Every store owner knows the feeling: staring at shelves of products that won’t sell while customers ask for items you don’t carry. You ordered based on what worked last season, what your competitor stocks, or simply what the sales rep suggested. Meanwhile, money sits trapped in inventory that collects dust instead of profits.
For independent retailers, inventory decisions often come down to gut feelings and educated guesses. This approach leads to missed opportunities, wasted capital, and frustrated customers who take their business elsewhere. But what if your POS system could tell you exactly what products your neighborhood wants to buy?
The National Retail Solutions (NRS) AI Product Recommendations feature puts data-driven inventory insights directly into your POS system. Based on your specific location and store type, this feature analyzes what sells in your area and delivers personalized recommendations. No extra software, no complicated reports—just practical guidance built into the system you already use.
Here are five concrete ways this feature can improve your store’s performance.
1. Reduce Dead Inventory and Free Up Cash
Dead inventory is a silent profit killer. Every slow-moving product on your shelf represents money that could be working for your business. Store owners often hold onto these items, hoping they’ll eventually sell, but hope doesn’t pay the bills.
The AI Product Recommendations feature analyzes local buying patterns to identify products that are in high demand in your area. Instead of guessing which items might work, you get specific suggestions based on real sales data from similar stores in your neighborhood.
Every dollar trapped in dead stock is a dollar that can’t be invested in products your customers actually want.
2. Discover High-Profit Products You’re Missing
Sometimes, the most profitable opportunities are hiding in plain sight. While you stock the usual items, your competitors might be making better margins on products you’ve never considered.
The NRS AI recommendations feature shows you what’s selling successfully in stores like yours, particularly highlighting high-margin items you don’t currently carry. These weekly updates highlight products that align with your customer base but may not have been on your radar yet.
The best products for your store are ones you’d never want to order on your own.
3. Stay Ahead of Neighborhood Trends
Customer preferences shift constantly, especially in diverse urban neighborhoods. What sold well last year might sit on shelves today, while new trends emerge faster than you can track them.
The AI Product Recommendations uses location-based analysis to spot these changes early. The system recognizes when buying patterns shift in your specific area, whether due to demographic changes, seasonal preferences, or emerging product categories.
Being first to stock trending items means capturing customers before they develop loyalty elsewhere.
4. Make Confident Ordering Decisions
Ordering inventory shouldn’t feel like gambling. Yet many store owners describe ordering day as their most stressful task, worried about overstocking items that won’t sell or running out of popular products.
The NRS AI Product Recommendations feature removes this anxiety by providing clear data on what works. Along with product suggestions, you receive recommended pricing based on the market in your area. Access these insights directly through your NRS Merchant Portal or the My NRS Store mobile app, making informed decisions whether you’re at the counter or meeting with suppliers.
Data-backed decisions replace stressful guessing games with strategic planning.
5. Compete Smarter Against Chains
Chain stores employ entire teams to analyze sales data and optimize inventory. As an independent retailer, you’re competing against their resources with just your own experience and intuition.
NRS AI Product Recommendations levels this playing field by providing enterprise-level insights at small business prices. While chains follow national planograms, your AI product recommendations are customized for your exact location and customer base.
Your size becomes an advantage when you can respond to local needs faster than any chain.
Growing Your Business with Smart Decisions
These five improvements—reducing dead inventory, discovering profitable products, tracking trends, ordering confidently, and competing strategically—add up to real business growth. Each recommendation you implement moves your store closer to what your customers actually want to buy.
Success in today’s retail environment isn’t about lucky guesses or following what worked for someone else. It’s about using the right information to make smart decisions for your specific store. Your next bestselling product is waiting. Access your AI Product Recommendations feature through the NRS Merchant Portal or the My NRS Store app today.
To learn more about the National Retail Solutions (NRS) AI Product Recommendations feature and how the NRS POS system can help your store succeed, visit nrsplus.com or call (877) 202-8112.
