POS Systems Top 7.3M Installations Worldwide: Study

“Global POS Software 2018,” the latest study by strategic research and consulting firm RBR, shows 7.3 million installations at major retailers and hospitality operators as of June 2018. The report highlights a growing market, with discounters and convenience store chains in particular continuing to add new points of sale.

An Omnichannel Essential
RBR forecasts around 1.8 million new POS software installations in total between 2018 and 2023, with change of suppliers more common in specialty retail and quick-service restaurants. Alan Burt, who led the research for RBR said, “Retailers understand the value modern POS software brings to their business, integrating with other systems to create seamless customer journeys in-store, on mobile and beyond.”

NCR: Leader of the Pack
The report is an-depth international study of the POS software market, revealing it to be highly competitive, with global suppliers, regional players and local specialists all active.The top 10 vendors comprise four U.S. firms, three from Japan and one each from China, Germany and the UK.

NCR is the largest supplier at a global level, with 16% of installations, and leads in Western Europe and the Middle East and Africa.

Second-placed Toshiba with 13% has the largest share in Asia-Pacific and Latin America. Oracle also has a 13% share, and leads in general merchandise and hospitality.  

The vast majority of fourth-place Diebold Nixdorf’s installations are in Europe and Asia, while Heading’s position is entirely owing to customers in its Chinese home market.

Aptos’s market presence centers on specialty chains, whereas GK Software and PCMS specialize in high-volume retail and count top-20 global retailers as customers.

NEC has a strong base of Japanese customers, while Fujitsu’s solutions are used across the world. Proprietary software, developed by retailers in house, accounts for a significant proportion of the installed base.

RBR is a strategic research and consulting firm with three decades of experience in banking and retail automation, cards and payments. It assists its clients by providing independent advice and intelligence through published reports, consulting, newsletters and events.