C S Y Retail Systems
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersNottingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What C S Y Retail Systems does
C S Y Retail Systems is a Nottingham, UK-based private EPOS (electronic point-of-sale) software vendor founded in the early 1990s, operating in the UK retail and hospitality market with a workforce of 11-50 employees. The company develops and supports Vector EPOS, a customisable point-of-sale platform refined over more than 25 years with a hybrid cloud/offline architecture that allows trading continuity during internet outages while backing up data to the cloud in real time. The system is modular, supporting electronic shelf edge labels, multi-branch stock synchronisation via StoreSync, mobile TabletPOS terminals, integrated payment processing through sister-company CSYPay (powered by FCA-authorised ClearAccept), and ecommerce integration with WooCommerce and Shopify. CSY serves 15+ retail and hospitality verticals including garden centres, pharmacies, farm shops, health and organic stores, hospitality (pubs, gastropubs, restaurants), charity retail, hardware and DIY, wine merchants, mobility stores, builders and timber merchants, and tourist attractions, with vertical-specific sub-brands VectorCharity EPOS and Vector Hospitality EPOS.
The company monetises across five revenue streams: annual all-inclusive software and support subscriptions covering software updates, hardware box-swap maintenance, helpline access, and unlimited training; transaction fees through CSYPay; hardware sales (terminals, scales from Avery Berkel and Bizerba, peripherals); training services from a dedicated Nottingham training centre; and ecommerce development through an in-house web development team. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with monthly instalment plans available through BIRA Bank for small businesses. Distribution is direct via specialist account managers who focus on specific retail sectors, supplemented by referral partnerships with the National Pharmacy Association (NPA Gold Partner status), Alliance Healthcare, Alphega pharmacy networks, and the British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA). Notable customers include Tile Giant (100+ stores, customer since 2003), Weetons (customer since 2005), David Neill Mica (customer since 1999), and over 150 UK garden centre sites. Managing Director Ross Pierrepont leads the company, with Neil Pickles serving as Technical Director.
C S Y Retail Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- C S Y Retail Systems
- Legal name
- CSY Retail Systems
- Website
- https://csy.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
C S Y Retail Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Point of Sale (POS) Software
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Retail ERP (Merchandising, POS Back Office) (HDAEAEAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL) & Shelf-Edge Hardware (HDACAKAJ)
Keywords
Where C S Y Retail Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nottingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
C S Y Retail Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- EPOS Software License/Subscription: Vector EPOS software system sold as ongoing license with support packages. Includes all-inclusive pricing covering software updates, hardware box swap maintenance, helpline access, and training course attendance.
- Payment Processing (CSYPay): Integrated payment platform powered by ClearAccept. Revenue generated through payment transaction fees. Includes revenue finance funding referral commission from Liberis Ltd.
- Hardware Sales: Sale of EPOS terminals, card machines, weighing scales (Avery Berkel, Bizerba), handheld devices, label printers, and other peripheral hardware.
- Training Services: In-house training centre in Nottingham offering monthly open training sessions (free for customers) and custom training programs for implementation and ongoing skill development.
- Ecommerce Development: In-house web development team builds custom WooCommerce websites integrated with Vector EPOS. Includes WebSync service for connecting existing ecommerce sites.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | All-Inclusive Support Package |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
C S Y Retail Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CSY Retail Systems develops, sells, and supports Vector EPOS, a customisable hybrid cloud/offline point-of-sale platform for UK retail and hospitality businesses. The offering combines sector-specific EPOS software (Vector EPOS, VectorCharity EPOS, Vector Hospitality EPOS) with integrated ecommerce, payments (CSYPay), loyalty, hardware, training, and ongoing support.
Product overview
CSY Retail Systems offers Vector EPOS as its core unified platform with sector-specific sub-brands (VectorCharity EPOS, Vector Hospitality EPOS). The system is modular, with add-on capabilities including Vector eCommerce (WooCommerce-based), CSYPay (built-in payments via ClearAccept), Vector Dashboard (reporting), Customer Loyalty and Gift Cards, TabletPOS (mobile POS), Weighing Scales Integration (Avery Berkel, Bizerba), Cloud Backups, VectorAnywhere (remote access), Electronic Shelf Edge Labels, and StoreSync (multi-branch). Sector solutions include pharmacy (NPA Gold Partner), garden centres, farm shops, hospitality, charity retail, and various retail verticals. The company has developed its software for over 25 years with over 150 garden centre customers and serves multiple industries including pharmacies, supermarkets, wine merchants, builders merchants, and tourist attractions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Vector EPOS: Main EPOS software system developed by CSY for retail and hospitality businesses, featuring stock management, customer loyalty, ecommerce integration, and multi-branch support.
- CSYPay
- VectorCharity EPOS
- Vector Hospitality EPOS
- VectorCharity
Products and services
- Vector EPOS CSY's flagship customisable hybrid cloud/offline point-of-sale platform for retail and hospitality businesses, with sector-specific variants covering sales transactions, inventory management, customer tracking, loyalty, gift cards, ecommerce integration, and multi-site operations.
- Vector eCommerce
Quantifiable outcome
- Tile Giant grew from 4 to 80+ stores using Vector EPOS
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use C S Y Retail Systems
Customer profileNamed customers21 records
Segments15 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
C S Y Retail Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration24 records
AI capability2 records
Feature16 records
C S Y Retail Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ClearAccept (CSYPay)coreSister company partnership where ClearAccept provides the payment infrastructure for CSYPay - CSY's built-in payment platform. ClearAccept is authorised and regulated by the FCA (FRN 926372) for payment services. Includes Pay by Link, card machines, online payments, and revenue finance through Liberis Ltd.
- Avery BerkelcoreWeighing scale partner providing modern, efficient and reliable scales fully integrated with Vector EPOS for food retailers including checkout scales, barcode printing scales, and integrated scanner scales.
- BizerbacoreWeighing scale partner providing modern, efficient and reliable scales fully integrated with Vector EPOS for food retailers.
- ToolbankcoreWholesale partner allowing hardware/DIY retailers to import products directly into Vector and send orders back to Toolbank suppliers electronically.
- Home HardwarecoreWholesale partner integrated with Vector EPOS for hardware/DIY retailers enabling direct supplier ordering and product imports.
- StaxcoreWholesale partner for builders merchants allowing direct ordering through Vector EPOS.
- DeccocoreWholesale partner for tile/flooring and hardware retailers integrated with Vector for direct supplier ordering.
- WooCommercecoreEcommerce platform integrated with Vector EPOS through WebSync. CSY's in-house web development team creates custom WooCommerce websites that sync inventory, sales, and reporting with Vector.
- ShopifycoreExisting Shopify ecommerce sites can be integrated with Vector EPOS via WebSync to keep inventory and sales synchronised.
- National Pharmacy Association (NPA)coreGold Partner relationship. CSY is the only EPOS provider recommended by NPA for independent pharmacies. Gold Partner status indicates commitment to quality and reliability for pharmacy customers.
- Alliance HealthcareminorPharmacy wholesale network that recommends CSY EPOS to member pharmacies. Also provides weekly product updates to Vector pharmacy system.
- AlphegaminorPharmacy network that recommends CSY EPOS to member independent pharmacies.
- BIRA (British Independent Retailers Association)minorAssociation referring members to CSY. Also offers BIRA Bank monthly instalment payment plans for small businesses acquiring CSY systems.
- C&D (Pharmaceutical Wholesaler)coreWeekly product updates provided to Vector pharmacy system from C&D wholesaler for current product information.
- AAH PharmaceuticalscoreWeekly product updates provided to Vector pharmacy system from AAH for current pharmaceutical product information.
- Phoenix HealthcarecoreWeekly product updates provided to Vector pharmacy system from Phoenix for pharmaceutical product information.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
C S Y Retail Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tillpoint: Cloud-based POS solution for retail and hospitality with multi-store and ecommerce features. Comparable iPad/cloud POS competitor at the SMB end of CSY's market.
- KCPOS / ICR Touch: UK EPOS provider covering hospitality and retail with integrated payments. Comparable as a UK-focused competitor with similar hospitality and convenience retail positioning.
- Epos Now: UK-based cloud EPOS provider serving small and mid-market retail and hospitality businesses with multi-vertical coverage. Directly comparable to CSY on customer segment (UK independents), product scope (POS + ecommerce + payments), and channel model (direct sales).
- Tevalis: UK-based EPOS specialist focused on hospitality, table management, and integrated payments. Comparable as a UK domestic EPOS vendor with similar hospitality-vertical depth and multi-site retail features.
- TouchPoint EPOS: UK-based EPOS supplier focused on retail and hospitality independents with sector-specific modules. Directly comparable on UK geography, customer size, and feature set.
Broad incumbents
- Square (Block): Integrated POS and payments provider with strong UK retail and hospitality presence among independents. Competes for CSY's SMB retail customer base with bundled hardware/software/payments offering.
- SumUp: European mobile POS and payments provider with strong presence among micro-merchants and small retailers. Adjacent competition for the smallest CSY customers but lacks vertical specialization.
- Zettle (PayPal): Mobile-first POS and payments offering from PayPal targeting small UK retailers and hospitality. Overlaps with CSY at the SMB end of the market but lacks CSY's deep vertical specialization.
- Shopify POS: Retail POS extension of the Shopify ecommerce platform serving omnichannel merchants. Comparable for the ecommerce-integrated POS use case, especially where CSY's WebSync WooCommerce/Shopify integration is in play.
- Lightspeed Commerce: Global cloud POS and commerce platform serving retail and hospitality with broad feature coverage. Competes for the same end customers as CSY but at significantly larger scale, offering cloud-native architecture versus CSY's hybrid model.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
C S Y Retail Systems compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
C S Y Retail Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
C S Y Retail Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
C S Y Retail Systems subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
C S Y Retail Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
C S Y Retail Systems 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 C S Y Retail Systems
What does C S Y Retail Systems do?
CSY Retail Systems develops, sells, and supports Vector EPOS, a customisable hybrid cloud/offline point-of-sale platform for UK retail and hospitality businesses. The offering combines sector-specific EPOS software (Vector EPOS, VectorCharity EPOS, Vector Hospitality EPOS) with integrated ecommerce, payments (CSYPay), loyalty, hardware, training, and ongoing support.
Is C S Y Retail Systems a public or private company?
C S Y Retail Systems is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was C S Y Retail Systems founded?
C S Y Retail Systems was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is C S Y Retail Systems based?
C S Y Retail Systems is headquartered in Nottingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does C S Y Retail Systems make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. EPOS Software License/Subscription is the primary driver. The others are payment Processing (CSYPay), hardware Sales, training Services and ecommerce Development.
Who are C S Y Retail Systems's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tillpoint, KCPOS / ICR Touch, Epos Now, Tevalis and TouchPoint EPOS. Broad incumbents are Square (Block), SumUp, Zettle (PayPal), Shopify POS and Lightspeed Commerce.
Does C S Y Retail Systems have an API?
No public API is recorded for C S Y Retail Systems.
What industry is C S Y Retail Systems in?
C S Y Retail Systems's product category is Point of Sale (POS) Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEAEAD, Retail ERP (Merchandising, POS Back Office), with a secondary code of HDACAKAJ, Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL) & Shelf-Edge Hardware. Its NAICS code is 518210.