. Open-source code audited by independent experts.

• BitLocker: Low. Closed-source. You must trust Microsoft.

Detection

• VeraCrypt: Looks like regular information when locked, so people will find it hard to know it's there.

• BitLocker:  Easy to detect.

Employee Protection

• VeraCrypt: You must unlock it.

• BitLocker: Automatically unlocks at startup, allowing staff to access all data.

Speed

• VeraCrypt: A bit slower.

• BitLocker: Somewhat faster.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

Beyond standard navigation, I find it very useful in a mapping program to visualise the route before departure, including turn-offs and the final destination.

However, for business owners, another plus is vetting the people you are about to do business with. I might be ordering stock from a wholesaler in China or arranging delivery to a new customer I have not visited. It is invaluable to review them in advance.

Using mapping software isn't just about finding your way; it allows us to virtually “visit” a location before we commit to anything:

• Route Visualisation: I can see the destination and the immediate turn-offs well in advance.
• Logistics Verification: Can we actually deliver there? One of my clients sent a 3-tonne truck to a new customer located in a narrow, dead-end laneway. The truck could not physically fit inside.
• Due Diligence: Is this supplier legitimate? A fancy website can hide the fact that a “major distributor” is actually just a residential garage overseas, as I did. A quick check on a map reveals the truth.

To help you perform this due diligence effectively, we first tested mapping software with our POS Software back in 2009. That was a long time ago, so I decided to revisit the market to see what has changed and what is best mapping tools for retailers today.

I tested the top six free mapping tools currently available. My goal was simple: to find the best free mapping tool for my clients. Here is why most failed, and why Google Maps, the one we picked, is still the undisputed leader.

The Showdown: Consumer Apps vs. Satellite Tech

I looked at a mix of the six most highly rated mapping apps today:

• Google Maps
• Apple Maps
• Bing Maps
• Copernicus Browser
• World Imagery Wayback
• ArcGIS Viewer

I quickly rejected the professional tools: Copernicus Browser, ArcGIS Viewer, and ArcGIS World Imagery. While these are incredible pieces of technology for earth observation, they fail the retail test.

Why they don't work for you:

• Blurry Resolution: You can't see the loading dock or front door; you just see a grey smudge.
• No Data: I could not see the building well. They are not designed for this use.
• No Routing: You can’t ask them for driving directions.

You can safely ignore these professional tools for retail purposes.

The “Big Three” Comparison

This is where the real battle lies.

1. Google Maps: The Undisputed King

Years ago, we integrated Google Maps into our POS software. It was a move that compelled our competitors to emulate us; rather than doing their own research, they simply copied our approach. We used it because it worked the best. Today, I feel Google Maps remains the best all-rounder for business use, and it comes down to three key factors.

• Street View Verification: The coverage is unmatched. You can look almost anywhere in Australia and instantly verify an address.
• The Power of “Real People” Reviews: This is Google's killer feature. Unlike Apple Maps (which is playing catch-up) or Bing, Google has a massive army of “Local Guides.” These are actual people visiting these businesses.
  • Why this matters: A supplier can fake a website, but it is much harder to fake a 5-year history of reviews from real drivers and customers. If a supplier claims to be a bustling hub but has zero reviews or user photos, proceed with caution.
  • The “area” Check: User reviews often mention specific logistical details, like “easy parking around the back” or “tight squeeze for trucks.” The client I mentioned above, whose truck couldn't fit down the lane, would likely have avoided the issue by reading the reviews first and sending a small van.
• Accessibility Data: Google allows users to update accessibility info. I find the “accessible parking” label very useful. When I took my Mum, who has limited mobility, out for dinner, knowing in advance that the restaurant had wheelchair access was very helpful.

2. Apple Maps: A Case of Form Over Function

I noticed that Apple Maps has improved significantly. Its “Look Around” feature is visually stunning, often smoother and clearer than Google’s Street View. It will certainly get you where you want to go.

However, it falls short on business intelligence.

• Missing Details: It often lacks the granular business info retailers need.
• Navigation First: Apple Maps is designed to be a great driving experience, not a research experience. It will get you there beautifully, but it won't help you, I think, to figure out who is there as effectively as Google.
• Older Info: When I tested it, I found the map data was often older than Google Maps. In one instance, the Apple image was two years old, while the Google Map was only six months old. A lot can change in two years. I also did not like that, unlike Google, it did not provide an image date.

3. Bing Maps

Bing ranks third in general use. I generally find that Google has much more information about Australia than Bing does. This is a real problem for Aussies. On the plus side it does use the google maps for business information. 

But it has one function I really liked: Bird's Eye View. Unlike standard satellite views that look straight down, Bird’s Eye looks from a 45-degree angle. This lets you see a building's height and the layout of its side entrances. If you can’t get a clear look at a supplier on Google, try Bing’s Bird’s Eye view. It might reveal a loading bay or side door that was hidden on other maps. I recommend checking it out; it is very good.

Practical Advice for Your Business

So, how should you use this in your daily operations?

Although Apple and Bing are both usable, I would recommend:

1. Stick with Google Maps as your “Database." It is the real winner for business data.
2. Look for the Human Element. Don't just look at the star rating; also consider the user comments. On the business side, for research and verification, Google remains the best in the market.

If you are using our software, here are instructions for using it integrated with our POS Software.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

Running a supplier review every now and then is fine, but we are focused on the RBA card reforms decision, which is due in March 2026. Our submission is here. Now I can guarantee you, your margins are under attack from both hidden supplier costs and the likely ban on surcharging, which will result in many of you seeing a drop in margins.

If you are not careful, your best-line costs can creep up quietly, leaving you stuck with products that no longer cover their costs. This guide shows you how to use supplier analysis and your POS system to protect profit and reduce risk.

How to do a supplier analysis

What you are looking for is a supplier that delivers strong sales and profits.

Go to register sales reports and then go to "Sales comparison by supplier"

I recommend using the previous 12 months for comparison with the last 12 months.

For the initial run, use the percentage.

Then a report like this pops up.

Try it now, it only takes a second.

Your POS system has an invaluable tool for managing supplier relationships and improving operational efficiency. I suggest running it again with absolute figures as well. 

Look at the profit figure. Today, we are seeing significant downward margin creep. This report is an excellent place to see it. Downward margin creep has many causes, often a mix of changing customer habits and supplier price shifts.

Action: Identify underperforming suppliers and address concerns directly. Then, strengthen relationships with high-performing suppliers.

Put supplier analysis first (do not use supplier loyalty)

Do not measure your supplier by how much you buy from them; instead, focus on what they deliver to your business: profit, sell-through, reliability, and support.

I think it's best that you clarify your relationship with your supplier. Understanding your position can help you tailor your approach, such as negotiating better terms and/or diversifying your supplier base.

Suppliers tend to prioritise larger retailers because of their greater spending power. This often leaves Small to Medium Business (SMB) retailers struggling to secure favourable terms. The other issue is that they know SMB retailers often lack the accounting expertise of larger chains and try to capitalise on this. You need to verify their figures. As a general rule, the information they give you is the information they want you to know. This is where your POS System is a big help, as it knows your figures and has no agenda in what it shows you.

Card payment reforms: why margin visibility matters now

A major financial change is on the horizon, making it urgent to know your margins.

With the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) due to make its final decision on card payment reforms in March 2026, you should prepare for a likely change: that you will almost certainly be banned from adding surcharges on debit cards, and possibly credit cards too.

If surcharging is banned, the impact is immediate:

• Merchant fees become a direct business cost rather than a pass-through to the customer.
• Shelf prices must rise to cover this gap.
• Safe pricing becomes impossible if you don’t know your exact margins right now.

You cannot make safe pricing decisions if you don’t know your exact profit numbers by product and supplier.

Verify the “margin help” promises.

Some suppliers are already aware of these changes and may promise to adjust their pricing structures to increase your margin to cover these costs. Do not just take their word that they will do this they do not tend to see it as you lose a percent but that they have an extra percent. You must verify that this actually happens, because based on past experience, I rarely see suppliers do it, and if they do, it's only partial. If they do it, it will come through a “margin adjustment” that you need to check to ensure it delivers the extra percentage points you need.

What you should do:

• Measure your card costs: Work out exactly what you pay in merchant fees as a percentage of sales.
• Track the change: If a supplier claims they have improved your margin to cover these fees, run your “Sales Comparison by Supplier” report for the period after the change.
• Compare the reality: Did your profit margin on their line actually go up? If the data shows the margin has dropped, you are absorbing those card fees yourself and may need to raise your prices immediately to compensate.
• Document your reason: You may possibly need to justify price rises later. Knowing your data now will allow you to say: “We adjusted prices to keep the business viable as costs shifted.”

Diversify to reduce risk.

Relying on a single supplier puts your business at considerable risk, including stock shortages or price hikes. You should consider diversifying your supplier base.

The benefits of diversification are clear:

• You reduce dependency risks.
• You gain leverage in negotiations by having alternative options.
• You ensure consistent product availability.
• You have a wider selection of products.
• You’re not left stranded if one supplier faces disruptions.

Actionable Step: Use your POS system to track supplier sales performance. Could you identify which suppliers are underperforming and explore alternatives to fill gaps?

Negotiate beyond “just price”

Sometimes you may find the salesman has little flexibility on price, but they typically have room to manoeuvre on other points. Negotiation isn’t just about securing the lowest price; it is about more. Often, the seller has more flexibility than initially disclosed; you must be willing to ask.

• Quality
• Range
• Extended payment terms (e.g., 30-day credit).
• Bulk discounts or promotional pricing.
• Marketing support.
• Shipping Terms.

For example, I once told our supplier that we were going to a show. In exchange for showcasing their products, they provided me with their advanced UPS.

Conduct independent research

Suppliers may present information that benefits their agenda, but verify everything independently. Ask your customers, visit similar shops, examine the advertising, use your POS reports, and do Google searches.

I find that Amazon's top-selling lists in Australia are a valuable resource for seeing what is actually trending, regardless of what a rep tries to sell you.

These are some items to check:

• Compare sales data for similar products between Supplier A and Supplier B.
• Assess whether each supplier's margins meet your financial targets. Some suppliers hide their margins, which can be a problem.

Is your POS ready for March 2026?

We do not have much time, so don't wait for the RBA decision to catch you off guard. Log in to your POS today, run the ‘Sales Comparison by Supplier’ report, and verify your true margins before costs shift.

Don't guess your margins. POS Solutions gives you the exact reporting tools you need to negotiate with confidence.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

Cafe owners nationwide are pushing prices to $7 a cup for newsagency coffee, claiming $5–$5.50 leaves them unable to survive. Customers hate it, and many simply won't pay. For Australian newsagencies, convenience stores, and boutiques, this backlash creates a massive opportunity. You can capture frustrated caffeine seekers, boost foot traffic, and lift impulse sales on magazines, gifts, books, cards, and stationery, as they do not have the crippling cafe overheads, which are killing them. This practical guide explains the cafe crunch, why retailers might win big, and delivers a 6-step checklist to launch a profitable coffee department that complements your business.

The Cafe Cost Reality

Overall, Australia's $3.5–4B coffee market rivals the books market ($3–5B) and dwarfs the newspapers market ($2.9B). 

Yet Australian cafes today face severe economic conditions in 2026.

Labour now accounts for about 35–45% of every revenue dollar. What hurts is the weekend/public holiday penalties.

Rent/utilities take 20–25%.

Ingredients cost 20–30%

The $200k–$500k setups incur $0.30–$0.80 in depreciation per cup.

Raw flat white ingredients run ~$0.90 (beans/milk),

Full costs hit $4–$6.60

Break-Even Pressures

At $5.50 per cup, it's insufficient to cover 300–400 cups per day. They are looking at $6.50+ to survive.

The problem is that many will walk away from $7.

Why Retailers should look at this.

You skip cafe killers: no massive fit-outs, no barista wages, no seating headaches, and this position you perfectly to capture $ 7 shock shoppers, funnelling people your way for value.

The Winning Traffic Shift:

• Pre-$7: Shoppers linger at cafes, some spilling to your shop.

• Your Win: Capture an estimated 25% shift; 20–50 cups/day at $4 yields $15k–$38k extra profit yearly (70% margins).

High street newsagencies near bus stops and railway stations are in the perfect position. 

Your 6-Step Launch Checklist

Skip supplier hype. I've seen retailers thrive (and crash) on these.

1. Permissions: Can You Add Coffee Legally?

Centre leases or council rules often block food additions. Check first. 

• Action: Email: "Low-volume coffee machine as counter add-on, no seating, minimal waste."

• Reality: 1–2 sqm + 10–15amp power.

2. Price Smart: Scout Competition

Checkout the prices and availability in your area. What you are looking for is whether a $4 coffee is viable. 

3. Machine Reality

Skip pods, Aussies want proper coffee.

Check which machines are available to you. I would suggest going into a partnership with a coffee supplier. Make sure you have an exit path, even if it costs slightly more. Most coffee machine suppliers offer a trial period; make sure you take advantage of it.

4. Operations Truth

What I suggest you look at is 2 to 6 cups per hour.

Your staff will need about 30 minutes to operate the coffee machine.

Daily setup is about 5-minutes

Probably another 10 minutes for cleaning.

Waste disposal takes another 10 minutes.

5. Quality Test

For some unknown reason, coffee made with the same ingredients can taste different; you need to monitor the taste.

6. Maintenance

Please review the maintenance terms for the machine carefully. It's the biggest problem most of my customers with such machines tell me: the machine has been out for ages. Ask whether they provide replacement machines while yours is being repaired.These machines break down a lot.

Loyalty Boosts: Your Profit Multiplier

Loyalty Hack: The coffee costs $2, but customers perceive it as worth $4–$7.  That is a powerful combination.

Coffee bundles can build loyalty, such as 

• Family: coffee and a magazine

• Gift: Coffee + greeting card ($4.50).

• Reading: For newsagencies say $7 for a coffee and 30 minutes free browsing of magazines. Why not let them browse for free if they buy coffee?   They may actually buy a magazine too at the end.

Monitor your coffee sales

As with everything, monitor your coffee sales in your POS System. You need hard facts!