Special Report: POS Systems

Leaders in the POS systems space are doing their part to make retailers’ day to day tasks simpler, expedient and efficient. The days of store associates standing behind a cash register, swiping cards or making change are a thing of the past. These category leaders’ experience is rooted in retail, and they offer a deep understanding and sympathy for the hurdles that are specific to retailers in operating their business. Companies guiding the category have connected multiple facets of retail and united them in one hub where retailers can track consumers’ spending and shopping habits, tackle payroll, keep closer tabs on inventory, and of course, complete a transaction. 

Before founding Fieldstack, Brett Wickard operated a retail chain and brings a deep understanding of and empathy of the hurdles retailers contend with. He also realized how important interacting with pet owners is when it comes to enriching them about how to responsibly care for their pets, building a sense of community within the area the store serves and creating an experience that pet owners will come back to. With so many responsibilities to juggle, Wickard didn’t want retailers to get tied down with outdated technology. 

“We were born in retail,” Wickard said. “One of the most challenging things about running a store is complexity of technology. You have five different systems that you’re working on, you’ve got to train people on a bunch of different things and sometimes nothing works right. Our vision from the start was to simplify everything for pet specialty retailers, get rid of five to 10 disconnected systems and have one thing that seamlessly works so store owners can do what they do best, which is serving customers.”

“We call ourselves a retail company that makes software—not a software company,” he continued. “In your average pet store, you literally get someone who genuinely cares about and understands you, knows that your dog switched dog foods and isn’t feeling well. It’s this really empathetic connection. On the other hand, there’s your average software company, who by the way, offers no service or support. At our core, we try to run like a retail company where we have actual service, and we try to look at everything holistically.”

Everyone who has worked as a store clerk identifies with being immediatly pulled in 15 different directions, Wickard said. “And that’s part of the fun,” he said. “There is no wall between you and your customers. When you’re a clerk, you’re there. You’re right in front of people and have to serve them on the spot, and so we try to build software that amplifies that. We also view everything from the lens of the clerk because, nothing against all the folks who help a chain operate, the clerks are where all the magic happens. That’s where the rubber meets the road and why we try to build everything through the lens of them. When technology is done right, it’s invisible. That’s our goal. It’s to make it so people don’t have to think about the complexity of technology while demonstrating a simpler way to bring everything together.”

Franpos wanted a fair playing field for retailers regardless if they operated independently or franchised or were a cog in a chain of stores. At the time, POS systems for retailers couldn’t keep up with the needs of similar pet businesses namely groomers, daycares and pet supply stores. Franpos introduced pet businesses to a comprehensive platform that transformed POS transactions into a modern, streamlined way for pet companies to conduct a business and better understand their customer base. 

“Franpos was born from a simple idea—that independent and franchise pet retailers deserved the same technology advantages as the big box chains,” said Founder and CEO Subodh Gupta. “When we entered the POS space, most systems were designed for generic retail, not for the unique needs of grooming, daycare or pet supply stores. We saw a gap and built a cloud-based, all-in-one platform tailored to the pet industry—connecting point of sale, eCommerce, booking, loyalty and payroll under one roof. Franpos has driven category growth by transforming POS from a transactional tool into a smart business platform—giving retailers insights, connectivity and financial tools once reserved for enterprise brands.”

Pinogy Corporation emerged from the pet industry’s retail arm, recognizing a significant gap in technology tailored specifically for pet stores. With a background rooted in pet retail and software development, company founders wanted to create a platform that addresses the unique facets pet businesses contend with—an improvement from the generic POS systems available at the time. 

“We began in the pet industry with retail pet stores in 1998 and quickly saw a gap in technology,” said CEO Robert Cook. “Pinogy was founded in 2006 with a clear vision—to create technology that truly speaks the language of the pet industry. At the time, most POS systems were robust but generic—designed for general retail without an understanding of the unique workflows, regulations and customer needs of pet businesses. Retailers had to choose between outdated legacy software or overly complex platforms that didn’t fit their operations. With deep experience in both the pet industry and software development, we knew we could build a better solution—one designed from the ground up for pet retailers. We entered the category to do just that: create a platform built specifically for the pet industry. By combining POS with pet-specific inventory, animal management, CRM, supplier data, online integrations and compliance tools, we built a system that does far more than process sales—it powers the entire ecosystem and delivers a true omnichannel experience for pet retailers and their customers.”

Pinogy has reinvented the role of a POS system. 

“Our biggest disruption has been redefining what a POS system can and should be,” Cook said. “We moved beyond simple transactions to build an integrated environment where sales, inventory, customer engagement, marketing, e-commerce, animal care and compliance operate together seamlessly. This holistic approach simplifies operations for business owners while creating new efficiencies and revenue opportunities.”