I've seen how helpful a good planogram can be for SMB stores. Since I've gotten questions about them, I want to share some practical tips on making a planogram.

This can:

• Optimise your shop layout.
• Boost sales.

A planogram shows:

• What products go on the shelves.
• How to arrange your products on shelves.

It makes shopping easier and, hopefully, drives more sales.

Why Planograms Matter for Retail Shops

Planograms are visual representations of your shop's layout, showing where products are placed and how they are arranged. For most of us in retail, nothing beats a planogram for visually showing what's happening in the shop.

A Cautionary Tale

Let me share a quick story. A client of mine wanted a shop fit-out. She told me that as her partner was a carpenter, he made what she wanted. He built it all right. Then she looked at the finished fit-out and said, “This is what I asked for, but not what I wanted.” A planogram could have saved her a lot of disappointment.

Uses of Planograms

• Maximising sales by product placement.
• Improving customer flow.
• Optimising shelf space.
• Enhancing visual merchandising.
• Tracking profit.
• Identifying shoplifting hotspots.
• Analysing the number of sales per area.

I've had clients whose sales have jumped by tweaking their store layout based on a well-crafted planogram.

The Great Debate on Professional Planogram Software

When I started discussing planograms, our competitors all suggested that people use professional packages. Now you can use professional software, and it's pretty reasonable. However, they did not notice that these planograms look nice and are not straightforward to make or use.

Pros and Cons of Professional Software

Professional planograms: you need to learn a lot before using them effectively. In my experience, if you're considering purchasing professional planogram software, I suggest opting for a monthly subscription. These costs are relatively reasonable; you have lost little if the package fails. Here is a decent discussion on this.

Most of us would be better off hiring someone who knows what they are doing rather than buying or renting such software.

Here would be a typical result from a professional planogram.

Here is a manual one.

A diagram of your shop with your best sellers listed as:

• Blue = Good
• Yellow = Moderate to bad
• Red = Very bad
• Blank = Zero

It visually shows the shop's sales, but there is no denying that the professional one looks better. However, I think the manual one is clearer and more useful to most SMB retailers.

Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Planogram

When making a planogram, keep it practical. You do not need to show every minor detail in the shop. What matters is including the information that helps you make decisions. A good question to ask yourself before adding any details is whether this extra information is important to you.

Step 1: Gather Your Tools

You'll need:

• A couple of large sheets of paper.
• Some grid paper.
• Pencil and eraser. A pencil's big advantage is that, unlike a pen, it's easy to rub out mistakes.
• Ruler.
• Triangle right-angle ruler.
• Ruler with shapes (circles, triangles, squares), if possible.
• Tape measure or laser distance meter, or just pace it out.

Pro tip: I prefer a laser distance meter. They're relatively cheap now, and one person can do all the measurements quickly.

Step 2: Measure Your Shop

At a minimum, your planogram should show:

• The front door and counter.
• All walls.
• All fixtures and shelves.
• Aisles and open walkways.
• Power points, pillars, or anything fixed that affects the layout.
• The main product areas or departments.

Now:

1. On grid paper, draw a rough outline of your shop.
2. Measure the largest dimension of your shop.
3. Write down this measurement on the grid paper.
4. Start at the rear of the shop and go around, measuring the outer parts. Write down every measurement.
5. Start at the rear left of the shop and measure key details from left to right.
6. Work your way to the front.
7. Double-check by measuring from front to back.

Step 3: Draw Your Layout

Start with the rough sketch to get a grip on the situation. I find it useful to draft the initial version on scrap paper, work out many of the kinks, and only then start on my actual planogram.

• Check that the measurements make sense.
• Do not kid yourself that it's all correct; assume there is something you have done wrong.

Step 4: Draw Your Final Draft

• Grab the larger paper to draw your shop layout.
• Get the larger measurement, generally the shop length first.
• Use this measurement to make a scale on your paper. Use a decent scale, for example, 1 cm = 1 metre or 2 cm = 1 metre. If you use something like 1.7 cm per metre, you are just asking for a calculation headache; use 2 cm.
• Draw the other measurements.

Pro tip: In my experience, even experts take a few attempts. If you're not doing it a lot, you may need more, and that's perfectly normal.

Step 5: Copy Your Planogram

You now have a floor plan; make many copies. Later, you'll use these for different objectives, and it will save time because all you will need to do next quarter is use this floor plan.

Step 6: Use Your Planogram

Mark on your planogram what you want to measure: dollar sales, unit sales, profit, shoplifting rates, and so on.

Select the appropriate report from your POS software, and divide the products into four groups:

• Blue = Good
• Yellow = Moderate to bad
• Red = Very bad
• Blank = Zero

Then mark the items on the planogram.

Step 7: Review and Refresh Your Planogram

A planogram is not a set-and-forget document. Once it is in use, review it. I know retailers who review it weekly, but I would suggest reviewing it quarterly. This keeps your shelf layout reflecting what customers are buying and how your range is changing.

A practical method is to review it at the start of each quarter: look at the quarter just finished, then look at the coming quarter from last year. This gives you a balanced view of recent and expected performance.

For example, at the start of Q2, run a Q1 report and compare it with last year's Q2. You may need to adjust for your future plans. That makes it easier to see which products need more or less space, and whether your current layout aligns with how customers shop.

What you will find is that you will catch issues that are easy to miss in day-to-day trading, such as slow sellers taking up too much room, fast sellers being underspaced, or seasonal lines staying on display longer than they should. A useful planogram helps you evolve as your shop does.

Conclusion

Your planogram does not have to be perfect. It does not even have to look professional. It simply has to help you see the shop more clearly and make better layout decisions. The worst hand-drawn planogram that you use is better than a polished one that sits ignored.

By taking the time to create a planogram, you're investing in your shop's future.

Happy planogramming!

FAQ

Q: What is the difference between a floor plan and a planogram?
A: A floor plan shows the physical shape of the shop, while a planogram shows how products or categories are arranged in that floor plan.

Q: What is a planogram?
A: A planogram visually represents some of your shop's features.

Q: Why do planograms matter for retail shops?
A: Planograms help people visualise what is happening in the shop. They assist in optimising space, improving customer flow, and maximising sales.

Q: Do I need professional planogram software?
A: Not necessarily.

Q: How do I start creating a planogram?
A: Start with the most significant dimension, usually the shop's length.

Q: What's the best way to measure my shop?
A: A laser distance meter is recommended because it's quick, accurate, and can be operated by one person.

Q: What should I include in the floor plan?
A: The entrance, the counters, walls, fixtures, shelves, aisles, and any fixed features that affect how the space works. I suggest adding the power points too.

Q: Where should best sellers go?
A: It depends. What is very important is that the customer notices them.

Q: How do I tell which parts of the shop are performing well?
A: A simple way is to mark areas by performance, for example, using colours to show strong, average, and weak parts of the shop.

Q: How often should I review my planograms?
A: I find in practice that for most shops, a quarterly review is a practical rhythm because it is frequent enough to catch problems without becoming a burden. In practice, what you find is that your customers do not want frequent changes.

Q: How do I know if the change was good?
A: Use your POS reports.

Q: How many attempts does it usually take to create one?
A: Even experts typically need three attempts: a rough sketch, a detailed version, and a final draft.

Q: What scale should I use when drawing one?
A: Use something that is easy to calculate.

Q: Why should I make many copies?
A: Multiple copies allow you to use the planogram for different objectives and planning purposes.

Q: Can a planogram help prevent layout mistakes?
A: A planogram can help visualise the layout before implementation, potentially avoiding costly mistakes in shop fit-outs.

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 rely on the Point of Sale (POS) system for essential ordering, staffing, and seasonal planning. Part of what we are looking for in AI is advice that may lead to ideas of what to do next, missed stock opportunities and hidden risks. What we did was benchmark several commonly used free and paid AI to see how they performed for such use. The results quite stunned us.

What Are POS System Reports Reviewed By AI?

We decided to print a sales report from our POS system and asked for an AI review. We use several newsagencies and have a sales report listing over 2 years' worth of about 100,000 items that have sold. A shop selling $500,000 a year at an average unit price of $10 per item sells 50,000 items; this is hardly what one would call a big shop. In retail, you need about 2 years of seasonal figures to compare, say, Feb this year with Feb last year. Doing that requires a lot of data; it's not just the items, but also sales quantities, prices paid, discounts given, GST, etc., and we discovered that many AI systems couldn't handle this workload.

Which AI Tool Reviews POS System Reports Best?

Going over the reports, it was found.

Meta AI, a free service, produced the most useful answer. It easily processed the massive amount of information, built useful monthly tables, and provided good stock recommendations. I was shocked that the free one did the best job.

Conversely, the remaining AI tools demonstrated common ways in which AI will underperform when faced with shop data. For instance, Gemini, which is so highly regarded, typically analyses about 50% of the information we supplied and then stops.

How Did Each AI Tool Perform?

Below is our breakdown of how the different AI tools handled the data loads from fairly small retail shops, from best to worst.

• Meta AI: This AI tool effortlessly handled massive data and provided free, actionable advice, making it the best option for major stock decisions despite missing complex margin analysis. Sample report, we got on the top.
• Claude: This model produced sensible category assignments, but its answers were too vague for ordering, so it is best used for spotting broad seasonal trends.
• Local AI: This AI excels in data security and privacy, but its analytical depth is average.
• Gemini: Nice formatting, looked nice, but broke down under the data load.
• ChatGPT: This famous AI tool figures were correct, but its reporting was pretty useless.

Note that data security is most important to you; only local AI can do that, but that is another issue for another post.

What Are the Next Steps for Retailers?

The next steps for retailers involve starting with one specific report and running it through your chosen AI tool to test its true data capacity. For example, export your heavy monthly category performance data and explicitly ask the AI to suggest three immediate merchandising changes for the shop floor.

Always verify the totals against your original Point of Sale (POS) system export before taking any physical action. We were shocked to see how badly Gemini performed here.

Conclusion

Clearly, pairing your POS system with an AI report can provide you with better information, but you need to check the results.

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.

What is much easier and quicker for retailers than sifting through a POS report to understand their data is looking at a simple visual screen. Here I will show you how to convert a standard PosBrowser report into a simple AI-generated dashboard. It is not only easier to review but also to share with others.

And it only takes minutes to do.

What Is a PosBrowser AI Dashboard?

A PosBrowser AI dashboard is a visual summary generated from an exported report that automatically turns raw figures into charts and graphs and highlights them.

Here is the basic process.

1. Run your usual report in PosBrowser and save it as a PDF. Remember the name you saved the report under.
2. Click on meta.ai.
3. Please type the + in the box and upload your PDF into an AI assistant.
4. Now ask the AI to produce a dashboard that shows the exact metrics you want, for example, if I printed out a report on stock sales by category, I might ask for a dashboard that shows the exact measures you need.

 

Create a stock valuation dashboard by department, top 20 categories, ageing stock, and sales trends over time.
 

Note: For this example, I specifically used Meta AI because it is currently free. Since most of my clients do not have paid AI accounts, I wanted to select a tool that is highly accessible to everyone. While you can use other AI platforms, Meta AI is a great starting point if you want to test this process without any extra cost.

How Do You Check an AI Dashboard Against the Original PosBrowser Report?

The AI can turn a text-heavy report into a cleaner visual summary within seconds or minutes, depending on the platform and file size. However, you must review the visual output against the original report before sharing it with staff or using it for decisions. AI does make mistakes.

Below, you can see a sample stock valuation report beside the dashboard generated from the same data. The example below shows how a standard POS report became an AI dashboard.The green arrow is where you can add departments to examine.

How to Proceed

I suggest starting off with a few reports you know well, such as a total report. Test how it goes and use this example to improve your requests.

Enjoy.

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.

Today, many prefer to use AI rather than hand-enter supplier invoices into their POS System. If you are ready to scan these invoices, let us know.

Many people have questions about doing this, so here are some questions I have received over the past few months.

What is AI supplier invoice processing?

AI supplier invoice processing is when your POS Software reads supplier bills that are sent to you. It uses AI to extract information from the invoice and enter it into your POS system, so you don't have to type everything manually. AI processed supplier invoices, reducing manual entry and speeding up data entry. People do report saving hours. Its accuracy is equivalent to manual data entry. Since you get a check at the end, the accuracy is rarely a significant problem.

Speed and Accuracy of a typist vs AI?

Here are some observations that I worked out for a single-page invoice, admittedly on a run of invoices.

When humans process an invoice, they do not just read words; they must scan, find specific fields, verify totals, and manually key data into the POS software. Humans take about 12 minutes per invoice. This includes locating vendor details, invoice numbers, and line items, and manually retyping them into the POS System. Interestingly, when I tested a trained typist, she took 4 minutes to type an invoice, mainly because she did not have to look at the keyboard as often, and she typed much faster.

An AI OCR invoice processing took 2 seconds per invoice, as it reads the whole document and then extracts the figures.

So the AI OCR processes invoices 60-360 times faster than a human, depending on your training. Its accuracy was much higher.

Where humans will win is with handwritten or complex invoices, like what we sometimes see coming from places like India.

Here are some questions people have asked me about these AI invoices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will the ATO accept digital copies of receipts and invoices?

A: Well, now you are getting the invoices electronically and entering them manually. As for the invoice, you still have the digital version sent by email or the paper one sent with the goods.

Q: How do OCR tools handle multi-currency invoices from AliExpress or eBay?

A: Double-check it, as I have seen it confuse US and Australian dollars and go wild with the invoice in Indian rupees.

Q: Do AI tools understand line items?

A: It understands line items; with line credit notes, people have reported mixed success.

Q: How do you stop ABN errors?

A: It's not doing any checks on the ABN number. Again, you need to do it manually.

Q: How does it handle duplicate invoices?

A: It is a very real problem with AI. The supplier sends an invoice by email, so people enter it in. When the goods arrive, they OCR the invoice and use AI to process it. Because it is so much faster than manual typing, it happens much more often with AI.

Q: Why does your AI tool say VAT instead of GST?

A: People are importing British invoices that have VAT.

Q: Can AI handle all suppliers' invoices with OCR?

A: Almost all, but I have seen some problem ones. Most suppliers today use accounting software to issue invoices, and they can send them to you electronically. At first, you'll need to monitor each supplier to see how it goes.

Q: Does it have a cost?

A: AI is not free; it's very cheap, but it's not free.

Q: What is the break-even point for switching to AI processing invoices?

A: I have asked several people that question with mixed results; one of my clients can type at 65 words a minute, I assume her answer would be very different to mine. It depends on how many invoices you process, how quickly your typist works, and the condition of the invoices.

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 lock the shop door every night, secure the till, and run a stocktake. However, if a laptop goes missing or someone copies your files, your confidential information could be completely exposed. To keep your POS system and back office running, you probably have many staff members and occasionally repair technicians accessing it. This shared access creates a problem for your sensitive information.

Everyday Risks in Retail

While sharing system access with staff keeps the shop floor moving, it does create security problems.

• Employees snooping through documents on back-office PCs.
• Unattended computers left unlocked while you help customers browse greeting cards or magazines.
• Stolen devices from your shop, car, or home.

These risks can expose confidential information, so we recommend a simple tool like VeraCrypt to protect your information even when your computers are out of your control.

How VeraCrypt Works

POS Solutions has been recommending VeraCrypt for years.

It is one of the simplest and most effective tools for securing confidential retail data. It is a free, open-source program. It acts like a digital safe on your device. You can use it as usual, or drag your private files into it. Without your password, no one can open or read anything inside it.

How secure is VeraCrypt

In 2008, in the Brazilian Banker Case. Police seized five hard drives from a suspect that were fully encrypted using a predecessor to VeraCrypt. The Brazilian National Institute of Criminology failed to crack them for five months, so they went to the FBI. The FBI spent 12 months attempting to break the encryption but ultimately failed.

In a 2015 U.S. case involving a former police sergeant, the U.S. government was unable to access the data.

Based on this, I can say that VeraCrypt is exceptionally secure.

Getting Started

You can easily set up this level of security for your own files without any special IT skills.

1. Download VeraCrypt for free from its official website.
2. Install and run it.
3. Create a new volume and select a size. I suggest 4GB for your files.
4. Select the default AES encryption and set a strong, unique password of at least 12 characters that includes letters, numbers, and symbols.

Mount the volume so it appears as a new drive letter, say I:

• Move your sensitive files to I: and work as usual with the files on I:
• Dismount the volume when finished to safely lock everything away.

You still need to back up the encrypted file just like any other information. People tend to forget that computers are mechanical devices and they can fail like any other machine.

Mistakes to Avoid

Even simple tools work best with good daily habits to ensure your data stays secure.

1. Simple passwords: Avoid "password123". This is the first thing a hacker will try. Pick something memorable but unique that only you know, like your wedding song, the singer and year.
2. Suspicious filenames: Prevent suspicion by giving your vault an obscure video file name rather than "Private Payroll", say something like "Zootopia_2"
3. Leaving volumes mounted: Always dismount your volume when stepping away from the computer; this only takes seconds.

VeraCrypt vs BitLocker

A common question is why we prefer VeraCrypt to Microsoft's built-in BitLocker, which is heavily pushed by one of our competitors. Here is why VeraCrypt provides a much better solution.

The Functional Differences:

BitLocker is designed to lock the entire computer; this is not required in most shops. Plus, BitLocker automatically unlocks at startup, meaning any staff member using the till has access to all the data on that machine. VeraCrypt requires a password, giving you control over who can see your private files.

The Technical Problems with BitLocker:

Recently, BitLocker has suffered from major technical issues that can severely disrupt a business. In both October 2025 and April 2026, routine Windows security updates contained bugs that caused PCs to enter an "infinite BitLocker recovery loop". We have seen people locked out of their own computers as a result. Not good for a retailer to be locked out of their POS system at the start of the day.

The YellowKey Exploit:

Even worse than the bugs is a newly discovered vulnerability, "YellowKey. If what is said is correct, then someone can bypass BitLocker protection without a password. It is now being debated whether Microsoft built a backdoor into BitLocker after reading the information. I think they did.

The Trust Factor:

VeraCrypt is open-source and audited by independent experts. Its code is fully visible, meaning it is unlikely to have a hidden backdoor. BitLocker is closed, meaning you must trust Microsoft.

Conclusion

VeraCrypt is one hell of a good cyber protection.

FAQ

Q: I caught staff snooping on the back-office PC through the network. Can VeraCrypt help?

A: Yes, even if someone snoops on your computer, no one can read, or even detect, what is inside a VeraCrypt volume, unless they know the password.

Q: I forgot the password to my locked folder. How do I recover my files?

A: You cannot retrieve the information unless you can remember the password. This is one of the biggest problems we have with VeraCrypt, and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

Q: Is VeraCrypt hard to set up?

A: Not at all. I have set up many VeraCrypts and never had a problem. You need about 4GB of space on the computer, and choose a strong password (I suggest at least 12 characters). You do not need any special tech skills to get started.

Q: If I leave the computer to serve customers, are my files safe?

A: On your computer, your files are only safe if you dismount (lock) the volume before stepping away from the computer to the shop floor.

Q: Is VeraCrypt actually secure against hackers?

A: VeraCrypt is incredible. Real-world cases involving the FBI and international police forces have shown that without the password, even government agencies cannot crack the AES encryption.

Hackers will typically program your name, dates of family births, etc., and search for passwords, so avoid weak, easily guessable ones.

Q: Will VeraCrypt slow down my POS system?

A: A little. In practice, the files that need this level of security rarely require super-speed operation.

Q: What should I name my locked folder so it doesn't attract attention?

A: Avoid suspicious or obvious names like "Private Payroll" or "Confidential Data". I suggest using an obscure video file title, e.g., "The Shawshank Redemption (1994).AVI".

Q: Do I still need antivirus software if I encrypt my files?

A: Absolutely.

Update notes: I wrote an article on this a few months ago, but recently, YellowKey changed a lot here, so I totally rewrote the article 

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 suppliers and business partners often look you up online before they meet with you. It's how business is done today. The main source is LinkedIn. A bad LinkedIn profile will hurt your business. It will make you look less credible. I have a fix for this here that takes at most 20 minutes.

What happened recently is that after a career change, I updated my own LinkedIn profile. Did not think much about it until a week later, when I checked LinkedIn before a meeting with a bank official about some upcoming changes. It told me what sort of a guy he was and what he was in the bank. Then, almost immediately, I had a meeting with a retailer, and just before I talked, I automatically checked him up on LinkedIn too. That profile told me almost nothing. He did not look very credible.

Ultimately, that contrast exposed a gap. So I checked some more and found many of my clients also had poor LinkedIn accounts, so I decided to make a tool to fix them.

Key Takeaways

• LinkedIn profile quality shapes first impressions before meetings, supplier calls, finance discussions, and store visits.
• Specific retail detail makes a business easier to trust than vague labels such as 'Owner' or 'Self-Employed.'
• Personal credibility helps readers understand the experience, systems knowledge, and operational skill behind the shop.
• Retail context explains what you sell, who you serve, and why your business is worth contacting.
• AI assistance improves wording best after accurate facts about the business are already in place.
• Twenty-minute updates are enough to improve a headline, About section, Experience section, and Skills list.

Core Definitions

• LinkedIn profile is a public professional summary that explains who you are, what your business does, and why someone should trust your business.
• Retail LinkedIn optimisation involves updating your headline, About section, Experience section, and Skills so readers can understand your business quickly.
• LinkedIn headline is the first short description most people see, so it should state your role, shop type, and product focus.
• Business credibility on LinkedIn involves specific facts about your store, your customers, and the experience behind the business.
• AI rewriting involves improving clarity after accurate facts about your products, location, role, and strengths are already in place.

What Is a LinkedIn Profile for a Shop Owner?

It is a professional page that explains the business and emphasises your role.

Why Does LinkedIn Matter for Independent Retailers?

LinkedIn matters for independent retailers because they deal with a complex network of stakeholders who verify credibility online. You also deal with suppliers, banks,

Consequently, a weak profile creates uncertainty and leaves the other person guessing what you actually do. A label such as 'Owner at Self-Employed' says almost nothing about the business, the products, or the experience behind it. For example, leaving your skills section blank deprives a prospective landlord of knowing your strong background in retail operations.

Conversely, a strong profile makes that easier. what sort of person you are, and what experience you bring to the table. Someone should be able to see in seconds what you are skilled at, what sort of operational, technical, or commercial experience you have. If LinkedIn shapes their thoughts about you before the first conversation.

How Can Shop Owners Improve a LinkedIn Profile in 20 Minutes?

Improving a LinkedIn profile in 20 minutes requires focusing only on the core sections that drive immediate credibility. Simply follow these six structured steps.

Step 1: Research other people's profiles similar to yours

What you are looking for are strong LinkedIn profiles from people like you. Pay attention to their headline, About section, Experience section, and the way they explain their business.

Step 2: Starting

If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, create one; if you have one, log into it.

Now check your existing email, phone number, and location are completely up to date. Verify that carefully. It will do you damage if these details are wrong.

Step 3: What Business Details Should You Add First?

Then, fill out your profile with the basics. Do not worry about perfect wording, spelling, grammar, etc., yet; get the facts down first so the profile accurately reflects what you did.

Make you your present position shows what the business you are in does, not just what you do in the business for example, not just I am responsible for buying, merchandising, customer service, supplier relationships, and day-to-day store operations in Johnson's Pet shop but add to this that Johnson's Pet shop which sells pet foods, toys.... in the Morrabbin area for over 30 years."

When you are happy with it, save it. Then print out your LinkedIn profile to PDF, see the green arrow below

Step 4: AI prompt

Now run the AI prompt below on that PDF. You can use any AI for this prompt. I tested it on ChatGPT, Grok and Claude.

It can turn rough facts into clearer, more professional wording without changing the real meaning, as business people want to read. Many of you will be surprised by how you sound after the prompt does its magic.

Now review it. One of the good points of AI is that you can ask it to add, change, or delete parts. A common change, in my experience, is dates.

Step 5: Updating LinkedIn

This tends to be the messy part. What you have to do is paste the newly generated text into your LinkedIn page. While doing this, make any last-minute changes you feel are appropriate.

Step 6: Review Your Profile

I find reading it aloud helps ensure it sounds like a real person and feels natural.

Make sure the facts are accurate and demonstrate your competence.

Conclusion

You have probably now spent a very profitable 20 minutes. Many people update their profiles every 3 to 12 months.

Conclusion

I do believe strongly that today we all must be as professional as possible, and a strong LinkedIn profile acts as a silent ambassador for your retail business. All it takes is just 20 minutes.

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.

Using 'was/now' specials to drive foot traffic in some form is one of the most common sales promotions today. Now, the federal court has ruled against Coles, which ran such a promotion, and the resulting penalty will likely be expensive. The decision has fundamentally changed the rules for every retailer in Australia. Here I will tell you where we stand now.

Key Takeaways

• The Federal Court ruled that Coles' "Down Down" pricing misled consumers by using short-term price spikes as the "was" reference price in discount claims.
• Retailers can legally raise prices and then discount them, but the higher "was" price must have been charged for a genuine, reasonable period before advertising a saving.
• The court indicated that approximately 12 weeks is a practical benchmark for a stable "regular price" and four weeks was ruled insufficient.
• Any "was/now", "save $X", or "X% off" claim must be backed by a documented price history showing when that higher price was actually charged.
• Small retailers face the same Australian Consumer Law obligations as major supermarkets, and a single customer complaint can trigger ACCC scrutiny.

Was/Now promotion

These promotions are when you state the price was $X, but it is now $Y.

Say, for example, an item was $10, and you advertise it "Was $10 Now $6."

ACCC v Coles court case

The ACCC sued Coles, claiming its "Down Down" campaign was deceptive. Coles raised prices for about four weeks, then lowered them and put a large red "Down Down" sticker on the shelf, creating the illusion of a big bargain.

For example, Coles raised the price of a popular breakfast cereal from $5 to $7 for just one month, then dropped it to $6 with a "Down Down!" sign reading "Was $7, Now $6".

Coles argued that all these prices were legitimate. The court accepted that Coles was correct on this point. The courts accepted that supplier pressure had caused the price rise and that the lower price was a discount.

So what was considered wrong?

The court felt that a price for only four weeks was far too short to count as a normal price and that "ordinary shoppers would wrongly believe they were getting a genuine discount off the usual regular price, rather than just a slight drop from a temporary spike." The case came down to not on why Coles raised prices, but rather whether the later promotions created a misleading impression about the savings.

The court suggested that 12 weeks should be the measure. Now that 12 weeks are yet to be tested, and even the court stated it may depend on the product. Right now, no one knows. What we do know is that four weeks is not enough for these products.

But this landmark ruling means all Aussie businesses must completely rethink how they advertise their sales.

I would state now in your shop that if you increase the price of an item in May, you need to wait until September before you can safely run a "Save 20%" sale based on that May price.*

Can the ACCC now fine retailers for 'Was/Now' Pricing?

Now, yes, the ACCC can fine retail businesses for such discounting tactics as the same rules that apply to Coles apply to all shops. You do not have to accept the fine and take your chances in court. I would not suggest it.

It's not hard for a single confused shopper to give you such a massive regulatory headache. Imagine a customer spots your "Special: $10 off!" sign on a premium stationery set, checks their receipt from last month, and reports your shop to the ACCC because this "was" price never actually existed.

Stop Risky Short-Term Spike Discounts

Start by reviewing every price ticket or sign that uses phrases like "Was $X, now $Y", "Save $X", or "Down from $X." Ask yourself if that higher price was charged for a substantial, genuine period. Your POS Software can help you there, as it shows prices from 12 weeks ago.

Use Safer Ways to Describe Promotions

You can still run highly effective specials without relying on fragile "was" price comparisons. Instead, read up on how to set up multi-buy promotions in your POS system to run deals such as "2 for $X" or "Buy one, get one half price". You can also advertise an item as $X without reference to an older price.

Keep Basic Records of Prices and Promotions

In any ACCC investigation, the retailer must prove its price history. Here, your computer will be a lifesaver. It maintains a price log for each product, showing the date each price took effect and when it changed.

Also keep dated copies of all your promotional materials, and record the exact start and end dates of every promotion you run.

Conclusion

The Aussie retail landscape has fundamentally shifted, and we need to be more careful with our advertising.

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.

Most Australian retailers know Armaguard has faced serious financial pressure. Still, fewer realise that new pricing changes are likely to increase cash-handling costs and affect how reliably cash can be accessed.

Key Takeaways

• Armaguard pricing changes are intended to support Australia's cash distribution network.
• Cash-in-transit services move physical currency between banks, retailers and ATMs.
• Armaguard needed major financial support to stay operating.
• Lower cash usage is increasing the cost of handling cash for small retailers.
• Reliable cash access depends on a financially sustainable cash-in-transit network.
• POS cash reporting helps retailers measure true cash handling costs and profitability.
• Regional retailers face greater exposure because banking and ATM access are thinner.
• The ACCC has allowed collaboration, but pricing outcomes may still evolve.
• Retailers need to balance cash resilience against rising operating costs.

Why Armaguard Matters to Australia's Cash System

Since the merger of Armaguard and Prosegur, Armaguard has become central to Australia's cash system, handling about 90% of the physical currency moving between banks, retailers and ATMs. That makes it a key part of keeping cash available across the country.

How Close Was Armaguard to Trouble?

Armaguard was under severe financial pressure, and major banks plus large retailers stepped in with about $50 million in support to keep it operating for 12 months. That support was designed to prevent default and give Australia time to build a more sustainable long-term pricing model.

This shows how important Armaguard is to the cash system. If the company is under stress, the entire cash distribution network feels it.

So the Armaguard new pricing model is part of a broader effort to keep cash distribution alive. As the main cash-in-transit provider in Australia, any pricing change affects the wider cash distribution network.

Price of Cash

For most small and medium retailers, the price of cash is not just one visible fee. This Armaguard fee is often hidden in banking fees, while other costs are more visible, such as cash handling time, reconciliation work and security.

These costs are likely to rise, making cash more expensive to support. Some clients are already asking for electronic payment only, although in practice many will still accept cash if needed.

Problems with Cash Distribution

Getting cash has become harder because bank branches and ATMs have been closing in many areas. That makes a stable cash distribution model more important.

Although this plan aims to improve distribution, the benefits will likely be shared unevenly because high-volume retail areas are easier and cheaper to serve. Lower-volume and more remote locations may continue to face the same access problems.

Effect on Retailers

Small and medium retailers are affected more than larger ones. Bigger retailers are usually in high-volume areas and often have more bargaining power over EFTPOS and card rates, making it easier for them to lean away from cash.

Smaller shops also often do not generate enough cash to offset cash-handling costs. More retail trade is now happening online through electronic payments, which further reduces the role of cash for many businesses.

What Should Retailers Do Next?

Your POS system can show how much cash your store actually handles through sales reports and end-of-day reports. You can then calculate what cash really costs your business, including banking, reconciliation and staff time.

Review your sales history to see which transactions are still being paid in cash. That gives you a clearer view of whether cash is still worth the handling cost in your shop.

Conclusion

Armaguard pricing changes are not just a fee story. They are about whether Australia can keep its cash infrastructure functioning sustainably.

For SMB retailers, the smartest move is to measure cash handling costs in your POS system and decide whether your current cash process still makes sense. If cash is still valuable to your business, manage it better. If it is becoming too expensive, make adjustments based on real data rather than guesswork.

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.