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2024In the fast-paced world of retail, efficiency reigns supreme. Goodwill retailers have to maximize operational efficiency to actively account for multiple factors.
Goodwill has to balance donations coming in, products going out, running resource centers, handling a considerable staff, and ensuring the books are balanced to account for every penny. Compounding this situation is that no two Goodwill stores typically operate similarly.
Because of the disparities across locations, the vast differences in retail technology, operating methods, and more, it’s critical for Goodwill stores to use customizable POS software. This means being able to move button icons on easy to use touch screens, planning and activating color sales, making it easy to train new employees, and more.
So how can Goodwill retailers move out of the “just keeping their head above water” and turn things around to “speedboat cutting through the waves?”
Check out our overview of optimizing Goodwill donation management and resale store operations using modern retail technology:
Because of how Goodwill stores and donated goods centers operate, it is safe to surmise that their POS software AND hardware may not be current. It’s not unheard of for Goodwill stores to seek out new donation POS system providers specifically to run more efficiently with technology and automation.
Many Goodwill POS systems hold them back because it’s cumbersome, costing them money in lost time. There are a few ways to help your store employees better assist customers and gain valuable marketing information (which will be covered further below).
| Technology | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Mobile POS Tablets | Employees can assist customers right on the floor. They can quickly look up the information needed if there is a question. |
| Mobile Credit Card Readers | Card reader attachments for mobile devices can be used in-store and brought to off-site trade shows for sales processing. |
| Expanded Payment Options | Not all customers use cash, so being able to accept cashless payments like taps, mobile payments, and other digital wallets is important. |
| Customer Information Capture | Customers can sign up for loyalty rewards and memberships on mobile tablets, offering more opportunities for future conversions. |
| Weight Scale Support | Quickly assist customers in donating items that need to be weighed and recorded. |
Modern retail and donated goods POS systems often use always-on connectivity and cloud-based storage. This means you can continue processing sales if your store loses internet connectivity. All activity automatically backs up when the connectivity comes back online.
Goodwill stores take in hundreds of donated items daily. Efficiently sorting through it all and ensuring it goes to the right place can be challenging when done manually.
Integrating a donated goods point of sale software system streamlines operations and saves time. It is explicitly designed for sorting tasks from merchandise intake to the sales floor and features large button icons for quick item sorting. Users can directly enter item counts into the system instead of relying on click counters, which are easy to lose track of.
Other useful functions that a donated goods point of sale system can provide are:
By simplifying the intake process, it speeds up from when merchandise hits the bin and when it makes it to the floor.
When you are using a connected system, your point of sale and eCommerce data is all consolidated and it becomes easy to instantly send emails based on all of these important data points.
It is also important to note that when you send targeted, meaningful emails that are meant for each recipient, you naturally lower the unsubscribe rates, raise open rates, and get more conversions.
| Digital Tools | Purpose and Benefit |
|---|---|
| Tablet Checkout and QR Codes | Retailers can set up tablets at the checkout counter or strategically place QR codes around the store’s interior. Customers can use these to sign up for online memberships and rewards, which provide valuable contact details. |
| Automated Emails | Once retailers have the email addresses and phone numbers, they can send automated “Surprise and Delight” emails with further discounts. These personalized messages keep customers engaged and excited. |
| Push Notifications | Retailers can send automated push notifications to their mobile devices when a customer is near a store. These messages can include special offers redeemable only on that day, creating a sense of urgency. |
| Loyalty Rewards and Memberships | Retailers can drive engagement and encourage repeat visits by allowing customers to earn points through purchases and donations. These points can be redeemed both in-store and online, increasing the likelihood of future conversions |
And the reasons for a Goodwill store to send out marketing promos and can’t-miss-deals are plentiful, too!
By combining these digital strategies, Goodwill retailers can enhance customer experiences, foster loyalty, and drive sales. These digital tools help boost sales and strengthen the connection between Goodwill and its community.
Listing the countless donations that Goodwill stores receive on an eCommerce website can be daunting. If they do so, many stores will have someone who has to manually punch in the product details and make the listing public.
Goodwill already has its own websites where independent franchises can upload their products. However, sometimes, this process remains manual. Fortunately, mobile devices and automation can ease some of these challenges.
Here a two quick ways Goodwill stores can optimize their online donation listing process:
1. Mobile Device Integration
2. Expanding Reach through Marketplaces
Connected inventory offers benefits by avoiding order cancellations and situations where orders need to be canceled due to delays in inventory updates. This means a more streamlined operation and reduces the risk of disappointing customers while continuously building a positive seller reputation.
By mixing mobile technology with integrations between inventory and online marketplaces, Goodwill businesses can improve inventory management and accurately process online sales.
While some Goodwills may be a bit slower in adopting new technology in their stores, they can utilize their existing technology to improve sales.
However, when the time comes, they will need to look for retail software that facilitates fast in-store sales, eCommerce sales, inventory management, and accurate reporting tools. It must be easy to operate and simple to make modifications, tailoring to each store’s unique needs.
Celerant offers customizable donated goods POS software and resale management software built to meet the unique needs of Goodwill businesses. Stores can choose from the simple yet comprehensive Cumulus Retail, which has everything a Goodwill store needs to get up and running quickly. Suppose they need a more custom option for flexibility and near-endless modification. In that case, Stratus Enterprise gives them the tools and support to make it happen.
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