Using website for customers in store

Retail & Point of Sale

Topic summary

A retailer operating two stores faces a dilemma: customers frequently purchase items in-store that need shipping, but integrating Shopify POS Pro with their existing Lightspeed POS would cost approximately $2,136 annually ($89/month per location). They currently use Lightspeed for point-of-sale, Shopify for e-commerce, and ShipStation (linked to Shopify) for accurate shipping rates.

The proposed workaround is using the Shopify website directly in-store for orders requiring shipping, avoiding additional POS costs and employee retraining.

Key concerns identified:

  • Inventory synchronization: Shopify orders won’t automatically update Lightspeed stock levels
  • Operational efficiency: Manual entry of customer shipping details may slow checkout
  • Tax calculation discrepancies: Shopify uses shipping address while Lightspeed uses store location
  • Reporting complexity: Sales data won’t sync between systems, requiring manual reconciliation

Suggested solutions include integration tools for inventory management or customer-facing tablets for self-service. The discussion remains open regarding whether these workarounds justify the cost savings.

Summarized with AI on October 31. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Odd question…

I have two retail stores.

We use Lightspeed for POS.

I use Shopify for my e-commerce.

We use Shipstation for shipping.

Shipstation is linked to my Shopify, so for accurate shipping costs, we need to use Shopify for shipping.

We are in a tourist town and every day, customers buy products from us in store and ship them home.

We have 8 employees.

I DON’T want to pay Shopify a few grand per year ($89 per month, per location) on top of what we already pay both Lightspeed and Shopify, for the POS Pro, just to ship products bought in store, to the customers home. I also don’t want to train the 8 employees on using another POS system (Shopify) just for shipping products bought in store.

Question: What is the pitfalls/downside or what am I not thinking about, if we use our website in store, when selling items needing shipping?

2

Hello @bmlchick , using your Shopify website in-store for shipping can work, but here are key challenges to consider:

  1. Inventory Syncing – Shopify orders won’t update Lightspeed stock automatically. Consider using an integration tool or manual adjustments.
  2. Checkout Process – Staff will need to enter customer shipping details manually, which could slow things down. A tablet/kiosk for customers might help.
  3. Payment & Tax Differences – Shopify calculates tax based on shipping address, while Lightspeed may use store location. Payments may also differ.
  4. Reporting Issues – Sales won’t sync between systems, so tracking in-store vs. online revenue will require manual reconciliation.

If you’re okay with these workarounds, it’s a cost-effective alternative to POS Pro. Hope this helps!

Best,
Tracy from Kudosi Reviews