Retail POS System Selection Guide【Complete Guide 2026】

TL;DR

• Article Purpose: Complete guide for retail store owners to select the best POS system. Detailed explanation of features, prices, and industry-specific selection methods.
• Target Audience: Retail store owners and managers of apparel, gift shops, convenience stores, bookstores, etc.
• Main Content: 7 criteria for POS system selection, 10 implementation steps, comparison of major systems, industry-specific recommendations
• Reading Time: 15 minutes

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Key Terms

Retail POS System

Definition: A POS (Point of Sale) system specialized for retail stores. Integrates product sales, inventory management, and customer management. Classification: Cloud POS, Tablet POS, Register-integrated POS Scope: Includes product registration, barcode scanning, inventory management, customer management, sales reports, and accounting integration. Related: Cash register system, retail management system, store system

Inventory Management Integration

Definition: Function to integrate POS system with inventory management system, automatically updating inventory upon sales. Scope: Includes real-time inventory updates, automatic ordering, multi-store inventory management, and loss rate analysis. Related: Inventory management system, inventory optimization, stock management

Omnichannel

Definition: Sales strategy that integrates physical stores and e-commerce platforms, managing inventory and customer information centrally. Scope: Includes in-store pickup, shared e-commerce inventory, integrated customer purchase history, and unified points. Related: O2O, e-commerce integration, online shop integration

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Definition: Function to manage customer information, analyze purchase and visit history for marketing purposes. Scope: Includes customer registration, purchase history management, point management, and email marketing. Related: Member management, point system, repeat customer management

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What is a Retail POS System

Basic Concept

A retail POS system is a sales management system used in retail businesses such as apparel stores, gift shops, and convenience stores. In addition to traditional cash register functions, it integrates inventory management, customer management, sales analysis, and more.

Difference from Traditional Registers:

• Traditional Register: Payment function only, manual ledger for inventory management
• Modern POS: Payment + Inventory Management + Customer Management + Sales Analysis + Accounting Integration + E-commerce Integration

Main Functions:

1. Product Management: Product registration, barcode management, price management
2. Inventory Management: Real-time inventory updates, automatic ordering, loss management
3. Customer Management: Member registration, purchase history management, point management
4. Payment Processing: Cash, cards, QR payments, e-wallets, and other payment methods
5. Sales Reports: Daily/monthly sales reports, product/time-based analysis
6. Accounting Integration: Automatic integration with accounting software (freee, Money Forward, etc.)
7. E-commerce Integration: Inventory and customer information integration with online shops

Why It's Important

Business Perspective:

• Operational Efficiency: Inventory management automation can reduce 60-80 hours of work per month
• Inventory Optimization: Real-time inventory management reduces excess inventory by 30-40%, stockouts by 50%
• Sales Increase: Customer data analysis shows cases of 20-30% increase in repeat rates
• Cost Reduction: Accounting work automation reduces accounting time by 40-60%

Technical Perspective:

• Real-time Management: Real-time grasp of inventory and sales status
• Data Analysis: Analyze product-specific sales and inventory turnover to optimize purchasing
• Multi-store Management: Cloud systems can centrally manage multiple stores' inventory and sales

Data:

• Retail store POS system adoption rate: Approximately 80% (Small and Medium Enterprise Agency survey, 2025)
• Average 50% reduction in inventory management time after POS system implementation (Industry survey, 2024)
• 15-25% sales increase with omnichannel support (E-commerce Association survey, 2025)

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7 Criteria for Selecting Retail POS Systems

Criterion 1: Inventory Management Features

Considerations:

• Real-time inventory update function
• Automatic ordering function (reorder point management)
• Loss and waste management
• Barcode/QR code support
• Multi-store inventory management
• Inventory counting function

Checklist:

• Does inventory automatically decrease upon sales?
• Are automatic order notifications sent when inventory falls below set levels?
• Can inventory be easily registered via barcode scanning?
• Can multiple stores' inventory be managed centrally?
• Can stocktaking be efficiently done via app?

Recommended Systems:

• Seisei: ✅ Full feature support, multi-store management, integrated accounting
• Smaregi: ✅ Rich inventory management features, suitable for SMB
• Square POS: ○ Basic inventory management, simple operation

Criterion 2: Customer Management (CRM) Features

Considerations:

• Member registration function
• Purchase history management
• Point management system
• Customer segmentation analysis
• Email marketing function
• Visit frequency analysis

Checklist:

• Can member information be easily registered and managed?
• Can each customer's purchase history be viewed?
• Is point allocation and redemption automated?
• Can valuable customers be analyzed and extracted?
• Can marketing emails be sent to members?

Implementation Points:

• Barcode membership cards or app integration
• Automatic point allocation based on purchase amount
• Automatic birthday month coupon delivery
• Repeat rate and LTV analysis

Criterion 3: E-commerce Platform Integration (Omnichannel)

Considerations:

• Inventory data integration
• Customer data integration
• Point unification
• Buy Online, Pick-up In Store (BOPIS) support
• Unified sales management for e-commerce and physical stores

Checklist:

• Can inventory be automatically synchronized between e-commerce and physical stores?
• Can products purchased online be picked up in-store?
• Can points be managed uniformly across e-commerce and stores?
• Is customer data integrated regardless of purchase channel?
• Can e-commerce and store sales be viewed in one report?

Omnichannel Benefits:

• Effective inventory utilization (reduced opportunity loss)
• Enhanced customer convenience (increased purchase channel options)
• Precise marketing through data integration

Criterion 4: Supported Payment Methods

Must Support:

• Cash
• Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex)
• Transit IC cards (Suica, PASMO, etc.)
• QR payments (PayPay, LINE Pay, d払い, au PAY, etc.)
• E-wallets (WAON, nanaco, Rakuten Edy, etc.)

Checklist:

• Does it support major QR payment methods?
• Does it support transit IC cards?
• Are card payment fees reasonable? (Generally 3.24-3.74%)
• What are the initial and monthly costs for payment terminals?
• What is the settlement cycle? (Next business day/weekly/monthly)

Payment Fee Comparison (As of January 2026):

• PayPay: 1.60-1.98%
• Square: 3.25% (in-person), 3.6% (online)
• Rakuten Pay: 3.24%
• Airpay: 3.24-3.74%

Criterion 5: Accounting Software Integration

Integration Benefits:

• Automatic sales data import (no manual entry)
• Automatic journal entry generation (reduced accounting time)
• Real-time business data confirmation
• Efficient tax filing and settlement work

Main Integration Targets:

• freee
• Money Forward Cloud Accounting
• Yayoi Accounting Online

Checklist:

• Can it integrate with your current (or desired) accounting software?
• Is integration automatic or manual export/import?
• Are there additional costs for integration?
• Can journal entry rules be customized?

Seisei's Advantage:

• POS + Accounting Integrated → No integration setup needed, fully automatic
• No Additional Costs → freee integration requires +¥2,980/month
• Real-time Reflection → No data delay

Criterion 6: Ease of Use and Operability

Evaluation Points:

• Screen design clarity
• Operation intuitiveness (training time)
• Tablet/smartphone support
• Offline operation support
• Receipt/invoice printing speed

Checklist:

• Can new staff master operations in 1-2 hours?
• Is the register screen clear? (Even elderly can use)
• Does it operate smoothly on tablets?
• Do basic functions work during network outages?
• Is receipt printing fast? (Short waiting time)

Training Time Guide:

• Excellent POS: 1-2 hours
• Standard POS: 4-8 hours
• Complex POS: 16+ hours

Criterion 7: Price and Cost

Cost Breakdown:

1. Initial Costs:

   • Terminal costs (tablet, receipt printer, barcode reader, etc.)
   • Implementation costs (setup, training)
   • Payment terminal costs

2. Monthly Costs:

   • POS usage fee
   • Payment processing fees
   • Support costs

3. Other Costs:

   • Additional feature costs (inventory management, customer management, etc.)
   • Integration costs (accounting software integration, etc.)

Price Range Comparison (Monthly, per store):

System	Monthly Fee	Initial Cost	Features
Seisei	¥9,800	¥0	POS+Accounting+Inventory integrated
Smaregi	¥0-15,000	¥30,000-	Feature-based plans, inventory management additional
Square	¥0 (payment fees only)	¥7,980-	Simple, small-scale stores
Airregister	¥0 (payment fees only)	¥19,800-	Basic free, expansion additional charge

Checklist:

• Is the initial cost within budget?
• Is the monthly cost reasonable relative to store sales?
• Are all necessary functions included? (No additional fees)
• Can it scale with increasing staff/stores?
• What are cancellation penalties and data migration costs?

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10 Steps to Implement Retail POS Systems

Step 1: Current Situation Analysis and Issue Organization (1 week)

Tasks:

1. Visualize current business flow
2. List issues (inventory management, accounting work, customer management, etc.)
3. Prioritize solutions

Deliverables: Issue list, priority ranking

Example:

• Issue ①: Manual inventory management takes too much time (80 hours/month) → Priority: High
• Issue ②: Manual accounting software entry work (40 hours/month) → Priority: High
• Issue ③: Customer data not being utilized → Priority: Medium

Step 2: Organize Required Features (3 days)

Tasks:

1. List essential features
2. List nice-to-have features
3. Exclude unnecessary features

Essential Features Example:

• Inventory management (real-time updates)
• Accounting software integration
• Barcode scanning
• Multiple payment method support

Nice-to-have Features:

• Customer management (CRM)
• E-commerce integration
• Multi-store management

Step 3: Budget Setting (1 day)

Tasks:

1. Set initial cost budget
2. Set monthly cost budget
3. Calculate ROI (Return on Investment)

Budget Guidelines:

• Initial costs: ¥100,000-500,000 (including terminals, implementation)
• Monthly costs: Approximately 0.5-1% of sales
  • ¥1M monthly sales store: ¥5,000-10,000/month
  • ¥5M monthly sales store: ¥25,000-50,000/month

Step 4: System Comparison and Selection (1-2 weeks)

Tasks:

1. Narrow down to 3-5 candidate systems
2. Create comparison table of features and prices for each system
3. Apply for free trials or demos
4. Actually operate to confirm ease of use

Comparison Items:

• Features (presence of essential features)
• Price (initial costs, monthly costs)
• Ease of use (operability, training time)
• Support system (phone, email, on-site)
• Track record (number of implemented stores, industries)

Step 5: Free Trial/Demo (1-2 weeks)

Tasks:

1. Actually trial in store
2. Have staff operate
3. Verify if issues can be resolved

Checklist:

• Can staff easily operate?
• Does register work proceed smoothly?
• Is inventory management easy to use?
• Are report features clear?
• Is support response prompt during troubles?

Step 6: Final Decision (1 week)

Tasks:

1. Summarize trial results
2. Collect staff opinions
3. Owner makes final decision

Decision Criteria:

• Issue resolution rate: 90% or more
• Ease of use: Staff satisfaction rate 80% or more
• Cost-performance: ROI (return on investment) positive within 3 years

Step 7: Contract and Order (1 week)

Tasks:

1. Confirm contract details (cancellation conditions, support content, etc.)
2. Order terminals and peripherals
3. Coordinate implementation schedule

Confirmation Items:

• Contract period and automatic renewal
• Cancellation conditions and penalties
• Support content (phone, email, on-site)
• Data migration support availability
• Security measures (PCI DSS compliance, etc.)

Step 8: Implementation Preparation (2-3 weeks)

Tasks:

1. Register product data (product name, price, barcode)
2. Migrate customer data (if existing members)
3. Staff training
4. Test operation

Product Data Registration:

• Register product name, price, barcode, category, inventory quantity
• Bulk registration possible with CSV import function

Staff Training:

• Register operation training (2-4 hours)
• Inventory management training (1-2 hours)
• Troubleshooting training (1 hour)

Step 9: Go Live (1 day)

Tasks:

1. Switch from old to new system
2. Carefully check on first day
3. Establish troubleshooting system

Switching Timing:

• Recommended: Beginning of month or week, at start of business
• Avoid: Peak periods, weekends, end of month

First Day Checklist:

• Are register operations normal?
• Is inventory data syncing correctly?
• Is receipt printing normal?
• Are payments processing normally?
• Is sales data being recorded correctly?

Step 10: Start Operation and Measure Effectiveness (1-3 months)

Tasks:

1. After 1 week: Resolve initial troubles
2. After 1 month: Check operational stabilization
3. After 3 months: Measure effectiveness (ROI confirmation)

Effectiveness Measurement Indicators:

• Work time reduction: Target 40-60% reduction
• Inventory accuracy improvement: Target error rate 5% or less
• Sales report utilization: Establish weekly report review habit
• Accounting work time reduction: Target 50% reduction

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Comparison of Major Retail POS Systems

1. Seisei

Overview:

• Type: Cloud-based, POS+Accounting+Inventory integrated
• Target: All retail stores (apparel, gift shops, bookstores, convenience stores, etc.)
• Features: POS and accounting systems fully integrated, no additional integration costs

Functions:

• ✅ Inventory management (real-time, multi-store support)
• ✅ Customer management (CRM, point management)
• ✅ E-commerce integration (omnichannel support)
• ✅ Accounting function (built-in, automatic journal entries)
• ✅ Multiple payment methods
• ✅ Sales reports and analysis

Pricing:

• Initial cost: ¥0
• Monthly cost: ¥9,800~ (POS+Accounting+Inventory included)
• Payment processing fee: 3.24%

Advantages:

• POS+Accounting integrated, no setup needed
• All features available with no additional costs
• Multi-store management with no additional fees
• Comprehensive data migration support

Disadvantages:

• As an emerging service, track record is growing

Recommended for: Retail stores wanting to efficiently integrate inventory and accounting management

2. Smaregi

Overview:

• Type: Cloud-based, feature-based plan system
• Target: All retail stores
• Features: Rich features, high customizability

Functions:

• ✅ Basic POS functions (all plans)
• ○ Inventory management (Premium plan and above, +¥8,000/month)
• ○ Customer management (Premium plan and above)
• ○ E-commerce integration (separate contract)
• ✗ Accounting function (requires freee integration, +¥2,980/month)

Pricing:

• Initial cost: ¥30,000~
• Monthly cost:
  • Standard: ¥0 (register only)
  • Premium: ¥8,000 (including inventory/customer management)
  • Food Business: ¥15,000
• Payment processing fee: 3.24%

Advantages:

• Rich features and customizability
• Extensive implementation track record
• Supports various industries

Disadvantages:

• Inventory/customer management requires paid plan
• Accounting software integration requires additional cost
• Total cost can become high

Recommended for: Stores wanting to select features and expand in stages

3. Square POS

Overview:

• Type: Cloud-based, simple design
• Target: Small-scale retail stores
• Features: Basic free, payment fees only

Functions:

• ✅ Basic POS functions
• ○ Simple inventory management
• △ Customer management (basic functions only)
• ✗ E-commerce integration
• ✗ Accounting function (limited integration)

Pricing:

• Initial cost: ¥7,980~ (terminal only)
• Monthly cost: ¥0
• Payment processing fee: 3.25% (in-person), 3.6% (online)

Advantages:

• Free monthly cost
• Easy implementation (can start same day)
• Simple and easy to use

Disadvantages:

• Basic inventory management features
• Weak accounting software integration
• Not suitable for multi-store management

Recommended for: Individual stores, small-scale stores, mobile sales

4. Airregister

Overview:

• Type: Cloud-based, basic free
• Target: Small to medium-scale retail stores
• Features: Operated by Recruit, can start for free

Functions:

• ✅ Basic POS functions
• △ Inventory management (simple, detailed requires paid app)
• △ Customer management (simple)
• ✗ E-commerce integration
• ✗ Accounting function (freee integration separate)

Pricing:

• Initial cost: ¥19,800~ (payment terminal)
• Monthly cost: ¥0
• Payment processing fee: 3.24% (when using Airpay)

Advantages:

• Can start with basic free plan
• Simple operation
• Comprehensive support

Disadvantages:

• Basic inventory management
• Accounting integration requires additional cost
• Advanced features are separate apps (additional cost)

Recommended for: Small-scale stores, first POS implementation

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Industry-Specific Recommended POS Systems

Apparel and Fashion

Key Functions to Prioritize:

• Inventory management (by size and color)
• Customer management (purchase history, size information)
• E-commerce integration (omnichannel)
• Multi-store inventory management

Recommended: Seisei, Smaregi

Reasons:

• Detailed inventory management by size and color
• Integration of e-commerce and physical store inventory
• Customer purchase history and size information management

Gift Shops and Variety Stores

Key Functions to Prioritize:

• Diverse product management (barcode, manual entry)
• Gift wrapping support
• Point management
• Seasonal product turnover management

Recommended: Seisei, Airregister

Reasons:

• Supports multi-variety, small-quantity product management
• Easy seasonal product inventory turnover
• Point management promotes customer returns

Convenience Stores and Mini Supermarkets

Key Functions to Prioritize:

• High-speed register processing
• Multiple payment methods
• Expiration date management
• Complex tax rate support (reduced tax rate)

Recommended: Seisei, Smaregi

Reasons:

• High-speed register with barcode scanning
• Supports multiple payment methods
• Best-before and expiration date management features

Bookstores

Key Functions to Prioritize:

• ISBN management
• Return management
• Publisher-specific management
• Magazine subscription management

Recommended: Seisei, Smaregi

Reasons:

• Product management by ISBN code
• Efficient return processing
• Inventory turnover rate analysis

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How long does POS system implementation take?

A: Generally, it takes about 3-6 weeks from contract to go-live.

Breakdown:

1. Contract and order: 1 week
2. Product data registration: 1-2 weeks (depending on product quantity)
3. Staff training: 1 week
4. Test operation: 1 week

For Seisei:

• With data migration support, implementation possible in as little as 2 weeks
• Supports bulk product data registration via CSV

Q2: Can existing inventory data be migrated?

A: Yes, most POS systems support data migration.

Migration Methods:

• CSV Import: Bulk registration of data created in Excel
• Manual Registration: For small product counts (under 100 items)
• Data Migration Support: Systems like Seisei offer migration support

Data to Migrate:

• Product name, price, barcode
• Current inventory quantity
• Customer data (member information, point balance)

Q3: Tablet POS or register-integrated, which is better?

A: Depends on store scale and budget.

Tablet POS (iPad, Android, etc.):

• Advantages: Low initial cost, portable, space-saving
• Disadvantages: Small screen, battery management needed
• Recommended: Small stores, mobile sales, event booths

Register-integrated:

• Advantages: Large screen, fast processing, no battery needed
• Disadvantages: High initial cost, takes up space
• Recommended: Medium to large stores, stores requiring fast registers

Hybrid:

• Register counter uses register-integrated
• Stocktaking and mobile sales use tablets
• Seisei supports both

Q4: Can multiple stores' inventory be managed centrally?

A: Yes, cloud-based POS systems can.

What You Can Do:

• Real-time confirmation of all stores' inventory status
• Inter-store inventory movement management
• Company-wide sales reports
• Store-by-store sales comparison

System Comparison:

• Seisei: ✅ Multi-store management with no additional fees
• Smaregi: ✅ Supported (Premium plan and above)
• Square: △ Limited support
• Airregister: △ Separate management per store

Q5: Is accounting software integration necessary?

A: Not necessary, but significantly improves accounting work efficiency.

Integration Benefits:

• Automatic sales data import (no manual entry)
• Automatic journal entry generation (reduces 40-60 hours/month)
• Real-time business status confirmation

Integration Methods:

1. API Integration: Seisei, Smaregi, etc. → Automatic sync
2. CSV Export/Import: Airregister, etc. → Manual
3. POS+Accounting Integrated: Seisei → No integration setup needed

Cost Comparison:

• Seisei: No integration cost (integrated)
• Smaregi + freee integration: +¥2,980/month
• Airregister + freee: Manual export (free but cumbersome)

Q6: Does it work offline?

A: Basic functions work, but varies by system.

Offline Operation:

• Seisei: ✅ Register functions, inventory checking available
• Smaregi: ✅ Register functions only (inventory updates after online recovery)
• Square: △ Partial functions only
• Airregister: △ Partial functions only

Notes:

• Inventory sync delayed during offline
• Credit card payments require online connection
• Extended offline not recommended

Q7: Can staff accounts be managed?

A: Yes, most POS systems can.

Management Functions:

• Login accounts for each staff member
• Permission settings (register operation, inventory management, sales viewing, etc.)
• Operation log recording
• Staff-specific sales aggregation

Security:

• Password authentication
• Face recognition (some systems)
• Operation history recording

Q8: How much are cashless payment fees?

A: Generally around 3.0-3.75%.

Payment Fee Market Rates (As of January 2026):

• Credit cards: 3.24-3.74%
• QR payments (PayPay, LINE Pay, etc.): 1.6-2.5%
• Transit IC cards: 3.24%

By System:

• Seisei: 3.24%
• Square: 3.25% (in-person), 3.6% (online)
• Airpay: 3.24-3.74%

Settlement Cycle:

• Fastest next business day
• Usually weekly or monthly

Q9: Is POS system cancellation easy?

A: Varies by system. Confirmation needed before contract.

Items to Confirm:

• Minimum contract period (usually 1 year)
• Cancellation notice period (1-3 months prior)
• Cancellation fees/penalties
• Data export availability

For Seisei:

• Minimum contract period: None
• Cancellation notice: 1 month prior
• Penalties: None
• Data export: All data exportable in CSV format

Q10: What about security measures?

A: Each company implements industry-standard security measures.

Main Security Measures:

• SSL/TLS encrypted communication
• PCI DSS compliance (credit card information protection)
• Data backup (automatic, multiple sites)
• Access permission management
• Two-factor authentication (optional)

Data Protection:

• Customer information encryption
• Regular security audits
• Disaster recovery (DR)

Q11: What are the benefits of e-commerce integration?

A: Through inventory and customer data integration, sales can be increased and costs reduced.

Specific Benefits:

1. Effective Inventory Utilization:

   • Unified management of e-commerce and store inventory
   • Reduced opportunity loss (prevent missed sales)

2. Enhanced Customer Experience:

   • Buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS)
   • Browse in store, purchase online

3. Data Integration:

   • Purchase history integrated regardless of where customer buys
   • Enables precise marketing

4. Operational Efficiency:

   • Centralized inventory management
   • Reduced duplicate data entry work

Results:

• 15-25% sales increase (E-commerce Association survey, 2025)
• 30% reduction in inventory management workload

Q12: What is the POS system support structure?

A: Varies by system, generally offers phone, email, and chat support.

Support Structure Comparison:

System	Phone	Email	Chat	On-site
Seisei	✅	✅	✅	○ (optional)
Smaregi	✅	✅	✅	○ (paid)
Square	△	✅	✅	✗
Airregister	△	✅	○	✗

Support Hours:

• Generally weekdays 10:00-18:00
• Seisei: Weekdays 9:00-21:00

Key Points:

• Comprehensive support during implementation
• Response speed during troubles
• Comprehensive manuals and FAQ

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Summary

3 Key Points for Retail POS Selection

1. Richness of Inventory Management Features

   • Real-time inventory updates
   • Multi-store management
   • Automatic ordering function

2. Ease of Accounting Software Integration

   • API automatic integration or integrated system
   • Presence of additional costs
   • Data synchronization speed

3. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Comparison

   • Initial cost + monthly cost + additional feature costs
   • Hidden costs (integration costs, support costs)
   • ROI (return on investment) calculation

Type-Specific Recommendations

Small-scale Stores (Under ¥1M monthly sales):

• Recommended: Square, Airregister
• Reason: Low initial cost, simple

Medium-scale Stores (¥1M-5M monthly sales):

• Recommended: Seisei, Smaregi
• Reason: Rich inventory management and accounting integration

Multi-store Operations:

• Recommended: Seisei
• Reason: Multi-store management, no additional fees

E-commerce Integration Needed:

• Recommended: Seisei, Smaregi
• Reason: Omnichannel support

Finally

Retail POS systems are not just cash registers, but important tools to improve store operational efficiency and drive sales growth.

Success Points:

1. Clarify current issues
2. Organize required features
3. Try through free trials
4. Listen to staff opinions
5. Compare by total cost (TCO)

Post-Implementation Results (Average):

• Inventory management time: 50% reduction
• Accounting work time: 40% reduction
• Inventory accuracy: Error rate 5% or less
• Sales increase: 15-25% increase (with e-commerce integration)

Seisei is a retail store system with fully integrated POS, inventory management, and accounting. We offer free demos and free trials, so please give it a try.

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Related Articles

• POS System Comparison 2026【Complete Guide】
• Restaurant POS System Selection Guide【Complete Guide 2026】
• Accounting Software Comparison 2025【Complete Guide】
• Inventory Management System Selection Guide【Complete Guide】

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Last Updated: January 12, 2026
Author: Seisei Team