ECRS
ECRS is a family-owned retail automation company (founded 1989) that provides the CATAPULT unified POS platform and CATAPULT Cognition AI analytics to independent and mid-market grocers, food co-ops, convenience, and specialty food retailers across North America and the Caribbean.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersBoone, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What ECRS does
ECRS (ECR Software Corporation) is a privately-held, family-owned retail automation software and hardware company founded in 1989 by Pete Catoe and headquartered in Boone, North Carolina. The company develops and sells the CATAPULT Retail POS platform, which is differentiated by a "Unified Transaction Logic" architecture in which a single transactional engine runs across every retail touchpoint — point of sale, self-checkout, deli scales, pharmacy, fuel pumps, and eCommerce — eliminating the data silos typical of multi-vendor POS stacks. ECRS serves independent and mid-market retailers across verticals including supermarket/grocery, prepared foods, pharmacy, convenience, liquor, food co-ops, micro markets, natural grocery, and specialty foods, with installations spanning the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. The company has been ranked #1 in grocery software by RIS Leaderboard for five consecutive years and named a Top 25 Evergreen Company by Tugboat Institute for three consecutive years, reflecting durable, long-tenured operations.
The company monetizes through software licensing and subscription for the CATAPULT platform, hardware sales (POS terminals, self-checkout systems including Fujitsu U-Scan, AutoScale weighing solutions, and the Secure OneTouch biometric reader), professional services delivered through its Success Navigation onboarding team, and add-on analytics subscriptions via CATAPULT Cognition. The product portfolio extends beyond core POS to include CATAPULT WebCart e-commerce with Artemis AI personalization, DemandFill 3.0 for AI-powered demand forecasting and automated ordering, Inventory & Supply Chain management, Loyalty & Marketing suites, Payments & Security (PCI QIR certified), Enterprise Management for multi-location retailers, and a Back Office module. ECRS maintains strategic technology partnerships with Pricer (electronic shelf labels), reciProfity (prepared foods production automation, expanded April 2026), National Co-op Grocers (covering 165+ co-ops and 240+ stores), and Inmar (digital coupons), and exposes an open REST API layer (CATAPULT Passport) for third-party integrators. Leadership remains family-controlled, with founder Pete Catoe continuing as CEO, Caroline Catoe as President, John White as CTO, and David Sprague as COO; the firm has reported a 98% customer retention rate and operates from a single Boone, NC headquarters with 51–250 employees.
RETAIL MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS — Simplify, automate, and thrive with CATAPULT. CATAPULT Retail POS unifies retail operations in real time — eliminating silos and delivering friction-free automation across every touchpoint. With practical AI and intuitive tools, CATAPULT empowers teams to work smarter and creates seamless shopper experiences that turn transactions into lasting relationships.
ECRS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ECRS
- Legal name
- ECR Software Corporation
- Website
- https://ecrs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- ECRS is a family-owned retail automation company (founded 1989) that provides the CATAPULT unified POS platform and CATAPULT Cognition AI analytics to independent and mid-market grocers, food co-ops, convenience, and specialty food retailers across North America and the Caribbean.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ECRS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Retail Point-of-Sale Software
- NAICS
- Electronics and Appliance Retailers (44921)
- SIC
- Retail-Computer & Computer Software Stores (5734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- POS Terminals & All-in-One Retail Computers (HDACAKAA)
Keywords
Where ECRS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boone
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ECRS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Software Licensing (CATAPULT POS): CATAPULT retail management platform licensed to retailers, typically on a subscription or licensing model with ongoing support and updates.
- Hardware Sales: Sale of POS terminals, self-checkout systems, AutoScale weighing solutions, biometric readers, and other retail hardware.
- Professional Services: Implementation, training, and consulting services through Success Navigation team, including onboarding, system installation, and ongoing support.
- CATAPULT Cognition Analytics: Cloud-based data warehouse and AI analytics platform offered as add-on packages with various feature tiers including base packages and power-up enhancements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Cognition base packages with optional AI power-ups |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
ECRS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ECRS builds and sells CATAPULT, a unified retail automation platform powered by Unified Transaction Logic that connects all retail touchpoints (point of sale, self-checkout, deli scales, pharmacy, fuel pumps, and eCommerce) into a single transactional system. The company licenses CATAPULT Retail POS to independent grocery retailers, supplements it with CATAPULT Cognition AI-powered analytics, CATAPULT WebCart eCommerce, DemandFill 3.0 demand forecasting, and complementary hardware including AutoScale Max G3 weighing scales and Secure OneTouch biometric payment devices.
Product overview
ECRS offers CATAPULT, a unified retail automation platform powered by Unified Transaction Logic that connects all retail touchpoints into one transactional system. The platform encompasses core CATAPULT Retail POS for unified commerce, CATAPULT Cognition AI-powered analytics, CATAPULT WebCart ecommerce with Artemis AI personalization, DemandFill 3.0 predictive ordering, and various add-on modules for inventory, loyalty, payments, enterprise management, and back office operations. Hardware offerings include AutoScale Max G3 weighing and labeling scales, Self-Checkout Systems (Fujitsu U-Scan, Express Market), Secure OneTouch biometric reader, and POS terminals. Integration capabilities are enabled through CATAPULT Passport API, ECRS Gateway, and partnerships with reciProfity, Pricer, and Inmar.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CATAPULT Retail POS
Quantifiable outcome
- 98% customer retention rate over 30+ years of operation
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use ECRS
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ECRS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability8 records
Feature7 records
ECRS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- reciProfitycoreExpanded integration between CATAPULT and reciProfity delivering end-to-end automation for prepared foods production, ordering, and inventory. CATAPULT generates purchase orders sent directly to reciProfity via ECRS Gateway, with automatic inventory and cost updates when items are produced. The integration eliminates manual entry and ensures real-time accuracy between systems.
- PricercoreECRS partnered with Pricer, the global leader in digital shelf edge solutions, to offer integrated Electronic Shelf Labeling (ESL) systems to the North American market. After two years of extensive testing, ECRS selected Pricer to complement its CATAPULT retail automation suite, providing retailers with complete POS and ESL integration for price optimization, labor efficiencies, and pricing integrity. Pricer has sold over 140 million electronic shelf labels to 15,000 stores in over 50 countries.
- National Co-op Grocers (NCG)coreECRS partners with National Co-op Grocers, an organization representing over 165 co-ops with more than 240 total stores across North America. ECRS provides technology solutions specifically designed for the cooperative model, enabling efficient operations, smarter decision-making, and stronger community connections for member-owned grocery cooperatives.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ECRS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Pyramid Computer Systems: European provider of in-store hardware and IT solutions (POS, self-checkout, kiosk) for retail and hospitality. Comparable as an adjacent hardware-focused retail IT peer serving independent and mid-market retailers.
Direct peers
- Retail Pro: Retail POS and store-operations platform focused on specialty retail and apparel-adjacent merchants. Comparable on multi-store POS, loyalty, and inventory modules, though heavier in specialty softlines than grocery.
- Diebold Nixdorf: Provider of POS, self-checkout, and branch automation to retail and banking. Competes with ECRS in grocery and convenience self-checkout and POS hardware/software globally.
- Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions: Major retail POS hardware/software provider with a deep grocery installed base (e.g., Kroger, Albertsons). Directly competes with ECRS for unified commerce and self-checkout wins at large supermarket chains.
- NCR Voyix: Largest US grocery POS and self-checkout vendor (formerly NCR Retail, spun out as NCR Voyix in 2023). Directly comparable on supermarket POS, self-checkout, payments, and store-level analytics, with significantly greater scale and an installed base of large national grocery chains.
- Aptos: Retail-focused technology vendor (formerly PCMS, Aptos, and LS Retail-adjacent) selling POS, CRM, and merchandising software to grocery and specialty retailers. Strongest direct competitor in unified commerce for grocery, convenience, and specialty verticals.
- Epicor (Industry / Retail): Enterprise software provider with retail POS solutions (Epicor Eagle) targeting independent and mid-market hardlines and grocery retailers. Directly comparable on mid-market retail POS and store-level operations.
Broad incumbents
- Oracle Retail (MICROS): Enterprise retail suite (POS via MICROS, merchandising, planning, analytics). Often competes with ECRS for large grocery and specialty chains that want a single enterprise software vendor.
Emerging players
- Shoptelligence: AI-driven product recommendation and personal shopping platform for retailers including grocers. Comparable on AI-driven eCommerce personalization functionality within CATAPULT WebCart / Artemis.
- Swiftly (Instacart): Grocery-specific AI personalization, digital ads, and shoppable eCommerce platform acquired by Instacart. Overlaps with ECRS on digital coupons, AI personalization (Artemis), and grocery-specific eCommerce.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ECRS social profiles
Digital presenceECRS compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
ECRS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ECRS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
ECRS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ECRS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ECRS
What does ECRS do?
ECRS builds and sells CATAPULT, a unified retail automation platform powered by Unified Transaction Logic that connects all retail touchpoints (point of sale, self-checkout, deli scales, pharmacy, fuel pumps, and eCommerce) into a single transactional system. The company licenses CATAPULT Retail POS to independent grocery retailers, supplements it with CATAPULT Cognition AI-powered analytics, CATAPULT WebCart eCommerce, DemandFill 3.0 demand forecasting, and complementary hardware including AutoScale Max G3 weighing scales and Secure OneTouch biometric payment devices.
Is ECRS a public or private company?
ECRS is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was ECRS founded?
ECRS was founded in 1989. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is ECRS based?
ECRS is headquartered in Boone, United States, in the North America region.
How does ECRS make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Software Licensing (CATAPULT POS) is the primary driver. The others are hardware Sales, professional Services and CATAPULT Cognition Analytics.
Who are ECRS's main competitors?
Pyramid Computer Systems is listed as an others. Direct peers are Retail Pro, Diebold Nixdorf, Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, NCR Voyix, Aptos and Epicor (Industry / Retail). Oracle Retail (MICROS) is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Shoptelligence and Swiftly (Instacart).
Does ECRS have an API?
Yes. ECRS offers REST API endpoints through CATAPULT Passport API™ enabling retailers and third-party providers to integrate with the CATAPULT transactional ecosystem. The APIs allow access to operational workflows, analytics, loyalty experiences, and ecommerce solutions. ECRS has emphasized a commitment to generic, open, non-exclusive API endpoints to minimize technical debt and ensure integrations remain reliable as CATAPULT evolves. The integration workflow follows: Clear Use Case Identification, Evaluation of Existing APIs, Customer Sponsored Development for new APIs, Integration to Standard Interfaces, and Production Validation. Cloud API endpoints also enable demand forecasting and item recommendation capabilities through CATAPULT Cognition. Developer documentation is at www.ecrs.com/catapult-api/#integration-api-guidance.
What industry is ECRS in?
ECRS's product category is Retail Point-of-Sale Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDACAKAA, POS Terminals & All-in-One Retail Computers. Its NAICS code is 44921 and its SIC code is 5734.