Running a flower shop means juggling perishable stock, walk-in trade, pre-orders, and deliveries — often at the same time. The right software takes that coordination off your hands. But "florist software" isn't a single product: it's several building blocks that you either assemble separately or use as one all-in-one platform. This overview shows which blocks you need, what to check when comparing, and what it costs — with the requirements that apply in Germany.
What software does a flower shop need?
Four functional areas cover the day-to-day of a flower shop:
| Building block | What for | Mandatory? |
|---|---|---|
| Point of sale (POS) | In-store sales, TSE-compliant record-keeping | Yes, with an electronic till |
| Inventory (Warenwirtschaft) | Stock, purchasing, shrinkage, reporting | Strongly recommended |
| Online shop | Pre-orders, occasion business, reach | Growth lever |
| Delivery & route planning | Time slots, routes, drivers, proof of delivery | If you deliver yourself |
The first two are the core of any shop. The last two decide whether you grow beyond the counter.
1. Point of sale for florists
As soon as you use an electronic till in Germany, clear obligations apply: a certified technical security module (TSE — Technische Sicherheitseinrichtung) under the cash-register security ordinance (Kassensicherungsverordnung), the receipt-issuing obligation (Belegausgabepflicht), and GoBD-compliant records with an export (e.g. to DATEV / your tax adviser).
Especially important for flower shops: cleanly separating the 7% rate (cut flowers, many plants) from the 19% rate (vases, cards, décor). A good POS reflects this split automatically and stays fast to operate — particularly during peaks like Mother's Day or Valentine's Day.
2. Inventory: stock and shrinkage under control
Spoilage is the biggest silent cost in the flower trade. Inventory management (Warenwirtschaft) helps you track stock and shelf life, tie purchasing to actual sell-through, make shrinkage and write-offs visible and priced in, and analyse margins by product group.
Ideally the inventory shares a single stock level directly with the POS and the online shop — otherwise you sell online what's already gone from the shop floor.
3. Online shop for flower shops
A florist online shop opens up occasion business (birthdays, funerals, weddings) and makes you less dependent on walk-in trade. Look for a delivery area and time slots right in the checkout, a range with images and add-on sales (vase, card, chocolates), a shared stock level with the shop till, and a mobile-friendly experience for customers.
4. Delivery and route planning — the underestimated block
This is where everyday practicality separates from chaos. Many shops coordinate deliveries by note, spreadsheet, and phone — until the volume climbs. Delivery software with route planning should handle hard and soft time windows, optimise routes across multiple stops, give drivers an app with order and addresses, and report delivery status and proof back.
This is exactly the block missing from many pure POS systems — and generic logistics tools are rarely tailored to floristry. For how to cut a delivery area sensibly into zones, rates, and time slots, see the guide on setting up delivery zones for florists.
Separate tools vs. all-in-one — the real decision
When building your software landscape, you have two paths.
Combine separate tools — e.g. a POS from vendor A, a shop builder from vendor B, a route planner from vendor C.
- Pro: each is specialised and freely chosen.
- Con: separate stock levels, integration effort, several contracts and contacts, and data breaks between store, shop, and delivery.
Use all-in-one — POS, inventory, online shop, and route planning in one system.
- Pro: one shared stock level, no integrations, order → route with no re-keying.
- Con: less freedom to pick individual specialist tools.
For most owner-run flower shops that deliver themselves, the all-in-one advantage wins, because the expensive friction happens exactly at the hand-offs — from online order to planned route. That's precisely where Floraboard fits: online shop, POS/inventory, and route planning with delivery windows share one data set. An order becomes a delivery without anyone typing it out.
What to check when comparing
- TSE certification & GoBD compliance (mandatory in Germany)
- 7%/19% tax split handled correctly
- Shared stock across store, shop, and delivery
- Route planning with time slots, if you deliver yourself
- DATEV / tax-adviser export
- Transparent costs (base fee, hardware, transaction fees)
- Support in German and fair contract terms
What does flower shop software cost?
A rough, market-typical guide (highly vendor-dependent):
- POS software: ~€30–€80 / month per till, plus hardware (tablet/printer/TSE) one-off €300–€1,500.
- Online shop: from €0 (entry-level builder) to several hundred euros a month.
- Route planning: varies by trips and users, often usage-based.
- All-in-one: one package price instead of several separate subscriptions — often cheaper overall, because integration and double-entry disappear.
FAQ
What software does a flower shop really need? At minimum a TSE-compliant POS. If you want to control stock and deliver, add inventory, an online shop, and route planning — ideally sharing a single stock level.
Does a flower shop POS need a TSE? Yes, every electronic till in Germany needs a certified TSE, and the receipt-issuing obligation applies.
Florist POS — what should I pay special attention to? The automatic 7%/19% split, fast operation during peaks, and the connection to stock, shop, and delivery.
Is an all-in-one solution worth it, or separate tools? If you deliver yourself and sell online, an integrated system saves the expensive friction at the hand-offs. Pure in-store shops can manage with POS + inventory.
What does flower shop software cost? Separately, usually from ~€30/month for the POS plus hardware; all-in-one packages bundle POS, shop, and delivery into one price.
One system instead of three contracts
Floraboard unites the till, inventory, an online shop, and route planning with delivery time windows — one shared stock level, from online order to planned delivery. If you're only just starting out, the checklist on how to open a flower shop in Germany helps you launch; if you're switching from Shopify, find the path in migrating from Shopify.