Lightspeed helps The Rescue Mission Alliance expand their impact

The need for quicker checkout and clearer data insights

Thrifty Shopper has attracted a growing customer base over the years, but as their business has expanded, their POS system hasn’t been able to keep up.

“There were times when a customer would have to wait for five minutes for their credit card transaction to be approved after swiping it,” says Brent Piech, Thrifty Shopper’s sales manager.

They were also using an analytic tool that was overly complex—so much so that they had to manage their own server to keep it running. 

“It was like using an 18 Wheeler to go grocery shopping,” says Brent. As a team dedicated to supporting their community and constantly evolving, they knew they needed to upgrade to more intuitive technology—something that would fit with their ambition and philanthropic mission.

Unlocking efficiencies with Lightspeed

Switching to Lightspeed was a game-changer for Rescue Mission Alliance and Thrifty Shopper. Employees and customers alike were blown away by the speed of their transactions. With a 95% efficiency increase, customers move through the check out seamlessly. 

Additionally, the Thrifty Shopper team has been pleasantly surprised by the quick and efficient support they’ve received from Lightspeed if they ever have questions. 

“It’s night and day when you can email, call or chat and actually get help versus making a phone call and just being placed on hold for hours,” says Brent. “That’s no small factor.”

Learning all there is to know about their customers and sales 

For Brent, Lightspeed’s reporting capabilities are the real standout. He relies heavily on reporting and finds value with the ability to create custom made reports, tracking key metrics like average selling price, sell-through rates and fundraising performance.

Weekly reports help him spot sales trends, identify areas for improvement and catch discrepancies in inventory. He also leverages these tools to evaluate store performance, optimize layout and improve shipping and sorting.

Driving growth and community impact

For the past few years, Thrifty Shopper has set a goal of opening one store annually, and Lightspeed has helped them get there. Although not always possible due to rising rates and finding the right location, their ambitions remain high—especially because they know the community they’re supporting needs more help than ever. 

For Brent, it’s the mission that drives him forward. “I love what I do, I love the people I work with and I love what the organization stands for,” he says. “When people here are able to break the cycle of addiction, find supportive housing and reestablish relationships with their family, that not only impacts that one person—it’s all the lives that one person touches.”