by 
Running an arts & crafts store means juggling far more than paints, paper, and fabric. Between managing inventory, organizing workshops, processing custom orders, and keeping customers engaged, creative businesses need more than a basic retail setup.
A standard point of sale (POS) system may cover the basics — but an arts & crafts POS system is designed to handle the complexity of selling unique materials, varied sizes, and one-of-a-kind items. It simplifies daily operations, supports custom transactions, and helps deliver a more personalized shopping experience.
In this guide, we’ll explore how a POS system built for arts & crafts stores can support your operations — and share three top options to consider for your business.
3 Benefits of an Arts & Crafts POS System
Operating an arts & crafts store involves industry-specific challenges like handling unique inventory, pricing custom orders, and creating a store that inspires and sells. Standard POS systems aren’t built for the complexities of managing handmade, seasonal, and customizable products.
Investing in a POS system built specifically for craft businesses is essential. An arts & crafts POS system is designed to keep your store organized, minimize waste, and — most importantly — help you sell more items.
Here are three key benefits of using a system tailored to your creative business.
1. Simplifies Inventory Management
Arts & crafts stores often stock unique, seasonal, and handcrafted items, making inventory tracking more complicated than in typical retail settings.
Unlike mass-produced products, these items aren’t always easy to reorder or replicate. You might work with specialty woods, fabrics, or materials available in various sizes, colors, and patterns.
A dedicated arts & crafts store POS system simplifies this process by allowing you to:
-
Monitor inventory in real time: Monitor live stock levels so you don’t have to manually count individual materials or risk overselling a product you don’t have.
-
Manage raw materials and product variations: Track fractional quantities instead of units so you know exactly how much quilt or fabric is left.
-
Reduce overstock and out-of-stock issues: Automate reorder alerts to stay informed when key items start running low. Use built-in sales reports to spot slow-moving products and avoid overstocking materials that could end up sitting untouched on shelves or in storage.
POS software built for arts & crafts stores lets you track inventory with the level of detail your business needs. With clear sales data, you can quickly identify top-performing and underperforming products — helping you make data-driven decisions that improve efficiency and profit margins.
2. Supports Workshops and Custom Orders
Many arts & crafts stores manage sales from popular products alongside in-store classes, custom orders, and personalized creations. Manually handling these services takes time and increases the risk of missed sign-ups, lost orders, or delayed payments.
With a customized arts & crafts POS system, you can:
-
Schedule and process payments for classes: Allow customers to browse available workshops on your integrated website, register, and pay securely in one easy transaction. This automation reduces administrative tasks and minimizes no-shows by securing commitments upfront.
-
Manage custom orders and commissions: Create detailed work orders for personalized projects and process multiple forms of payment for a straightforward checkout process. This provides clarity and transparency in specifications, pricing, and timelines, improving customer service.
-
Store customer information and order history: Use customer data and purchase histories to offer personalized offers or targeted promotions.
Integrating these features means your POS system will make it easier to handle standard business operations and enrich the customer experience, making customers more likely to return for future purchases.
3. Improves Customer Loyalty and Sales
Arts & crafts businesses thrive on strong customer relationships and loyal repeat buyers. Unlike typical retail stores, they serve hobbyists, artists, and DIY enthusiasts who return regularly for materials, creative guidance, or hands-on workshops.
Using a specialized arts & crafts POS system, you can build customer relationships and loyalty with these features:
- Offer loyalty programs: Track customer purchases and offer point-based rewards, tiered discounts, or exclusive perks to encourage return visits.
- Set up targeted promotions: Use sales data and purchase history to create promotions so arts & crafts enthusiasts receive offers and deals on products they’re genuinely interested in.
- Allow gift cards: Expand your customer base by offering gift cards, making it easier for customers to share your store with others.
- Support online and in-store sales: Sell online, in store, or through both channels to reach new audiences and make shopping more convenient for loyal customers. With your unified POS, inventory syncs automatically across platforms, so there’s no confusion over product availability.
Customers come back to stores that understand their preferences, offer personalized service, and recognize their loyalty. When you have a POS system with integrated loyalty programs, targeted promotions, and customer tracking, you’ll deliver exceptional experiences — strengthening relationships and encouraging repeat visits.
3 Top Arts & Crafts POS Providers
Most POS systems don’t adapt to the distinct needs of arts & crafts stores. The best options aren’t just payment processing machines — they help you track inventory, manage classes, and produce custom orders for in-store and online customers.
The providers below are three of the market's top arts & crafts POS systems. Discover what makes each option unique and find the solution that offers the features that best fit your needs.
1. Rain POS
Rain POS is an all-in-one solution custom-designed for arts & crafts retailers. It integrates with QuickBooks and Clientbook so owners can handle accounting and a growing clientele list from their POS system. The top integration for arts and crafters is the Notions Marketing integration, which allows direct ordering from numerous industry-leading suppliers.
The system also offers specialized inventory management, synchronizing stock levels across your selling platform in store and online. You can also set automatic reordering when essential materials start running low.
If you offer classes and workshops, Rain POS supports class management with online scheduling tools and payment, where customers can choose from various methods, including debit, credit, and digital wallets.
Do you want to prioritize repeat business? Use Rain POS to create a loyalty program that rewards customers with points for every purchase. Rain POS centralizes all key tasks of running an arts & crafts business with user-friendly tools, making it a standout solution for businesses of all sizes.
2. Sintel Systems
Sintel Systems offers specific POS features for arts & crafts retailers. Its inventory management tool allows for live tracking of stock levels, which helps with faster order fulfillment. The system also supports customer data management, so you can check purchase histories to make personalized offers.
With loyalty program software, businesses can award points for every purchase, encouraging repeat business. Sintel Systems has an optional back office module for vendor management, sales reporting, and sales trend forecasting, providing key data for strategic decision-making.
3. MicroBiz
MicroBiz is a cloud-based POS system designed for art and school supply stores. It supports special orders and backorders, and lets you track customer requests from order placement to fulfillment. MicroBiz also allows fractional quantity sales, making it easy to sell materials like fabric by the yard or paper by weight.
The system integrates with WooCommerce for online sales and keeps inventory synced with your physical store, so customers always know what’s available. Customer-based pricing tools let you create discounts for specific groups like students or professional artists.
Upgrade Your Arts & Crafts Store With the Right POS
Successful arts & crafts stores balance creativity with organization — tracking various inventory, managing classes, and keeping customers returning. Your arts & crafts POS system makes these tasks simple, so you can spend more time on what matters most: inspiring creativity and growing your business.
If you’re looking for a system built specifically for arts & crafts retailers, Rain POS offers a comprehensive solution. It has everything from inventory tracking to customer loyalty tools in one convenient place.
Book a demo with Rain POS to see how it simplifies your workflow and improves the customer experience.
