Forget “fast” brands that are churning out clothing, furniture, and decor as quickly as humanly possible; Many shoppers are stepping away from traditional retailers in favor of thrifting. The second-hand economy is seeing unprecedented growth, becoming a multi-billion dollar industry over the past decade. Today’s thrifters have a variety of reasons for choosing to buy from second-hand stores and make donations, including:
- Wanting to practice sustainability
- Seeking unique and one-of-a-kind items
- Finding quality products at an affordable price
- Uncovering vintage gems
- Decluttering and embracing a more minimalistic lifestyle
The pandemic and social media accelerated the second-hand market’s growth over the past two years. It’s clear that thrifting isn’t a fleeting trend that will lose steam or popularity any time soon. Thrift stores must be equipped with the tools required to meet the demand of the circular economy to satisfy shoppers and donors. One of the most powerful weapons in your arsenal is a capable POS that can handle all of your store’s needs. NCR Counterpoint’s POS can keep up with the demand and is uniquely suited to overcome the challenges thrift stores face.
We worked with Goodwill Chattanooga and saw how the store increased sales by implementing NCR Counterpoint as its POS. The machine’s offline capability is one of the POS features the staff found especially valuable, as it guarantees the system will continue running in the event of an internet outage. Having an offline mode with backup for processing customer credit cards offers peace of mind that your store can keep operating despite connectivity troubles.
NCR Counterpoint’s intuitive interface makes it easy for your staff to learn to use it quickly. The technology makes it fast and efficient to catalog, format, and price items. It can also track operating expenses to help minimize shrinkage and increase your store’s success.
The Circular Economy
The community aspect is unique to thrift stores (and not as applicable to traditional retailers). Connection to the community fuels stores like Goodwill and other second-hand businesses. People who give away unused items know that what they donate will be reused and refurbished by their neighbors. Shoppers know they’re giving a second life and reimagining local pieces when they bring them home. This means staying connected to clients is crucial, and we’ve built the Goodwill Kiosk solution to help you maintain those relationships. Our solution is a tailored software platform that helps automate and optimize the donation process. It also captures customer data, allowing you to send your shoppers personalized promotions.
Visit our Goodwill Industries page to learn how NCR Counterpoint can help drive sales and optimize productivity. If you’re interested in a demo of NCR and learning more about how it could benefit your store, contact us today.
