Investing in a new liquor store point of sale (POS) system is a lot like hiring a new employee. You’re not just looking for reliability and trustworthiness — you’re searching for the right fit for your business.
The good news is that you’ve narrowed down your options to two trusted, liquor-specific solutions: Bottle POS vs. Cloud Retailer.
In this guide, we’ll cover their similarities and differences to help you determine which option is best for your liquor store’s unique needs.
Feature Comparison
Most importantly, your POS system should have the right combination of features to help you manage and grow your liquor store.
Since Bottle POS and Cloud Retailer are both designed for liquor retailers, their feature lists have significant overlap. Here are the tools you can expect to see in both systems:
- Customer loyalty: Reward shoppers and generate repeat business by offering loyalty program discounts and special perks.
- Real-time inventory tracking: Make informed inventory decisions by monitoring your store’s stock levels in real time.
- Inventory automations: Save time and prevent stockouts by relying on your POS system’s automated reordering features — these detect when you’re running low on a product, generate a purchase order to replace it, and automatically update your inventory records when a new shipment arrives.
- In-depth sales reporting: Identify sales trends, learn about your customers’ preferences and shopping habits, and get valuable insights into your revenue and profits through robust reporting and analytics tools.
- Dual pricing: Avoid expensive payment processing fees by offering a discounted price when customers pay with cash instead of cards.
- E-commerce integration: Expand your customer base and make more sales by launching an online liquor store. Both Bottle POS and Cloud Retailer integrate with multiple e-commerce platforms.
- Security features: Keep your store safe and your employees accountable with features like role-based POS permissions, security camera integrations, and security alerts.
- Age verification: Prevent underage sales and protect your liquor license with built-in age verifications. Both systems seamlessly connect with ID verification scanners.
In short, both Bottle POS and Cloud Retailer include must-have features like age verification, inventory tracking, and sales reporting — which means you really can’t go wrong with either system.
So, where do they differ? Let’s take a closer look at each provider’s unique feature offerings.
Cloud Retailer Features
Cloud Retailer’s top features include:
- Flexible integrations: Customize your POS system using Cloud Retailer’s open API model. This means you can integrate your software with additional accounting tools, e-commerce platforms, or liquor distributors like Anheuser-Busch and Molson Coors.
- State-specific compliance features: Stay compliant with your local liquor laws with Cloud Retailer’s state-specific features. These tools are especially useful if your liquor store is located in Kansas, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, or Texas.
- Mobile app: Use Cloud Retailer’s convenient mobile app to manage your liquor store from anywhere.
These features make Cloud Retailer a solid option for tech-savvy liquor store owners who are always on the go.
Bottle POS Features
Bottle POS includes a mix of powerful yet user-friendly features like:
- Liquor-specific e-commerce: Expand your customer base and increase your sales by offering convenient pickup and delivery options. Bottle POS seamlessly integrates with BottleZoo, an e-commerce platform specifically designed for secure online alcohol sales. You can also connect Bottle POS with DoorDash to reach more customers.
- Powerful marketing tools: Attract new shoppers and increase customer retention with Bottle POS’ built-in marketing tools. You can schedule promotions, let customers build their own six-packs, send email and SMS newsletters, and use Pointy integration to help new customers find your liquor store.
- Advanced sales and inventory reporting: Track your liquor store’s sales and inventory flow in real time, and get valuable insights into your customers’ shopping habits and preferences. Our AI-powered inventory tools monitor your inventory turnover and automate the restocking process — ensuring your bestselling bottles are always in stock.
- Simple setup and 24/7 support: Set up your POS system in minutes — not weeks — with the help of a dedicated customer success manager and 24/7 access to our support team of liquor industry experts. We’ll help you through the onboarding process and beyond with inventory importing, navigating features, and achieving your goals.
Our goal isn’t just to give you the right tools — it’s to help you use them to grow your liquor store.
Pricing Comparison
Now it’s time to answer a crucial question: Which provider offers the best value for your money?
Let’s explore Bottle POS and Cloud Retailer’s pricing options.
Cloud Retailer Pricing
Cloud Retailer offers a $75/month plan for small liquor stores that need the basics, a $180/month plan that includes advanced inventory and sales reporting features, and a custom enterprise option for larger liquor store chains.
If you choose Cloud Retailer, you’ll also have to budget for support. You can pay monthly for a support package or by the hour for access to a technician. If you need help setting up your POS system or encounter technical issues, these support costs can add up.
Bottle POS Pricing
We offer flexible pricing options to meet every liquor store’s needs and budget. Check out our build and price tool to get an instant, custom quote for your business.
All of our pricing tiers come with the essential features you need to run your store — all sales reports, real-time inventory monitoring, age verification, and more. Our premium options include additional features to help you manage multiple locations, craft a digital marketing plan, and assign tasks to your employees.
Plus, you’ll get access to our team of liquor store experts 24/7 at no additional cost, ensuring you have the help and training you need during onboarding and beyond.
Review Comparison
Still torn between Bottle POS vs. Cloud Retailer? Your next step is to explore perspectives from real liquor store owners.
There are three main things to look for when checking online reviews for POS providers: the number of reviews, the overall rating, and stories from real business owners. Let’s look at these factors for Cloud Retailer and Bottle POS.
Cloud Retailer Reviews
Cloud Retailer has a 5-star rating on Capterra. However, it’s important to note that they only have 13 reviews.
Here are some excerpts from Cloud Retailer’s reviews:
- “Overall, it’s been a good experience, and I highly recommend Cloud Retailer’s POS system. Their staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and responsive.”
- “We have been using Cloud Retailer for 2+ years and have been very satisfied. This is the best point of sale we have ever used in our 27 years of business.”
- “I love it! Easy to use and learn, and unbelievable all of the information you are able to gather.”
Overall, Cloud Retailer’s reviewers seem satisfied.
Bottle POS Reviews
Bottle POS has a 4.8-star rating on Trustpilot. Of our 674 reviewers, 96% rated us five stars and less than 1% rated us one star.
Here are some snapshots of our reviewers’ experience using our software and working with our support team:
- “Customer service is excellent! I had a problem with a power outage on an extremely busy Saturday night… [My technician] was very patient with me while I was busy with customers, and he walked me through solutions to fix the issue. Everything was working great after that!”
- “We were forced to ‘go live’ after our old program crashed and left us hanging… [Bottle POS] was quickly able to get us up and running and SAVED US!”
- “Bottle POS [is] absolutely awesome. Highly recommend their software and their tech agents are very knowledgeable.”
You can also check out video testimonials from real Bottle POS customers and see how they’ve used our software to save time and boost their profits.
Which Is Best for Your Liquor Store?
Bottle POS and Cloud Retailer are both solid POS options for liquor stores — which makes choosing between them tough.
Here’s how to decide which option is best for your liquor store’s unique needs.
Cloud Retailer is best for:
- Tech-savvy liquor store owners who feel comfortable setting up, troubleshooting, and customizing their POS software
- Liquor store owners who live in states with complex liquor reporting and compliance laws, like Kansas, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Texas
- Business owners who want to access their POS system remotely through a mobile app
On the other hand, Bottle POS is best for:
- Busy liquor store owners who want a simple setup, hands-on training, and 24/7 access to a technical support team
- Business owners who want straightforward, affordable, and scalable pricing options
- Liquor store owners who want to attract more customers and increase their sales through a comprehensive marketing approach
The decision ultimately comes down to your priorities. Cloud Retailer is best for advanced customization, while Bottle POS is proven, powerful, and easy to use.
Get Started With Bottle POS
Ready to take the leap and upgrade your POS system? We’re here to help.
Bottle POS includes all the features you need to manage liquor inventory, stay compliant with the law, market your store, learn about your customers, and achieve your small business goals. Plus, our team of liquor store experts is available 24/7 to help you make the most of these tools.
See Bottle POS in action by scheduling your live, personalized demo today!