Managing a cell phone store is no easy feat. You have a massive variety of phones, plans, and accessories to manage. If you’re struggling to keep track of your inventory, sales, and customer base manually, you’re not alone.
If you started your store with a basic point of sale (POS) system or manual cash register, you’re likely feeling some growing pains. Suddenly, that “simple” POS system can’t integrate your inventory, manage customer loyalty programs, or help with employee commissions. Before you know it, you’re losing track of transaction records and struggling to get the metrics you need. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
This post walks you through six top options for cell phone store POS software solutions. For each, we’ll talk about features, pricing, and customer reviews.
Essential Cell Phone Store POS Software Features
Before we provide our list of top cell phone store POS software solutions, let’s provide some critical context. How should you evaluate a POS solution and decide whether it’s a fit for your cell phone store?
Cell phone retailers need feature-rich point of sale platforms designed to manage complex, ever-changing mobile and electronics inventory. Let’s examine some core capabilities your POS solution should deliver:
- Inventory Management
Inventory management features should help you track stock levels and gain real-time insight into your backstock. Cell phones, wearables, accessories, and internet-of-things devices create complex and ever-changing inventory. Precision tracking enables staff to verify product availability, giving customers the information they need and preventing stockouts resulting in disappointed customers and lost sales.
- Sales and Transaction Handling
Another essential feature you should look for from your POS solution is an efficient checkout process. Clunky point of sale experiences in cell phone stores frustrate modern customers looking for convenience and customer service. You also need a point of sale system capable of accepting multiple payment options. Mobile payments, contactless credit cards, and tokenized digital wallets are all common among the tech-savvy crowd shopping for mobile devices and electronics. - Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
A robust point of sale system will allow you to collect and maintain customer data. Centralizing client details from sales records to device repair histories within your point of sale system allows you to personalize suggestions and better serve your customers. CRMs also help you increase customer loyalty and create better marketing campaigns. You can segment your campaigns based on purchase history, repair needs, and preferences. An advanced system will also allow you to track repair progress and updates from a single dashboard. - Analytics and Reporting
The right point of sale system will provide you with sales performance data. You can use granular point of sale reporting to get insights into bestselling items, customer trends, and seasonal shifts. Analytics aid inventory planning, marketing optimization, and overall growth strategies. POS intelligence also enables tracking profitability, revenue run rates, margin impacts, and other financial performance indicators crucial for your store’s success. - Integration and Scalability
Finally, you need to select a POS system that integrates with your existing systems. Siloed data helps no one, so ensure your point of sale system integrates with e-commerce tools, accounting programs, external databases, and more. You also need a POS system that can adapt as your store grows and scales. Scaling capacity smoothly without sacrificing performance is essential for growing your store.
The right POS solution will help you navigate the complexities of the mobile retail industry, drive improvements through analytics, and empower employees with service-enhancing features. With this in mind, let’s examine our list of the top cell phone store POS software solutions you might consider for your store.
1. NetSuite
NetSuite is a unified cloud platform covering key business capabilities like ERP, financials, inventory and order management, HR tools, CRM, supply chain, and omnichannel commerce. This integrated approach gives retailers real-time access to data and insights across the organization.
NetSuite provides robust tracking of warranties, protection plans, and trade-in values for wireless, electronics, and cell phone stores. It also enables bundling of accessories and service upgrades to optimize upselling. Retailers gain visibility into margins, sales, profits, and other KPIs with data analysis tailored specifically for specialty stores.
Pricing: Pricing is only available upon request from NetSuite through a conversation with their sales team.
Review:
“NetSuite has so many features and modules that it can support so many different functions of business… I've used NetSuite with multiple employers in different industries, and each time, it was used in a different way. There's a plethora of help articles and support to help you learn to optimize your system, and a large community of experienced professionals that can help take it to the next level.” - NetSuite User
2. Epicor
Epicor for Retail specializes in tailored solutions for the retail and electronics repair sectors. With a focus on optimizing sales, boosting customer loyalty, and refining operations, its POS and business management tools cater specifically to the needs of these industries.
For retail, Epicor's integrated suite empowers businesses to expand their reach through e-commerce integration, offer convenient mobile-based checkout experiences, and manage loyalty programs effectively.
Epicor's solutions streamline operations in electronics repair, providing tools like the Integrated Service Estimator to generate swift and accurate repair estimates. Its service and asset management software ensures transparency and efficiency in service delivery, exceeding customer expectations throughout the repair cycle.
Pricing: Epicor’s pricing is only available by request through a conversation with sales.
Review:
“I really like the record-keeping that Epicor Offers. And being able to create all the documents you need is great. Customization without disrupting other functions is good too.” - Epicor User
3. CellSmart POS
CellSmart POS helps wireless store owners stay on top of inventory, attract customers, and streamline sales through its specialty retail software designed for the cellular industry. The system enables robust device lifecycle management from activations to resale and repairs.
Key features include tracking all phone and device details like specs, service plans, protection plans, trade-in values, and repair tickets. CellSmart also helps stores maximize revenues through upsells of accessories and services via bundles, upgrades, warranty purchases, and more.
For staff, CellSmart provides commission tracking and individual sales goals to motivate employees. Our software delivers advanced reporting on margins, profits, sales, and other metrics critical for planning and strategy.
Pricing: See the exact price of your perfect, custom solution with our transparent build and price tool.
Review:
“Sincerely the best POS system for cell phone-related stores. We recently opened our door, and thanks to CellSmart POS, we have had a flawless experience. Their technical support is WORLD CLASS! RECOMMEND!” - Juan Munoz, CellXpress Tampa
4. Shopify
Shopify's POS system offers tailored solutions for retail and electronics repair businesses, including cell phone stores. The system prioritizes customer-driven experiences, enabling staff to blend online and in-store shopping. The platform also offers a range of POS apps, allowing customization with tools like Marsello for loyalty rewards and Gusto for payroll management.
Beyond its point of sale functionality, Shopify provides a comprehensive business solution. It facilitates staff management and seamless payment processing. With unified inventory management and online tools for website building and digital marketing, Shopify can help you manage your cell phone store operations.
Pricing: Shopify’s Retail package starts at $89 per month, plus processing fees.
Review:
“I've been using Shopify since 2018, and I think it's the best E-commerce platform out there. It's very organized and has all the information that you need to process an order. We also use this to assist customers regarding their concerns about tracking, discounts, gift cards, products, etc. because it has all the information that you need.” - Shopify User
5. Fishbowl
Fishbowl's inventory management software is a robust solution for small to mid-sized businesses, including cell phone stores, offering real-time visibility and inventory control capabilities. It facilitates seamless order fulfillment across various locations, physical warehouses, mobile inventories, or drop shipping setups, ensuring consistency and predictability in complex manufacturing processes.
For businesses requiring on-premises hosting, Fishbowl Advanced provides secure server solutions. It streamlines workflows, offering guided implementation processes and real-time operational views from any location, allowing for scalability without compromising efficiency.
Pricing: Fishbowl Advanced starts at $329 per month.
Review:
“As a small, independent distributor, it can be difficult to find an ERP system with the capabilities I need, at a cost that fits my company. FishBowl can handle all the complexities of multi-location inventory management, purchasing, receiving, front-counter sales, drop-ship sales, COD and account sales, and … significantly complex pricing structures.” -Fishbowl User
6. Rain POS
Rain POS is an all-in-one retail point of sale system built specifically for specialty retail stores of all types, including clothing, grocery, home goods, wine & liquor, and more. The software integrates seamlessly with an e-commerce platform to enable real-time inventory syncing and visibility across online and offline sales channels.
Robust reporting and analytics within Rain POS help retailers track key metrics like sales, profits, and stock levels to inform better business decisions. The system also includes an omnichannel loyalty program to track customer rewards and automated marketing tools for SMS, email, and social campaigns.
For cell phone stores specifically, Rain POS provides detailed product matrix building, accessory bundling, activation and porting capabilities, protection plan tracking, and trade-in management.
Pricing: Rain POS offers tiered pricing plans that are only available upon request.
Review:
“I like the fact that our inventory is connected between our online store and brick-and-mortar store. I also like how easy the system is to use.” - Rain POS User
Choosing the Right Cell Phone Store POS Software for Your Store
Choosing the right cell phone store POS software solution can streamline operations and grow your business. The POS systems covered in this post all offer features and capabilities that may help cell phone retailers scale. However, when selecting the right technology for your store, remember that one-size-fits-all retail solutions might not fit your needs best.
Independent cell store owners deserve software tailor-made for the device sales, repairs, and customer service they manage daily. You need a solution designed for cell phone retailers and mobile repair shops. CellSmart POS offers all the features cell phone store owners need to successfully manage their stores.
CellSmart POS consolidates everything from activation integrations to diagnosis history to loyalty programs into one intuitive platform. As specialists supporting mobile service providers large and small, we understand the crucial yet overlooked needs that patchwork systems and generic retail POS systems can’t deliver.
Rather than retrofitting point of sale tools to try accommodating your distinctive workflows, CellSmart starts with them. If you feel existing options simply scratch the surface of streamlining cell store success, it’s time to schedule a personalized demo of CellSmart POS today.