How to Sell Across Channels and In-Person with Shopify POS Go

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During the Shopifyโ€™s Winter โ€˜23 Edition, we learned about the release of a product called Shopify POS Go. Now, Shopify has always provided a POS for free to all of its users (and you have the option to upgrade to a premium version), so whatโ€™s the big deal about Shopify POS Go?

Quite bit, actually. Shopify POS Go is a mobile point of sale device for running your entire back office from one small module.

It offers custom POS software, along with integrated hardware for selling:

  • Across channels: Like how you sell items from the retail store curb while also collecting payments from the indoor cashierโ€”all of this while still making sales on your website and places like Facebook and Walmart
  • In person: While walking around the retail floor, going to trade shows, or interacting with customers on the street.

Weโ€™re beyond excited about the launch of Shopify POS Go, for both merchants and consumers. So, in this article, we explore the different ways in which you can sell through Shopify POS Go.

Weโ€™ll cover:

  • How to sell across channels with Shopify POS Go
  • How to sell in person with Shopify POS Go
  • How multi-brand stores can sell with Shopify POS Go

Keep reading to learn all about the selling potential you have with Shopify POS Go.

What is Shopify POS Go?

Shopify POS Go was launched in September 2022, but it was also announced during Shopify Editions 2023 Winter (along with a myriad of other new products and feature updates).

Shopify POS Go is a handheld device similar to a smartphone, but instead of running iOS or Android, it only contains the Shopify POS software. This way, merchants have the opportunity to tap into their customer and product databases while on the go, and they can even check in on their sales staff.

Obviously, Shopify POS Go only makes sense for sellers who plan to process transactions face-to-face, but itโ€™s obviously a wonderful opportunity for those with only an online store to expand into new business options.

Whatโ€™s great about Shopify POS Go is that all you have to do is log into your Shopify account. The software and hardware is good to go right out of the box. You can connect to your Wi-Fi, then start processing transactions or looking at product details to help customers.

Who Has Access to Shopify POS Go?

As of right now, Shopify POS Go is only available to:

  • Merchants eligible to use Shopify Payments
  • Merchants operating in the United States

If youโ€™re eligible, pricing starts at $428 + tax for the POS Go and protective cover. By itself, the POS Go costs $399 + tax.

Shopify has plans to expand with Shopify POS Go, so non-US sellers should keep an eye out. To learn more about Shopify POS Go, go to the Meet POS Go page. There, you can speak to a sales representative or sign up for a free trial of Shopify altogether.

A Breakdown of Shopify POS Features

Shopify POS Go stands out from the Shopify POS product because itโ€™s a piece of hardware that comes with the point of sale software. Itโ€™s not just a software like Shopify POS where you must go and buy separate hardware (or use one of your devices) to make it work.

There are some competitors to the Shopify POS Go device, so letโ€™s look at the unique features to help you understand if itโ€™s right for running your business.

Shopify POS Go features:

  • Natively integrated Shopify POS software: The point of sale software syncs with your product catalogs, user database, staff records, and everything else you would find on your Shopify dashboard. You can process payments right out of the box, while also using the tool to look up product information.
  • A strong device with an even more durable case: Shopify POS Go is built with Gorilla Glass 5 technology, and it offers a thicker build than most smartphone devices we all know. Merchants have the option to purchase a hand strap and protective case to improve its durability. The screen itself is 5.5โ€ with a high definition display.
  • Superior connectivity and battery power: Too often, we see point of sale devices running out of battery or having trouble connecting to the internet. Shopify POS Go, on the other hand, boasts an all day selling battery, so it never goes out in your times of need. It also has Wi-Fi connectivity through the 5 GHz band, and the option to use 2.4 GHz. With top of the line connectivity, and a powerful battery, you can take the Shopify POS Go with you on the road or fuel your sales machine throughout an entire day in a retail shop.
  • Multiple ways to scan and accept payments: Accept chip inserts, taps, and swipes from all major credit and debit cards. Use the built-in 1D and 2D barcode scanner to ring up customers by scanning products.

As you can see, the Shopify POS Go device offers all-day selling capabilities with protection and connectivity thatโ€™s unparalleled across the industry.

How to Sell Across Channels with Shopify POS Go

Shopify POS Go is recommended for:

  • Businesses interested in selling from multiple channels at once
  • Merchants who need an all-in-one consultative sales tools to create personalized selling experiences, finding specific products, and closing the sale afterward, by sending an email of the shopping cart
  • Merchants wanting to take payments, regardless of where they are
  • Businesses with the need to remain connected to their company information at all times; like if you wanted to reach every part of your businessโ€™s ecosystem and view things like inventory, staff, and customers

If you plan to utilize Shopify POS Go, itโ€™s clear you have the intention to sell from multiple channels (and perhaps already do so). As a result, weโ€™d like to walk through ways to properly sell across channels with Shopify POS Go.

Sell Through Shopify POS Go AND a Countertop Kit

This is what we call the hybrid method; itโ€™s where a merchant utilizes both the Shopify POS Go device and a countertop point of sale kit in the same building.

Realistically, youโ€™d have at least one or two countertop kits, along with anywhere from 1 to dozens of Shopify POS Go devices. Thatโ€™s whatโ€™s nice about Shopify POS Go: you can keep adding devices as your business grows.

This method for selling across channels allows you to:

  1. Provide a method of payment for all type of people, considering some would rather stick to the standard checkout counter and others like the idea of paying right on the sales floor
  2. Give your store a more mobile sales environment while keeping the old faithful point of sales desk open
  3. Back up each system; if you happen to have an issue with the countertop kit, turn to the Shopify POS Go, and vice versa
  4. Connect via Wi-Fi and bluetooth (for card reading)
  5. Jump to other parts of your storeโ€”or even to the curbsideโ€”if needed

The hybrid system works well for retailers that want access to their sales, inventory, and customer information, regardless of where they are in the store. Thereโ€™s no need to jump back to the back office computer or go to the countertop point of sale. The counter top wonโ€™t connect directly to the Shopify POS Go, but everything gets synced back to your Shopify account, allowing for updated information on every device.

In terms of portability, the Shopify POS Go provides the utmost portability, seeing as how you can put it in your pocket, hop in the car to go make a quick sale somewhere else, or accept payments from customers waiting in line. The countertop kit from Shopify has a decent amount of portabilityโ€”since it detaches from the dockโ€”but you may have to bring along the card reader and juggle multiple devices.

Overall, we suggest running the majority of a hybrid multichannel retail shop with a network of Shopify POS Go devices. Thatโ€™s what you rely on. The countertop kit serves as the usual checkout method for those who are accustomed to that option.

Who might consider the hybrid system?

  • Mid Sized retailers
  • Large retail chains
  • Merchants that consistently have longer lines
  • Sellers with a need to process payments outside or from a window that leads to the outside
  • Any shop that wants to accept curbside payments, while still keeping a centralized system within the store
  • Any retail store that would like to offer the traditional checkout counter but also have โ€œroamingโ€ salespeople on the floor

Run a Minimalist Retail Store with 1 or 2 Shopify POS Go Devices

One way to sell across channels with the Shopify POS Go is to run a minimalist retail store without any countertop point of sales at all. This is becoming more and more popular due to its sleek look and affordable operational aspects.

The minimalist seller tends to stick with one or two Shopify POS Go devices to run everything from sales to curbside pickups. Itโ€™s possible to manage this type of configuration with a large retail chain, but the stores must be somewhat smaller. We tend to see the minimalist setup with popup shops and smaller retailers.

Here are some benefits of the minimalist retailer:

  • It allows a small but stable selling environment
  • You can decrease costs by only using one or two Shopify POS Goโ€™s; even expanding to more devices is sure to keep costs lower than a full countertop point of sale
  • You donโ€™t have to integrate with a wide range of other point of sale devices like a card swiper or scanner; Shopify POS Go already has those built into the system
  • Speaking of which, thereโ€™s no need for extra devices at all; the minimalist setup cuts out elements like phones, tablets, hubs, card readers, cables, and scanners

Some reasons to consider the minimalist selling method is if your store is prone to price sensitivity, you have limited space, or you simply like the aesthetic. After all, youโ€™re more likely to maintain a clean selling environment with fewer devices on the floor. And sales reps can simply hold on to the device or tuck it in their pockets for whenever they need access to anything from inventory to customer data.

Which types of retailers should use the minimalist sales method?

  • Large retail chains with smaller stores (or those looking for a sleek aesthetic)
  • Small and midsized retailers
  • Growing businesses interested in offering minimalist storefronts and helpful salespeople
  • Small and stable retailers that need more of a streamlined point of sale system outside their usual countertop kit

Engage Every Aspect of Your Business

Some business owners want to do everything all the time. From speaking with customers to stocking shelves, it makes sense that a business owner would want to be as hands on as possible, particularly when you have a smaller staff or if itโ€™s a new business.

For that particular type of business entrepreneur, thereโ€™s a way to sell across channels using Shopify POS Go, the Shopify POS software, and your online store at the same time.

We call this the โ€œengagedโ€ method, seeing as how it targets the business owners who engage all parts of their company.

Overall, you can do everything on the floor while also chatting with clientele. Not only that, but the Shopify POS Go device allows you to accept payments whenever the time comes. Having said that, you must have enough space on the retail floor to make this a reality. Thereโ€™s not really any reason to be running around with a smaller device if the only thing you need is a countertop point of sale.

The Shopify POS Go does well for the engaged owner by:

  • Helping provide the best possible customer service experience, since you can tap into the customer and inventory database for a personalized experience; retrieve past sale information and know product specs better than anyone in the business
  • Letting you capture sales no matter your location; you could be speaking with a customer on the floor, or interacting with someone at the curbside; regardless of the situation, the engaged owner always has her Shopify POS Go within armโ€™s reach
  • Helping you manage in-store inventory: scan barcodes and process payments. Use the device to check on how many items are left in inventory, and if you need to restock a shelf before more customers come in to shop

The โ€œengagedโ€ selling method is great for:

  • Smaller, hungry businesses where personalization makes all the difference
  • Midsized chain retailers with roaming owners
  • Large retail chains where itโ€™s difficult to manage the entire store from one spot in the store
  • Retailers with multiple shop locations

Sell Outside, or While Traveling

The Shopify POS Go seems to provide the utmost flexibility for store owners with needs elsewhere. For instance, you may find that your business takes you to events like craft fairs or trade shows. You might even stumble upon people on the street who want to buy your products, or while at family gatherings. Regardless of the situation, you must remain ready at all times. They used to say to bring your business card wherever you went, but now itโ€™s more about having a digital representation of your business. For services, you can pass over your email address or website, but when selling products, it makes a lot more sense to bring products with you and process them right there.

From our research and testing, it appears that the Shopify POS Go device is made for traveling. We can picture traveling salespeople and business owners who may even sell products out of their cars. But it actually makes the most sense for midsized and large chain retailers with the need to reach customers, no matter where they go. Even if that means simply traveling around your store.

With Shopify POS Go, you can offer personalized sales experiences (and accept sales) at:

  • Pop-up shows
  • Long lines
  • Outside your store
  • Through a physical checkout window
  • From your car
  • From a booth at a convention
  • While interacting with potential customers at a trade or craft show

Overall, we recommend the flexible sales method for:

  • Midsized retailers
  • Large retail chains
  • Owners with the need to remain flexible at all times
  • Companies that regularly open pop-up shops
  • Merchants with long lines
  • Sellers with drive-throughs or walk-up sales windows
  • Those that offer curbside pickups

Manage Multiple Stores From One Device

Managing multiple stores requires a certain amount of diligence and patience, considering you technically canโ€™t see everything thatโ€™s happening.

But with the Shopify POS Go, options open up for gaining back control of your chain. After all, you can check on how sales reps perform, make sure all product details look good, and analyzes sales results from every store in your chain.

Continue Selling Online (And Through Multiple Channels) While Processing In-person Payments

One benefit of the Shopify POS Go devices are that they allow for the continuing of sales elsewhere in your business.

Thereโ€™s no need to worry about your online store or Walmart sales having issues, since you still control the inventory, customers, and users from the palm of your hand.

So, you can keep selling on places like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, but expand upon that with a fully functional point of sale in your retail store as well. This is the most effective way to ensure sales come in from all channels, at all times.

Are You Ready to Begin Expanding Your Ecommerce Business with Shopify POS Go?

In this article, we explained everything you need to know about Shopify POS Go, like how itโ€™s designed to last throughout an entire sales day, and how you can access every aspect of your business (like inventory, sales, and customers) from the palm of your hand. We also talked about which merchants have access to Shopify POS Go right now. Currently, we encourage all US merchants to give Shopify POS Go a try. Other than that, there arenโ€™t many restrictions.

Thereafter, we outlined the best features from Shopify POS Go, along with how to sell across multiple channels using the new device.

Hereโ€™s a recap:

  • Sell through Shopify POS Go And a countertop POS (a hybrid system)
  • Run a minimalist retail shop
  • Engage every aspect of your store as an all-hands-on-deck owner
  • Remain flexible in your retail store (and while traveling)
  • Sell outside or while traveling to business events
  • Manage multiple stores from the palm of your hand
  • Continue selling online and with any other sales channels you enjoy

If youโ€™re ready to take your business to the next level, we recommend signing up to receive the Shopify POS Go device today. Many brands are using dozens of these devices to run their entire operations. If you need any clarification about Shopify POS Go, or how to sell across multiple channels with the device, please leave us a note in the comments section below.

Joe Warnimont

Joe Warnimont is a Chicago-based writer who focuses on eCommerce tools, WordPress, and social media. When not fishing or practicing yoga, he's collecting stamps at national parks (even though that's mainly for children). Check out Joe's portfolio to contact him and view past work.

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