Are you still using a manual cash register or a basic spreadsheet to manage your smoke shop's sales and inventory? Do you find it challenging to keep up with the latest trends, regulations, and customer expectations?
If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, it might be time to consider upgrading to a smoke shop point of sale (POS) system. But a new system can be a significant investment, and with so many options available, choosing the best POS system for your smoke shop can feel overwhelming.
As a specialty POS provider, we have firsthand experience working with smoke shops and know what features you need — and which ones you don’t. And while we’d love to tell everyone that our POS system is a perfect fit, that wouldn’t be the case.
That’s why we’ve put together this resource to help you choose for yourself. In this article, we’ll break down:
Let’s dive in.
Despite the fairly generic-sounding name, a point of sale system does much more than simply handle payments.
A retail POS system also includes features for tracking inventory, printing labels, managing suppliers, handling employee payroll, analyzing sales, and other essential business functions.
However, unlike a POS system built for a general retailer, a smoke shop POS system also includes industry-specific features that help smoke shops overcome unique inventory challenges, such as labeling cigars, tracking identical products from different manufacturers, and maintaining compliance with tobacco laws and regulations.
There are many reasons to implement a smoke shop POS system. Here are some of the common reasons we’ve heard from our customers for why they chose to invest in a new system for their smoke shop:
When trying to determine the best POS system for your smoke shop, start by identifying your current frustrations and goals. Write out a list of the daily tasks that take you the most time, what your ideal day looks like, along with your long-term goals.
Defining your goals will lead to productive conversations with POS providers and ensure you find a system that’s the right fit for your needs.
Before we dive into some top POS providers, it’s important to give a quick overview of the must-have features that smoke shop owners need from a POS system.
While this isn’t a comprehensive list of smoke shop POS features, any system you consider should include these at a minimum.
While more popular general retail systems may not be a good fit for your smoke shop, the good news is you still have a lot of options.
Here are five smoke shop POS systems to consider based on the size of your business, specialty areas, and more.
Lightspeed offers a POS solution designed to help shops manage inventory, operations, employees, and more. Based in Canada, they specialize in retail, restaurants, hospitality, and golf course operations.
Best for: Large-scale smoke shop operations and chains.
Key features for smoke shops:
Pricing
Lightspeed’s Core plan, which includes essential features like customer loyalty and inventory reports, starts at $149/month per register.
KORONA POS is another general retail system that also caters to high-risk industries, such as smoke shops and dispensaries.
Best for: Dispensaries or smoke shops looking for advanced customer marketing tools
Key features for smoke shops:
Pricing
KORONA POS’ retail plan starts at $69/month with optional paid module packages for advanced inventory management, sales reports, franchise features, and more.
NRS supports a wide range of retail operations in the US and offers customers access to simple, all-in-one hardware and software packages.
Best for: Smoke shops looking for a simple, all-in-one POS package.
Key features for smoke shops:
Pricing
NRS’ Pro plan starts at $54.95 a month or $34.95 a month if you use their in-house payment processor. They also offer discounts for new businesses and for those who pay yearly.
With highly customizable systems and mobile POS solutions, Shift4 offers a sleek option for smoke shops with attached smoking rooms or lounges.
Best for: Smoke shops with in-store smoking areas that also serve food and drink.
Key features for smoke shops:
Pricing
Shift4’s base plan starts at $29 per month for each station, plus additional a la carte feature options, such as customer loyalty.
Cigars POS is the only point of sale solution on this list specifically designed for cigar and smoke shops.
We understand that smoke shops have complex inventories and must comply with unique laws and regulations. Our solution is designed to offer you all the features you need for your smoke shop without unnecessary functionality that clutters your interface.
Best for: Tobacco and smoke shops, and cigar lounges
Key features for smoke shops:
Pricing
We work closely with businesses to build systems based on their hardware and software needs and goals. Create the perfect solution for your store using our transparent build and price tool.
Choosing the best POS system for your smoke shop can be overwhelming, especially if you’re unsure whether your technology provider fully understands the industry.
That’s why we’ve chosen to work exclusively with tobacco shops, vape stores, and cigar lounges. Our solution includes all the specialized features a tobacco retailer needs at an affordable price point, and is backed up by industry experts.
Talk with our smoke shop experts today to see how Cigars POS can improve operations at your smoke shop.