GLDS
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1969
- HeadquartersSouthfield, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
GLDS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GLDS
- Legal name
- Great Lakes Data Systems, Inc
- Website
- https://glds.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1969
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where GLDS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Southfield
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
GLDS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales: Sale of POS terminals, touch screens, scanners, imaging technologies and related hardware components.
- Software Sales: Sales of SMS Store Management Suite and related software solutions, including e-commerce and online ordering platforms.
- Programming Services: Custom programming and configuration of POS systems to client specifications.
- Maintenance Contracts: Ongoing maintenance and support contracts providing 24/7 service and support.
- On-site Services: Field service technicians providing installation, maintenance, and support services at client locations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom systems tailored to client needs |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
GLDS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GLDS sells, installs and supports point-of-sale systems for grocery, convenience store/fuel/liquor, general retail and hospitality operators throughout Michigan. Its portfolio combines POS hardware, the LOC Software Store Management Suite (SMS) and complementary modules (self-checkout, e-commerce, electronic shelf labels, mobile analytics, fuel integration, loyalty), bundled with on-site programming, training and 24/7 service.
Product overview
GLDS (Great Lakes Data Systems) is a Total Solutions Provider of POS Systems founded in 1969, offering a portfolio built around the Store Management Suite (SMS) as the core platform. SMS is a client-based software solution providing integrated management of point-of-sale, back office, corporate office, warehouse, and all aspects of the retail enterprise. The product line spans three vertical POS solutions—Grocery POS, CStore/Fuel/Liquor POS, and General Retail POS—all running on the SMS platform. Additional modules include Self Checkout (Toshiba-powered), Online Shopping/LOC ecommerce, eGrowcer for online grocery integration, LOC Suite for enterprise management, Michigan Liquor Management, Pocket Reports for mobile analytics, SES Imagotag Electronic Shelf Labels, Wireless Backup Routers, and AppCard for loyalty and marketing. GLDS serves grocery, general retail, convenience stores, and hospitality sectors throughout Michigan as a value-added reseller partner of LOC Software and Toshiba.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LOC Suite: A retail management software suite providing integrated point of sale, back office, corporate office, warehouse management and all aspects of the retail enterprise.
- SMS (Store Management Suite)
- Pocket Reports
- Quickstore
Products and services
- Store Management Suite (SMS)
Quantifiable outcome
- Saved approximately $200/week by eliminating physical loyalty cards and transitioning to phone-based loyalty system
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use GLDS
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
GLDS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration33 records
Feature4 records
GLDS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Blackhawk NetworkcoreJoint effort to deliver innovative mobile payment technologies to retail POS systems. Collaboration enables retailers of all sizes to offer touch-free mobile payment options at checkout. Part of GLDS's focus on providing midsize businesses access to digital payment innovations.
- LOC SoftwarecoreValued reseller partner of LOC Software in the US. GLDS provides operators of all sizes with tier-one functionality at much lower prices than tier-one competitors. LOC Software develops the Store Management Suite (SMS) retail management software.
- AppCardcoreGLDS honored as AppCard 2024 Partner of the Year, recognizing excellence in providing personalized marketing, digital coupons, and loyalty solutions to retailers.
- Toshiba Global Commerce SolutionscoreGold level partner in Toshiba's Together Commerce Alliance. GLDS facilitates agreements and technology integration for Toshiba Self-Checkout Systems. Gold level members are leaders in their market segments achieving higher levels of commercial success through education in Toshiba products.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
GLDS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Aptos: Aptos is a retail technology software provider specializing in POS, merchandise management, and CRM for specialty retail, grocery, and omnichannel commerce. Comparable to GLDS in serving similar verticals (grocery, specialty retail) with integrated software solutions, though Aptos focuses more on enterprise-sized customers.
- LOC Software: LOC Software develops the Store Management Suite (SMS) platform that GLDS resells. As the underlying technology provider, LOC Software is the most direct peer—same product category, same target customers (grocery, C-store, general retail), and same SMB/mid-market positioning. GLDS is their primary US reseller.
- POSitouch: POSitouch provides POS and restaurant management systems for the foodservice and retail industries, including grocery, c-store, table-service, and quick-service restaurants. Comparable in targeting independent operators and SMB chains with integrated POS, back-office, and inventory features, and is explicitly referenced on GLDS's own website as a Quick Link.
- Heartland Payment Systems: Heartland (now part of Global Payments) provides POS solutions and payment processing for restaurants and retail. GLDS actually resells Heartland Restaurant POS to its hospitality clients, making Heartland both a partner and a direct competitor in the same product category for the same SMB customer base.
- Retail Data Systems: Retail Data Systems (RDS) is a regional POS solutions provider and integrator for grocery, convenience, and fuel retailers, offering hardware, software, and service similar to GLDS. Most directly comparable as a value-added reseller of NCR and other enterprise POS platforms serving regional SMB retail markets.
Broad incumbents
- Oracle Food and Beverage (MICROS): Oracle's Food and Beverage division (acquired MICROS) provides enterprise POS and back-office solutions for restaurants, hotels, and hospitality. Overlaps with GLDS's hospitality segment as a tier-one incumbent that GLDS positions against with Heartland Restaurant and other partners.
- Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions is a major enterprise POS and self-checkout hardware/software provider for retail, with deep grocery and c-store penetration. GLDS is a Gold Level partner in Toshiba's Together Commerce Alliance, but Toshiba also competes in the same end-customer markets as a tier-one enterprise vendor.
- NCR Voyix: NCR Voyix (spun off from NCR) is a large enterprise POS and technology provider for grocery, convenience, and fuel retailers, offering solutions like NCR Emerald and Raptor. As the dominant tier-one POS vendor in GLDS's core verticals, it is the primary "tier-one competitor" that GLDS's value pricing explicitly undercuts.
- Lightspeed Commerce: Lightspeed is a cloud-based POS and commerce platform serving retail, restaurants, and golf operators. Comparable to GLDS in serving independent and SMB retail with integrated POS, inventory, and e-commerce, but as a cloud-native SaaS scale player versus GLDS's on-premise regional reseller model.
- Toast: Toast is a leading cloud-native POS platform built specifically for the restaurant industry, with integrated payments, online ordering, and team management. It represents the cloud-native competitive threat to GLDS's hospitality segment, winning SMB restaurant customers with subscription pricing and modern UX versus GLDS's Heartland Restaurant offering.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
GLDS social profiles
Digital presenceGLDS compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
GLDS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GLDS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
GLDS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GLDS 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 GLDS
What does GLDS do?
GLDS sells, installs and supports point-of-sale systems for grocery, convenience store/fuel/liquor, general retail and hospitality operators throughout Michigan. Its portfolio combines POS hardware, the LOC Software Store Management Suite (SMS) and complementary modules (self-checkout, e-commerce, electronic shelf labels, mobile analytics, fuel integration, loyalty), bundled with on-site programming, training and 24/7 service.
Is GLDS a public or private company?
GLDS is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was GLDS founded?
GLDS was founded in 1969. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is GLDS based?
GLDS is headquartered in Southfield, United States, in the North America region.
How does GLDS make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are software Sales, programming Services, maintenance Contracts and on-site Services.
Who are GLDS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Aptos, LOC Software, POSitouch, Heartland Payment Systems and Retail Data Systems. Broad incumbents are Oracle Food and Beverage (MICROS), Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, NCR Voyix, Lightspeed Commerce and Toast.
Does GLDS have an API?
No public API is recorded for GLDS.