Introducing Genius for Retail

The Ultimate Command Centre for Your Shop

Running a retail business today involves far more than just ringing up sales. Inventory, customer loyalty, online orders, staff scheduling, and marketing all compete for your attention. That’s where Genius for Retail comes in. It aims to unify all these functions and more under one roof.

✔️ Integrated Payments & Orders
Whether customers shop in-store or online (or even want to order ahead) Genius handles it. It offers built-in payment options, digital invoicing, a virtual terminal, and support for contactless and mobile wallet payments. 

✔️ Seamless Inventory & Store Management
From a single boutique to multi-store operations, Genius helps manage stock, track product levels, and monitor key metrics like top-selling items, busiest hours, and staff performance. That makes it much easier to make informed decisions and reduce waste or overstock.

✔️ Built-in Marketing & Customer Loyalty
Beyond transactions, Genius lets you build your brand and customer base. It supports email and Google-ads marketing, and includes loyalty programs — enabling you to turn occasional shoppers into repeat customers.

✔️ Quick Onboarding & Plug-and-Play Setup
One of the biggest pain points for businesses upgrading POS systems is downtime and training. Genius promises a painless onboarding process, getting you operational in days rather than weeks. 

✔️ All-in-One Hardware & Software Package
Genius doesn’t just provide software. Their offering includes hardware optimized for the platform — whether you run a countertop register, a pop-up kiosk, or multiple locations. That means fewer compatibility headaches and a smoother setup overall.

If you’re a retailer who wants to sell more, manage smarter, and grow consistently, but don’t want to juggle a dozen different tools, Genius for Retail stands out as a compelling command centre. From checkout to customer loyalty, inventory to marketing, it’s built to be the backbone of your store — a system that helps you stay ahead, not buried under complexity.

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Getting Ready for PI Season

As the holidays approach and the year winds down, many retailers are gearing up for their annual inventory count. It’s a vital, yet often time-consuming and error-prone task. Luckily, there are smart strategies to make this process faster, more accurate, and far less stressful. Here’s why now is the right time to get ready, and how you can set yourself up for success.

Why Inventory Count Season Matters

  • The end of the year often means a retail surge — but it’s also the time to reconcile stock before fiscal wrap-up

  • A thorough inventory count lets you catch shrinkage, miscounts, and losses, protecting profits and helping you plan for next year. Regular counts are widely recommended in retail-management best practices

  • Using modern tools like barcode scanners or RFID instead of pen-and-paper dramatically reduces errors and speeds up the process. 

How to Prepare — Before, During & After

Before You Count
Start your inventory count prep by ensuring your hardware is ready to perform. Barcode scanners and RFID readers should be cleared of old data, tested for strong wireless connections, and checked to confirm that uploads are functioning properly. If you don’t currently have the right tools, this is the ideal time to invest in hardware that will streamline your process and significantly improve accuracy. You should also take the opportunity to clean up your inventory data in advance by organizing SKUs, confirming that tracking is enabled for each item, and verifying that all stock locations are mapped correctly. Clearly defining areas such as shelves, backrooms, and display floors helps prevent miscounts and confusion on the day of the count.

During the Count
When it’s time to begin counting, rely on your scanners or RFID system instead of manual counting to reduce errors and speed up the process. Keep your external or in-house tech support contacts close at hand, as mis-scans, glitches, or data upload issues can occur and resolving them quickly will keep the count on track. If a full store-wide count feels too overwhelming, consider performing a partial or cycle count instead. Smaller, scheduled counts, done quarterly or semi-annually, can maintain inventory accuracy throughout the year and reduce the workload during major count periods.

After You Count
Once the physical count is complete, reconcile any discrepancies right away by comparing the recorded numbers with the data in your system, investigating any differences, and updating your records. After resolving inconsistencies, import the final count into your POS or inventory management system and ensure the updated quantities accurately reflect what is on hand. Finally, use your refreshed data to guide smarter decisions around restocking, defining reorder points, and planning supply orders. Integrating real-time inventory counts with sales data ensures that the months ahead are supported by informed, strategic purchasing.

An accurate, efficient inventory count isn’t just a bookkeeping exercise, it’s a cornerstone of sound retail operations. By combining modern tools and a smart process (“before, during, after”), you improve accuracy, reduce losses, and set your business up for a smoother, more profitable new year.

Elevate Your Retail Business in 2026 with the RIGHT Point of Sale Hardware and Software

As we step into 2026, one truth continues to define the retail landscape: the right point of sale (POS) system isn’t just a checkout tool, it’s the backbone of a modern retail operation. With rising customer expectations, tighter margins, and the increasing importance of omnichannel shopping, retailers who invest in proper POS hardware and software are positioning themselves for stronger sales, smoother operations, and more confident decision-making throughout the year.

Why 2026 Is the Year to Upgrade Your POS

The retail industry is evolving faster than ever. Customers expect speed, seamless experiences, real-time stock accuracy, and flexible payment options…and outdated systems simply can’t keep up. Modern POS technology allows retailers to unify online and in-store operations, eliminate manual errors, and operate with clarity and control. Whether you run a single boutique or a multi-location enterprise, upgrading your POS ecosystem this year can transform the way you serve customers and manage your business.

The Power of Modern POS Hardware

Today’s POS hardware is built for efficiency, durability, and mobility. Sleek touch-screen terminals, wireless barcode scanners, RFID readers, and handheld mobile checkout devices give your team the flexibility to assist customers anywhere on the sales floor. High-performance printers and cash drawers keep your checkout running smoothly, while reliable payment terminals offer fast, secure transactions with tap, chip, and mobile wallet support.

Investing in the right hardware ensures fewer disruptions, faster checkouts, and a polished customer experience. It also prepares your store for high-traffic days, pop-ups, seasonal events, or warehouse processing without slowing your staff down.

Smart POS Software: Your Retail Control Center

While great hardware sets the stage, powerful POS software drives your entire retail operation. Modern systems consolidate inventory, customer data, sales insights, purchasing, promotions, staff management, and even e-commerce into one unified platform.

With the right software, you can:

  • See inventory levels in real time, preventing stockouts and costly overordering.

  • Understand your best-selling products, peak hours, and top-performing staff.

  • Manage customer relationships through loyalty, targeted marketing, and personalized experiences.

  • Run your online and in-store sales from one place, ensuring pricing and inventory remain consistent everywhere.

  • Access reports instantly, giving you the insights needed to buy smarter and grow with confidence.

In 2026, data-driven decisions will separate thriving retailers from those simply getting by…and the right POS software puts that data at your fingertips.

Position Your Store for a Strong Year Ahead

2026 is an opportunity to reimagine your retail operations. Upgrading to modern POS hardware and software can help you:

  • Improve checkout speed and service

  • Simplify inventory tracking

  • Reduce shrink and errors

  • Gain clearer insights into performance

  • Align online and in-store sales

  • Empower your staff

  • Strengthen customer loyalty

Investing in the right POS system isn’t an expense — it’s a catalyst for growth, efficiency, and long-term success. Our team has knowledge in the best-of-the-best in POS and can help lead YOUR team towards the RIGHT technology to help you THRIVE!

Book a Discovery Call

Congratulations Alexandra Duellick for Celebrating 4 Years with Canadian Retail Solutions

Alexandra may hold the title of Sales and Marketing Coordinator, but anyone who’s worked with her knows she’s so much more than that. Over the past four years, her role has evolved into something truly unique. Her fingerprints are on every department, and her impact is felt across the entire organization. Whether it’s her involvement in sales, organizing marketing magic, keeping us on brand, or jumping in wherever help is needed, Alex has become the glue that keeps us together.

Her always willing to help attitude and ability to juggle just about everything make her an invaluable part of our team. From internal operations to client facing support, training, and project organization, Alex brings a calm, capable energy to every project she touches.

We’re so lucky to have Alex as part of the CRS family.

Congratulations Alex, on celebrating 4 years of service and we can’t wait to see what the next chapters bring!

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PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

MVP Retail

Providing data-driven merchandise planning and consulting to help independent retailers forecast demand, optimize inventory, and boost profitability
In today’s fast-moving retail landscape, independent stores need more than intuition…they need clarity. That’s where MVP Retail shines. MVP Retail blends deep statistical analysis with retail expertise, giving you confidence to ensure proper balance and flow of WHAT classification to land and WHEN based on measured demand and season, as well as HOW much to have on hand to carry you through the season to maximize your opportunities and minimize threats!
 
MVP Retail doesn’t just churn out numbers. Instead, this platform helps you build a solid classification structure so each “mini business” within your store is managed optimally, helping you reduce overstocks and markdowns, improve cash flow, and increase overall profitability.
 
When you partner with MVP Retail, you gain both smart systems and dedicated consultants who translate data into action. It’s about freeing up your time, cutting waste, and letting your inventory strategy fuel growth!
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Heartland Retail POS is now
Global Payments Retail POS

For existing Heartland customers, you may have already noticed the shift from the Heartland logo to the Global Payments logo within your POS and on other correspondence like your monthly billing. Don’t worry! It’s the same exact point of sale software that you know and love, just with a different logo! 

DID YOU KNOW…

Global Payments has ALWAYS been the parent company of Heartland POS, so this part is nothing new! The rebrand is to simplify their structure under 1 single brand, and doesn’t affect the features and functionality of the software in any way! 

Global Payments POS

Genius for Retail – A Sneak Peek

 

On September 29th and 30th, our team had the privilege of attending the dealer conference in Las Vegas for the new Genius POS product line from Global Payments! With both the Genius for Retail and the Genius for Restaurant (replacement for Heartland Restaurant) software being featured at this event, there was A LOT of great information to take in! We had such a great time meeting the other dealers from across both Canada and the US, as well as key partners within Global Payments itself, while also getting the opportunity to learn all about this brand new opportunity!

Keep an eye out in the coming days for an official marketing launch of Genius for Retail, but in the meantime, here are THREE tidbits to give you a little sneak peak! 

  1. Age verification capabilities
  2. Integrated Order Ahead feature for small bakeries, cafes, food trucks, and other similar retailers
  3. Simple set up options that get you live FAST
Book a Discovery Call

Congratulations Mustafa Skokic for Celebrating 7 Years with Canadian Retail Solutions

We are THRILLED to celebrate Mustafa Skokic of our Professional Services team on his 7 year anniversary with Retail by CRS!

Mustafa wears several hats day-to-day, from tier 3 support to software development and everything in-between! As our key program developer, Mustafa’s work has been an essential asset to not only our company, but to many of our merchants as well. Not only does his programming provide an invaluable skillset to our team, but his experience in retail technology also offers extensive knowledge to help support our clients and mentor the team. We are extremely lucky to have Mustafa as part of the CRS family!

Congratulations, Mustafa, on celebrating 7 years of service! We look forward to the many more years to come! 

Learn more about Mustafa in our employee spotlight campaign!

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10 Strategic Tips for Merchants Preparing for the 2025 Holiday Shopping Season

The holiday season remains the most critical period for retail revenue, and 2025 is projected to set new records in consumer spending. For merchants, this represents both a significant opportunity and a potential challenge. Preparation, planning, and execution will determine whether retailers simply weather the rush or maximize growth.

Below are ten strategic recommendations to help merchants prepare for a successful holiday shopping season.

1. Secure Inventory and Strengthen Supply Chains

Leverage sales data and forecasting tools to identify high-demand products and ensure adequate stock levels well ahead of peak season. Establish backup suppliers where possible to reduce risk from potential disruptions.

2. Optimize Digital Storefronts

A retailer’s website is often the first point of contact with customers. Confirm that pages load quickly, designs reflect brand standards, and mobile responsiveness is seamless. Conduct thorough testing of checkout processes to minimize cart abandonment.

3. Expand Payment Flexibility

Shoppers expect multiple payment options, including digital wallets, contactless payments, and “buy now, pay later” services. Offering flexibility can reduce friction at checkout and increase conversion rates.

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Update Your Hardware BEFORE the Holiday Rush!

 

There is nothing worse than being in the middle of a busy shopping day, with a line of people waiting to check out their items, and all of a sudden your scanner or receipt printer decides to stop working. Or even worse…that iPad or computer that’s completely outdated but you’ve been holding off on replacing stops operating your software. 

Get ahead of potential hardware disasters BEFORE the busy shopping rush starts and chat with our team to discuss the different options that work best for YOUR specific software and business needs!

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Congratulations Ashfaq Ashraf for Celebrating 3 Years with Canadian Retail Solutions

This month, we have the pleasure of celebrating Ashfaq Ashraf of our Professional Services team on his 3 years of service with Canadian Retail Solutions! 

As one of our key technicians specializing in Retail Pro, Ashfaq keeps busy each and every day as he assists our merchants with all kinds of support tasks, from troubleshooting software issues to finding solutions that improve a merchants workflow. Not only does Ashfaq have extensive expertise in Retail Pro software and retail technology in general, he also has an overall desire to help a customer work through their issues and reach a positive resolution, making him a great asset to both our professional services team and our merchants.

Congratulations to Ashfaq for celebrating his 3 year work-a-versary!! We look forward to the years yet to come! 

Learn more about Ashfaq in this month’s employee spotlight campaign!

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Mission Critical: Your Data Back-Up Strategy

No – that’s not an exaggeration. This IS mission critical! If you don’t have a data back-up strategy in place, then you and your retail business are at serious risk! One wrong move could cost you thousands of dollars in downtime and recovery costs…and recovery of the most important business data is likely impossible if you haven’t been actively backing it up.

We are all guilty of thinking that something like that wouldn’t happen to us. We all think that if we’re careful enough, we won’t lose anything. But the reality is, that is simply untrue. Data loss can happen to ANY of us for a number of different reasons often outside of our own control, and it’s time we become proactive with our precious business data rather than reactive if something does go wrong!

CYBER ATTACKS

Cyber attacks are among the top reasons why a data back-up strategy is so important for retailers. With the drastic rise in cyber attacks across the world in the past few years, our data is more valuable than ever! It’s important for us to know and understand the different kinds of cyber attacks out there and the different steps we can take to prevent them from happening. 

You may be thinking, “Who would want to access MY business data?” Maybe you’re a small retailer and think that a hacker wouldn’t bother with a smaller entity when there are much larger fish to fry. Maybe you’re a retailer that specializes in something very particular and think that because of that, nobody would have any interest in your business. 

It isn’t necessarily the content of the data that a hacker is interested in when they perform a cyber attack – it’s more so the data itself. Your business data is important to YOU and losing it could cost you time, money, or even your business itself. Therefore, hackers know that by holding it hostage, like in the form of a ransomware attack as an example, you will likely be willing to pay them money to get that data back in order to protect your business.

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Catch Our Team at Trends Apparel

 

When: August 24-26
Where: Edmonton Expo Centre, Edmonton AB

– Get HANDS ON Experience with one of our TOP POS Solutions
– Learn About our GAME CHANGING Reporting Platform for Shopify 
– Discover All Kinds of Tech Solutions that will BOOST your Operations

Will you be attending the country’s LARGEST wholesale tradeshow for retail, footwear and accessories? Trends Apparel is BACK at the Edmonton Expo Centre and like always, our team will be there ready to chat about retail tech for YOUR store! Make sure to pop by our booth to learn more!

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Dan Holman Joins Pete Mohr on The Footwear Retailer’s Podcast for an Incredibly Insightful Episode

Struggling to turn your retail inventory into real cash? Most independent footwear retailers don’t realize their point-of-sale system is holding them back. In this value-packed conversation, Pete Mohr and Dan Holman dig into the metrics that matter, how to fix broken reporting, and how to get data to work for you—not against you. Whether you’re running one store or ten, this episode shows you how to make smarter buying, selling, and staffing decisions without needing a business degree.

→ Learn how to pick the right POS system
→ Understand why data—not gut feel—should drive buying decisions
→ Discover Dan’s system for weekly reporting and forecasting
→ Shift your mindset around inventory from “asset” to “liability”
→ Start making high-impact decisions that actually move the needle

 

Watch Now The Footwear Retailer Podcast

Congratulations Ken Isla for Celebrating 3 Years with Canadian Retail Solutions

It is with great pleasure that we congratulate Ken Isla from our Professional Services team on celebrating his 3 year anniversary with CRS! 

Ken is one our front line support technicians that handles a lot of our merchants support needs, especially when it comes to their hardware. With his extensive knowledge in the field of technology coupled with his natural positivity and desire to help not only our merchants, but his co-workers as well, Ken has become an integral asset to our team! 

Thank you for everything you do for all of us and cheers to 3 years!! We look forward to the many more yet to come!

Learn more about Ken in this month’s employee spotlight campaign!

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Catch Our Team at Toronto Market Week

 

When: August 10-12
Where: The International Centre, Mississauga, Ontario

– Get HANDS ON Experience with one of our TOP POS Solutions
– Learn About our GAME CHANGING Reporting Platform for Shopify 
– Discover All Kinds of Tech Solutions that will BOOST your Operations

Get registered today to attend Canada’s fastest growing B2B wholesale tradeshows known as THE destination for both retailers and buyers to source and purchase for their stores! Our team will be set up in booth 1403, ready to chat about any of your current tech needs! With our demo station set up, you’ll also be able to get a hands-on feel of one of our TOP POS solutions!

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National Retail Solutions (NRS) Wins 2025 Visionary Spotlight Award for Best Emerging Technology Breakthrough

 

One of our point of sale partners – National Retail Solutions (NRS) – has been honored with the 2025 Visionary Spotlight Award from ChannelVision Magazine for “Best Emerging Technology Breakthrough – Overall Excellence.” This award recognizes standout innovations that significantly impact the communications and technology channel landscape.

Chosen by ChannelVision editors and independent judges, NRS was acknowledged for its advanced point-of-sale (POS) and payments platform designed specifically for small and mid-sized convenience stores and bodegas. The platform enables these retailers to compete more effectively with larger chains by offering user-friendly and powerful tools.

NRS CEO Elie Y. Katz highlighted the company’s mission to empower independent retailers with accessible, high-tech solutions that boost sales and streamline business operations. ChannelVision President Berge Kaprelian noted that despite economic challenges, innovation continues to be highly valued, and this year’s award competition was especially strong.

Congratulations to the entire team at NRS for this great achievement!

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Congratulations to Ahmad Mehroz for Celebrating 3 Years with Retail by CRS!

The team here at Retail by CRS is very proud to congratulate Ahmad Mehroz from our Professional Services team on celebrating 3 years of service! Ahmad’s extensive technical knowledge and expertise in Retail Pro has been a vital asset to the CRS family! 

As one of our front line support staff, Ahmad deals directly with our merchants on a daily basis, helping them through support calls, upgrade or integration set ups, or even developing custom tools to help get our customers to where they want to be in their daily operations and procedures. 

Thank you, Ahmad, for everything you do for both our merchants and team alike! We look forward to see what the next 3 years brings!

Look more about Ahmad in this month’s employee spotlight campaign!

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Heartland POS is Now Genius

Same AMAZING Point of Sale Software, Just Under a New Name!

One of our most popular point of sale solutions – Heartland for Retail and Heartland for Restaurant – has underwent a recent rebrand under the same ownership. Both the retail POS and the restaurant POS software remains unchanged, so you can continue to take advantage of the robust features and user friendliness that you’re already used to! You just may start to see it being called something a little different.

Introducing Genius – a point of sale solution built to help your retail or restaurant business succeed! 

In addition to the software products getting a rebrand, Global Payments – Genius’ parent company – has also made an update to their own logo to better align with this new style with Genius.

Is Your Point of Sale Holding You Back?

If you don’t have the RIGHT POS system for your specific business needs, you could be missing out on business-changing insights!

In today’s competitive retail landscape, staying ahead means more than just offering great products and customer service—it means understanding your business inside and out. A powerful, data-driven Point of Sale (POS) system is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. The right POS doesn’t just ring up sales—it becomes the central nervous system of your retail operation, capturing critical data and translating it into actionable insights.

More Than Just a Cash Register

Traditionally, POS systems were viewed as glorified cash registers. Today, modern POS solutions offer a wide range of features designed to streamline operations and optimize performance. From tracking inventory and managing customer relationships to syncing online and in-store sales, your POS should function as a complete business management tool.

But the true power of a good POS lies in the data it collects.

Data-Driven Decisions Start at the POS

Every transaction processed through your POS captures valuable data points: what’s selling, what’s not, who’s buying, when they’re buying, and how much they’re spending. This information, when organized into robust reports, paints a clear picture of your store’s health and identifies opportunities for growth.

Some of the most valuable data a POS system should provide includes:

– Sales trends over time – Know your peak hours, days, and seasons.
– Inventory performance – Identify best-sellers and dead stock to optimize ordering.
– Customer behavior – Track repeat customers, average order value, and loyalty trends.
– Employee performance – Understand which team members drive the most sales or process the most returns.
– Promotional effectiveness – See which discounts or campaigns actually boost revenue.

Without this data at your fingertips, you’re making decisions based on guesswork rather than facts.

Robust Reporting Powers Smart Strategy

A POS system with strong reporting capabilities turns raw data into strategy. Imagine being able to forecast future demand based on past sales patterns or instantly generate a report showing your highest-margin items. These aren’t just numbers—they’re insights that help you stock smarter, price better, and market more effectively.

For example:

  • Launching a seasonal campaign? Use historical sales reports to decide what to promote.

  • Planning to expand locations? Leverage your POS data to identify which product categories perform best and which customers are most loyal.

  • Need to cut costs? Analyze vendor performance and returns to renegotiate supplier terms or rethink your product mix.

The Bottom Line: Better Data = Better Business

A retail POS system is more than just a tool for processing payments—it’s a business intelligence engine. The right system saves time, reduces errors, and most importantly, empowers you to make informed decisions that grow your bottom line.

If your current POS doesn’t offer robust reporting or fails to collect meaningful data, it’s time to upgrade. Investing in a modern, data-rich POS isn’t just about operational efficiency—it’s about setting your business up for long-term success in a fast-moving retail world.

Make your POS work for you—because smart decisions start at the point of sale. Talk to our experts today to learn which point of sale solution is the RIGHT solution for YOUR business!

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HUGE Congratulations to Colin Bates for Celebrating 18 Years with CRS

It is a huge honor to congratulate and celebrate Colin Bates – Director of Professional Services – on his 18 years with Canadian Retail Solutions! This is an incredible testament to Colin’s dedication, and is quite an accomplishment we are all very proud of. I think it goes without saying that we are extremely lucky to have Colin on our team!

As our leader in professional services, Colin’s extensive knowledge and expertise in not only Retail Pro and POS software, but the tech world in general, has been a critical asset to our team and merchants alike. When faced with the tough questions, difficult technical issues, or brand new projects, we can all count on Colin to help guide us through with ease! 

Thank you so much for nearly TWO decades of your endless commitment to the success of our merchants and everything you do for the entire CRS team!

Cheers to 18 years – and we look forward to many more!

In honor of this work-iversary, Colin is featured in this month’s employee spotlight! Check it out to learn more about Colin!

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Catch Dan Holman’s Speaker Session at the VIRTUAL Retail Success Summit

The Retail Scorecard: Understanding the Story Behind Your Numbers

Our very own CEO and Director of Planning – Dan Holman – will be speaking in this years VIRTUAL Retail Success Summit by Whizbang! Retail Training!

Retail success is about more than just numbers; it’s about understanding the story behind those numbers. Dan dives into key metrics and insights every retailer should be tracking to drive sustainable growth and customer loyalty. This session will cover how to:

  • Effectively measure performance across sales, customer engagement, and inventory management,
  • Develop actionable strategies to optimize each of these critical areas. 
  • Create a weekly scorecard that shines a spotlight on areas of success and reveals opportunities for improvement.

PLUS take advantage of a FREE 1-hour consultation on creating your very own scorecard for YOUR retail business!

Dan is a 30+ year retail veteran, award-winning business coach, and the CEO of Canadian Retail Solutions, a Retail Operations Partner guiding independent retailers across North America to grow sales, boost profitability, and build cash-positive businesses through smart strategy and The Wealthy Retailer® framework.

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Welcome to Our Newest Merchants!

We want to extend the warmest welcome to all of our new merchants who recently went LIVE on their new POS systems! We look forward to continuing to work with each and every one of you!

Whizbang! Retail Success Summit Goes VIRTUAL for 2025

“Imagine Main Street” – May 20-22

The Retail Success Summit is a dynamic event designed to equip retailers with the tools and strategies necessary to thrive in today’s ever-evolving marketplace. Every year, the co-founders of Whizbang! Retail Training – Bob and Susan Negan – host a multi-day event where independent retailers from across North America come together to learn, strategize and create actionable plans to boost their business operations. 

This year, the event looks a little different as we explore a VIRTUAL world designed to mimic the event experience while opening it up to even MORE participants, sponsors and speakers alike! With the key theme of this year’s summit being adapting to the digital shift, this virtual experience aligns perfectly!

As usual, Retail by CRS is proudly sponsoring this game-changing event and hope to see YOU there to take in everything this incredible experience has to offer! PLUS, you can catch Dan Holman – CEO and Director of Planning – in his must-see breakout session on the Retail Scorecard: Understanding Your Numbers. Dive into the importance of keeping track of measurable and actionable data points and build-your-own retail scorecard to help properly measure and take action in your own business operations!

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New Webpage Drop: Restaurant by CRS

Learn All About Heartland Restaurant POS on Our Newly Launched Dedicated Website

Here are two fun facts you might not know:

  1. Retail by CRS is primarily a retail point-of-sale provider, but we also can handle restaurant business as well

  2. Just like us, Heartland has both a retail point-of-sale product AND a restaurant point-of-sale product

This isn’t something new – we’ve always been able to source and support Heartland Restaurant POS and Heartland Restaurant POS is Heartland’s flagship product. However, our Restaurant POS website we just launched is definitely something new and we are SO excited to finally share it!

Navigate through our freshly designed restaurant POS site to learn all about Heartland Restaurant and the incredible functionality it has to offer! There are THOUSANDS of cafe owners, fast food restaurants, dine-in restaurants and food trucks across the continent that are utilizing this point of sale in their own businesses! 

Check out our new site and learn more about Heartland Restaurant!

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Simon Cuison Celebrates 1 Year of Service with CRS

We are thrilled to congratulate Simon Cuison of Professional Services on reaching his 1 year anniversary with the CRS team! This milestone is a huge testament to Simon’s hard work, dedication, and the positive impact he has on both our team and our merchants. Simon’s positive approach to every task, his pleasant and professional manner, and his willingness to go above and beyond for our clients have not gone unnoticed. His contributions make a real difference, and we truly appreciate the effort and enthusiasm Simon brings to his role each and every day! 

Coming to us a year ago with a background in not only tech, but in point-of-sale specifically, we knew that Simon was going to bring a wealth of knowledge and experience that our team strives for. Since then, Simon has done nothing but prove just how valuable a team member he is and it’s been an absolute pleasure to work alongside him.

Cheers to 1 year, Simon – we look forward to many more successful years ahead!

Learn more about Simon in this month’s employee spotlight campaign:

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Enter to WIN a FREE VIP Pass to the Evolve Conference

HURRY! Draw Closes March 12

Join us at Evolve 2025 on April 4-5 at the Gaylord Rockies Resort in Denver, CO for this amazing opportunity to grow your retail business!

3 Things You NEED TO KNOW About Evolve:

  1. This is a MUST-ATTEND educational conference for like-minded retailers just like yourself who want to boost their profits and fuel the success of their business
  2. We’ll have a booth set up at the event AND our very own CEO and Director of Planning – Dan Holman – will be hosting a game-changing speaker session on “The Retail Scorecard: Understanding Your Numbers”

  3. This will be the LAST Evolve conference EVER, so they are pulling out ALL of the stops to make this the best, most memorable event they’ve ever had!

We want YOU to be among the hundreds of retailers that will benefit from attending this business-boosting conference, so we’re doing an EXCLUSIVE draw for a FREE VIP ticket to the event (with the added bonus of a plus one in case you want to bring a friend)!!!

Enter to win TODAY – the draw will close on March 12!!

Enter Now

New Partner Announcement: Best Worlds

Seamlessly Integrating Heartland POS and Klaviyo for the Ultimate Customer Experience

The team here at Canadian Retail Solutions is excited to announce a new partnership with Best Worlds – a leader in ecommerce integration solutions – to bring seamless digital marketing capabilities to retailers through the Heartland + Klaviyo Integration.

As a Certified Klaviyo Systems Integrator, Best Worlds specializes in connecting in-store experiences with online marketing tools, enabling businesses to transform customer relationships into digital engagement. This integration allows Heartland Retail users to effortlessly sync customer data, sales transactions, and marketing insights into Klaviyo, unlocking advanced email automation, personalized campaigns, and data-driven customer retention strategies.

With this integration, retailers harness the power of automated marketing, tailored promotions, and customer segmentation, driving increased engagement and sales. Whether you’re a boutique retailer or a multi-location brand, this integration ensures a frictionless omnichannel marketing experience that keeps customers connected beyond the store.

Best Worlds has a proven track record of optimizing ecommerce platforms and integrating Klaviyo with major retail and POS systems, ensuring a seamless flow of data and powerful marketing capabilities. This collaboration marks another step forward in helping businesses grow through digital transformation.

Learn more about this amazing opportunity for your retail business or get started today by getting in touch with our team!

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Ivan Moreta Celebrates 2 Years of Service with Canadian Retail Solutions

Congratulations to Ivan Moreta for celebrating 2 years with the CRS team! Ivan is our Account Manager – POS Applications Specialist situated in Western Canada and is one of our front line guys when it comes to meeting new retailers and getting them going on the solutions that are right for their particular business. 

Since joining the team 2 years ago, Ivan has always been a pleasure to work with for both customers and coworkers alike, with his welcoming, always-positive attitude that is always ready to help wherever he can! Ivan’s incredible dedication to our retailers’ success, the success of the CRS team, and the success of the solutions we wholeheartedly believe in is an inspiration to us all. We truly appreciate everything he does – whether it’s tackling challenges, bringing fresh ideas, or just being a great team player. 

Thank you Ivan! Here’s to another successful year ahead! 

To learn more about Ivan, check out his feature article in this month’s Employee Spotlight campaign!

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Catch Dan Holman at the Upcoming Evolve Conference

The Evolve Conference by Crystal Media is a business event designed to help independent retailers stay competitive by providing the latest digital marketing strategies, industry innovations, and technology insights. It equips attendees with actionable tactics to boost their online presence, drive foot traffic, and increase sales.

On April 4-5, 2025 our very own CEO and Director of Planning – Dan Holman – will be in Denver, CO to host a MUST-ATTEND speaker session at the event! 

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Partner Spotlight: Hyperspace

Bridging the Gap Between In-Store POS and Online Platforms

In today’s fast-paced retail world, businesses need seamless integrations, real-time automation, and scalable solutions to stay ahead. That’s where Hyperspace comes in. As a leader in cloud-based integration technology, Hyperspace empowers retailers by connecting their POS, e-commerce, and marketplace platforms into a unified, efficient ecosystem.

What Sets Hyperspace Apart?

Hyperspace simplifies complex retail operations by offering:

– Real-Time Synchronization – Keep inventory, orders, and customer data updated across all platforms.
– Seamless POS & E-Commerce Integration – Connect Heartland Retail, Shopify, BigCommerce, and other leading systems.
– Automated Order & Inventory Management – Reduce manual work and eliminate costly errors.
– Omnichannel Selling & Marketplace Expansion – Sell effortlessly across Amazon, Walmart, and other marketplaces.
– Custom API Development & Scalable Solutions – Tailored integrations that grow with your business.

Trusted by Retailers Nationwide

From independent boutiques to multi-store enterprises, Hyperspace helps retailers streamline operations, reduce inefficiencies, and maximize sales—all while providing an intuitive, user-friendly experience.

Ready to supercharge your retail operations? Discover how Hyperspace can transform your business today!

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Candice Holman Celebrates 6 Years with Canadian Retail Solutions

We are THRILLED to celebrate our CFO – Candice Holman – in her SIXTH year anniversary with Canadian Retail Solutions! 

As part of our leadership team, Candice makes a huge impact in the way our day-to-day operations run, ensuring both our team and our customers are well taken care of and on track! Wearing several different hats within her role, Candice oversees so many different things on a daily basis from accounts payables and receivables, to internal sales and marketing team support, and everything in between! Without Candice’s hard work and dedication, we wouldn’t be able to run as smoothly as we do today. 

6 years of service is a great accomplishment and we are so excited to see what the next year has in store! Thank you Candice for everything you do! 

Learn more about Candice in this month’s Employee Spotlight campaign!

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5 Key Areas to Consider when Considering Your Next POS

article written by Canadian Retail Solutions

You’re at a point where you think you’ve narrowed down the point of sale solution you want to use for your retail business. You’ve combed through the features and the price looks right for your budget…the hard part is almost over! BEFORE you commit and sign on the dotted line, there are 5 key areas you need to pay attention to in order to make sure it’s the right solution for your retail business.

1. Functionality Within the Price You THINK You’re Getting

Always keep in mind that software providers, or service providers of any kind, typically promote their lowest, or mid, price point in their most customer facing marketing channels. While these low prices may seem highly attractive to a retailer, you are often giving up some critical business functions and it may not always seem so obvious as to what exactly you’re giving up. 

Always make sure to ask the questions and find out EXACTLY what comes included in the price point you’re looking at. Get a breakdown of the included features AND a breakdown of the features you won’t be getting but would have to add-on for an additional fee if you want to use it. When you have a clear idea of what the features are that come with an additional cost, you can also make a decision on whether or not those features are important to the future of your business. Knowing this will help determine whether or not the solution ACTUALLY fits within your budget, and you aren’t faced with unexpected additional costs down the road.

2. Inventory Management Features That Will Ease Operations

Inventory management is arguably one of the most important functions of a GOOD point of sale system. A proper inventory management feature will help streamline your operations in a variety of different ways from auto-calculating stock levels based on a combination of purchase order receipts, transfers, adjustments, and sales activity to tracking and reporting on data that will help you better understand and manage your business. 

It’s important to really understand the inventory management capabilities of the POS solution you’re considering against the needs of your retail business. For instance, in a lot of cases, having the option to add in custom user defined fields to products in the system is something a retailer will both want and need to keep track of the information that matters most to their particular business. If a retailer is working with a financial planner, having the capability to add in a custom class field is typically essential for their services. 

Another good example of an important feature you’d want to keep in mind is the ability to automate your inventory management, even to a small degree. In some cases, having your system automatically detect and reorder inventory based on the criteria you set may be an important feature to your business model. In other cases, having the system simply alert you on low stock levels based on a minimum and maximum level that you set may be more in line with your operations. 

Within the inventory management umbrella often comes the ability to create, manage and maintain purchase orders within the system. For most retailers, having this capability directly within the POS system is crucial to maintaining accurate inventory levels and keeping well-defined reports for when they’re needed. Keep an eye on this functionality within the point of sale system you’re considering to see how that flows with the inventory management system.

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Set Up Your POS to Help SIMPLIFY the Canadian GST Holiday Process – Our Team Can Help!

We are just a few weeks in to the Canadian GST holiday and if you’re struggling with the process in your store, you are NOT alone! Small businesses across Canada are having a hard time adapting to this 2-month tax break on the specific items that qualify and it’s creating a lot of pain for store owners trying to get through the holiday shopping season.

Now that the holiday rush is over, it is a great time to set up your point of sale software to help simplify the process for you and your team. Depending on your system, you should be able to specify exactly which items would receive a tax discount so that when the items are scanned in at check out, it will happen automatically. 

The GST/HST break applies to the following products (with limitations and restrictions):

• Food
• Beverages
• Restaurants, catering, and other food or drink establishments
• Children’s clothing and footwear
• Children’s diapers
• Children’s car seats
• Children’s toys
• Jigsaw puzzles
• Video game consoles, controllers and physical video games
• Physical books
• Printed newspapers
• Christmas and similar decorative trees

If you carry any of these products in your store, then you are responsible for applying the GST/HST discount at the time of sale until February 15, 2025. For Heartland Retail POS and Retail Pro users, our team can help you get this set up directly in your system if you require assistance.

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CRS Welcomes Owen Lane to the Team

We are extremely pleased to welcome a brand new member to the CRS team – Owen Lane! Based out of Ontario, Owen is joining us on the sales team as an Account Manager – POS Specialist for Eastern Canada and the United States!

Based in southwestern Ontario, Owen brings a wealth of experience in business development, having excelled in his previous roles at Cavelo Inc. and SciLeads. In these roles, he consistently surpassed targets and built strong, lasting relationships with clients and partners. With his expertise in the tech and SaaS sectors, as well as a collaborative mindset developed through many years’ experience in hi-level competitive sports, Owen is well-equipped to make a meaningful impact here at CRS.

With welcoming Owen to the team, we wanted to take this opportunity to launch a brand new employee spotlight campaign and kick it off by getting to know our newest team member a little better! I had the pleasure of chatting with Owen a little further to gain some insight. 

Q:​ Thanks for chatting with us a bit Owen! So you’re quite new to the company, but can you tell us a little bit about what your role at Canadian Retail Solutions will be and what your typical day would look like for you?

A: As an Account Manager, I help retailers and restaurants streamline operations and grow through tailored solutions. My day involves prospecting new leads, connecting with clients, and attending trade shows to stay on top of trends and build relationships. It’s a mix of strategy, communication, and creativity, which keeps things exciting.

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Happy New Year to All of Our Valued Partners, Retailers, and Subscribers

From all of us at Canadian Retail Solutions, we wish all of our valued partners, retailers and subscribers a very Happy New Year and all the best for 2025! As we set our personal resolutions and goals for this coming year, why not add “increasing the selling potential and profitability of my retail business” to the list?

As a Retail Operations Partner, we can help you reach that goal in 2025 in a variety of different ways

  • Getting You on the RIGHT POS for YOUR Specific Business Needs
  • Expanding Your POS Capabilities Through Integrations, Add-Ons, and Plugins to Improve Business Operations
  • Updating Your Tech Hardware to Work FOR You, Instead of Against You
  • Offer Ongoing POS Support and Training for Our Heartland and Retail Pro Users
  • Provide Game-Changing Reporting Capabilities for Shopify Users to Make Intelligent, Data-Driven Decisions 
  • Streamline Your Omnichannel Operations with Seamless Integration Solutions
  • Future-Proof Your Business Through the Use of the Modern-Day Tech, Aligning Your Business with Consumer Trends
  • Provide Advanced Data Back-Up, Anti-Virus, and Monitoring to Protect Your Business
  • Establishing a Partnership Together, Bringing More than 30 Years of Expertise to Your Toolbelt

Let’s grow together in 2025 – give our team a shout to book a FREE, no-obligation discovery call to learn about how we can help improve YOUR retail business!

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Get Ready for Physical Inventory Season

Retailers – we survived the holiday shopping season! Let’s take a second to pat ourselves on the back and take a breath….but we can’t rest for too long, because year end physical inventory counts are coming up QUICK!

For some retailers, especially independent retailers, the technical side of the task may seem more daunting than the task of counting products itself. For other retailers, it might be a piece of cake. No matter what your technical ability or skill level is, our team can assist in several different ways, as you need it!

BEFORE Your Inventory Count
Gone are the days of manually counting and recording stock. Living in the digital age gives us the advantage of time saving technology – barcode scanners. If you don’t have the hardware you need, we can help you source the best product for your retail business. Our team will also provision, support and warranty any hardware purchased through CRS, giving you peace of mind that your tech investment is covered.

Our team can also provide RFID solutions for the simplest and quickest inventory management solution on the market!

While every retailer’s needs vary, prior to performing your counts, you can book some time with our team to do some pro-active maintenance, ensuring a smooth and efficient execution with minimal hiccups (if any at all). For instance:

  1. We re-initialize scanners purchased through CRS to ensure they are in working order, and any previous memory has been cleared on the devices that store it
  2. We ensure connections to wireless hardware are functioning correctly
  3. We go through the count and upload process to verify everything is uploading correctly, and you’re clear on what to do

DURING Your Inventory Count
Our team is always on standby to help our retailers with their tech needs. This includes during your inventory count. While we can hope we’ve worked out all the bugs BEFORE you started your inventory count, if anything goes awry, our team has your back! A misconnection, an error code on the scanner, a data import fail – whatever may happen, you can call our support line for assistance.

AFTER Your Inventory Count
Reconciliation and discrepancy identification are crucial to the effectiveness of your personal inventory. After you’ve completed your count, you can reach out to our team to assist in a variety of ways, such as:

  1. We review your discrepancies with you and discuss resolutions
  2. We make copies of the count and apply them to your system
  3. We verify that the new quantities in your system match the new count
  4. We take data from all kinds of formats to shape it and match the importing map
  5. We assist in importing data into your system

These are just some of the common ways our technical support team assist retailers during this busy time of year. No matter what assistance you may need, we can help! Give us a shout today to learn more!

Merchants must be on a CRS support plan or have pre-paid tech hours on file in order for our support team to assist with physical inventory needs.

Get in Touch!

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments about any of the content on this page, OR you’re ready to utilize a FREE professional consultation for your own retail business needs, give us a shout! Our team is ready to help in any way we can!

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