UK retailers are facing mounting pressure to provide seamless experiences for their customers. Meanwhile, rising costs are shrinking margins, supply chains grow increasingly unpredictable, and staff shortages force individual team members to be more productive than ever before.
The good news is that the right technology can help solve these problems, simplifying retail instead of adding to the complexity. The perfect example is the point of sale system — no longer a glorified cash register, modern POS software sits at the heart of daily operations and connects customer interactions with inventory, sales data, and staff workflows. When used well, it empowers retailers to improve customer service and make better business decisions.
With that in mind, here are six retail POS systems that are helping UK retailers tackle these challenges head-on.
1. Manhattan Active® Point of Sale: Built for resilient, scalable retail
Manhattan Active Point of Sale is a cloud-native, enterprise POS platform that unifies inventory management, customer data, store order fulfillment and analytics tools to help retailers deliver seamless, personalized service. Associates gain real-time insights to serve customers anywhere in the store, through rich interaction data delivered via an associate-first, fully-responsive, and mobile-friendly design. Omnichannel capabilities and workflows for Buy Online Pickup In-Store, cross-store shopping, and network-wide returns create the frictionless experiences shoppers expect from today’s retailers
Unlike legacy systems, Manhattan Active POS combines a highly-resilient, versionless, and continuously-updated architecture with a cloud-based deployment model that reduces IT overhead while keeping retailers up-to-date with the latest innovations. The result is a future-ready POS that acts as a strategic commerce hub, enabling brands to scale profitably and compete with agility into today’s fast-changing retail market.
2. Epos Now: A UK-based POS with multi-site features
Epos Now is a UK-headquartered POS solution that’s designed for small and medium-sized businesses that need straightforward implementation and local support.
Known for its flexibility, Epos Now allows businesses to easily integrate third-party equipment and choose preferred payment processors. Its real-time reporting capabilities provide immediate insight into sales, inventory, and productivity, and its multi-site manager feature enables centralized control across locations — all while integrations with UK-specific accounting software like Xero and Sage streamline back-office operations.
With UK-based support and flexible hardware integration, Epos Now is particularly appealing for retailers who want to avoid vendor lock-in while still having access to reliable local support.
3. Lightspeed POS: Multi-location inventory management
Lightspeed POS is designed for multi-store retailers who need robust inventory control and centralized vendor management.
Its key features include real-time data synchronization across all locations, vendor management tools, and inventory optimization analytics. It also integrates with NuORDER, Lightspeed’s B2B wholesale marketplace, providing access to over 4,000 brands and suppliers while enabling faster purchase order creation.
The platform’s standout strength lies in its sophisticated vendor relationships and wholesale marketplace integration, which can significantly streamline product sourcing and ordering.
4. POS Nation: Pre-configured retail solutions
POS Nation is a turnkey solution that ships with pre-configured hardware and software bundles designed for specific retail segments — targeting retailers who want immediate deployment with industry-specific configurations.
Among its key features are comprehensive inventory management features like real-time stock tracking and automated reordering capabilities. Advanced reporting and analytics provide insights into sales trends and customer behavior, while the platform’s architecture adapts to growing operational requirements.
In providing segment-specific configurations for specialized retailers, POS Nation eliminates much of the setup and customization time that comes with many other platforms.
5. Shopify POS: E-Commerce integrations
Shopify POS is a popular choice for brands that started with a Shopify storefront and want to expand to a physical space.
It includes omnichannel capabilities such as buy online, pickup in-store (BOPIS), ship from store, and unified inventory management features like demand forecasting and low stock reporting. Its staff management tools provide multi-location performance tracking and permission controls, and it offers customization options for receipts and checkout processes.
While some POS systems have bolt-on e-commerce features, Shopify POS is built on the same underlying infrastructure as its e-commerce platform, ensuring truly unified operations.
6. Clover POS: All-in-one business management
Clover POS offers integrated hardware and software solutions for growing SMBs that want to merge multiple business functions into one platform.
The system allows business owners to manage payments, employees, inventory, and customer relationships within a single pane of glass. Its real-time reporting capabilities allow tracking from any location, while a 200+ app marketplace provides extensive customization options.
This marketplace sets Clover POS apart from similar platforms, allowing businesses to add specialized functionality without switching to entirely different systems.
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