When Kirianne Nicolson took over ownership of a local organic shop and greengrocers in the bustling Auckland suburb of Point Chevalier, re-branding it as Little Hero, she had a clear idea of how she wanted to operate both her online and offline businesses together, seamlessly.
Selling online and offline.
Little Hero sells a mix of cafe and deli food, beverages, packaged and fresh produce, and bulk items in units of weight. A diverse product line that demands a point-of-sale able to handle a little bit of retail, a touch of hospitality, and a smattering of grocery.
The point-of-sale software Kirianne inherited when she took over was little more than a manual cash register running on Windows. There was no inventory management and no barcoding, and supplier orders were hand written.
“A year ago, it would take us 6 hours to place an order with a supplier, and nearly as long to receive and price the items into stock. Now we can do it in a matter of minutes.”
Kirianne Nicolson Owner, Little Hero
“I began searching on Google for a new point-of-sale system that would be compatible with Magento (an eCommerce platform), and that’s how I found Vend,” Kirianne explains.
Now, inventory is automatically synced between Vend and Magento. If an item sells out in the shop, it’s instantly updated online, so a customer won’t accidentally buy it from the web store.
At the same time, Kirianne was replaced her old MYOB accounting software with Xero, an online accounting system that integrates seamlessly with Vend.
Saving time and money.
The biggest saving Vend has made to Kirianne’s business since she launched, is time:
“When we first took over the business, there was no way of knowing how much stock was on our shelves. It would take six hours to manually fulfill a stock order, and nearly as long to receive it and price everything when it arrived. With Vend, I can automatically create an order for any items in low stock, quickly edit the quantities or remove products I don’t need, then email it off to my supplier. When the goods turn up at the shop, I just adjust the quantities, receive the order, and inventory is automatically adjusted both in Vend and in my online store, in real time. I can send the order to Xero as an accounts payable invoice, to track all my outstanding accounts and keep my cost of goods sold accounts up-to-date.”
“I’d happily recommend Vend to any other shopkeepers.”
Company Snapshot
Little Hero is a family-friendly organic deli, grocer and cafe in Point Chevalier, Auckland. There are lots of comfy couches to lounge on, interesting art and a great atmosphere at the front. A magnificent play area, out in the back garden, makes it the perfect place for parents to relax while the kids are busy playing.
The food is made fresh from the kitchen and caters for everyone, including those with specialty diets. There is live music on Saturdays and yummy food tastings.
All produce can be ordered for local delivery from the Little Hero Store.
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