Understanding Retail Store

Retail Store is Zoho ERP’s Point of Sale (POS) module used to manage in-store sales and cash-based transactions for walk-in customers. It is designed for fast billing while ensuring accurate tracking of sales, inventory, and cash flow.

Unlike regular sales orders, Retail Store transactions are completed instantly at a billing counter and are always associated with an active register session.

What is Retail Store?

Retail Store enables businesses to handle counter-based sales efficiently by recording every transaction against a register and session.

Using Retail Store, you can:

• Record walk-in sales instantly
• Collect payments using multiple payment methods
• Track cash movement throughout the day
• Reconcile opening and closing balances
• Identify cash shortages or excess
• Maintain a complete audit trail for POS activity

All retail transactions are tied to:

• A Register
• A Session
• A User
• A Location

This ensures every sale and cash movement is traceable and auditable.

When Should You Use Retail Store?

Retail Store is best suited for businesses that:

• Operate physical stores or counters
• Handle high-volume walk-in sales
• Collect cash or instant payments
• Require daily cash reconciliation
• Need shift-based or counter-based tracking

Examples include retail shops, supermarkets, showrooms, pharmacies, and service counters.

Key Components of Retail Store

Retail Store consists of four tightly integrated components that work together during daily operations.

Registers

Registers represent physical billing counters in your store, such as:

• Checkout counters
• Cash desks
• Billing terminals

Each register defines:

• The location where sales are recorded
• The payment methods allowed at checkout
• The transaction numbering series

Registers must be configured before any POS sales can be performed.

Sessions

A session represents the time period during which a register is open for billing.

Sessions track:

• Opening cash balance
• Sales and refunds
• Cash in and cash out transactions
• Expected cash and physical cash counted
• Closing balance and discrepancies

Every POS sale must be associated with an active session.

Cash Management

Cash Management is used to record non-sale cash movements during a session, such as:

• Cash added to the register
• Cash withdrawn for expenses
• Adjustments made during reconciliation

These transactions affect the expected cash balance and are included in the session’s cash flow summary.

Sales

The Sales section is where cashiers perform POS billing.

Using the Sales screen, you can:

• Add items to the cart
• Apply discounts
• Associate customers
• Select payment methods
• Complete sales and generate receipts

Each completed sale:

• Updates inventory instantly
• Records payment details
• Is linked to the active session and register

Retail Store Workflow

A typical Retail Store workflow follows this sequence:

1. Configure payment methods and registers
2. Open a session for a register
3. Perform retail sales
4. Record cash adjustments if required
5. Close and reconcile the session

Retail Store vs Regular Sales

Retail Store Settings

Retail Store behavior can be customized using settings to match your business needs.

You can configure:

• General retail preferences
• Session behavior and approvals
• Cash management rules
• Payment methods

These settings control how Retail Store operates across registers, users, and locations.