Have you forgotten or decided to drop out of Black Friday? Here's Your 30-Minute Rescue Plan

• It’s not too late: 30 minutes is enough to launch a profitable campaign.
• Focus on "Dead Stock": Use your POS to instantly find old inventory.
• Please keep it simple: Handwritten signs often convert better than polished graphics because of their urgency.
• Extend the sale: Turn a Friday panic into a weekend profit centre.

Today is the official start of the Christmas Shopping Season. In my experience helping hundreds of retailers, the clients who never planned a Black Friday Sale but did one at the last minute saw sales.

If you are reading this and feeling like you have missed the boat, it is absolutely not too late. You can have a profitable campaign up and running in less than half an hour. Today, you are positioned to capture the "last-minute" wave of shoppers actively seeking deals. Do not lose the chance.

Why You Should Participate (The Evidence)

You might think you need weeks of hype, but the data disagrees. In 2024, in-store shopping made up two-thirds of Black Friday purchases, with Australians spending $2.9 billion in physical stores versus $2.2 billion online. People prefer to touch and take items home immediately.

Even without weeks of planning, participating is highly effective. ABS data shows that retail turnover rose 3% year-on-year last November, driven almost entirely by this event. Shoppers expect these deals, and physical stores in local strips and centres benefit from a "halo effect"—your customers are looking at other shops, and they are already in a spending mindset.

Step 1: Set Up Your Same-Day Flash Sale

You do not need to discount your entire store. In fact, you shouldn't think that it's a mug's game. The goal here is to use the old stock as an introduction to get people into your shop to buy and get cash in the register.

Choose the Right "Doorbuster" Products

Select products that will attract bargain hunters and help you clear space. Focus on:

• Overstocked items: Things you have too many of.
• Slow-selling products: Items that have been sitting on the shelf for months.
• Bundles: Combine a popular small item with a slow-moving one to create a high-value gift pack.

Use Your POS to Find Them Instantly

Your [Point of Sale (POS) system]is your secret weapon here. Manual stock checks take hours; your POS does this in seconds. You don't need to guess what isn't selling; let the data tell you.

1. Search your reports for "Dead Stock Report."
2. Run the report to filter for items with a "Date Last Sold" of more than 180 days ago.
3. Action: These are your sale candidates. Bin them near the front entrance with a sale sign. This creates the visual excitement bargain hunters love.

Step 2: Promote Your Sale (Low Effort, High Impact)

What is the point of having a Black Friday Sale if you don't tell people about it? You do not need a graphic designer. Your "ad" is your physical shopfront, which shoppers will pass today.

Simple Signage

Grab a marker or print some simple A4/A3 signs immediately. Do not worry about them being perfect; urgency sells better than polish.

• Sign 1: "Black Friday Flash Sale - Today Only!"
• Sign 2: "Doorbuster Specials - While Stocks Last"
• Sign 3: "Shop Small, Save Big - Support Local"

Step 3: Leverage Your POS Software

Track results: Monitor your "Real-Time Sales" dashboard to see what is moving. If a specific item isn't selling by 2 PM, increase the discount instantly.

Post-Black Friday Strategy: Extend It

You don't have to stop today. Rename the sale "Black Friday Weekend" to keep the momentum going through Sunday and Monday.

Australian consumers are active all weekend. By extending your offers, you give people who worked on Friday a chance to buy on Saturday and Sunday.

Black Friday Strategy FAQ

Common questions we get from retailers launching last-minute campaigns.

Q: Will a last-minute sale make my business look desperate?
A: No. Shoppers expect Black Friday deals. If you don't participate, you look like you're missing out. A "Flash Sale" implies exclusivity and excitement, not desperation.

Q: I can't afford to discount my best-sellers. What should I do?
A: Never discount your best-sellers; they will sell anyway. Only discount inventory that is costing you money by taking up shelf space (dead stock). This converts stagnant assets into cash flow.

Q: Is it worth competing with the big box stores?
A: Yes, you have as much right to this traffic as they do. They are spending the money on advertisements, and you can also get some benefits.

Post-Black Friday Strategies

Extend it, extend it and extend it. Black Friday is much longer than a day nowdays.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

Businesses in Australia are facing significant changes with the Government's push to ban surcharges on debit cards and, now, possibly the Reserve Bank's call to remove many other card surcharges, such as EFTPOS and credit cards, from mid-2026. This shift won't wipe out payment costs; it'll just force someone to absorb them, as it will hit business margins.

We have now been actively involved in this discussion, having submitted to the RBA on the matter. Other submissions can be see here.

If surcharges vanish, that feed eats straight into the slim profit they give now for products like Lotto. Many such low margin items raise a major problem. Here for example the ticket price is set by the lottery operator, not the shop. If we are banned from putting a debit surcharge on those transactions, but still pay fees on every tap, the only place left to recover the cost is the rest of the shop. That could mean having to nudge up prices on other prices to make up for the margin lost on fixed‑price lines such as Lotto. Whether that is what regulators and product suppliers intend to allow remains unclear. We are already now starting to look into this problem for our POS System users.

If you want to know where you stand now use your POS system reports to help you track the current situation.

Premium Debit Cards

This matter is not being discussed, but should be, as not all debit cards play fair. Premium ones, for example, those with Qantas points or cashback, run on Visa or Mastercard schemes rather than on cheap domestic EFTPOS. These "rewards debit" cards have higher fees to subsidise the value of flyers' points. It's unfair that merchants are paying for bank customers to get extra benefits. If a blanket surcharge ban treats all these debit cards the same with no surcharge, you will be subsidising flyers' points without recourse.

If all "debit cards" are made surcharge-free, that most likely means these high‑cost reward debit cards will also have to be accepted with no surcharge, even though they cost a lot more to process than a plain EFTPOS debit card. That creates a fundamental unfairness for small retailers: customers are encouraged to chase rewards, while the shop silently absorbs the extra cost. From the retailer's point of view, a "tap‑and‑go" debit card on the credit card route can be expensive, like some credit cards. It will be great for the banks and payment providers as the public will rapidly switch to these debit cards.

There is also a practical problem that no one has really answered yet: how is a merchant supposed to know that a card is such a "debit card" before processing it? Most terminals only reveal the transaction type **after** authorisation. If the rules say "you may not surcharge debit, that leaves us guessing at the point of sale, even if surcharges are allowed. Banks and payment providers should be required to give merchants a clear, simple way to see that this tap is not a standard debit card but a premium card **before** acceptance. If they did this, our software could adjust the surcharge.

Conclusion

For now, we are waiting to see where the final rules land, but our message in the review has been simple. Suppose governments want to make debit card payments surcharge-free. In that case, they also need to make sure that (1) high‑cost "reward" debit cards do not quietly dump even more cost on small retailers, and (2) the systems give merchants clear information at the point of sale so we can actually follow the rules in the real world.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

I was at a retail meeting recently, and the topic that got people talking and thinking was "virtual cashiers." It is already happening in America. Here's how it works: instead of having a cashier standing at your counter, you have a screen. On that screen is a real person, live via video, like Zoom. That person is working in another country, maybe the Philippines or India, but they are is your cashier in your shop.

The setup depends on what kind of business you run.

For Quick-Service Businesses

Say you run a fast-food shop; the virtual cashier works just like a regular cashier. They greet the customer, take the order, enter it into your POS system, and guide the customer to tap their card on the payment terminal. Between customers, they can answer your phone, monitor your security cameras, or handle other tasks.

For Retail Shops

If you run a newsagency, chemist, pet shop, or similar business, it works as a hybrid between self-checkout and a staffed counter. The customer scans their own items with a barcode scanner, while the virtual cashier monitors everything via a camera feed. They can help if a barcode won't scan, handle age verification for tobacco, or answer questions. Most importantly, they watch to make sure everything gets scanned, which will address the biggest problem with self-checkouts: theft. Today, self-checkout theft can be 16 times higher than with traditional cashiers. Some are going back to cashiers, and so few SMB retailers are rejecting them.

The Money Side of Things

Let me be blunt about the costs.

Right now, if you employ a casual cashier in Australia, you're paying around $27 per hour base rate, plus often casual loading. Then there's superannuation at 11.5%. And weekends? That's when it really hurts: 150% on Saturdays and 175% on Sundays. If you're open seven days a week, 12 hours a day, you're looking at over $85,000 a year for one full-time cashier position.

Now compare that to virtual cashier rates. Even if you're paying double or triple the local rate in India or Pakistan, you're looking at $6 to $9 an hour. That is a potential savings of $60,000 or more per year, per position. It's no wonder that so many were interested in the retail meeting.

As a virtual cashier watches the transaction through a camera, another major cost-saving is theft, since the customer knows someone is watching. They can't "accidentally" forget to scan items, and it's harder to swap barcodes, the banana trick where people swap a barcode on a cheaper item onto a dearer one..

What would be needed to set it up?

When we thought it through, it did not seem as complicated as it might sound.

• Professional remote desktop software so the virtual cashier can control your POS system
• A monitor facing the customer showing the cashier's video feed
• At least two cameras, one pointed at the customer, and the other at the scanning area
• Good quality microphone and speakers for a clear two-way conversation
• Reliable, fast internet (this is not negotiable; it would need to be business-grade, not home broadband)
• Recording capability for any disputes or investigations
• We could easily make it better with our AI 

So yes, there's an upfront cost for this equipment, but when you're saving $60,000 a year, it's minor. 

I am sure we could do it right now with some of our clients.

Things to Consider

It's worth thinking about.

I'm not going to pretend this is a perfect solution, nothing is, and there are legitimate concerns, but the reality is that your retail margins are tight and getting tighter. Labour costs keep going up. Theft keeps eating into your profits and your customers are increasingly comfortable with technology.

Now ask yourself what matters most to your customers? The lowest price, or a local person behind the counter? My gut feeling is that most will vote with their wallets.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

As Australian retailers modernise their operations, we strongly suggest you replace your barcode readers with 2D scanners that read QR codes. Upgrading to QR code readers, though with a minor hardware cost increase, provides notable benefits in data capacity, efficiency, and customer engagement, offering high ROI.

Enhanced Data Capacity and Versatility

The most significant advantage of QR codes is their superior data storage capacity. A standard barcode is sufficient only for a price or basic product code. In contrast, a QR code can hold over 4,200 alphanumeric characters. It contains a lot of text information that suppliers can use to store product specifications. We use it too for weighing items for the POS Systems.

Improved Scanning, Efficiency and Reliability

QR codes are engineered for superior performance in a fast-paced retail environment. Unlike traditional barcodes that need scanning in a straight line, two-dimensional QR codes can be read from any angle, so you don't have to line them up as much, which speeds up barcode reading significantly.

What I like about QR codes in particular is their better error-correction capability. I have seen them scanned even when the QR code is badly damaged, dirty, or obscured.

Streamlined Operations and Inventory Management

Because it has better error correction, it is much faster. There are far fewer attempts to read the barcode.

Industry pressure

QR codes are entering the market; we are now seeing products without barcodes, only with QR codes. If you want to handle such products, you need a scanner that reads QR codes, or you need to stick a barcode on each product.

Loyalty programs

Our CRM can use QR codes. Many suppliers also use a QR code for the same reason. 

Accessibility

QR codes are inherently accessible because suppliers favour them, as smartphones can easily scan them.

By adopting QR code readers, you are future-proofing your business.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

It is not an exaggeration to say that seeing the future is a gift every business wants, but such superpowers are only in fiction. Still, the predictive technology and analytics in your POS Software will give you a better understanding of future events. 

For example, using your data-driven analytics and artificial intelligence in your POS system can help you predict your ideal stock holding now based on its historical data. This can help you make real-time decisions, allowing, for example, you to overcome current delivery issues that are leading to shipping delays. 

The problem is that you now have thousands of stock items in your shop. Keeping track of all these stock items is, in practice, unworkable as it is too much work. To reduce the workload, many people try to pick the top-selling items and essentially ignore the rest. It works for the top, say 100 items, but leaves the rest out of control. But it is no problem for the computer to control thousands of items. 

So stop guessing, use your POS System. Users of our POS System have a free AI system years ahead of any other POS Software I know of that can predict future sales, a challenge every retail business faces. Although precise foresight remains fictional, modern Point of Sale (POS) systems with predictive analytics provide a close second. This technology analyses your past sales data to deliver highly accurate demand forecasts, enabling you to optimise stock levels, boost profitability, and make smarter purchasing choices.

The High Cost of Inaccurate Inventory

Ineffective inventory management directly impacts profitability. The most visible consequences are stockouts and overstocking, which contribute to a global problem for retailers. Inventory distortion, which includes both overstocks and stockouts, was projected to cost retailers almost $1.8 trillion in 2023. Stockouts alone account for nearly $1 trillion in lost sales for retailers worldwide each year, as customers who cannot find the product they want will often take their business elsewhere. Research shows that retailers lose nearly half of all intended purchases when a product is unavailable. These lost sales represent a significant revenue loss and can damage brand reputation and customer loyalty over the long term. Furthermore, many businesses resort to costly emergency measures such as expedited shipping and overtime labour to manage stock shortfalls, which erode financial stability.

From Guesswork to Growth: How Predictive Analytics Works

Manually tracking thousands of individual stock items is an unworkable and inefficient task that often leads to errors. Many retailers attempt to manage this by focusing only on their top-selling products, leaving the majority of their inventory unmanaged and susceptible to costly stockouts or overstocking. Predictive analytics integrated within a POS system automates this entire process, providing a comprehensive solution.

The system’s artificial intelligence uses historical data to forecast ideal stock levels for every single item. This enables data-driven, real-time purchasing decisions that can mitigate challenges such as shipping delays. For instance, consider a scenario where your system flags a specific item for review. The data might show you have only two units on hand, but the predictive analytics, based on recent sales velocity and seasonal trends, forecasts four sales for the upcoming week. The system immediately recommends a reorder, allowing you to prevent missed sales and ensure customer satisfaction.

Measurable Business Outcomes and ROI

The implementation of predictive analytics delivers tangible returns by converting data into strategic assets. By ensuring popular items are consistently available, you not only capture immediate sales but also strengthen customer loyalty and satisfaction. One of our clients, a mid-sized retail business, discovered an unforeseen surge in demand for a niche product line through their POS system's analytics. By flagging the initial sales trend, the system enabled them to adjust their ordering strategy promptly, capturing significant sales that would have otherwise been lost.

Moreover, this technology greatly cuts the financial cost of overstocking, freeing up capital that would otherwise be tied up in unsold goods. Case studies have demonstrated that businesses using real-time inventory tracking and predictive analytics can boost revenue by 12% and cut emergency replenishment costs by 30% within 6 months. By automating replenishment, organisations can cut stockouts by up to 40%, directly increasing profits and encouraging sustainable growth.

Conclusion

Shifting to a proactive, data-driven strategy is essential for growth.

Ready to stop guessing and start selling smarter?

Let me show you an example. See the example of a stock item above in the ordering screen. 

We have here two (2) on hand. The expected sales for this week (focus quantity) are four (4) sales a week. So the computer is saying you need to order ASAP or miss out on sales this week and a few next week until you get it in stock. 

That is one item. You now have thousands of stock items in your shop. Doing this is too much work manually. 

Using it, you can spot early warning signs.

One of my clients recently discovered that he had forgotten about Diya lamps. These surged in sales last month, so okay, he missed some but managed to get much of it. So he got some excellent sales that he would have missed out on without this predictive analytics. 

If you need any help or want to get an automated stock control system going in your shop, please get in touch with us.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

Product bundling is probably the most successful and standard marketing tool in business today. Ours is one of the few retail packages that does it really well, I have noticed. So please follow the logic and the solution below.

You go to buy a a cable TV plan. It will have a set of channels and access to some loyalty club, all for one price. Another example would be going to a restaurant and getting a special price if you buy a set menu. In both cases, if you add up the items, you will find it cheaper to take the bundle.

From the business point of view, the fact is that you were unlikely to pay for six (6) news channels. Once they sell you on one, the rest is a bonus. Few would buy a full meal at a restaurant, so they package a few high-margin items, sell them at a low price, and give you a bit of a discount, so you buy more. Both are classic examples of product bundling.

Where it often works well in retail is to take a hot seller and pair it with an item that isn't selling well, so you intend to discount it to get rid of it, then put the two items together and make a bundle at a special price. What you often find is that you can sell more as a result of the hot sellers and get a better price for the lousy seller together than you could obtain individually.  

Try it out. I think you will find it's a lot better an idea than discounting.

You will find it one of the most effective ways to generate traffic in your shop and generate sales.

Here is where you do it. In this example, one ordinary Father's Day card was used to sell four good sellers in one bundle.

Bundling several products into one package is a great retail strategy. It works well because customers see it as good value, which prompts them to spend more than they originally intended. For businesses, this tactic isn’t just about providing discounts; it’s also a smart way to control inventory and boost profits.

The real magic occurs when you combine a best-selling item with an older, slower-moving product. For example, if you have a popular book that sells quickly and a related magazine that isn't moving well, instead of cutting its price, you can bundle it with the bestseller. This way, you're not only selling the hot item but also moving the less popular one without significant losses. Customers tend to focus on the overall value of the package rather than individual prices. This simple strategy has helped some businesses increase their average sale amount by 20-30%.

There are several strategies to consider. Why not create exclusive bundles, such as a "new parent" kit? It could include a parenting book and a small toy, sold as a bundle. Then, offering your customers the option to buy items separately or as a discounted bundle. This encourages bundle sales. You can test products with different categories. Pairing a popular novel with a toy to get them to explore new products.

Bundles are especially incredible for holidays and seasons. Christmas 2025 is just around the corner. You could start thinking about gourmet hampers that mix books with chocolates or family activity boxes with board games and snacks. And don't forget the "build your own" bundle. Letting customers pick any three books for a set price, for instance, gives them a sense of control and personalisation that people really appreciate.

You don't have to guess what to bundle, either. Your own sales system is probably sitting on a goldmine of information. By looking at your sales reports, you can see what products people are already buying together. Suppose you notice that customers often buy a specific magazine whenever they pick up a particular genre of book. In that case, you’ve got a ready-made bundle idea that's already backed by real behaviour. 

A modern point-of-sale system can make this all seamless, allowing your staff to process a bundle with a single scan while automatically updating inventory and pricing.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

[1](https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Product_bundling)

The official start of Black Friday 2025 is 28 November, but waiting is not a good idea. Standard practice for many Australian retailers is to start now. Major retailers like Myer and David Jones have already begun their sales. Some promotions actually started in late October. Amazon has announced its Black Friday sale begins next week, on 18 November. The Black Friday period has expanded, making an early start crucial. Here are some images of shops that have started their Black Friday Sales now. I took some pictures of retailers now in a shopping centre in the DFO in Moorabbin, Vic, already pushing their Black Friday Sales.We are also doing a Black Friday Sale now. 

Leveraging POS System

Your POS systems provide critical tools, such as the "Top Selling Items" report, to identify high-demand products. Analyse your sales of last November 2024 and the previous 30 days to see what sells in your shop. Details here.

Conclusion

Early Black Friday sales in 2025 offer you a strategic edge by starting now.

Written by:

Bernard Zimmermann is the founding director of POS Solutions, a leading point-of-sale system company with 45 years of industry experience, now retired and seeking new opportunities. He consults with various organisations, from small businesses to large retailers and government institutions. Bernard is passionate about helping companies optimise their operations through innovative POS technology and enabling seamless customer experiences through effective software solutions.

​As retailers, we're heading into our busiest and most profitable time of the year. As deliveries grow, managing delivery expectations is crucial to customer satisfaction and repeat business. Let me share some practical advice on handling your Christmas shipping schedule.

Choose the Right Service Level

Considering what happened last year, Express Post is your best mate for last-minute orders. It offers next-business-day delivery to 80% of Australian addresses. While it costs more than standard delivery, the tracking capabilities and faster delivery times make it worth every cent during the Christmas rush. Plus, you get verification from Australia Post that it was delivered.

Setting Your Store's Cut-off Dates

Remember, the dates below are guidelines, not guarantees. The earlier you send your parcels, the better their chance of arriving before Christmas. Consider offering Express Post as a premium option for last-minute shoppers who need guaranteed faster delivery.

Australia Post Christmas lodgement dates are here.  One point is that these dates apply to items delivered by 2:30 pm at an Australia Post outlet.

Delivery issues now

Australia is currently experiencing a shortage of postal and delivery drivers of about 14% as we approach Christmas. It's important to be cautious about pushing current shipping deadlines, as many shoppers do switch to retailers that offer faster delivery. Plus, if you do miss these deadlines, it will lead to significant customer dissatisfaction.

Domestic Deliveries

I recommend setting your store's order cut-off dates at least 2-3 days before Australia Post's deadlines:

• Regular parcels: Set your cut-off to 17 December
• Express orders: Final orders by 20 December

International Shipments

New Zealand: 13 December 2025

United States: 16 December 2025. Note: As of now, Australia Post can no longer use couriers to the USA.

Canada: 13 December 2025

United Kingdom: 13 December 2025

Practical Tips for Smooth Operations

-Packaging and Processing Tips Address Verification Essentials Proper addressing might seem basic, but it's crucial for timely deliveries. Include:

Unit/apartment numbers

Complete street address

Suburb and postcode

Trust me, no one will complain if you put too much detail.

Order Processing

• Dedicate specific times each day to packing orders
• Print shipping labels in batches
• Use your POS to generate packing slips automatically

Communication Strategies

Clear Messaging Display shipping cut-off dates:

• On your website homepage
• At checkout
• To confirm emails
• In-store signage

Customer Updates Use your POS system to:

• Send shipping notifications to your customer when you send it, and include the expected delivery date
• Include tracking information
• Alert customers about potential delays
• Bookmark the Australia Post Page for reference.

Preparing Your Team

• Understand and communicate delivery timeframes
• Handle shipping enquiries confidently
• Process orders efficiently using your POS system

Looking After Regional Customers

If you're serving customers in WA, NT, or regional areas:

• Add extra processing days
• Consider express shipping options
• Be upfront about extended delivery times

Last-Minute Solutions

For those inevitable last-minute shoppers:

• Offer click-and-collect until 24 December
• Provide gift cards as a backup option
• Consider local courier services for nearby customers, or deliver it yourself.

Remember, while Australia Post has announced its cut-off dates, we retailers must work backwards from them.

Planning and using your POS system effectively can turn the Christmas rush into an opportunity.

​