Just In - 2024’s Best Retail Management System(s) That’ll Save You Time, Hassle & Money!

Management
General
Published on:
June 13, 2024
Read Time:
8
min

The retail management landscape has become more complex for businesses due to the development of e-commerce, which offers customers more convenience and choices. Global retail sales are estimated to grow from $27.4 trillion in 2023 to $32 trillion in 2026.

With orders pouring in at all hours of the day and night, it's crucial to have sufficient supplies on hand to fulfill demand across all sales channels, while also maintaining a consistent and pleasant shopping experience for consumers in-store and online.

In order to ensure smooth operations in the supply chain, it is essential to have complete insight into your inventory, implement effective labor management strategies, and use business intelligence tools to monitor sales, productivity, and customer satisfaction. 

Put simply, you need the best retail management system to set up a retail ecosystem.

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Top Retail Management Systems & Applications

Before moving on with some of the critical aspects of retail task management, let's take a quick look at some of the best retail management systems.

It'll give you a better idea about how each software pans out in real life situation when you are swamped with retail workflows!

Our Top Picks
#1
Xenia
The Workforce Operations Platform for Frontline Teams
#2
Brightpearl
For multi-category retail platforms
#3
Retail Pro
Good for small businesses

1. Xenia - Best Retail Management System To Date

With Xenia, say goodbye to retail headaches and hello to streamlined operations!

Our state-of-the-art retail management software brings together the best of retail management features to revolutionize the way you manage and execute your storefront operations.

But, let’s be clear, Xenia isn't just another RMS; it's a game-changer.

Our mobile-first approach ensures seamless planning, deployment, and monitoring of multi-unit retail tasks.

What if these activities are spread ove a multi-location retail business setup?

Well, that makes it even better.

We have a centralized dashboard that unifies ongoing store tasks, critical inspections, any ongoing audits that you may need, assignment delegations - so on and so forth.

You can digitize your processes and stay on top of employee schedule, effortlessly.

Moreover, our in-app collaboration feature allows team members to communicate effectively, reducing delays and boosting productivity.

Xenia also comes packed with AI-powered capabilities, digitized checklists that can be routed to any store manager, their delegated team, or anyone in any department.

Need to get something done fast through a standardized process?

No problem!

Create an instant SOP, inputting your requirements and hit the generate button.

Presto!

You can customize retail SOPs as much as you; share them with internal and extrenal stakeholders via the share link, or print them on the go. The possibilities are endless.

What makes this retail execution software even better for your business is highlighted through some of the best key features below.

Have a look...

Key Features

  • Centralized Operations Dashboard: Gain a comprehensive view of your retail business with Xenia's centralized dashboard, providing real-time insights into tasks, maintenance, and team performance across all units.
  • Dedicated Store Task Management: Create and deploy any number of task from the comfort of your office. Monitor ongoing storefront activities in real time through a centralized dashboard with a unified view of everything!
  • Customizable Operations Templates: Streamline task and audit management with fully customizable templates, allowing you to tailor workflows to fit your specific operational requirements, from daily opening routines to complex safety checks.
  • Real-Time Reporting and Analytics: Optimize operations and improve customer experiences with the help of real-time analytics and reporting that create actionable insights and help you make educated choices.
  • AI-Powered Capabilities: Digitize procedures, simplify any store level critical inspections, and increase operational efficiency with the use of Xenia's AI-powered capabilities. 
  • Instant Messaging and Collaboration: Make sure everyone is on the same page by using Xenia's collaboration and instant messaging tools to have direct conversations between management and frontline workers.
  • Multi-Unit Store Operations Management: By providing a unified method to plan, implement, and monitor activities across several locations at once, Xenia is an excellent choice for managing the operations of multi-unit stores.

Pricing Models 

  • Free Forever: Free trial for up to 5 users with unlimited access to all the basic features!
  • Starter: Starting at $99 / month for the first 15 users, with access to core features and functionalities 
  • Premium: Starting at $199 / month for the first 15 users with unlimited access to all the core & advanced features and functionalities
  • Custom: Need something tailored to your organization’s requirements?

Book a Free Demo Today!

Rated 4.9/5 stars on Capterra
Free Version:
Pricing:
Supported Platforms:
Available for up to 5 users
Starter for $99/month for the first 20 users (with free trial period)
Available on iOS, Android and Web
Free Version:
Available for up to 5 users
Pricing:
Premium for $99/month for the first 20 users (with free trial period)
Supported Platforms:
Available on iOS, Android and Web
Download Xenia app on

2. Brightpearl

Next on our list of the best retail management systems, we have tools like Brightpearl to help you spend less time on boring manual activities, which allows you to focus on the strategic and long-term objectives of your retail company.

With Brightpearl, your essential post-purchase processes are centralized and automated, making it more than just a retail management system—it's a whole retail operating system. Online retailers and wholesalers can benefit from the cloud-based software's limitless, round-the-clock assistance.

Inventory control displays, seamless synchronization of data across channels and locations, replenishment suggestions, and demand predictions are all part of the RMS. Analytics and reporting are provided by advanced business intelligence, and a 360-degree perspective of the client is offered by the CRM.

With the integrated point-of-sale system, you can easily collect payments, run a loyalty program, run promotions, accept gift cards, and process refunds and exchanges. In addition to these features, the platform also has built-in retail accounting, order management, and warehouse management.

Key Features

  • Inventory Management: Dashboards for inventory control that provide real-time data from many sources and locations along with accurate inventory management via automated data synchronization.
  • Business Intelligence & Reporting: Powerful reporting and analytics solutions for making decisions based on data. A variety of pre-made reports and the option to make one's own are at your fingertips.
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Get a complete picture of each consumer, including their preferences, interactions, and purchases. Customer service is second to none; thanks to an enhanced understanding of client needs.

Pricing

  • Contact the vendor for pricing

3. Retail Pro

Retail Pro is highly customizable to fit your processes and brand identity; it is primarily built for specialized retail businesses and has a simple user interface.

That implies there's a little learning curve, but it allows you to adapt to other regions' needs, such as customized taxes.

Inventory management, staff management, sales forecasting, and reporting (with 160 preloaded report types), and online shop design are all part of the platform. In addition, you can make use of features like mobile point-of-sale (POS), automatic purchase orders and sales tax computations, and the ability to provide loyalty awards and gift cards.

There is an on-premises version as well as the web-based Prism platform. Third-party applications may be integrated via APIs, however the process is not as smooth as with native connectors. 

Some customers have complained about the system's poor performance, high maintenance costs, and out-of-date interface, while others have praised the system's straightforward payment procedure.

Key Features

  • Point of Sale (POS) and Checkout: Personalize the point-of-sale system's design to reflect your business's values and operations. Proceed with sales processing despite disruptions in internet service.
  • Inventory Management: To ensure reliable statistics, keep an eye on inventory levels across all sites. Easy buy order creation, sending, and tracking is possible with our purchase order management system.
  • Customer Management: For more tailored service, save client details, including their preferences, purchase history, and information. Initiate and oversee client loyalty programs to encourage repeat business.

Pricing

  • Contact the vendor for pricing

4. Epos Now

Epos Now boasts a full suite of retail tools for omnichannel and multi-location stores, including a printer, terminal, and point-of-sale software for iOS, Android, Mac, and PC.

You can manage your whole company with only one retail point-of-sale system, but bigger organizations should certainly choose a more comprehensive solution.

You can keep tabs on in-store and online transactions, sync customer loyalty points and profiles, and more thanks to the system's integration with your e-commerce platform. 

The premium edition of Epos Now does come with round-the-clock assistance, but critics have been less than kind. Despite the system's high marks for user-friendliness, its performance isn't always up to par. 

While some claim that paying for full functioning unlocks all features, others say that not all of them perform as intended.

Key Features

  • Sales & Transactions: Streamline your sales process, accept a variety of payment methods, and make use of features like bill splitting and table management.
  • Inventory Management: Automate purchase orders, keep tabs on inventory, manage product variations, and create low-stock alarms.
  • Customer Management: Make note of past purchases, build profiles of current customers, and launch loyalty programs.

Pricing

  • Contact the vendor for pricing

5. BeatRoute

Brands can streamline their retail operations with the help of BeatRoute, a goal-driven sales enablement platform. It encompasses a wide range of sectors, including manufacturing, consumer goods, FMCG, and building materials.

With its goal-driven sales technology, BeatRoute does more than just automate; it helps businesses set internal business objectives and then directs their retail sales staff and channel partners to accomplish those objectives.

For GT, BeatRoute offers smart and user-friendly processes for shop onboarding, beat planning, optimizing routes, visual merchandising, order execution with trade schemes, and feedback collecting.

For modern commerce or MT, BeatRoute offers workflows to make sure that goods stay in stock, that merchandisers and product promoters at shops are being productive, and that planogram and share of shelf compliance are met.

Key Features

  • Centralized Lead Management: Streamline your follow-up by seeing all leads received from different distribution channels in one convenient location.
  • Distributor Management System: Efficiently oversee distributor relationships and processes.
  • Route Optimization: Make better use of your time and energy by planning and optimizing your sales routes.

Pricing

  • Hygiene Pack: $8.5 per user per month
  • Business Pack: $12.5 per user per month
  • Custom Enterprise Pack

6. Pepperi

To round up our list of the best retail management system we have Pepperi to help you streamline retail audits, execution, and order placement etc.

To reduce stock outages and maximize asset management efficiency, our robust retail software prioritizes user-friendliness. 

Pepperi is a native software for iOS or Android that can be used both online and offline. It handles merchandising, generates shop audits, and more. Retailer compliance, incentives, and product variety may all be examined with the use of field data. 

Information like visit logs, reports, order histories, and more are stored and shown via Pepperi's mobile CRM.

Key Features

  • B2B Ecommerce Storefront: Make it easy for your business-to-business clients to look through your inventory, make purchases, and monitor their delivery status with an intuitive web platform.
  • Sales Force Automation (SFA): Provide salespeople with mobile applications that let them take orders, show customers e-catalogs, manage client data, and generate reports.
  • Retail Execution: Provide field agents with resources to conduct in-store audits, merchandise, and implement planograms (shelf optimization strategies).

Pricing

  • Pro: Starting at US $500/month
  • Corporate: Starting at US $1,500/month

7. ERPLY

This end-to-end system enables physical and online retailers to manage every item that enters and leaves the shop to reduce upfront inventory costs, optimize earnings, and guarantee that the right amount of inventory is constantly on hand.

Utilize your inventory management dashboard to oversee every product in every location throughout every season. To boost sales and ensure accuracy, add new goods, write thorough descriptions, upload images, and adjust pricing inside the platform to update across all platforms. Furthermore, it is easier to reconcile your counts and write-offs since the system maintains a history of inventory.

All sales from various sites, including online, in-store, phone, email, and even transactions made by regional sales agents, can be easily placed and tracked thanks to Erply's unified system.

Key Features

  • Inventory Management: Fast and effective stock inspections are essential. Employees can quickly respond to consumer inquiries using Erply as it makes product data, availability, and price easily searchable.
  • Real-Time Data Synchronization: When a transaction takes place, Erply instantly updates all related records. This feature provides up-to-date inventory and sales information and ensures consistency across devices.
  • “Save a Sale” Functionality: Transactions in retail don't usually end right away. Erply gives you the option to save a sale temporarily so you may finish it later or from a different location.

Pricing

  • Contact the vendor for pricing

8. NCR Counterpoint

NCR Corporation offers a retail management system called NCR CounterPoint. Point of sale, customer management, inventory management, reporting, and analytics are all included in the software.

High-volume retail settings can be effectively managed by the software across many locations and states. Users also value NCR's superior hardware warranty, which has offered them peace of mind while using the device.

Moreover, even in the absence of precise specifics, the software has shown to be useful in giving consumers information about their purchases. Even while some customers, particularly those using earlier versions, have had trouble navigating the software generally, it has greatly increased transaction speed and efficiency, which has enhanced the user experience.

Key Features

  • Work Center: The Work Center is a spreadsheet-style display of unposted buying, A/R, and inventory records. Authorized users can upload open documents individually or in batches, as well as view and update already-existing documents.
  • Reports: A vast library of reports is included with NCR Counterpoint, all of which are intended to provide you with the type of vital data you want to oversee daily operations, assess past sales, and make long-term plans for your company.
  • SQL Server Database: The industry-standard, user-friendly, and reasonably priced Microsoft SQL Server® database platform serves as the foundation for NCR Counterpoint. Excellent speed and dependable data storage are offered by SQL Server. 

Pricing

  • Contact the vendor for pricing

9. LEAFIO AI Retail Platform

A cloud-based retail system called the LEAFIO AI Retail Platform is intended to improve several facets of retail operations. 

In addition to that, the platform delivers planogram and shelf space optimization tools, giving retail businesses a full-cycle solution for managing macro and micro spaces.

The LEAFIO AI Retail Platform optimizes shelf space performance, automates planogram production and optimization, and controls execution. This simplifies the process of managing shelf space and increasing product visibility.

Leafio has a client base of over 180 retail enterprises and a presence in over 20 countries, focusing on retail supply chain automation and optimization. Retailers may improve their supply chain operations with the help of LEAFIO. 

Key Features

  • Demand Forecasting: Uses sophisticated algorithms to forecast consumer demand, giving merchants the ability to manage inventory levels, minimize out-of-stock scenarios, and increase sales potential.
  • Fully Automated Order Generation: Automates and streamlines the order creation process to do away with human error and guarantee timely replenishment depending on sales patterns, demand projections, and stock availability.
  • Multi-Echelon Replenishment Optimization: Maximizes the replenishment of inventory at all stages of the supply chain, from distribution hubs to retail locations, reducing stockouts and surplus inventory to raise overall productivity.

Pricing

  • Contact the vendor for pricing

10. Rain Retail Software

For small to medium-sized stores, Rain is an all-in-one point-of-sale, website, and marketing platform.  

POS/Website integration, integrated email & text message marketing, rental management, online registration for classes, online invoicing, monitoring for servicing and repairs, and consignment management are just a few of the features that set Rain apart from the competition. 

With a single database connecting Rain's multi-store enabled real-time point of sale and web shop, inventory levels are consistently accurate both in-store and online.

Key Features

  • Contract Management: Keep all contracts in one place that is only accessible to those with the proper authorization. Revision history should be kept on file to monitor updates and modifications.
  • Catalog Management: Organize things logically to facilitate searching and storing of detailed information about each product or service, such as features, costs, and descriptions.
  • Work Orders: Create work orders with the necessary information, including the scope, priority, and deadline, for a variety of jobs. Work orders should be assigned resources (people, tools, etc.) according to availability and skill level.

Pricing

  • Contact the vendor for pricing

11. LS Central

Microsoft Dynamics serves as the foundation for LS Central, a combined POS and ERP software solution.

Several features, including point of sale (POS), supply chain management, inventory, eCommerce, customer loyalty, and retail operations are all combined into one application: financials (the Microsoft Dynamics ERP). 

Retailers, eateries, drugstores, lodging facilities, and petrol stations will find the software excellent.

Moreover, LS Central offers customized marketing campaigns and loyalty programs. Improving productivity, improving customer experience, and increasing sales growth are the goals of this scalable and customized solution for organizations of all sizes. 

Key Features

  • Replenishment: LS Central optimizes inventory management and replenishment processes. The software can automatically generate purchase orders based on sales data, stock levels, and lead times. Users can set minimum and maximum stock levels to ensure optimal inventory levels.
  • Analytics: Processes for inventory control and replenishment are optimized using LS Central. Based on lead times, stock levels, and sales data, the software can automatically issue purchase orders. The ability to specify minimum and maximum stock levels allows users to guarantee ideal inventory levels.
  • ERP: Users have access to a wide range of financial management tools, such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, and general ledger, according to the vendor.

Pricing

  • Contact the vendor for pricing

12. ETP Omni-channel Store Solution

The ETP Omni-channel Store Solution integrates across all customer touchpoints.

To improve customer engagement and provide value for both the seller and the final customer, it allows businesses to interact with tailored physical and digital retail channels. 

The business's back-end operations, supply, and demand channels can all be integrated with the help of the ETP Omni-channel Store Solution. As a result, customers can browse, choose, buy, like, promote, review, search, look up information, and leave comments at any moment, from anywhere.

With the help of ETP V5 Omni-channel Retail Solutions, which include CRM software, omnichannel POS software, mobility (mobile POS), marketing and promotion campaigns, order management and supply chain management, omnichannel analytics, and omnichannel connect, you can take advantage of features like Click and Collect, Click and Deliver, Endless Aisle, and more.

Key Features

  • Point of Sale (POS) System: ETP offers a POS system that can handle in-store transactions, including multiple payment methods, fast billing, and cash management. It also works offline and online.
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Track customer information, purchase history, and preferences to build loyalty and personalize marketing campaigns.
  • Inventory and Order Management: Gain a holistic view of your inventory across all channels and manage orders and supply chain efficiently.

Pricing

  • Contact the vendor for pricing

What is Retail Management Software?

It is easier to manage critical retail operations with the help of retail management systems, which are useful for both online and offline retailers. Everything from managing employees and inventories to handling customer relationships and back-office activities falls under this category.

29% of sellers aren’t satisfied with their channel management software.

Retail management software evolved to be little more than a POS system with some additional enterprise resource planning features. Modern point-of-sale systems often include an extensive range of additional store management capabilities, with the POS serving as only one component.

The latest software simplifies company operations by integrating many technologies into one cohesive platform. By integrating and synchronizing real-time data from all components, it usually includes supplier and inventory management, CRM, analytics, and a point-of-sale system.

Improving the customer experience, keeping tabs on sales, and making more precise demand projections and marketing choices are all possible with operational information.

Benefits of Retail Management System Software

Retail tech investments are expected to increase by an average of 10%, with store operations being the dominant area of business determining technology investments for 71% of the respondents.

Adding retail management system software to your IT stack is smart for all businesses, whether you're just starting or have been in the game for a while. Some of the advantages are as follows:

Increased Efficiency

When you have everything you need in one place, you save time and effort by not having to switch between multiple software programs. Making it simpler to manage multichannel and multi-location retail, data from the built-in features (and integrations) is synchronized and updated automatically.

Because automation eliminates the need for human data input, it speeds up operations and decreases the likelihood of human mistakes. Besides processing orders more quickly, you can also track stock levels closely and restock when it's most convenient. With this software, customer service is even more efficient, and returns are a breeze.

An additional perk is that efficiency helps you save money, which is particularly true with cloud-based applications.

Consistency In Performance

Consistency is another benefit of automation. Improve your processes with the help of this software, which also lets you create your own rules to automate certain operations.

This means that the pattern will remain constant. When forms like packing slips, invoices, and purchase orders are automatically created, mistakes are less likely to occur.

If somebody is having trouble meeting their objectives, you can see it via the workforce management capabilities and provide them with further training. Evaluating product performance and providing a consistent consumer experience across all channels, whether online or in-store, becomes much simpler.

Makes Your Business Objectives The Main Focus

You can focus on the more sophisticated parts of managing a retail company and your future objectives when you don't have to spend as much time on boring manual operations, which is made possible by modern technologies and automation.

With the help of retail management software's business intelligence features, you can see if you're on track to achieve your goals and where you can make improvements. 

The centralized system allows you to connect with all employees, making it easy to exchange goals and statistics. Furthermore, you have the opportunity to build your e-commerce empire and surpass your competition by achieving greater efficiency and cutting expenses.

Final Thoughts

Rather than wasting time and energy juggling many retail management apps, it's more cost-effective to get the best retail management system that has all the features you need. 

Improving efficiency and reducing costs becomes much simpler when the critical components of supplier management, analytics, inventory management, CRM, and point-of-sale systems are integrated.

Or better yet, go for a software solution that helps you with every aspect of running a retail establishment, not just basic administration. Stay ahead of your competitors in the competitive online retail industry with Xenia's scalable tech stack and AI Automation Engine, which will help you manage omnichannel and multi-location commerce.

FAQs

What is the retail management system?

A retail management system (RMS) is a platform that includes point of sale (POS) and inventory management, among other helpful capabilities to help operate a retail business. You cannot afford to write off unsold merchandise or lose inventory while operating a retail store. 

What is ERP in retail?

"Enterprise Resource Planning" is the acronym for ERP. ERP's fundamental idea is to combine all of the software applications you use for different aspects of your company into a single, cohesive suite that handles all of your demands.

How does a retail management system work?

Internal procedures including inventory control, storefront operations—both online and offline—warehouse operations, accounting and payment processing, and human resources are all optimized by retail management.

Cohesion within the organization is enhanced via retail management. The management of retail stores increases consumer happiness and enhances the customer experience.

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Rated 4.9/5 stars on Capterra

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