A simple inventory system for a small store

September 29, 2026 · 3 min read

You do not need a warehouse system. You need to know three things: what you have, what is running low, and what went missing.

Start with one full count

Close for an hour or do it after hours. Count every item and write down the quantity and what you paid for it. This is your starting point. Without it, every later number is a guess.

Track what comes in and what goes out

Stock only changes in a few ways. If you record each one, your count stays right:

• Deliveries add stock. Write the quantity and the price you paid.
• Sales remove stock.
• Returns from customers may add stock back.
• Losses such as expired, broken or used in the store remove stock.

If an item goes missing and none of these explain it, you have a leak. That is the number to watch.

Set a reorder level for each item

For every product, decide the number where you should buy more. For eggs that might be one tray. For shampoo sachets, one strip. When stock drops to that level, it goes on your shopping list.

Count part of the store every week

A full count every month is tiring. Instead, count one shelf or one category each week. Compare it with what your records say. Small differences are normal. Big ones tell you where to look.

Watch expiry dates

Put new stock at the back and older stock in front. Check dates on bread, milk and canned goods when you restock. Expired goods are money thrown away.

Let the phone do the counting

With a POS, every sale takes the item off your count automatically. You only record deliveries and losses. Tindro’s inventory warns you when an item hits its low level and keeps a history of who changed what and why.

Questions