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Running a liquor store is a nonstop job. Between providing shoppers with top-shelf service, managing the constant flow of bottles in and out of your store, and keeping up with the other day-to-day demands of running a small business, you might feel stretched thin.

Fortunately, you don’t have to handle all of these to-dos alone. The right liquor store point of sale (POS) system can carry some of the load, giving you more time to connect with customers and grow your business.

In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know about shopping for a liquor store POS system, including the essential features you need, how to evaluate providers, and a curated list of our top six options:


Cheers to your liquor store’s more efficient and profitable future!

Manage your inventory, retain your customers, and streamline your operations with the top liquor store POS system. Explore Bottle POS.

What Is a Liquor Store POS System?

A liquor store POS system is a platform that offers standard POS system functionality and specialized features for liquor, beer, and wine stores. 

Owning a liquor store comes with a unique set of challenges. Along with the standard demands of small business ownership like customer service and marketing, you have to juggle hundreds (if not thousands) of bottles with different SKUs, abide by complex legal requirements, and prevent underage sales at all costs.

That’s why you can’t rely on just any retail POS system to meet your needs; you need one designed with the liquor industry in mind. Common liquor store POS system features include:

  • Inventory management with advanced features like case breaking, purchase order automation, and real-time stock monitoring.
  • Speedy, secure checkout features like integrated payment processing and built-in age verification.
  • Advanced reporting and analytics to help you understand customers’ preferences and shopping habits.
  • Marketing features like customer loyalty, liquor promotions, and integrations to help you make more sales.
With a POS system built specifically for your needs, you can tackle any challenges and run your liquor business with confidence.

Why Is It Important To Adopt a Liquor Store POS System?

You may already have a generic retail POS solution or feel content managing your inventory with spreadsheets and other basic tools. While you may think your current system is working, a liquor store POS system can dramatically improve your business by helping you:

Infographic showing the benefits of adopting a liquor store POS system, as explained in the text below.

  • Grow your customer base. Manage loyalty and customer rewards directly from your liquor store POS system, ensuring customers keep coming back.
  • Take the guesswork out of inventory management. Top solutions have in-system intelligence that tells you which products are driving the most sales and which gather dust on the shelves, so you know what to stock.
  • Save on payment processing. Configure cash discounts, and let customers take on payment processing fees so you can maximize profits.
  • Eliminate manual reordering. A liquor POS system eliminates the need for manual data entry. It will automatically import new product details, saving your team time.
  • Sell your products online. Look for a solution that allows you to create an integrated e-commerce website to drive online sales. Some systems even let you connect with third-party delivery providers to expand your reach even further.
  • Promote your business. Liquor store POS systems typically have built-in marketing tools that you can combine with customer data to develop personalized campaigns.
  • Prevent shrinkage. Better manage missing inventory issues and minimize shrinkage.
  • Easily update stock. There’s no need to memorize SKUs when your system has a centralized liquor database that can keep track for you.
  • Conduct your business anytime, anywhere. The best systems provide remote access so you can manage your inventory, run campaigns, update stock, and more from wherever you are.

If you’re looking for a way to better organize your business, reduce stress, and maximize profits, a liquor store POS system is a no-brainer because it’s built with your exact business structure and roadblocks in mind.

How To Shop for a Liquor Store POS System

Now that you understand exactly how a liquor store POS system can transform your business, you might be wondering how to choose the best solution for your store. Follow these steps to select a system that’s perfect for your team and business:

Infographic showing the steps for shopping for a liquor store POS system, as explained in the text below.

  1. Determine your budget. Different providers have varying pricing plans to accommodate store sizes and needs. Pinpoint how much you’re willing to spend on a solution, and keep that number in mind when evaluating pricing options.
  2. Decide on your must-have features. Perhaps you’ve recently had issues with underage buyers and need a better age verification system, or you want to start selling your products online. Determining what is most important to your business will help you narrow your search.
  3. Research your options. Research different liquor POS systems online and ask your peers about the software they use. Read reviews of various solutions to better understand the value customers get from them.
  4. Check hardware compatibility. If a certain liquor store POS system works with your existing registers, scanners, and printers, you can save money and get up and running more quickly.
  5. Schedule demos. Once you’ve narrowed down your options, test out your top solutions by requesting demos. The provider should walk you through the main features so you can see exactly how it works.
  6. Investigate customer support. We recommend choosing a provider that offers 24/7 support at no additional cost during onboarding and beyond. Whether you’re brand new to small business ownership or a liquor industry veteran, you’ll benefit from constant access to experts dedicated to your store’s success.
  7. Meet with your team to make the final decision. Consider each platform’s features, pricing, and customer support. Work with your team to decide on a system that works best for your business.

By following these steps, you can carefully select a liquor store POS system that aligns with your goals and budget.

The 6 Best Liquor Store POS Systems

We know how intimidating it can be to enter the world of POS providers, so we’ve done the hard work for you. Keep reading to explore our handpicked list of the best liquor store POS systems and their most impressive features.

1. Bottle POS

Bottle POS is our top pick as the best overall POS system for liquor stores. Designed by and for liquor store owners like you, our software has everything you need to simplify your operations and increase sales.

Top Features

  • Speedy age verification. Bottle POS prompts your cashier to ask for customers’ identification and enter their date of birth. We also offer an age verification scanner to prevent the acceptance of fake IDs.
  • Centralized liquor product database. Our system comes with a built-in database of 20,000 common liquor, wine, and beer products, making it simple to update your inventory.
  • A built-in customer loyalty program. Customers can enter their phone numbers to opt into your loyalty program. Each time they make a purchase, they can check their progress towards rewards.
  • Auto ranking. Our auto ranking feature grades all of your liquor, beer, and wine on an A to D letter scale and color-codes them based on sale patterns. That way, you can quickly distinguish your bestsellers from your slow movers.
  • Automated invoicing. When new products arrive at your store, Bottle POS automatically imports the details. After you review and finalize them, you’re good to go, saving you hours typically dedicated to manual data entry.

We also offer flexible pricing and 24/7 expert support. Use our Build and Price tool to get an instant quote tailored to your liquor store’s needs, and get in touch with our liquor industry experts during the onboarding process and beyond to help you solve problems and make the most of your new POS system.

Whether you’re planning your grand opening or you’ve been in business for years, Bottle POS can help you accomplish your liquor store goals. 

Pricing

Explore our range of affordable pricing options here.

Manage your inventory, retain your customers, and streamline your operations with the top liquor store POS system. Explore Bottle POS.

2. Square

Screenshot of Square’s homepage

Square is one of the most popular POS choices for retailers in all industries — and it’s easy to see why. 

This provider’s sleek hardware and user-friendly interface make it a great option for new business owners looking for the basics. It’s easy to learn and use, and it can help you handle everyday tasks like processing payments and monitoring inventory levels.

Top Features

  • Simplicity: Square is a no-frills solution that you and your team members can quickly get familiar with. 
  • Affordability: Square is one of the most affordable all-in-one POS solutions on our list. 
  • Mobility: Square offers convenient mobile options to help you count inventory and process transactions from the sales floor. 

Since Square doesn’t offer advanced, liquor-specific features, it might not be the best fit for growth-focused liquor industry veterans looking to grow their businesses.

Pricing

Square offers a free plan and paid plans starting at $49/month, but it also offers custom options for larger businesses that need advanced features.

3. Retail Pro

Screenshot of Retail Pro’s homepage

Looking for something more powerful than Square? Retail Pro might be a good fit. 

Retail Pro is a highly customizable POS system designed to help you run your store more efficiently and profitably, whether you sell online or in-store.

Top Features

  • Customization options: Retail Pro is a great option if you want complete control over your POS system’s interface and settings. 
  • Device flexibility: Retail Pro’s software works on various devices, including iOS and Android mobile devices and computers. 
  • Omnichannel selling: Retail Pro can help you manage online and in-store sales. 

Retail Pro also doesn’t offer liquor store-specific features, so it may be more difficult to customize the system to your needs. 

Pricing

Retail Pro has a user-based pricing system, which means you’ll pay a fee for each employee who accesses the system. You can expect to pay $119/month for an initial user, then $99/month for subsequent employees.

4. mPower POS

Screenshot of mPowerPOS’s homepage

mPower POS is a provider that caters to liquor, beer, and wine shops. With mPower POS, you can make sales, track your store’s inventory, analyze customers’ purchase history, and more. 

Top Features

  • Multi-location management: mPower POS offers centralized reporting, pricing, and promotions to make managing multiple stores easy. 
  • Flexible integrations: You can extend mPower POS’ functionality through e-commerce, accounting, and other integrations.
  • 24/7 support: mPower POS’ support team is always available over the phone or by email. 

If you’re looking for a fully featured POS solution to run your chain of liquor stores, mPower POS might be the right fit.

Pricing

mPower POS costs $1000 upfront, then $120/month for one register. After that, you can add additional registers for a discounted price. 

5. Lightspeed

Screenshot of Lightspeed’s homepage

Lightspeed is a reliable POS provider for retailers, restaurants, and golf courses. While it offers all the standard features needed to run a brick-and-mortar liquor store, its main strength is e-commerce.

 

Top Features

  • Cloud-based: You can access Lightspeed’s software and manage your store from anywhere, anytime. 
  • E-commerce options: Lightspeed includes a website builder and online order management system to help you take advantage of the liquor e-commerce boom
  • Open API: Lightspeed is highly customizable and easily integrates with other accounting, marketing, and e-commerce tools. 

If you’re hoping to capitalize on the growing liquor e-commerce trend, Lightspeed is definitely worth checking out. 

Pricing

Lightspeed is one of the most expensive options on our list, with prices ranging from $109 to $339/month. However, you can get a slight discount by investing in an annual plan instead of paying month-to-month. 

6. KORONA POS

Screenshot of KORONA POS’ homepage

KORONA POS is a POS provider for retailers and quick-service restaurants. It promises a complete solution to help small business owners manage their day-to-day operations and grow. 

Top Features

  • ID scanning: KORONA POS speeds up the liquor checkout process by letting you scan customers’ IDs to verify age. 
  • Promotion options: You can offer various sales-boosting promotions through KORONA POS, including coupons and bundle deals. 
  • Customer relationship management (CRM): KORONA POS tracks and manages customers’ purchase history, manages their contact information, and lets you send personalized offers through email and SMS. 

With its unique selection of marketing tools, KORONA POS could be the right fit if your main goal is to attract and retain customers. 

Pricing

KORONA POS’ pricing options start at $59/month. 

Get Started With the Best Liquor Store POS System

Investing in a liquor store POS system doesn’t have to be a tough decision. All you need is a provider that offers reliable hardware, liquor-specific software, flexible pricing, and 24/7 support. 

Searching for a solution that checks the right boxes? Look no further than Bottle POS!

Our powerful liquor store software makes keeping your shelves perfectly stocked, customers happy, and profits high a breeze. Plus, our expert team will support you throughout your liquor store journey — whether you’re planning your grand opening or your store’s 10th anniversary celebration. 

See Bottle POS in action by scheduling your personalized demo today. If you want to learn more about liquor store solutions, check out these additional resources:

Accomplish your goals and maximize sales with Bottle POS. Our industry-leading liquor POS system, trusted by hundreds of package store owners, will simplify your operations and help you earn more. Schedule a demo today.

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