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Compare: iVendNext and LS Retail
LS Retail alternative for multi-store retailers
If LS Retail's LS Central is on your list, compare iVendNext, the open retail platform: one iVendNext POS on a till, a tablet and a phone, stock work on iVendNext Handheld, and the ERP you already run, connected.
This page sets out what each does, so you can judge them on your own stores.
Who this page is for
When LS Central fits, and when iVendNext does
LS Central, from LS Retail, is a retail and hospitality extension of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, sold and delivered by LS Retail's certified partners. It suits retailers who already run Business Central, or who want one Microsoft system for the stores and the books, and its roots are in Northern Europe.
This page is for retail chains that want their stores on a retail platform without moving their finance first: retailers on SAP Business One, SAP S/4HANA, Acumatica, NetSuite, Sage X3 and many others, and retailers who want one system and choose iVendNext's complete back office.
What the retailer needs
What retailers look for when they compare
Keep the ERP you run
Change how the stores work without moving the books first.
Every store the same way
Prices, promotions, returns and approvals that follow head-office rules at every till.
Stock you can trust
Deliveries, counts and transfers recorded where the stock sits, on the stock the stores sell from.
Customisation that survives upgrades
What your partner builds should keep working through the next release.
How iVendNext answers
Run every store. Connect anything. Build what you need.
One POS on the till, the tablet and the phone
Staff learn one screen. Prices, promotions, returns and approvals follow head-office rules at every till, and a request beyond a cashier's limit reaches the manager's own phone.
Stock work where the stock sits
iVendNext Handheld receives deliveries against the purchase order, moves stock between stores, counts shelves, and picks, packs and delivers, on a phone or a rugged scanner. Every movement lands on the stock the stores sell from.
A till that keeps selling when the network drops
iVendNext POS keeps selling when the connection drops and catches up when it returns, so a Saturday outage does not close the store.
Your ERP keeps the books
iVendNext runs the stores and connects to the ERP you already run: SAP Business One, SAP S/4HANA, Acumatica, NetSuite, Sage X3 and many others. The Integrations Hub shows what synced, what is waiting and what needs a decision, and every mismatch is closed with a reason, by whom and when. A retailer who wants one system runs iVendNext's complete back office instead.
AI inside the work
- Foresight forecasts stock, sales and cash flow from your own data and drafts purchase orders for your team to review.
- CoPilot answers questions, drafts documents and runs reports in plain words, on every back-office page.
- AI Gateway connects the AI assistant you already use to your iVendNext data, inside each person's own permissions.
Build what you need, and keep it through upgrades
Your partner or your own team builds on documented extension points, in any language and with their own AI if they like. Apps add to iVendNext without changing its code, so what they build keeps working through every upgrade.
Missed sales and supplier performance, recorded
When a customer leaves because an item is out of stock, the till records the missed demand by item, quantity and reason for the buyers. A supplier scorecard tracks each supplier's item quality, delivery and responsiveness.
At a glance
iVendNext and LS Central, side by side
| What to compare | iVendNext | LS Central |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The open retail platform: the stores, the stock and the web store, connected to the ERP you run. | A retail and hospitality extension of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. |
| Finance and the ERP | Keep SAP Business One, SAP S/4HANA, Acumatica, NetSuite, Sage X3 and many others, or run iVendNext's complete back office. | Business Central underneath, or a larger chain's own ERP through LS Retail's CentralConnect. |
| Selling on a phone | The same iVendNext POS on a counter till, a tablet and a phone. | A native Android mobile POS with a paired card terminal. |
| Stock work | iVendNext Handheld: receive, move, count, pick, pack and deliver on a phone or a rugged scanner. | Mobile Inventory for LS Central: counts, purchase orders and stock transfers. |
| Replenishment | Foresight forecasts stock and drafts purchase orders for your team to review. | Automated replenishment in LS Central, with low-stock alerts. |
| Who delivers | A Solution Partner in your country, or CitiXsys where no partner covers it. | LS Retail's certified partners, with LS Retail's own consulting and services. |
LS Central details come from LS Retail's own website and help pages as read on 26 October 2026. Products change: check any detail with LS Retail before you decide.
What moving looks like
Move store by store, on your own timetable
Use all of iVendNext, or connect the parts you already have. Most retailers start where the pain is and add the rest when it suits them.
See your own stores on it
A demo on your own items, prices and store layout, so you judge it on your trading day, not ours.
Keep the ERP, connect it
Your ERP keeps the books. The Integrations Hub connects it (SAP Business One, SAP S/4HANA, Acumatica, NetSuite, Sage X3 and many others) and shows every sync on one screen.
One store first, then by group
Start with one store, then move by store group or region. A phased move is safer than switching every store at once.
Your partner sets it up
A Solution Partner in your country sets up iVendNext and builds what your business needs. Where no partner covers your country, CitiXsys delivers.
Questions worth asking any vendor
Questions to ask every vendor on your list
- Which ERP will keep your books in five years, and does this proposal ask you to move it?
- What happens to your customisations at the next release, and who re-tests them?
- Can every till, tablet and phone apply the same prices, promotions and approvals?
- Does a delivery or a count post where the stock sits, on the stock the stores sell from?
- Who will deliver the project, and how many retail projects has that team taken live in your region?
- When an item is out of stock, does the system record the missed sale?
Fiscal rules by market
Tax and e-invoicing for the countries you trade in
Tax, e-invoicing, payments and receipts change by country, and they belong in the plan before the first store moves. iVendNext has country modules for these markets, and partners build for others on the same platform.
Saudi Arabia: ZATCA
E-invoicing to the ZATCA rules, through iVendNext's country module for Saudi Arabia.
Kenya: eTIMS and M-Pesa
eTIMS invoice submission and M-Pesa payments for retailers in Kenya.
Mexico: CFDI
CFDI digital invoices for retailers trading in Mexico.
Every other market
iVendNext is set up for your tax structure and companies during the project, and a partner builds a country module where one is needed.
Questions
iVendNext and LS Retail: common questions
What is a good LS Retail alternative for multi-store retailers?
iVendNext is one, for retail chains that want their stores on a retail platform while keeping the ERP they run. The right choice depends on your store network, markets, current systems and plans.
How should I compare LS Central and iVendNext?
Start with your ERP. LS Central runs on Business Central, or connects to a large chain's ERP through CentralConnect; iVendNext connects to the ERP you have or runs its own back office. Then compare store selling, stock work, upgrades and who delivers, on your own workflows.
Does iVendNext replace my existing systems?
Use all of it, or connect what you already have. iVendNext runs the stores, the stock and the web store, and connects to the ERP and systems you already run, so you choose what moves and when.
Does iVendNext POS work offline?
Yes. iVendNext POS keeps selling when the network drops and posts the sales when the connection returns.
Who sets it up, and how does support work?
A Solution Partner in your country sets up iVendNext, or CitiXsys where no partner covers it. Support runs 24 x 7 x 365, with a first response within one hour for critical issues.
What does it cost to start?
Talk to us. We size iVendNext to your stores, devices and markets in a short first conversation and a demo on your own items.
See iVendNext beside LS Central, on your own stores
Bring your items, prices and store layout. We show the same sale on a till, a tablet and a phone, a delivery received on a scanner, and a sale arriving in your ERP.
Building retail solutions? Talk to our partner team.
