What sets your small business apart from the big-box supermarket down the road?
The answer is everything — from your carefully curated product selection to your exceptional customer service.
That’s why you need a point of sale (POS) solution that’s just as unique as your market.
In this blog, we’ll explore everything you need to know about market POS systems, including why you need one, the essential features to look for, and our five favorite providers.
Market POS Systems: The What and Why
Let’s start with the basics: What is a market POS system, and why do you need one?
The main role of a POS system is to shape your customers’ checkout experience and process sales transactions — but modern, industry-specific POS solutions can do so much more, from monitoring stock levels to helping you launch marketing campaigns.
While it might be tempting to settle for the most popular or most affordable POS system, a generic solution won’t cut it for butcher shops, fish markets, grocerants, or other specialty markets.
That’s because these one-size-fits-all systems don’t include the features you need to craft a unique shopping experience, manage complex perishable inventory, and build personal relationships with your customers.
Here’s what to look for instead:
- Integrated payment processing ensures secure transactions and smooth checkouts.
- Customizable interface puts your cashiers’ most-used functions, like popular PLUs, right at their fingertips.
- Perishable inventory management lets you track stock levels in real time, reduce spoilage, and make data-driven inventory decisions.
- Deli scale integration simplifies your meat and deli department operations by simplifying weight-based perishable sales.
- Customer loyalty tools help you build relationships with your shoppers and boost sales.
- Self-checkout functionality can help you tackle rush hour and compete with the big-name supermarkets to offer a convenient, tech-forward shopping experience.
- Quick-service restaurant features allow you to offer fresh, made-to-order meals.
A POS system that checks these boxes will save you time, improve your customers’ shopping experience, and pave the path for your market’s growth. Now, let’s explore which providers check the right boxes.
1. Square: Best for Beginners
Let’s start with one of the most well-known POS solutions: Square.
While Square isn’t specifically designed for grocery stores, it’s popular, affordable, and easy to use — making it an attractive option for small business beginners.
Some of Square’s top features include:
- Simplified item search to speed up the checkout process
- ID scanning for age-restricted items like alcohol and tobacco
- Shift scheduling and time tracking to help you manage your team
If your store specializes in shelf-stable convenience items rather than perishable, weight-based goods, Square might be a fit.
Square’s most popular pricing option starts at $29/month.
2. Toast: Best for Food-Focused Grocerants
Next up is Toast.
This provider specializes in supporting restaurants, but their POS might also be a good fit for grocery stores that have an attached restaurant.
Let’s look at some of Toast’s best tools:
- QSR features to help you serve ready-to-eat, made-to-order meals and snacks
- Flexible hardware options that include handheld terminals, customer-facing kiosks, and traditional checkout counters
- Reporting and analytics to help you track inventory costs, spoilage, and more
If you’ve embraced the grocerant trend and are hoping to grow the restaurant side of your business, Toast is a solid option.
Toast’s most popular pricing option starts at $69/month.
3. GrazeCart: Best for E-Commerce and Farm Stores
GrazeCart is the most unique market POS system on our list.
Originally designed for farm stores, GrazeCart includes a powerful suite of features designed to help you sell perishable, weight-based products like fresh meat online and in store — which makes it a great option for butcher shops or fish markets.
Here’s what we like about GrazeCart:
- Built-in e-commerce tools to help you build a website, make online sales, and manage orders
- Subscription options to add convenience for customers and ensure a steady flow of sales
- Weight-based sales and inventory to help you turn every last ounce of product into profit
GrazeCart is one of the best choices for markets specializing in perishable products with e-commerce aspirations.
Head to their website to explore their various pricing options.
4. Lightspeed: Best for Multilocation Markets
Hoping to build your grocery empire? Lightspeed might be able to help.
While they don’t offer grocery-specific hardware and software, we’ve included them because of their powerful e-commerce and multilocation management tools.
Here’s what Lightspeed has to offer:
- Multilocation reporting to help you track your sales and inventory across all your market locations
- Built-in e-commerce tools to help you build a website and manage online orders
- Flexible integrations to help you customize the software to your market’s unique needs
Lightspeed is also one of the most expensive options on our list, with prices ranging from $109 to $339/month.
5. Markt POS: Best All Around
Our final (and favorite) solution is Markt POS.
Markt POS is the best choice for small markets like butcheries, fish shops, mini marts, and other specialty grocery stores because of its unique, industry-specific design.
Here’s what we love about Markt POS:
- Grocery-specific inventory management to help you track and sell shelf-stable products, perishable goods, and weight-based items
- Built-in loyalty and marketing features to help you nurture a dedicated customer base
- Free, 24/7 support to help you solve problems quickly and make the most of your software
We offer flexible pricing options to meet every market’s needs and budget. Check out our build and price tool for an instant, custom quote.
Get Started With a Market POS System Made for You
Ready to get started with the best market POS system? Look no further.
Markt POS is designed with your unique needs in mind, and it includes everything you need to manage inventory, grow your customer base, and make more sales.
See Markt POS in action by scheduling your personalized demo with one of our grocery industry experts today.
