FieldNotes

Retail management systems tend to get grouped together like they all do the same thing. On paper, they kind of do — process sales, track inventory, run reports. But once you’re operating more than ...

Pet stores that offer grooming need more than a standard point-of-sale. Managing retail, appointments, customer data, inventory, and loyalty across separate systems creates friction, slows down ...

Choosing retail management software usually doesn’t come down to a lack of options. If anything, it’s the opposite problem — there are plenty of systems that can handle POS, eCommerce, loyalty, ...

If you've ever worked Record Store Day, you already know how the day goes. The line forms before you open. The same titles come up at the register again and again. The pace doesn't let up, and at ...

Brett Wickard, founder and CEO of FieldStack, has decades of retail experience. He’s seen firsthand how disconnected systems create what he calls the “integration tax” for pet stores. At Global Pet ...

Back in early 2023 we covered the growing recommerce market in this blog post: 8 Reasons Why the Recommerce Trend is Here to Stay in Retail. Since then, recommerce has expanded significantly and ...

Global Pet Expo 2026 gave us a clear view into where pet retail is heading. After spending time walking the floor, talking with retailers, and seeing which booths stayed consistently packed, a few ...

A customer searches for a specific dog food brand, finds it in stock at a nearby store, places the order in seconds, and picks it up that afternoon.

Inventory is often the single biggest asset on a specialty retailer’s balance sheet. Get forecasting wrong, and you’re either sitting on dead stock burning cash or out of stock, losing sales you may ...

Trade shows give pet retailers a chance to see what’s next for the industry — from new products and emerging brands to fresh ideas for merchandising and store operations. They’re also a great place ...

If you’re researching how to choose the best retail POS system, you’re probably already feeling the pressure. Your current system might be limiting visibility, creating inventory headaches, or making ...

Pet retail giants have deep pockets. They invest heavily in advertising, fast shipping, and subscription programs that make reordering effortless. But when you’re running an independent pet business, ...

Ever walked into the stockroom and had a feeling the numbers were off? You’re not alone. It happens more than most retailers like to admit.

The penny elimination raised a lot of questions for retailers: How should rounding be applied? Where should it live in the transaction? And how do you implement it without affecting pricing or ...

Retail has changed a lot over the past five years. Shoppers constantly move between browsing online, visiting stores, checking their phones for options, and deciding whether to pick up items or have ...

Running a pet store is rewarding. But let’s be honest, it’s not always easy. One day, your shelves look full and tidy, and the next, a customer asks for a product you didn’t know was out of stock. ...

Managing stock across multiple retail locations shouldn’t feel like a guessing game. But for many retail teams, that’s exactly what it becomes when systems don’t talk to each other, data lags behind ...

Each January, NRF’s Big Show brings together retailers, tech providers, and industry leaders to share what’s happening now in retail and what’s coming next. At NRF 2026, keynotes, sessions, and ...

Many pet retailers plan their year around industry-specific events like Global Pet Expo and SuperZoo. These shows are invaluable for discovering new products, connecting with suppliers, and staying ...

2026 doesn’t mark a new era for retail — it introduces a more demanding one. Many of the biggest retail trends right now aren’t new ideas or experimental technologies. They’re expectations that ...

Supply chain management for multi-location retailers is often messy. A best-selling item is out at one store. Another location has it in stock. A shipment is delayed. Orders get mixed up. Staff ...

If you run a pet store, you know a POS system has to do more than just process transactions — it needs to help you stay organized, sell online, and make your day easier.

As retail technology and shopper expectations continued to evolve in 2025, certain topics stood out among independent and multi-location retailers alike — from how to evaluate your tech stack to ...

Getting a new customer through the door is hard. Keeping them is harder.

NRF 2026 is one of the most important events of the year for retailers evaluating what’s next — from inventory and operations to customer experience and growth strategy. With thousands of exhibitors, ...

As pennies disappear from circulation, retailers are left with a practical question:What actually happens at the register when a customer pays with cash? The end of penny production has created ...

Running an independent pet store can be incredibly rewarding. And it can also be exhausting. Between staffing, ordering, customer questions, and the constant pressure to “do more,” long-term strategy ...

Some retailers struggle because they don’t have the data they need. Others have plenty of data but can’t use it. Most fall somewhere in the middle — collecting information from POS systems, eCommerce ...

Black Friday 2025 pushed retailers harder than any year in recent memory. Between surging in-store traffic, heightened customer expectations, and the pressure to keep shelves stocked in real time, ...

Retailers rarely realize how much time they lose to manual work — until they finally step away from it. Tasks like cycle counting, flipping through old scan books, cleaning up bad inventory data, or ...

Black Friday used to be more predictable: one day, one massive rush, and some incredible deals that shoppers would happily stand in the cold for. Today, the holiday shopping landscape looks nothing ...

You don’t need anyone to tell you when your point-of-sale is creating drag — you feel it every day. A frozen screen during checkout. A discount button that works differently depending on the shift. A ...

The holidays hit fast. Foot traffic spikes, online orders multiply, and suddenly every operational crack becomes painfully visible. But while you’re fighting through the rush, this season is also ...

Inventory can quietly become a retailer’s biggest headache. One misplaced SKU, one lag in updates, one “out of stock” message that isn’t true — and suddenly you’ve lost a sale and a customer’s trust. ...

Shoppers can buy almost anything from anywhere they want, at any time. Competing on price or selection alone doesn’t hold up like it used to. What keeps customers loyal now isn’t what you sell — it’s ...

If you’ve ever juggled multiple systems just to get one simple answer — you’re not alone. Retail teams today deal with a maze of disconnected tools that don’t always talk to each other, leaving ...

Coupons and promotions are powerful tools for bringing in new customers and keeping your regulars engaged. Today’s shoppers expect deals from the brands they love, and the retailers who deliver on ...

The holiday season brings excitement, energy, and — for retailers — an incredible amount of pressure. Stores fill with shoppers who are short on time but full of expectations. And in that chaos, one ...

You walk into your store on a slow Tuesday afternoon and check your phone: an online order just came in for a toy you almost sold out of. You run to the back shelves — empty. Meanwhile, your POS ...

Running a retail business means juggling multiple systems: POS, eCommerce, loyalty programs, reporting tools, integrations, and more. Every tool comes with its own fees, support requirements, and ...

As summer fades into fall, retailers everywhere start gearing up for their busiest stretch of the year — from Halloween through the holidays. It’s the season when small inefficiencies start to ...

Halloween is not a one-night event. It’s a whole season — and for retailers, it’s one of the biggest shopping opportunities of the year. According to the National Retail Federation, 49% of consumers ...

Most pet retailers know their current system has limitations. Maybe the reports don’t quite add up. Maybe online orders don’t sync right with in-store inventory. Maybe your staff has their own ...

Opening a second location — or even a small regional chain — can feel exciting and overwhelming at the same time. More stores mean more inventory, more staff, more customers … and a lot more moving ...

Every demo needs a good host — or in our case, a co-host with four legs, a wagging tail, and a knack for winning over a room. Meet Walter, the happy-go-lucky pup who joined FieldStack in 2024 and ...

Most retailers spend their energy getting customers to the checkout. But what happens after the order is placed? For many shoppers, that “post-purchase” phase — the shipping, delivery, and returns ...

You know that feeling when a customer comes in for their weekly pet supplies, and your staff isn't sure which location actually has it in stock? It slows the checkout and can leave a bad impression. ...

Independent pet retailers win on service. It’s the personal touch, the advice, and the sense of community that keep customers coming back. But there’s one part of the customer journey where things ...

Many retailers think they’ve chosen a unified commerce solution — until the sync errors start. Inventory numbers don’t match across channels, reports don’t line up, and staff are stuck working around ...

Retailers today face constant pressure to do more with less — serve customers seamlessly across channels, manage inventory with accuracy, and grow profitably in a competitive market. Many believe ...

Ask any retailer what keeps their business alive, and the answer is almost always the same: loyal customers. The folks who swing by every week, grab what they need, and tell their friends why they ...

Investing in new retail software isn’t just about having features. It’s about using them well. FieldStack gives you the tools, but the retailers who get the most value are the ones who stay curious, ...

SuperZoo is one of the largest annual gatherings for pet industry professionals — a place where brands, retailers, and thought leaders come together to explore what’s next. Over the years, we’ve had ...

Switching to a new retail software platform is a big move. Most retailers are either excited to get started with implementation or dreading what could be a major disruption to their business. But ...

If you’ve ever had a customer call asking if you have an item in stock — and you weren’t completely sure — you know the pain of inaccurate inventory. It’s a common problem. The culprit usually isn’t ...

Retail tech’s gotten complicated. If you’re a mid-sized or regional retailer, you’ve probably seen the pitch deck parade by now. “Composable.” “Unified.” “Headless.” Every vendor’s got a new term, ...

If you’re a regional pet retailer with a growing footprint, you’ve likely felt the tension between scaling operations and maintaining the customer experience that sets you apart. Maybe your store ...

Over the years, retailers have asked for more flexibility at the register — the ability to take an order in-store and deliver it in a way that works for the customer. Whether that’s shipping to a ...

When you're running a pet store, your point-of-sale system can't just be "good enough." You're juggling way more than just transactions. You've got shelves to stock, loyal customers to keep happy, ...

At FieldStack, we stay closely involved with our clients long after go-live. One of the ways we do that is through regular Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) where we sit down together to look at ...

Independent pet stores and regional chains alike are navigating a complex and fast-changing retail landscape. While the pet industry remains resilient — even during economic downturns — today's ...

When it comes to a pet store POS system, understanding the unique challenges of pet retail is crucial. At FieldStack, our journey into the pet industry began with a simple observation – and a passion ...

At FieldStack, we don’t just sell software – we partner with retailers for long-term success. That’s more than a tagline. It's a core part of how we structure our client relationships and what we ...

For retailers today, eCommerce is about a lot more than just having a website. It’s a key part of how you build and strengthen relationships with your customers — especially when it’s connected with ...

Most people don’t think of software as something you feel. But in a fast-paced retail environment, where every scan, tap, and screen matters, how software works physically is just as important as ...

When retail leaders think about the cost of a point-of-sale (POS) system, they usually zero in on the obvious: licensing fees, hardware, payment processing. But according to FieldStack’s Client ...

When you think of a tech internship, what comes to mind? Grabbing coffee? Fixing typos? Watching from the sidelines? That’s not how we do things at FieldStack. We believe that an internship should be ...

When it comes to retail technology, change isn’t optional — it’s essential. At FieldStack, we know that standing still means falling behind. That’s why we’re always working to move our software ...

Retailers today are standing at a crossroads. On one side, there's rapid innovation – AI, automation, and machine learning are unlocking new possibilities every day. On the other side, there's a real ...

Record Store Day 2025 is in the books – and as always, it was a celebration of music, culture, and community across the country. But this year’s Record Store Day had some unique twists and takeaways ...

Retail is no stranger to pressure. But when a retailer faces bankruptcy (especially against economic headwinds like a looming recession), the pressure intensifies. It’s a tough place to be, but not ...

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the retail world was flipped upside down. Stores faced overnight closures, supply chains fractured, and consumer behavior changed dramatically. But while it was one of ...

Economic downturns are scary. And tariff uncertainties are a valid concern. Recessions can feel like a daunting challenge for retailers, but they’re also a huge opportunity – if you know where to ...

If you've ever looked into unified commerce solutions, you've likely come across terms like "omnichannel" and "unified commerce" being used interchangeably. But here’s the truth – while they share ...

Retail is complicated. And the checkout process can be downright frustrating at times. (We know. We’ve been in the trenches ourselves.) And we know that checkout isn’t just the final step of a ...

In retail, the only constant is change. Because our industry is always evolving.

The retail industry is constantly evolving. And retailers everywhere are struggling to operate profitably while keeping up with increasing customer demands.

Whether it's called buyback or trade-in, recommerce is making headlines in the retail world as a fast-growing trend – and for good reason. Retailers and customers alike benefit from this sales model. ...

Recommerce, also known as buyback and resell, resale or reverse commerce, continues to be a leading retail trend in 2024. As retail continues to transform based on consumer preferences, economic ...

If you’re one of the many retailers evaluating your technology investments, then you understand just how overwhelming the options can be. While there are many software solutions and providers to ...

For retailers, market volatility, inflation, and evolving customer expectations have presented a whirlwind of conflicting forecasts for 2023. Despite the uncertainty, one trend is clear: retailers ...

Today’s ultra-competitive environment presents a unique opportunity for nimble mid-market retailers to outperform the competition. Consumers are rewarding merchants that offer seamless, unified ...

The pet store industry is evolving faster than ever from shifting consumer expectations, growing demand for new products, and the adoption of technology. Pet parents want convenience, ...

Hollywood Feed, winner of Global Pet Expo 2024's Retailer Excellence Award and named the #1 pet care retailer in Newsweek’s 2022 America’s Best Retailers, has established itself over the years as a ...

Today, business leaders and employees alike rely on dozens of legacy software tools and manual processes to carry out their day-to-day operations. Pet store chains and retailers are no exception. As ...

Inventory management is an important part of any retail business. But if you’re manually handling your inventory or relying on a cobbled tech stack to get the job done, then it’s also the part of ...

The word is out: brick and mortar stores are the “new” secret weapon of successful retail. Yes, independent and regional retail chains with physical locations are positioned to win in 2022 and beyond.

In recent years, retailers have introduced new capabilities at a record pace. To stay ahead of intense competition and ever-changing customer expectations, many are leveraging lean retail principles ...

While physical retail has been disrupted by COVID, the pandemic also ignited an inspiring fire of innovation. In my last post, I explained why brick and mortar would survive and thrive in 2021. I’ll ...

People have been predicting the death of brick-and-mortar retail for years. Yet here we are. Stores are still open, customers still show up, and retailers who know what they’re doing are still making ...

If you’ve ever looked into retail software options, then you’ve probably come across the term "omnichannel retail." It shows up in industry reports, retail software websites, and conference panels.

So you want to ramp up your retail operations, and you’re wondering: “What’s the best retail point of sale system?” In this post I’ll help you answer that question.

We’ve looked across the web to find the make-or-break trends to watch for the 2020 holiday shopping season. Here’s our key takeaway: This is the year where omnichannel capabilities become ...

This third post in our Reopening Retail series focuses on curbside contactless pickup as well as Buy Online/Pickup In Store (BOPIS) purchases. We will discuss:

In this series we explore ways to serve your customers better and keep your retail business resilient in the mid- and post-pandemic world. Visit the CDC’s coronavirus website for official guidance ...

Inventory is one of the hardest parts of retail — and one of the most important. If your numbers aren’t accurate, everything downstream becomes harder: ordering, forecasting, staffing, fulfillment, ...

Note: With SuperZoo 2019 on the way, we’re preparing by sharing info for pet specialty retailers. If you’re in a different category, FieldStack will optimize your chain, too!

Pet retail isn’t like other industries. You’re not just stocking shelves — you’re helping pet parents care for furry family members. There are giant bags of kibble to move, last-minute ...

It’s ancient wisdom: If a product doesn’t turn, I drop it. If a product’s returns aren’t high enough, I drop it. Any inventory manager will tell you to remove a slow-seller from your shelf to make ...

Updated: 8/25/2025 If you’re a multi-location retailer, chances are you’ve asked yourself this question: Should every store order like your strongest store? It seems like a logical idea. After all, ...