An aging POS system that couldn't keep pace
When Richlands Cajun Market first opened, Tammy and Russ were running on CAP Retail. It worked well enough to get the store off the ground, but as the business grew, the system started to show its age.
It wasn't built to give them the kind of modern reporting and remote visibility a small, independently run grocery store needs.
"Our initial system was aging out. Markt POS became highly recommended, so after I did some research, read the reviews, and watched some demonstration videos, we decided Markt POS was the right thing for us."
What they were looking for in a new system
Tammy didn't go looking for just any replacement. She went in with a specific list of what a POS system needed to do for a store like theirs.
"Some of the requirements we wanted in our POS system were a way to do comparative analysis of peak hours, purchased products, inventory on hand, and the inventory required."
Tammy didn't make the decision lightly. She read reviews, watched demo videos, and researched grocery-specific systems before settling on Markt POS.
"I'm a person who does extensive research,” Tammy shares. “After reading all the reviews online and watching demonstration videos, we decided to give Markt POS a try and decided it was the right thing for our business."
Up and running in weeks, not months
With only one point of sale (POS) station to convert, Richlands Cajun Market needed an onboarding process that wouldn't disrupt day-to-day business.
Markt POS' onboarding technician, Michael, worked around the store's schedule to make the switch as smooth as possible.
"The onboarding and training went extremely smoothly. Michael, the onboarding technician, worked with us to do the installation and updates after hours since we only have one point of sale station.
We were up and running within weeks instead of a month."
The learning curve was just as smooth as the install.
"Whether you have prior experience with a POS system or this is your first experience, the system is easy to learn,” adds Tammy. “You can use it from day one and keep building from there."
Running the store from over 1,000 miles away
The biggest shift for Richlands Cajun Market wasn't something that happened at the register — it's what happens on the road. Every nine weeks, Tammy and Russ drive to Louisiana to hand-pick their inventory of authentic Cajun ingredients and haul it back to North Carolina themselves.
The trip to Cajun country and back covers roughly 1,000+ miles one way, with the drive back alone running about 16 hours. Their old, non-cloud-based system meant that the whole trip was effectively a blackout period for real-time store data, and historically, that meant hours of catch-up data entry once they finally got home.
"Because it's cloud-based, you can access it from anywhere. Our previous system wasn't cloud-based, so having real-time data and being able to access it from anywhere really works well."
Now, that same nine-week supply run is an opportunity instead of a gap. On the drive back, Tammy and Russ update and upload everything they picked up, so by the time they pull back into Richlands, the new inventory is already logged and ready for the shelves — no separate catch-up session required.
Faster checkout, sharper decisions
Back in the store, the impact shows up in the daily rhythm of the business — a quicker line at the register and a clearer picture of what's actually happening on the sales floor.
The real-time dashboard has become a daily habit for Tammy, one she can check from the store, from home, or from the road.
"I like the real-time dashboard. Whether you're at the store or at home with your laptop, you can check accurate, real-time data on how the store is doing."
Support that answers on the first call
As with any new system, a few early questions came up after Richlands Cajun Market went live. Tammy says the Markt POS support team handled it the way she'd hoped — fast, and without a runaround.
"After the initial installation, we had a few questions and a few tweaks we needed made so it worked the way we do business. Before we got off the phone, all of our questions were answered, and the adjustments were made.
The customer support is really helpful and really quick. It's definitely one of the features we love."
Between running a niche specialty grocery, keeping overhead low, and restocking a full inventory of imported Cajun ingredients every nine weeks, Tammy and Russ don't have room for tools that slow them down. That's exactly why Tammy is quick to point other small grocers toward Markt POS.
"I would definitely recommend Markt POS to other grocery stores or small businesses."
