Breadcrumb, Groupon’s suite of iPad point-of-sale products, announced several new updates to its free Breadcrumb POS app that helps local merchants build relationships with their customers and manage their employees effectively.

The Breadcrumb team conducted on-premise research and interviewed merchants about their biggest point-of-sale obstacles. The new updates are a reflection of how a technological solution can address some of these operational challenges.

The update includes new Customer Relationship Management (CRM), which tracks customers, stores their contact information, analyzes purchase behaviors, and records notes on their preferences. Employee management features allow merchants to set functions for specific roles and employees, assign transactions to individual team members, filter sales and product reports, and track commissions and tips.

An SKU feature uses the iPad’s built-in camera to scan standard barcode SKUs, allowing companies to edit items faster and speed up the checkout experience. Finally, the update allows merchants to upload images for each menu item to make them easier to find.

Varun Krishna, Breadcrumb’s director of product, is most excited about the new CRM capabilities. “When I checkout the tea place down the street from my apartment or my barber, the reason I leave with strong sense of loyalty is because they remember me and what my preferences are,” she says. “We’re providing local merchants across the country with the ability to develop the same type of relationship with their customers using automated insight.”

Breadcrumb POS aims to provide merchants with a point-of-sale experience that’s tailored to individual needs. The app comes with free 24/7 customer support and integrated payment processing backed by a low-price for credit card purchases with rates of 1.8 percent plus 15 cents per transaction (for MasterCard, Visa, and Discover) and no monthly fees.