How To Choose a Butcher Shop POS System: 4 Top Options

Hardware & Software

How To Choose a Butcher Shop POS System: 4 Top Options

Dec 07, 2023 • 7 min read

If you don’t manage your butcher shop inventory and operations effectively, you’ll lose money every day in the form of food waste and missed opportunities.

Independent butcher shops have to compete with big-box stores while managing perishable inventory, variable weight products, and the personal touch customers expect from a local butcher. Without the right tools and processes, you’ll struggle to stay competitive — or even afloat — in the modern marketplace.

The right technology can level the playing field. A specialized butcher shop point of sale (POS) system helps you operate with the efficiency of larger competitors and preserve the quality and care that keeps customers loyal. But how can you find the right butcher shop POS system for your business?

In this guide, you'll discover the must-have features your POS system needs, then compare top providers to find the best fit.

What Makes a Butcher Shop POS System Different?

Running a butcher shop isn’t like running other retail businesses — you wrestle with industry-specific challenges that generic POS systems aren’t designed to handle. If you use a generic tool without the specialized features you need to run your business, you’ll be forced to use patchwork solutions and manual processes.

Here are a few unique challenges to keep in mind when choosing a butcher shop POS system:

Variable weight pricing: Butcher shops don’t sell prepackaged items with fixed prices. Instead, you need a tool that prices products by weight, prints custom labels, and handles variable weight inventory management.
Perishable inventory: Fresh meat doesn't last forever. You need real-time visibility into what's approaching its sell-by date.
Special orders: As an independent butcher, your customers come to you for personalized service and specialty items. Your POS should allow you to track special requests and custom orders.
Multiple payment types: Many butcher businesses accept everything from gift cards to EBT, which means you need a solution that allows you to accept everything without creating stress on the backend.

The right butcher shop POS system helps you manage these challenges and streamline your processes. Now, let’s explore the key features to consider when choosing your point of sale system.

1. Deli Scale Integration

With all the variable weight products you carry, your scale is central to everything you do. Look for a POS system that integrates directly with your deli scales and generates automatic weight-to-price calculations.

The best solutions generate custom barcodes and connect with label printers, keeping checkout fast and accurate on price-by-weight items. Set up your labels to include the following details for each product:

Weight
Price per pound
Total price
Additional information, like farm of origin

You also want to invest in a deli scale with tare weight management features — this way, your customers only pay for the meat, not the weight of the container, too.

2. Advanced Inventory Management

To keep your store running smoothly, you need to track inventory by cut, grade, weight, and source. This advanced tracking helps you maintain quality and meet customer demands more easily.

You also want a POS tool that supports food inventory management and first in, first out (FIFO) practices, so you can always sell your oldest stock first before it spoils. On the same note, a solid butcher shop POS system allows you to track expiration dates, so you always know when to offer discounts to sell products before they go bad.

Finally, your inventory management tool should offer automated reorder alerts based on set thresholds and real sales data. This feature helps you reorder the right products at the right time — this way, you don’t have to worry about stockouts and overstocking.

3. Flexible Payment Processing

Modern customers expect options at checkout. Most shoppers now pay with credit and debit cards — but contactless payments, like Apple Pay and Google Pay, are on the rise. Some customers may also need to pay with sources like EBT.

Aside from these options, you need a POS system that supports gift card options. Gift cards help you build loyalty and attract new customers through what essentially amounts to a referral.

The more payment options you offer, the more convenient you make shopping at your store — and convenience keeps customers coming back.

3. Flexible Payment Processing

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. You need your point of sale system to track and display all the necessary data to manage your business more effectively.

Choose a POS system with comprehensive reporting that shows you your sales patterns by cut, grade, and time period. These data points help you stock smarter and set prices more effectively.

You also want to track:

Waste and shrinkage rates
Profit margins
Promotional effectiveness
Customer purchase patterns

This information helps you make more confident day-to-day decisions related to growing and operating your butcher shop.

5. Customer Loyalty Programs

Customer loyalty programs are one of the best ways to reward your best customers and win repeat business. However, managing a customer loyalty program manually can be a headache at best. Instead, you need a POS system with built-in customer loyalty program management.

Invest in a butcher shop POS that allows you to offer members-only promotions, discounts, and point-based loyalty programs directly. A fully-integrated solution makes it easy to track loyalty points and apply rewards at checkout, eliminating the need for manual workarounds.

6. Ease of Use & Support

Technology should make your life easier, not harder. Your butcher shop needs a POS system that’s intuitive to use, easy to learn, and simple to maintain. You want to choose a system built specifically for butcher shops and markets, rather than picking a generic solution and trying to customize it later.

Last, ensure you select a POS provider with 24/7 customer support options. The right partner can help you with technical issues whenever they arise, not just during standard business hours.

H2: 4 Top Butcher Shop POS Systems To Consider

Now that we’ve covered the features that matter most to your industry, let’s look at the leading butcher shop POS systems on the market. Each option has its unique strengths and ideal fits, so consider your specific needs as you read.

1. Markt POS

Best for: Independent butcher shops and specialty meat markets

Markt POS is a point of sale solution designed specifically for butcher shops and markets. Our solution offers robust deli scale integration, flexible payment processing, built-in loyalty programs, and more. Markt POS is a cloud-based solution, but it also works offline, so in the event of an internet outage, you’ll still be able to sell.

Pricing: Custom pricing is based on your business needs. Use our transparent Build and Price tool for an instant estimate.

Customer review: "Markt POS’s support is extremely helpful and responsive to our questions. They have helped us continuously keep our system up and running and create solutions for our business needs. Their service has been top-notch!” — Joanna Alexander, Jo’s Local Natural Foods

Why it stands out: Markt POS is purpose-built for specialty food retailers, so you get all the features that actually match how you run your business — and none of the expensive extras you won’t use.

2. Square

Best for: New butcher shops on a tight budget

Square offers an accessible entry point for butcher shops just starting out. The system provides add-ons like scale integrations and a robust app marketplace that lets you start simple, and add more features and functionality as you grow. Square Online is a strong feature for any butcher shop looking to explore e-commerce solutions rather than just brick-and-mortar.

Pricing: A free Basic plan is available; the Retail plan starts at $89/month.

Customer review: "Love Square’s easy-to-use system. Everything is self-explanatory.” — Square customer

Why it stands out: Square's low barrier to entry makes it a strong option for new businesses that need to accept credit cards, but don’t want to invest in a full solution up front.

3. National Retail Solutions (NRS)

Best for: Butcher shops with simple operations

NRS delivers a straightforward butcher shop POS system with all the basics. This cloud-based solution combines scale integrations, vendor management, and a unique coupon club that gives customers deals at any NRS-affiliated store.

Pricing: The Pro plan ranges from $34.95/month (with their payment processor) to $54.95/month.

Customer review: "In the beginning, I was reluctant. After receiving the NRS system, it's so simple and easy to use. It's all in one, what a business needs.” — NRS customer

Why it stands out: NRS offers an all-in-one solution that works well for straightforward operations.

4. Lightspeed

Best for: Multilocation butcher shops

If you operate (or plan to open) multiple locations, Lightspeed offers the enterprise-level features you need. The system offers omnichannel sales management, centralized inventory tracking, and comprehensive reporting in a central dashboard. If you’re an enterprise-level butcher shop or looking to expand, Lightspeed might be the right fit.

Pricing: Costs start at $119/month.

Customer review: "...After two solid years of using Lightspeed, I can confidently say it’s the best POS system I’ve ever used. It’s fast, intuitive, and packed with features that actually make day-to-day operations smoother.” – Lightspeed customer

Why it stands out: Lightspeed delivers enterprise-grade functionality that works well for rapidly growing butcher shop chains.

How To Choose the Right Butcher Shop POS System for Your Business

The four butcher shop POS systems discussed in this guide all have their strengths and challenges. No solution is the right fit for every butcher shop. If you want to choose the best solution for your business, you need to begin with a firm understanding of your specific needs and priorities.

Start by identifying your must-have features. Do you need scale integration, multilocation management, or are you working within a tight budget? Are you planning to expand to new locations or add e-commerce capabilities? These goals guide you to the right decision.

If you own an independent butcher shop or market and are looking for an industry-specific, simple-to-use POS system with top-notch customer support and custom pricing tailored to your specific needs, Markt POS might be right for you.

Ready to optimize every aspect of your butcher shop operation? Download The Complete Guide to Running a Butcher Shop for expert insights on everything from inventory management to customer service.

Table of Contents

How To Choose a Butcher Shop POS System: 4 Top Options