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Best Retail Management Software Shortlist

Here’s a list of the top retail management systems that’ll help you manage inventory, optimize sales processes, and deliver exceptional customer experiences.

  1. 1. Oracle Retail — Best retail management software for enterprises
  2. 2. Zoho Inventory — Best retail management tool for warehouse management
  3. 3. Brightpearl — Best for end-to-end retail management
  4. 4. Vend — Best POS software for retailers
  5. 5. Square for Retail — Best retail management software for small businesses
  6. 6. Lightspeed Retail — Best for inventory management
  7. 7. SAP Retail — Best for merchandise management
  8. 8. Epicor Retail Management Suite — Best retail management software for speciality retail businesses
  9. 9. Zebra — Best for barcode solutions in the retail sector
  10. 10. NetSuite SuiteCommerce — Best for direct integration to NetSuite ERP

As a retailer, you understand the challenges of managing inventory, tracking sales, analyzing customer data, and coordinating multi-store locations. With the right retail management software, you can tame the chaos of retail operations, saving time and resources. In this article, I will dive into the top ten retail management software solutions available in 2023.

What Is Retail Management Software

Retail management software, or retail management system (REM) is a software application that assists retailers in managing their day-to-day operations. It provides tools to help users manage various aspects of retail management, such as sales, inventory, customer data, and reporting.

It is suitable for various types of retailers, ranging from small independent stores to large-scale chains, and it can cater to a wide range of industries within the retail sector.

Overviews Of The 10 Best Retail Management Software

Here’s a review of the best retail management software, including screenshots illustrating a feature.

1

Oracle Retail

Best retail management software for enterprises

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
5
1 review

Free demo

Pricing upon request

Oracle Retail’s merchandising feature helps manage and optimize retail operations by enabling efficient inventory management, demand forecasting, and assortment planning. Oracle Retail offers retail-specific applications and solutions offered by Oracle Corporation designed to help retailers manage their retail operations.

Why I picked Oracle Retail: Oracle Retail is an excellent choice for enterprises due to its robust features tailored to meet the complex needs of large-scale retail operations. Firstly, Oracle Retail offers scalability, allowing enterprises to handle a high volume of products, stores, and transactions. Its ability to manage extensive operations makes it an ideal solution for enterprises with a substantial footprint and diverse product offerings. Secondly, Oracle Retail provides end-to-end functionality that covers various aspects of the retail value chain. These range from merchandising and inventory management to pricing, promotions, and customer experience.

Oracle Retail Standout Features and Integrations:

Standout features include advanced analytics and reporting capabilities. Oracle Retail allows enterprises to gain deep insights into their operations, sales performance, customer behavior, and profitability. Their support and professional services are well-established, ensuring that enterprises receive the necessary assistance, implementation support, and ongoing maintenance required for their complex operations.

Integrations include Salesforce, SAP, Shopify, Snowflake, and Workday. You can also use Oracle APIs for third-party integrations.

Pros

  • Provides robust analytics and reporting capabilities
  • Natively integrates with other Oracle solutions
  • Can handle the complex operations of large-scale enterprises

Cons

  • Steep learning curve for new users
  • Ongoing use requires technical expertise
2

Zoho Inventory

Best retail management tool for warehouse management

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.3
70 reviews

14-day free trial + free plan available

From $79/month.

The inventory feature of Zoho Inventory enables businesses to effectively manage and track their stock levels, orders, and fulfillment processes in a centralized system.

Zoho Inventory is a cloud-based inventory management software that helps businesses efficiently track and manage their inventory across multiple warehouses or locations. With features such as order management, warehouse organization, barcode scanning, and integration with other Zoho applications, Zoho Inventory provides businesses with the tools they need to enhance overall inventory control.

Why I picked Zoho Inventory: Zoho Inventory is best for warehouse management. With features like batch tracking, serial number tracking, and multi-location inventory management, Zoho Inventory offers granular control over stock movement and visibility. Additionally, it enables users to manage multiple warehouses across multiple countries. The software also helps analyze the delivery distance so that you can identify the warehouse closest to the delivery location.

Zoho Inventory Standout Features and Integrations:

Standout features include reporting and analytics features that help generate reports on stock movement, backorders, demand forecasting, and warehouse performance. Warehouse performance is a particular useful feature, as you can gather data on product placement, picking speeds, and facility management. 

Integrations include Shopify, ZohoCommerce, AmazonServices, Bond, Amazon, Etsy, Google Shopping, Google Contacts, MailChimp, and ActiveCampaign. You can also get additional integrations through Zoho Inventory API and Zapier.

Pros

  • Provides several shipping features
  • Provides native integration to Shopify
  • The interface is intuitive and easy to navigate

Cons

  • Lacks customization features
  • No forecasting feature
3

Brightpearl

Best for end-to-end retail management

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.4
65 reviews

Free demo

Pricing upon request

Brightpearl is a retail management software that helps businesses manage their operations across various sales channels. At its core, Brightpearl provides a centralized platform that integrates key aspects of retail management, including inventory management, order processing, customer relationship management, and accounting.

Why I picked Brightpearl: I chose Brightpearl because it helps retailers manage various aspects of their business, such as inventory, orders, customer data and so on. Its inventory management feature helps businesses maintain accurate records of inventory and order data across all channels. It enables businesses to process and manage orders efficiently, including order creation, payment processing, and shipping. It also provides real-time visibility into order status, supports partial shipments, and automates order workflows.

Brightpearl Standout Features and Integrations:

Standout features include a robust and real-time inventory management system that synchronizes inventory levels across various sales channels, including online marketplaces, ecommerce platforms, and physical stores. This is crucial for businesses dealing with a large number of transactions. 

Integrations include Amazon, BigCommerce, Shopify, Walmart, eBay, Magento, MailChimp, Stripe, CommerceHub, and Square. You can also get additional integrations through Brightpearl API.

Pros

  • Integrates with ecommerce platforms like Shopify
  • Intuitive interface
  • Good inventory management feature

Cons

  • Pricing details are not transparent
  • Steep learning curve for new users
4

Vend

Best POS software for retailers

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4
63 reviews

Free 14 days trial

From $99/month

Vend's reporting feature provides insights on sales, inventory, and performance to support data-driven decision-making. Vend is a cloud-based retail POS (point-of-sale) and inventory management software. It provides businesses with tools to manage sales, track inventory, process payments, and analyze data. 

Why I picked Vend: I picked Vend for this list because it can accommodate retailers of all sizes and types, from small businesses to multi-location enterprises. It offers flexibility to handle various retail environments, including offline stores, e-commerce platforms, and mobile sales. This versatility makes it suitable for a wide range of retailers, from boutique shops to large-scale operations. Vend integrates with various payment processors, allowing retailers to accept a wide range of payment methods, including credit cards, mobile payments, and gift cards. 

Vend Standout Features and Integrations:

Standout features include industry-standard security measures such as encryption, data backups, and secure cloud infrastructure to safeguard information from unauthorized access and data loss. This ensures that your data is protected from potential security threats and vulnerabilities.

Integrations include Xero, QuickBooks Online, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Shopify, MailChimp, Homebase, Deputy, NetSuite, and Ecwid. You can also get additional integrations through Vend API.

Pros

  • The point of sale system has a simple layout
  • Integrates with several payment partners
  • Flexible and easy-to-use interface

Cons

  • Steep learning curve
  • Limited customizations
5

Square for Retail

Best retail management software for small businesses

Free plan available

From $35+/month + transaction rates

Square for Retail’s POS app enables businesses to process sales, manage inventory, and track customer data at the point of sale. Square for Retail is a POS solution offered by Square—a popular provider of payment processing tools.

Why I picked Square for Retail: It is the best retail management software for small businesses because it offers a free plan. The free plan offers basic inventory features, which are adequate for small businesses. Additionally, its interface is clean, modern, and easy to navigate. It guides new users about navigating the software and accessing the different features. The mobile app is also intuitive and enables users to manage their ecommerce store from their mobile.

Square for Retail Standout Features and Integrations:

Standout features include reporting and analytics features. It provides a sales tracking feature that helps users understand popular sales items. It will also help you understand your customers' demographics, and purchase history.

Integrations include QuickBooks Online, Acuity Scheduling, Wix, Jotform, WooCommerce, Linktree, Bookkeep, KioskBuddy, Poptin, and Printful.

Pros

  • Compatible with iOS devices
  • Competitive pricing
  • Includes a free plan

Cons

  • Dependency on Square payment processing software
  • Limited inventory features
6

Lightspeed Retail

Best for inventory management

Customized 14-day free trial for your industry

Plans start at $69/month (billed annually)

Lightspeed Retail’s POS inventory management feature allows businesses to efficiently track and manage inventory at the point of sale, optimize stock levels and manage operations. Lightspeed Retail is a cloud-based retail management and POS software. It also has a mobile app for iOS devices.

Why I picked Lightspeed Retail: Lightspeed Retail offers robust features for tracking inventory across multiple locations and channels. It allows you to easily manage stock levels, receive notifications for low stock, and track item movements, enabling you to make informed decisions about restocking and optimizing inventory levels. The system provides real-time updates, ensuring accurate inventory information across different sales channels.

Lightspeed Retail Standout Features and Integrations:

Standout features include CRM, reporting and analytics, employee management features, native ecommerce platform, and retail point of sale tools. The CRM, in particular, is useful for maintaining supplier and customer relationships, a crucial but often underutilized part of retail management. 

Integrations include 2ACCEPT, 7shifts Team Management, Accumula, AdVision eCommerce, Agendrix, Amaka, Better Chains, BevSpot, BigCommerce, and BirdEye. You can also get additional integrations through API.

Pros

  • Free trial is available
  • Includes an ecommerce platform
  • Mobile app for iOS devices

Cons

  • No integration with Zapier
  • Mobile app for iOS devices
7

SAP Retail

Best for merchandise management

Pricing upon request

SAP Retail POS Analysis provides insights on point-of-sale data for retail businesses. SAP Retail offers end-to-end functionalities to support various retail business processes. It encompasses merchandise management, supply chain optimization, store operations, customer engagement, and analytics.

Why I picked SAP Retail: I selected SAP Retail due to its merchandise management capabilities. SAP Retail optimizes product assortments, allowing retailers to manage their merchandise offerings strategically. With advanced analytics and demand forecasting capabilities, retailers can analyze historical sales data, market trends, and customer preferences to decide which products to stock, how much inventory to carry, and where to allocate merchandise across various channels and store locations. This optimization helps retailers maximize sales, minimize stockouts, reduce excess inventory, and improve profitability.

SAP Retail Standout Features and Integrations:

Standout features include supply chain management. The solution offers end-to-end supply chain management capabilities, including demand forecasting, inventory planning, replenishment, and logistics management. It helps retailers improve supply chain visibility, reduce lead times, optimize inventory across the network, and enhance overall operational efficiency.

Pros

  • Supports multiple languages and currencies
  • Provides real-time insights into various aspects of retail operations
  • Native integration with other SAP modules

Cons

  • Steep learning curve
  • Dependent on the SAP ecosystem
8

Epicor Retail Management Suite

Best retail management software for speciality retail businesses

Pricing upon request

Epicor Retail Management Suite’s product ranking feature helps prioritize and determine the popularity and performance of products within the retail inventory. Epicor Retail Management Suite is designed for retailers, providing end-to-end capabilities for inventory management, point of sale (POS), customer engagement, and analytics.

Why I picked Epicor Retail Management Suite: Specialty retail businesses often have unique requirements and demand specialized software solutions to manage their operations effectively. Epicor Retail Management Suite is an excellent choice for specialty retail businesses. Also, it enables businesses to create and manage loyalty programs tailored to their specific needs. Retailers can define loyalty tiers, point systems, rewards, and promotions to incentivize customer engagement and repeat purchases.

Epicor Retail Management Suite Standout Features and Integrations:

Standout features include tools for managing vendor relationships, tracking supplier performance, automating purchase orders, and managing supply chain processes.It also offers Integrated financial management functionalities, including general ledger, budgeting, and financial reporting.

Integrations include Epicor Advanced MES and Epicor ERP Financial Management.

Pros

  • Includes customer relationship management functionalities
  • Offers advanced inventory management features
  • Supports omnichannel retailing

Cons

  • Steep learning curve for new users
  • Implementation and customization can be complex
9

Zebra

Best for barcode solutions in the retail sector

Free demo

Pricing upon request

Zebra Visibility IQ Foresight is a real-time data analytics platform that provides key insights from Zebra devices. Zebra Technologies is a company that specializes in providing enterprise-level solutions and services for various industries, including retail. The company offers a wide range of products and technologies focused on improving efficiency, visibility, and productivity in retail operations.

Why I picked Zebra: Zebra Technologies is known for its barcode solutions in the retail industry due to several key factors. Firstly, Zebra has a long-standing reputation for providing high-quality and reliable barcode technology. Their products, such as barcode scanners and printers, are known for their durability, accuracy, and consistent performance, making them ideal for demanding retail environments. Secondly, Zebra offers a comprehensive range of barcode solutions that cater to the specific needs of retailers. They provide a diverse portfolio of barcode scanners, including handheld, cordless, and fixed-mount options.

Zebra Standout Features and Integrations:

Standout features include analytics solutions that allow retailers to gain insights into their operations. By leveraging data from various sources, retailers can optimize inventory levels, track customer behavior, and make informed decisions to improve overall business performance.

Pros

  • Provides retail asset visibility
  • Extensive experience and expertise in the retail industry
  • Offers visibility and actionable insights into customers and operations

Cons

  • Steep learning curve for new users
  • Limited customization options
10

NetSuite SuiteCommerce

Best for direct integration to NetSuite ERP

Free demo

$999/month + $99/month/user

The NetSuite SuiteCommerce dashboard provides a comprehensive and customizable overview of key e-commerce metrics and your business activities. NetSuite SuiteCommerce is one of the modules of NetSuite ERP. Since it natively integrates with the ERP platform, all the information lives in your eCommerce website and ERP.

Why I picked NetSuite SuiteCommerce: SuiteCommerce pre-integration with NetSuite ERP provides several benefits. First, it directly connects with other NetSuite tools, so you won't have to build manual integrations. The integration between SuiteCommerce and NetSuite ERP enables real-time inventory management. When a customer orders through SuiteCommerce, the inventory levels are automatically updated in NetSuite ERP. This allows businesses to accurately see stock levels, avoid overselling, and optimize inventory replenishment.

NetSuite SuiteCommerce Standout Features and Integrations:

Standout features include a highly flexible and customizable storefront that allows businesses to create unique and branded e-commerce experiences. It provides tools for designing and managing web pages, templates, themes, and content, empowering businesses to tailor the look and feel of their online stores.

Integrations include Georgias, Hubspot, Klavyio, Mailchimp, Yotpo Product Reviews, LiveChat, Justuno, Brightpearl, ShipStation, Quickbooks Online, Acumatica, and other software.

Pros

  • Provides analytics and reporting tools
  • Multi-channel support for diverse sales channels
  • Native integration with NetSuite ERP

Cons

  • Pricing may be a barrier for small businesses
  • Steep learning curve for new users

The 10 Best Retail Management Software Summary

Tool Free Option Price
1
Oracle Retail

Best retail management software for enterprises

Free demo

Pricing upon request Visit Website
2
Zoho Inventory

Best retail management tool for warehouse management

14-day free trial + free plan available

From $79/month. Visit Website
3
Brightpearl

Best for end-to-end retail management

Free demo

Pricing upon request Visit Website
4
Vend

Best POS software for retailers

Free 14 days trial

From $99/month Visit Website
5
Square for Retail

Best retail management software for small businesses

Free plan available

From $35+/month + transaction rates Visit Website
6
Lightspeed Retail

Best for inventory management

Customized 14-day free trial for your industry

Plans start at $69/month (billed annually) Visit Website
7
SAP Retail

Best for merchandise management

Not available

Pricing upon request Visit Website
8
Epicor Retail Management Suite

Best retail management software for speciality retail businesses

Not available

Pricing upon request Visit Website
9
Zebra

Best for barcode solutions in the retail sector

Free demo

Pricing upon request Visit Website
10
NetSuite SuiteCommerce

Best for direct integration to NetSuite ERP

Free demo

$999/month + $99/month/user Visit Website

Other Options

Here’s a list of a few more retail management system that you can look at:

  1. Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Retail

    Best all-in-one retail management software

  2. Retail Pro

    Best retail management software for in-depth reporting

  3. Agiliron

    Best retail management software for B2B and B2C websites

  4. Revel Systems

    Best multi-location POS software

  5. Repsly

    Best retail management software for field sales teams

  6. Fishbowl

    Best retail management software for integrating warehouse, inventory, and manufacturing processes

  7. QuickBooks Point of Sale

    Best POS software for Shopify users

  8. NCR Counterpoint

    Best retail management software for integrating front and back office processes

  9. NCR Systems

    Best retail management software for wholesale businesses

  10. Blue Yonder

    Best retail management software for supply chain management

Selection Criteria For Retail Management Software

Here’s a short summary of the main selection and evaluation criteria I used to develop my list of the best retail management system for this article:

Core Functionality

Certain feature sets may change but here are the core features all retail management software must cover to be considered for placement on this list.

  • Inventory management enables retailers to track and control their inventory levels effectively, including features such as stock tracking, product categorization, automated reordering, and real-time inventory updates. 
  • Often includes a POS system, which allows retailers to process sales, manage inventory, accept various payment methods (cash, credit/debit cards, mobile payments), generate receipts or invoices, and track customer purchases.

Key Features

These are the key features that you should look for:

  • Inventory Management: Retail management software helps monitor stock quantities, set up automated reordering, track product variations (sizes, colors, etc.), and manage stock transfers between locations.
  • POS System: This feature will help you process sales transactions, including cash, credit card, and mobile payments. It includes functions such as barcode scanning, product search, discounts, promotions, and receipt generation.
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM): CRM features assist in storing and managing customer data.
  • Employee Management: This feature allows retailers to manage employee schedules, track working hours, and measure individual sales performance. 

Usability

While researching for the best retail management software, I looked for software that offered visual representations of data through charts, graphs, etc. Interactive visualizations enable users to explore data, identify trends, and gain insights quickly. Users should be able to interact with visualizations by zooming, filtering, and selecting data points for deeper analysis.

Additionally, it should also provide efficient data entry methods. This can include barcode scanning, bulk import or export capabilities, and integration with external devices or systems for data capture. 

Software Integrations

Software integrations play a crucial role in the functionality and effectiveness of retail management software. Hence, it should provide native integration or connect with integration tools like Zapier. These tools include accounting software, ecommerce platforms, payment gateways, and customer relationship management (CRM) tools.

Customizability 

Customizability is another important criteria when selecting retail management software. With customizable features and options, retailers can adapt the software to align with their unique workflows and requirements. 

It should provide customizable data fields and forms so that retailers can capture and track specific information relevant to their business. This can include adding custom fields for product attributes, customer data, or sales order details. By customizing data fields, retailers can ensure the software accommodates their specific data requirements.

Additionally, it should provide tailored reports and dashboards focusing on the specific metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) that matter most to the user’s business.

People Also Ask

Here are the answers to frequently asked questions about retail management system (RMS):

Other Retail Software Reviews

Retail management software can be a great addition to your toolkit, but there are other software you might need as a retailer. Below are reviews of some retail software you might need.

The Takeaway 

By implementing one of the top ten solutions we've discussed, you can transform how you manage inventory, track sales, and engage with customers. Take the next step towards retail success by evaluating your specific needs, exploring the features of these software solutions, and choosing the one that aligns perfectly with your business goals.

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Related Read: 6 Product Information Management Best Practices

By Francois Marchand

Francois Marchand is The Ecomm Manager's content strategist and editor. He is passionate about helping and educating business leaders, ecommerce professionals, and digital marketers grow their skill sets to stay ahead of the competition. Francois holds a BA Specialization in Communication Studies & Journalism from Concordia University (Montreal, QC) and 20+ years of experience in ecommerce, marketing, traditional and digital media, and public relations, including The Vancouver Sun, National Post, CBC/Radio-Canada, Unbounce, and Vancouver Film School. He also hosts The Ecomm Manager Podcast, discussing ecommerce best practices, customer experience, branding, inventory management, shipping and delivery, and analytics with expert guests.

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