A guide to 2026 EPOS trends for food retail & hospitality businesses

Food retail and hospitality businesses are operating in a more complex environment, with changing customer expectations, ongoing cost pressures and an increasing number of sales channels to manage.

Looking ahead to the new year, EPOS systems are being used for more than processing payments. They play an important role in supporting sales, stock management, payments and reporting across the business.

This guide looks at the key 2026 EPOS trends shaping food retail and hospitality and how the right setup can help businesses manage their operations more effectively.

Unified commerce: Everything under one roof

As food businesses sell through more channels – in-store, online, delivery and click-and-collect – managing multiple systems can quickly become complicated.

Unified commerce is really about making sure all parts of your business are connected. When sales, stock and customer data work together in one system, there’s less manual work, fewer errors and a much clearer picture of how your business is performing day to day.

The right EPOS integrations play a big role here, helping everything run smoothly behind the scenes. Platforms like Hubrise allow you to connect your EPOS to leading food delivery services such as Just Eat and Deliveroo, enabling seamless management of menus, pricing and availability across every channel.

EPOS built for modern food businesses

Food retail and hospitality businesses need EPOS systems that are dependable and suited to the way they operate on a day-to-day basis.

Rather than focusing on where a system is hosted, a key trend heading into 2026 is the use of EPOS that supports visibility and control across sites and sales channels. Businesses are looking for systems that offer consistent performance and can adapt as operational requirements change.

Our Quantum EPOS software is designed for food retail and hospitality environments. It allows you to manage everything from product listings and sales to stock management and reporting, supporting both single-site businesses and larger, multi-site operations. The flexible setup means you can easily integrate new functionalities as needed, helping to optimise processes and drive expansion.

Mobile POS for faster, more flexible service

Speed of service is an important consideration for many food retail and hospitality businesses, particularly during busy trading periods. Queues, manual processes and fixed tills can all affect how quickly customers are served.

Mobile POS is increasingly being used as part of everyday operations. Our Quantum Go solution allows staff to take orders and payments anywhere, including at tables, in queues or at temporary service points, such as pop-ups and events.

This approach can help businesses manage peak periods more effectively and support a smoother flow of service.

Loyalty that feels relevant and personal

Customer loyalty has moved beyond simple discount schemes. Many businesses are now looking for more structured ways to engage customers and support repeat visits.

Integrations with loyalty platforms such as Como, Toggle and Yoyo allow customer activity to be recorded alongside EPOS data. This supports the management of loyalty schemes, helps track engagement and reduces the need for separate systems.

Simpler payments, faster checkouts

Payment options continue to be an important part of the customer experience, with contactless and mobile payments now widely used across food retail and hospitality.

Cunninghams supports payment integrations including Verifone and Worldpay, alongside our own merchant services provided through Payments by Cunninghams. Integrating payments with your EPOS can support consistent checkout processes, simplify reconciliation and improve the accuracy of reporting.

Smarter reporting and reduced admin

Food retail and hospitality businesses are making greater use of EPOS data to support decisions around menus, pricing, staffing and promotions. To be effective, reporting needs to be clear, accurate and easy to access.

Our Quantum reporting tools support day-to-day management, while integrations such as Fourth allow sales data to be exported into your CRM and other systems. Accounting integrations like Xero can also help reduce manual administration by linking EPOS data with accounts.

Digital ordering as standard

Online ordering, table ordering and click-and-collect now form part of day-to-day operations for many food retail and hospitality businesses.

Integrations with platforms such as QikServe for table ordering, along with Shopify and WooCommerce for eCommerce, allow digital ordering channels to link back to the EPOS. This supports more consistent ordering processes and helps teams manage multiple sales channels more effectively.

Industry-specific solutions that fit the way you work

Businesses don’t all operate in the same way, which is why industry-specific EPOS integrations continue to grow in importance.

For bakeries, integrations such as Cybake support bakery-specific workflows within the EPOS, helping manage products, production, stock and reporting in a way that reflects day-to-day trading, rather than a generic retail setup.

For farm shops and butchers, Cunninghams offers integration with Avery Berkel and CAS scales. This allows weighted items to be captured accurately at the till, supporting faster service and reducing manual entry for staff.

By supporting the practical needs of different food sectors, we're helping businesses use their EPOS in a way that fits how they work.

Why the right EPOS matters for 2026

As food retail and hospitality continue to change, businesses are increasingly looking to reduce complexity rather than add new systems. The right EPOS helps bring sales, payments, loyalty, digital ordering and reporting into a single setup.

With solutions such as Quantum, Quantum Go and Payments by Cunninghams, we support food retail and hospitality businesses in managing day-to-day operations and planning for future requirements.

Chat to our team of experts on 0330 024 5014 or email info@cunninghams.co.uk to find out how we can support you in 2026 and beyond.