Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for department stores.
A checklist built from how department stores work, to print or save as a PDF and bring to any supplier meeting.
What the software should cover
Tick each one that matters to your business.
- Department and floor stock
- Buying and supplier orders
- Markdowns and promotions
- Concession counters and settlements
- Gift cards, layaway and returns
- Tills and tender reconciliation
- Loyalty and customer accounts
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For store managers
- For buyers and merchandisers
- For cashiers and floor staff
- For stockroom staff
- For finance
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Sales and margin by department and season
- Stock age and sell-through by department
- Markdowns approved and their effect on sales
- Concession settlements by brand and month
- Gift card balances outstanding
- Till variances by shift and cashier
- Supplier invoices matched and in dispute
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- Barcode scanners and receipt printers
- Card payment terminals
- WhatsApp or other messaging
- SMS
- Accounting export
- Online shop
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Can each department see its own figures?
- How are brand-owned counters settled?
- Can a markdown need approval?
- Does it handle gift cards and layaway?
- What does the closing routine include?
- Can stockroom staff receive against supplier orders?
- Can item lists and open balances be moved across?
- Who owns the store’s data?
- How is pricing decided?
- Does it run when the internet drops?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Departments are judged on shared totals
- Concession settlements are calculated by hand
- Markdowns are keyed without a trail
- Gift cards and layaway sit apart from sales
- Stock moves between floors unrecorded
Prefer to talk it through? See the department stores page.