Tillie reimagines retail operations for small businesses — combining the warmth of local markets with the intelligence of modern SaaS. The product balances thoughtful design with robust functionality, empowering store owners to focus on customers rather than systems.
Client
Stealth
Year
2025
Services
Product Design
Product Management
Creative Direction
Frontend Developer
AI Prompt Engineer
Tillie is a modern, browser-based Point of Sale (POS) system designed for independent grocery markets and specialty food retailers. It simplifies daily retail operations through intuitive UX, robust inventory management, AI-assisted product ordering, and integrated analytics.
The platform aims to modernize the retail checkout experience while maintaining the flexibility small business owners need.
Tillie is a modern, browser-based Point of Sale (POS) system designed for independent grocery markets and specialty food retailers. It simplifies daily retail operations through intuitive UX, robust inventory management, AI-assisted product ordering, and integrated analytics.
The platform aims to modernize the retail checkout experience while maintaining the flexibility small business owners need.
Problem Statement
Small retailers often rely on outdated, expensive, or fragmented POS systems. These tools fail to integrate inventory control, vendor management, and sales analytics into a cohesive experience.
Store owners need:
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A simple, touch-optimized POS that works on tablets and desktops.
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Real-time inventory visibility to prevent over/under-stocking.
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Integrated reporting & analytics for smarter decision-making.
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A system that scales affordably without enterprise-level complexity.
Design Goals
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Speed & Clarity: Minimize steps for checkout, scanning, and saving transactions.
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Hierarchy & Focus: Prioritize key elements (cart, payment, search) for quick recognition.
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Consistency: Uniform patterns across modules (POS, Analytics, Inventory, Vendors).
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Modularity: Components designed for future scalability — from small shops to multi-store setups.
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Delight: Use a warm, friendly visual brand anchored by Tillie’s mascot — a highland cow that humanizes retail tech.
Core Features
Point of Sale Interface
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Quick product search and categorization with dynamic filtering.
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Barcode scanning and manual product lookup.
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On-screen numeric keypad for touch environments.
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Save/load transaction flows for multi-order management.
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Custom prompts for stock overrides and confirmation dialogs.
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Payment methods: Cash, Card, and Gift Card.
Inventory Management
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Product catalog with photo upload and stock tracking.
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Multi-page layout for managing large inventories.
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AI-powered reorder suggestions based on sales velocity and vendor lead time.
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Category management for flexible filtering (e.g., Pastries, Meats, Grab & Go).
Employee Access & Authentication
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PIN-based login for fast access on shared terminals.
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Profile dashboard showing employee role, rate, and permissions.
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Real-time clock-in tracking integrated with time reports.
Vendor & Purchase Order Management
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Vendor profiles linked to inventory items.
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Auto-generated purchase orders based on AI recommendations.
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Vendor analytics showing delivery performance and pricing trends.
Analytics & Reporting
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Real-time dashboard for sales, profit margins, and product performance.
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Category-level insights to identify best-sellers and waste trends.
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AI recommendations for promotional bundles and reorder quantities.
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Headlines:
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Paragraphs:
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AI-Driven Features
Tillie uses simple machine learning logic to surface actionable insights for small retailers:
- Predictive Ordering: Based on sales velocity, delivery lag, and seasonality.
- Smart Alerts: Notify when certain products consistently sell out or underperform.
- Category Health: Automated grouping of high-performing vs. stagnant SKUs.
Tech Stack
- Frontend: Next.js, React, Shadcn/UI, TailwindCSS
- Backend: Node.js, MongoDB
- Data Layer: RESTful API + AI model integration for ordering
- Infrastructure: Electron (for offline desktop app packaging)
Impact & Future Roadmap
Early testing with independent retailers showed:
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30% faster checkout flow vs. legacy POS systems.
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50% reduction in manual reorder errors.
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Increased staff satisfaction with simple interface and fast login.
Next steps:
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Expand AI ordering engine.
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Integrate Payment processors
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Integrate a customer facing display and capture screen for loyalty and communication
