Get Started With Toast Retail

Last updated: Mar 25, 2026, 1:47 PM

Toast Retail provides one platform that can meet both retail and food service needs in order to create a seamless guest experience.

In this Article:

 

Toast Retail is not currently available to customers in Australia. 

 

Toast Retail Overview

Toast Retail software works with your Toast POS to provide an all-in-one platform to meet your retail needs. Access powerful inventory management tools that make creating and managing SKUs, adding inventory, and publishing rich product descriptions across all your channels a breeze. 

 

This article covers the steps you’ll take to get started with using Toast Retail:

  • Learn how to access & navigate the most commonly used pages and features within Toast Retail.
  • Set up your item library to get your inventory data into Toast.
  • Review your Toast Web configurations to prepare for business operations.
  • Install hardware like scanners and scales to support your retail business. 


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Navigate Toast Retail

Once you’ve created your Toast Web account, you can access Toast Retail by selecting the Retail button on the left-hand navigation menu in Toast Web. Once you’ve built your item library in Toast, this will bring you to your Retail Dashboard, which shows you data on top sellers, high-level inventory stats, and links to common actions and helpful resources. 

 

Retail Dashboard view in Toast Web showing navigation on the left, top sellers data in the middle, and quick links on the bottom

 

Within the Toast Retail module, a navigation menu will appear on the left side of the screen (select the arrow icon in the top left corner to expand or collapse). Here, you can access the different sections of your retail back-end:

  • Reporting contains links to all retail-specific reports. You can also access these reports in Toast Web by navigating to Reports on the main left-hand navigation menu and opening the Retail drop-down.
  • Item management includes configuration pages that contain data about your inventory & suppliers. 
    • Your item library is where you’ll manage your entire list of retail items. 
  • The Purchasing pages are where you’ll create and manage purchase orders and invoices, and conduct cross-location inventory transfers. 
  • The Settings pages are where you can adjust online ordering display preferences for retail items, your Shopify integration configuration, and cross-location transfer notifications.

 

You can also access Toast Retail on your mobile device by logging on to Toast Web on a web browser! This mobile view allows you to use your phone’s camera to scan barcodes and quickly conduct actions like receiving or counting inventory.

 

Retail dashboard view on mobile

 

There is not a separate Toast Retail app, and there are no specific retail functions on the Toast Now app.

 

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Set Up Your Toast Retail Item Library

Your item library in Toast Retail is a searchable grid of your retail inventory with the ability to track additional data about items like suppliers and cost. The first time you visit the Retail page in Toast Web, you’ll be presented with three options for building your item library:

  • Import items using a spreadsheet
  • Select from existing menu(s) - if you’ve got menus set up in Toast Web, you can choose which menus to manage with Toast Retail
  • Start a new item library by creating items from scratch.

 

For instructions and recommendations, see Toast Retail: Set Up Your Item Library.

 

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Configure Toast Web for Retail

Toast Web (www.toasttab.com/login) is where you’ll configure general settings for your business, including employee access and permissions, tax rates, payment options, sales reporting settings, and more. There are also some setup and customization steps you’ll want to complete on your POS terminals before you start selling items to guests.

 

You can find a list of these settings in this Support Center article: Set Up Toast Web and Your POS for Retail.

 

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Set Up Hardware For Toast Retail 

In addition to your POS terminals, Toast Go® handhelds (if you’re using them!), and receipt printers, you’ll want to install any other hardware you’ll be using to support your retail operations, including:

  • A barcode label printer. When you print a label from the Toast Retail module, it will prompt you to use your computer’s installed printer drivers. Toast does not sell barcode label printers. Any label printer will be installed on and connected to a computer, not to the POS system. Dymo and Zebra have several printer options available that create labels in these supported sizes, including the Dymo LabelWriter 550/450, the Zebra ZSB-12, and the Zebra 410.
  • Barcode scanners. For a full list of supported scanners and setup instructions, see this Support Center article: Set up and Use a Scanner.
    Scales. If you sell items with prices determined by their weight, you’ll need to purchase and install a scale. For instructions on setting up a Brecknell 6710U,
  • CAS PD-II, or Zebra MP7000 scale, see this Support Center article: Use a Scale With Toast.

 

If you need to purchase any hardware from Toast, you can do so by logging in to Toast Web and selecting Shop from the left-hand navigation. 

 

For installation instructions for any other Toast hardware, you can check out the Toast Hardware Hub. 
 
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What's Next? Keep Learning With Toast Retail

 

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