2020 Review of Cumulus Retail Point of Sale

www.celerant.com/cumulus-retail/

From the 2020 reviews of point of sale systems.

Cumulus Retail from Celerant is designed for small retail businesses. Ideal for businesses that manage both brick and mortar as well as online stores, Cumulus Retail merges the two, offering the same promotions, coupons, and pricing for each. Available as a SaaS application, Cumulus Retail offers an In-Store edition, an Online edition, and a combination.

Cumulus Retail offers an add-on feature called ‘Always On’ which ensures that point of sale functionality will remain operational, even when an Internet connection is lost. All data entered using the Always On feature will automatically sync with the online application once connectivity has been restored.  

The Cumulus Retail point of sale screen is uncluttered and can be customized to suit user needs. Sales can be processed from any register or point of sale station or by connecting the application to a tablet or other mobile device to process a sale from anywhere.    

Cumulus Retail provides complete eCommerce website design for those who wish to combine their brick and mortar store with an online store, with each design supporting unlimited products,  the ability to offer discounts and process refunds, and a centralized database where all customers can be managed.

Cumulus Retail features a Quick Select menu on which users are able to add frequently sold items for quicker processing. Users can enter products, customers, and vendors on the fly, and customer information is easily accessed from the point of sale entry screen. Multiple users are supported in Cumulus Retail, and users are able to manage sales and inventory information separately if desired, or combine locations for a more comprehensive company view.

Cumulus Retail accepts multiple tender types including cash, checks, debit cards, credit cards, along with specialty payments such as Apple Pay and Android Pay. In addition, users can easily process a sale from just about anywhere, and multiple transaction types such as returns, gift card, gift receipts, product holds, layaways, and special orders are able to be processed from any register at any time. Both cash and customer specific sales can be processed in Cumulus Retail, making it a good option for high-volume sales.

Cumulus Retail includes CRM capability that allows users to track customer sales in real time, track customer purchases with loyalty rewards, and offer promotional sales to specific customers based on sales history. Users can import customer information directly into Cumulus Retail, or export customer data to another CRM if desired. Cumulus Retail also includes personal email marketing options as well as ID club membership cards.  

Cumulus Retail includes real-time inventory management capability, with users able to manage orders across multiple retail channels, adjust on-hand inventory if necessary, and ship items directly from a store or warehouse. Users can also transfer inventory between locations with both brick and mortar and online inventory managed, and all inventory os able to be tracked using both serial numbers and bar codes, including the ability to make bulk changes to products if necessary.

Cumulus Retail offers an excellent selection of standard reports including customer reports, inventory reports, and merchandise reports. The application offers a custom report designer allowing users to edit existing reports or create a new report from scratch. Customer reports include Customer Mailing List, Customer Purchase Detail, and Customer Sales by Brand with merchandise reports such as Department Sales, Merchandise Sold, On Hand vs. Sales, Returns, and Sales Tax available as well. There are also numerous inventory reports available which include Brand on Hand, Inventory on Hand, Inventory Detail, and Inventory Sales.

Cumulus Retail offers integration with third-party marketplace vendors including PayPal, Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and Google Analytics along with e-Commerce platforms including Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and Big Commerce. Shipping integration is also available in Cumulus Retail, integrating with UPS, FedEx, and USPS and integration with standard hardware peripherals such as barcode scanners, card readers, mobile registers, and in-store kiosks is available as well.

All Cumulus Retail plans include complete phone, live chat, and email support during regular business hours, plus early/late hours and weekend support. Users can access additional help and support options including training videos and product brochures from the website, with a support portal included for easy communication and support requests.  

Best for small to mid-sized retailers with both brick and mortar and online stores, Cumulus Retail is available in three editions: an In Store edition, which is designed for a single store and supports up to five users, starting at $125 per month; the Online edition, which is designed for online retailers, starting at $250 per month, or Both, which is a perfect solution for brick and mortar retail businesses that also have an online store, with Both starting at $350 per month. All plans are completely customizable, with users able to choose the modules they desire.  

2020 Rating – 4.75 Stars  

Product Strengths:

• Ideal for smaller retailers
• ‘Always On’ feature keeps product working even if Internet goes down
• Offers complete e-commerce website

Potential Limitations:

• Pricing may be prohibitive for smaller businesses