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6 Best POS Systems for Supermarkets: Reviews & Pricing

Written by Luke Henry | Dec 26, 2024 2:00:00 PM

You know better than we do — running a supermarket isn’t easy. 

Between running multiple departments, tracking different types of inventory, managing your team, and everything else you do daily, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

If you’re using spreadsheets or a collection of old systems to do it, it can make things even more chaotic.

That’s where supermarket point of sale (POS) systems come in to save the day. Independent and growing supermarkets rely on POS systems to be more efficient, profitable, and competitive. 

But with so many choices, which POS system is the right fit for your store?

In this article, we’ll highlight the five must-have features of a supermarket POS system and advise you on picking the right one for you. 

Already know the features you’re looking for? Feel free to skip straight to our recommendations for the six best POS systems for supermarkets.



 

POS Systems for Supermarkets: 5 Must-Have Features

A modern POS system handles payments with ease. But it can also reduce data entry and manual labor, maintain optimal inventory levels, streamline employee management, and more.

Here are the key features to look out for when shopping for POS systems for supermarkets.

  • Inventory management tools: Inventory tools give you an accurate, up-to-date view of inventory. They streamline inventory audits, receiving, and reordering, and can even alert you when certain items are running low. Optimal inventory management helps prevent stockouts and reduce excess inventory.
  • Reports and analytics: Modern POS systems turn your sales and inventory data into actionable insights. Generate reports that help you identify bestsellers, peak hours, shrinkage sources, and stay ahead of supply chain disruptions.
  • Employee management: Keep track of payroll and employee performance, and onboard new employees with consolidated employee management tools.
  • Customer loyalty: Most POS systems let you manage customer loyalty programs right from your POS system, Track customer purchases, manage reward points, and incentivize repeat business without requiring additional software or systems.
  • Flexible payments: Let customers pay with their preferred payment method, whether it’s cash, credit or debit cards, or contactless payments.

This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it should give you an idea of what a supermarket POS system offers.

It might be intimidating to completely update your system at first, but trust us, once you get over the initial learning curve, you’ll wonder how you lived without it.

 

Optional Features

Depending on what kinds of products your supermarket sells, there are also a few optional features to look out for.

  • Age verification tools: Use ID scanners to improve checkout times and legal compliance when selling age-restricted items.
  • High-risk payment processing: Find a POS system that works with high-risk businesses if you sell alcohol or tobacco. 
  • Serialized inventory: If you sell electronics or other high-value items with a serial number, you’ll need a system that tracks individual products.
  • Dual pricing: If you do a lot of cash transactions, dual pricing lets you provide a small discount to customers who choose to pay with cash.

 

Supermarket POS vs. Generic Retail: Pros and Cons

General retail and supermarket POS systems have a lot in common, but here are some of the main differences to keep in mind:

Generic Retail POS Systems

Pros

  • Widely used and user-friendly
  • Highly customizable in look and function
  • More affordable basic and starter plans
  • Easy for beginners to set up and use
  • More integrations with other hardware and software
  • Advanced features for growing businesses

Cons

  • Support teams may lack supermarket-specific expertise
  • Require more technical expertise to fit your needs
  • May need multiple integrated systems for complete functionality 
  • Lack of specific inventory and sales reports for supermarkets
  • Often built for smaller businesses with lower transaction volume

 

Supermarket POS Systems

Pros

  • Built to handle perishable inventory, custom products, and other supermarket-specific functions
  • Support teams who intimately understand the supermarket business
  • Features and reports optimized for the supermarket industry
  • An all-in-one system built to handle all aspects of supermarket store management

Cons

  • Can be more expensive
  • Limited third-party integration options
  • Slightly higher learning curve
  • Not as customizable

The right choice for your business will depend on:

  • Your team's technical capabilities
  • Current operational requirements
  • Budget constraints
  • Growth projections
  • Existing technology infrastructure

 

 

The Top 6 POS Systems for Supermarkets

While features are important, we highly recommend scheduling demos with several providers to evaluate systems firsthand.

A system may look great on paper, but you might not like how it operates in person, or you might not get the quality support team you need. Remember, you’ll use this system every day, so take your time deciding. 

Here are our six picks for supermarket POS systems in 2025.

1. IT Retail

IT Retail has spent over 25 years helping grocery stores and supermarkets run their stores better and keep customers happy. Our top-rated solution is an all-in-one option for small to mid-sized supermarkets.

IT Retail

Pros

  • Easy to use and set up for employees of different technical ability levels
  • Reliable hardware options for self-checkout, deli scales, label printers, and more
  • Accurate inventory tracking and integrated purchase orders
  • Built-in customer loyalty program
  • Helpful pre-built reports for supermarkets
  • Integrations with Local Express, eGrowcery, Mercato, and other grocery e-commerce systems

Cons

  • No on-site training and onboarding
  • Limited order management and grocerant-specific features
  • Lack of customizable settings for advanced users
  • Some older hardware (e.g., label printer or deli scale) may not be compatible

Reviews

Our solution currently has 4.6 stars on Trustpilot, with reviews frequently praising the ease of use and customer service.

Pricing

We offer flexible pricing based on your business needs, starting as low as $49/month. Use our pricing configurator tool to get your custom quote.

 2. Clover

Clover is a widely used, beginner-friendly POS system that includes order management functions for grocerants. While their software is easy to use, they lack the flexibility and industry-specific features of other solutions on this list.

Clover

Pros

  • Beginner-friendly hardware and software
  • Scale integrations to sell by weight
  • Good order management features for grocerants
  • Mobile POS options for on-the-go payments
  • App marketplace to purchase additional add-on features
  • 24/7 customer support

Cons

  • Requires Clover hardware to use
  • Equipment can’t be reused on other systems
  • Inconsistent customer support
  • Limited reporting options

Reviews

Clover currently has a 3.1-star rating on Trustpilot. Reviews frequently praise the hardware but are mixed on the level of tech support.

Pricing

Clover’s standard pricing tier, which includes a touchscreen and customer-facing display, starts at $170/month.

 

3. Lightspeed

Based in Canada, Lightspeed supports thousands of retail operations around the world. With advanced inventory management and franchise-level visibility, Lightspeed is a great option for large, multi-state supermarket operations.

Lightspeed

Pros

  • Includes an integrated app store for additional features
  • Franchise-level features and support
  • Built-in vendor management and supplier catalog
  • Offers a mobile POS app 
  • Detailed inventory management with flexibility for creating product variants
  • 24/7 support

Cons

  • Doesn’t support self-checkout
  • No EBT payments or dual pricing
  • E-commerce and other advanced features are only available on higher-tier plans

Reviews

Lightspeed currently has 4.2 stars on Trustpilot with reviews praising their features and ability to scale.

Pricing

Lightspeed’s Core plan is $149/month, with their basic plan (which doesn’t include reports or customer loyalty) starting at $89/month.

 

4. POS Nation

POS Nation works with over 10,000 small businesses nationwide, including liquor and tobacco stores, general retail stores, grocery stores, and supermarkets. With many grocery-friendly features and a flexible backend, POS Nation is a good all-around pick for supermarkets offering a wide range of services and goods.

POS Nation

Pros

  • Custom tax setup and exemptions for supermarkets selling age-restricted goods
  • Multi-location management features
  • Real-time inventory management
  • Onboarding support and personalized training
  • Built-in reports and analytics
  • 24/7 support

Cons

  • Requires multiple logins for multi-location management
  • Vendor management functions but no integrated purchase orders
  • Reports can be hard to navigate
  • Customer relationship management (CRM) functions are somewhat basic

 

Reviews

POS Nation has a 4.7 on Trustpilot, with reviews praising their speedy customer service and in-depth onboarding.

Pricing

POS Nation offers several flexible pricing tiers starting at $69/month based on your business size, hardware needs, and other factors.

5. Markt POS

Markt POS is a POS system created for grocers, specialty markets, grocerants, and small supermarkets. In addition to industry-specific features, Markt POS offers full Spanish language support for Hispanic grocers or supermarkets serving non-native speakers.

Markt POS

Pros

  • Full Spanish language functionality
  • Custom barcodes, low-stock alerts, and streamlined purchase orders
  • Flexible pricing, including mix and match promotions
  • Detailed sales and inventory reports
  • Mobile and remote store and inventory management

Cons

  • Limited e-commerce support
  • May require specific hardware to work
  • Not an ideal fit for franchises or chains
  • Limited customization of colors, fonts, and other specific features

Reviews

While not listed on Trustpilot, Markt POS has a 5-star rating on Google with 51 reviews.

Pricing

Markt POS offers several pricing tiers based on your business size and needs. Use their pricing tool to learn more.

 

6. Square POS

Square POS is a highly flexible and affordable option particularly well-suited for small businesses and those with significant online operations. Square POS is not a specialized solution but has many optional paid add-ons to let more advanced users build the exact POS system they need.

Square POS

Pros

  • Free and affordable plans available for new businesses
  • Highly customizable software and user-friendly hardware
  • Ability to enter inventory from a mobile device
  • The modular system allows you to add devices and features as needed
  • Extensive e-commerce support for businesses that sell primarily online

Cons

  • Can’t run on devices using Windows
  • Specialized retail features require paid add-ons or pricier software plans
  • Potentially high transaction fees for growing or larger businesses
  • Lack of in-depth or supermarket-specific reports

Reviews

Square US is currently rated 4.3 stars on Trustpilot, with many reviews praising the ease of setting up e-commerce and the user-friendly systems.

Pricing

Square Plus (which includes retail management) starts at $29/month plus processing fees. Additional hardware and function add-ons are available at an added cost.

 

Want To See What IT Retail Can Do? Get in Touch.

Upgrading your supermarket POS system is a big decision. If you need help narrowing it down, try considering the following factors:

  • Your budget
  • Your hardware needs (e.g., scanners, deli scales)
  • Customer support (e.g., will you need help onboarding? Are you confident you can solve your own problems?)
  • Your business goals

Not every POS system is a good fit for every business — even ours! However, if you want to see what IT Retail can do for your supermarket, we’d love to hear from you.

IT Retail has spent over 25 years developing tools for independent supermarkets to succeed and compete against big chains. 

With a focus on valuable, user-friendly features, we work closely with our customers to make sure they have everything they need to modernize their store, drive sales, and improve the customer experience.

Contact our knowledgeable sales team today to get a customized demo of IT Retail.