Square’s Latest Deals Show Its POS Directions As It Seeks More Merchants

Square Inc., the point-of-sale technology platform from Block Inc., announced two new deals late Wednesday and early Thursday that underscore its POS ambitions both domestically and abroad.

In Chicago, Square said a seafood seller called The Fish Guy has installed an e-commerce service supported by Square and eGrowcery, a Birmingham, Mich,-based technology provider. Square says its role is linking the e-commerce system to its payments platform. EGrocery’s software is aimed at enabling online sales for grocery stores.

As summed up by Block executives, the object of the collaboration is simplicity. “We’re making it easier for independent merchants to deliver a frictionless shopping, checkout, and fulfillment experience,” says Morgan Kuntze, the lead for global partnerships at Block, in a statement.

The installation underscores Square’s longstanding stress on processing payments for local retailers, the company says. The technology could also help small or one-store shops maintain a competitive stance against chains and larger stores, observers say. Information was not immediately available regarding how the system is priced.

In a more ambitious project, Square has also signed The Pancake Parlor, a brand in Australia operating 13 restaurants. The 60-year-old company was looking to overhaul its operations, officials say. “We had built up a fractured tech stack. Our systems weren’t talking to each other, reporting was limited, and it created unnecessary friction for our teams,” says Steven Babo, head of strategy at The Pancake Parlor, in a statement.

Once under way, the overhaul moved quickly, completing the link to Square within eight days, Square says, despite the complexity of the job, which included updates to other functions such as reporting. “Established brands like The Pancake Parlor require more than a point of sale,” said David Schnabl, head of account management at Square Australia, in a statement.

Square, which says its merchant count has reached 4.5 million around the world, said earlier this year it is seeking out more merchants while relying on its longstanding base of business partners to help recruit sellers. At the same time,  Block said last month it plans to shed 40% of its workforce as it relies more heavily on AI technology.