A version of this feature ran in the October issue of BRAIN.
BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — For our October magazine edition, we asked our State of Retail panel members: Which point-of-sale system do you use? Are you using any AI tools along with it? How satisfied are you with its performance, cost, and features?
LANCASTER, CALIF.: Paul Avila, owner Paul's Squeaky Wheel Bike Shop
I chose Lightspeed for our CRM/point-of-sale system due to its easy integration with product suppliers. It's so easy compared to importing files and price lists. An added bonus is that my mechanic and I are very familiar with the system — our previous employer used it — so there was no training involved when we opened up the shop. The integration with all of our inventory and scanners is easy, and bank deposits to our merchant account are quick and seamless. I am satisfied with the performance of the Lightspeed R Series package. It does everything we need and the cost is OK. I would like to see an integrated text-to-phone system. Currently, we are paying for Ikeono as an add-on service to text customers with notifications about their bikes and other related communications. Also, I would like the system to flag or highlight products that are associated with a special order or work order when you're in the Inventory system processing a purchase order. That would make us very happy. Overall, Lightspeed is cost effective because it makes my life much easier. We’ve occasionally used AI to find solutions to problems with bikes, but haven't gotten into using it for business analysis. If Lightspeed had an AI tool that would offer a deep dive into our data, I would surely use it.
SOMERVILLE, N.J.: Marc Cianfrone, owner Pops Bike Shop
We use Edge Technologies for our point-of-sale system. Overall, we’re satisfied with the system we have. Our support from the reps from Edge is really great, and one of the main reasons we use Edge is because of Joe Gratkowski and the support team. We feel it is a good value for what is provided. We have not used AI in conjunction with our POS system at this time. We use the reports that are provided by the system, as well as the custom reports it generates for us.
BUFFALO, N.Y: Jim Costello, sales director Bert's Bikes and Fitness
We use Lightspeed. We started with Ascend but switched to Lightspeed after about 10 years. I’d say we’re as satisfied as can be. There are always things that can be better or cheaper. I'd really like to see a built bike reporting feature where builders can report on the bikes they built. We do not use AI for analyzing our key performance indicators like revenue, inventory, or labor costs. We prefer people. It's easy for your systems to dictate to you. People matter.
MITCHELL, S.D.: Kourtney Denne, co-owner Ron’s Bike Shop
We use Lightspeed as our point-of-sale and inventory management system because it integrates seamlessly with our vendor catalogs and helps us maintain accurate product information and inventory levels. Lightspeed was also recommended to us by Giant when we purchased the shop, which gave us confidence in choosing the system. Since implementing Lightspeed, it has provided us with a reliable and efficient way to manage sales, inventory, and vendor information in one place. Its ability to sync with our vendors helps streamline ordering and reduces the need for manual data entry, making it an important part of our day-to-day business operations.
We’re recruiting our 2027 State of Retail Panel, nine bike shop owners, managers, and/or staff who answer timely questions about selling and servicing bicycles and contribute to one of our most widely read features. Being a panelist is a one-year commitment that provides retailers a chance to share their perspective with readers of BRAIN. On a monthly basis, starting in December 2026 and ending November 2027, we'll email a short questionnaire to our panelists and their responses will appear with their profile photo online, and in the monthly print issues of BRAIN from January-December 2027. To learn more about this unpaid, year-long commitment, please reach out to Julie Kelly at jkelly@outsideinc.com.We are not currently using AI tools to analyze our inventory, labor, or revenues. We primarily use Lightspeed to track sales, inventory, and vendor information. We review that information regularly to help make decisions about what products to order, how much inventory to keep on hand, and which items are selling well. While we are not currently making business decisions based on AI recommendations, we may look at AI tools in the future if they can provide useful insights and help us save time.
We are somewhat satisfied with Lightspeed, but not as satisfied as we would like to be. It works well for the basics, and the ability to sync with our vendor catalogs is very helpful. However, we feel the system can be expensive for what we get, especially with the additional fees for certain features. There are also some areas where the system could be easier to use and more flexible for our business. Overall, Lightspeed does what we need it to do, but we would like to see more value for the cost and improvements to some of its features and functionality.
SANTA ROSA, Calif.: Sophia Emad, social media/event specialist and sales associate Breakaway Bikes
We use Lightspeed as our point-of-sale system, and it has been our POS for over a decade. Its integration with partner vendors makes managing orders straightforward. Lightspeed has served us sufficiently but has not aged well. Features that originally were advertised as assistive integrations have dwindled, and we feel as though it is no longer a category leader in its current capacity. That being said, Lightspeed's financial services are useful, and we feel like the cost is fair for the service it provides. We do not use any AI tools within our POS or otherwise.
EDMONTON, Alberta: Mark Rumsey, general manager and owner Hardcore Bikes
We switched from Lightspeed to Ascend in 2018, as it had better reporting, integration with our largest vendor (Trek), a work-order system, and inventory management. Another benefit is that Ascend integrates with Workstand, allowing us to have a reasonably turnkey e-commerce site. We’re in the early days of using artificial intelligence — I’m using ChatGPT to build an Open-to-Buy reporting system. Ascend is strong in reporting, work-order management, customer support and inventory control. Cost-wise, I feel it is competitive, but I haven't compared it with alternatives lately. Ascend is functionally powerful but the workflow is cumbersome. Its interface is clunky, with a Windows '98 vibe. It forces you to wade in and out of the treed menus for each function. It can be slow and it occasionally locks up. To improve, Ascend needs to modernize its workflow and interface and fully transition to the cloud. Some key improvements needed are: true online service booking, reports driven by AI (natural language requests), and integrated two-way texting with customers.
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio: Matthew Schieferstein, manager/bike fitter Gear Up Velo
We use Lightspeed, the system that was in use at Gear Up Velo before I was employed there.
Though Lightspeed does provide services that employ AI, we’re not using any of these tools or features to do any internal analysis, make operational decisions, or manage anything else in our business, for that matter. No POS system is perfect, so it's a matter of choosing the best option based on systems/brand integration, omni-channel sales needs, inventory control/analysis, cost, and so on. Lightspeed seems to tick all of the necessary boxes for our business, even if it's lacking in certain areas. As far as cost effectiveness, POS systems are an overhead expense. They are a necessary part of day-to-day operations. So selecting a POS system that doesn't break the bank and provides all required features is essential.
WHITEHOUSE, Texas: Laurie Simpson, manager/buyer Simpson's Fitness & Adventure Sports
As a Trek dealer, we use its system, Ascend, for our point-of-sale. Through Ascend HQ gives us a quick look at seeing years of info to keep us on track. The cost goes up every year for sure, but next they’ll offer photo, text, and video capabilities for the mechanics to walk the customers through their work orders. It should be fun to show them the reasons for the repairs.
BENTONVILLE, Ark.: Brent Van Eps, co-owner Trackstand Cyclery and Tavern
We use Lightspeed. I’m very satisfied with its performance. As always, you pay for it. Costs have gone up for sure with Lightspeed, but the functionality makes it worth the price. We’re not using AI tools, either within our POS system or in addition to it, to analyze inventory, labor, and revenues yet.
