We interviewed Emmanuel Hernandez, owner of the stationery and gift store Pichin, located in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. His wholesale and retail business has eight years of experience in the market and one year of experience as a Loyverse user.  

What motivated you to use Loyverse?

Because our stationery is in the retail business, we needed a program with the facilities to record sales and generate reports. Other business owner friends recommended Loyverse to us. We needed a proper point of sale, and since we don't have space for big machines, it needed to be compatible with our Android devices. Loyverse was what we needed.

What tool do you consider has benefited the management of your business?

One of the main ones is the simplicity of seeing how many sales we had today and the possibility of comparing in the sales summary to the previous day or the previous period. This way, we know if sales have been good or low. In terms of inventory, we can see which items have low stock, and in this way, we can know which products need to be renewed and which have not been sold. 

What information do you use to know which products need new inventory?

We have already identified the merchandise with the item sales reports. We can use the filter in the item list to see only the items with low stock. Generally, in the item list, we see how many products there are, and in the sales report, we identify the ones that have not sold so we can ask ourselves why this item is not selling. What is happening? 

Do you have a favorite tool in Loyverse?

We like the option to add images to the items to personalize the sales screen, and the facility to offer a discount on an item or a ticket; we choose it, and the customer will see it on the ticket. We automatically print a ticket and give it to them. Those would be my favorites. 

If you had to recommend Loyverse for someone starting in business, what feature would you recommend?

The most useful tool is mainly the inventory tool. With it, you can easily list and sort the products, organize them by category, and review the inventory list by category. In my case, it is a stationery store. I manage several categories of cut papers, office supplies, and gifts. For similar businesses like candy, soft drinks, etc., the most useful tool is to have control of all the items they sell.

Have you ever made decisions based on the information you have in Loyverse?

Yes, with Loyverse, we have been able to identify the most representative sales periods of the year. For example, on February 14th, we see that the most sold items are in the category of chocolates and gifts. On special dates such as May 10th in Mexico, we can see which items sold the most and thus make decisions for the next year, etc. 

Could you also describe your experience with Loyverse when you first started? 

The program has been easy to use, good, and practical. With one click, you can review all the information and have it in the palm of your hand. It was not very difficult to understand the tools when we started using them because they are accessible, easy, and understandable.

How do sales work on a day-to-day basis in your store? 

We manage several points of sale. It was easy to create the different points of sale from the Back Office. The sales are done smoothly, in online or offline. Sometimes, the internet connection is lost, but we know that when it is reconnected, it will automatically connect to the inventory and reports. 

Having eight years of experience, how does your business keep up with trends?

We keep up to date as we offer services for students,so we use the internet as our communication tool. We always look for the latest and most popular items. We try to have quality and not quantity, and we sell products that guarantee the satisfaction of our customers, that they come back for a good experience and not to complain about the poor quality.

Concerning the business, what are your short or long-term goals? Do you plan to continue with Loyverse?

Yes, this is a family business, and at the moment, we have one branch that we manage with my wife. We are planning to open a new store in a year, and we know that we will be able to manage it in the same program and this is one of the reasons why we want to continue with the system, besides anyone can use it easily and without mistakes. 

Finally, would you like to leave a message for people who are just starting out their business?

A business is a challenge to stand firm through thick and thin. We must use the best options to overcome the challenges. Loyverse has been the program that has helped us grow as a family business, and we recommend it to everyone we know.