POS options for a candy store: tablet, scale or cash register

A candy store is a small shop with awkward checkout needs: some items scan, some are sold by weight, and the busy season is a few weeks a year. Here are the POS options for a candy store, what each suits, and where NRS fits.

What a candy store needs from a POS

• Selling by weight. Bulk candy needs a scale connected to the register, so the price comes from the weight and not from the cashier's arithmetic.
• Fast scanning for packaged items, with a pricebook you don't have to type in from scratch.
• Stock counts you can trust, so seasonal items are reordered in time and not left over in January.
• A reason to come back. Candy is a repeat purchase, so a simple rewards program pays for itself.
• Low monthly cost. Tickets are small, so fixed fees and card fees matter.

Option 1: a tablet POS

Best for a small counter that sells mostly packaged candy. A tablet takes little space and costs less to start.

With NRS this is the Panther tablet POS: the Panther Tablet bundle lists at $499, or the Panther app runs on your own Android tablet with $0 hardware cost.

Option 2: a countertop POS with a scale

Best if a real share of your sales is bulk candy by the pound. You want a full register with a scanner/scale combination.

With NRS this is the Cheetah POS, which works with a scanner/scale combo and holds up to 15,000 items. It lists at $1,799.

Option 3: a basic cash register

Cheapest, and fine for a stall or a seasonal stand. It will not count stock, weigh items, run rewards or show you sales when you are away.

Small tickets and card fees

When the average sale is a few dollars, the per-transaction part of a card fee takes a real bite. Two things to compare:

• A flat rate such as NRS PAY's Clean Rate: 2.49% + 10¢ per card-present sale, plus $10 a month
• A cash discount (dual pricing) plan, where the shelf and register show a card price and a lower cash price

We compare them in Cash discount or Clean Rate?

Rewards and the screen at the counter

NRS Loyalty runs points or "buy X, get 1 free" clubs at the register (included in the Advanced plan), and the customer-facing screen on the countertop systems can show your own promotions, which suits seasonal specials.

What it costs with NRS

Dipendra's price for your store can differ from list, and you get it in writing.

Next step

Compare the systems in Cheetah vs Puma vs Panther, or get a quote and say how much of your candy is sold by weight.