Count the delivery against the actual order
Keep the purchase order, item identifier, variant and physical count together. A matching quantity is meaningful only if the product and unit match as well. Record damage or substitution separately instead of hiding it in the total.
When the delivery differs, prepare the item-by-item exception and the information needed for a conversation with the supplier. The owner or receiving employee can check the box and decide how the shop records the result.
Use stock lists to decide what needs attention
For a reorder review, compare a recent count with the threshold the owner has set and note confirmed stock already on its way. A missing threshold or an uncertain incoming delivery makes the suggested quantity incomplete.
A weekly aging review needs receipt dates, current stock and sales over a defined period. Keep seasonal exclusions visible. An item appearing on the list is a prompt for the owner to consider its place or price, not an instruction to discount it.
Keep condition and cost distinct from the sale decision
When an item is returned, a staff member can record the inspected condition and the item variant. A damaged item should not be treated as available for resale merely because it came back through the door; a refund is a separate decision.
For a new delivery, compare the old and new unit costs against the current selling price only after checking pack sizes. Show the calculation and let the owner decide whether a shelf price should change.
Work you can get help with
Illustrative scenario using sample information.
Check a delivery against the purchase order
Compare ordered variants and quantities with the physical count and delivery note.
- What you provide
- Purchase order, SKU and variant, expected and counted quantities, delivery document and any damage or substitution.
- The useful result
- A line-by-line receiving comparison and an exception list.
- When the task is complete
- The receiving person has verified each line and recorded the accepted quantities or the unresolved supplier exception.
- What still needs checking
- A substitute, damaged item or quantity difference needs a person to check it before acceptance.
Review stock below a reorder threshold
Compare a current count with the owner's threshold and the known status of deliveries already on the way.
- What you provide
- SKU, recent count, owner's threshold, incoming deliveries, supplier and order cutoff.
- The useful result
- A list of items below threshold with the known gap and any uncertain incoming stock.
- When the task is complete
- The owner has reviewed the list and decided what, if anything, to order.
- What still needs checking
- Do not place an order or calculate a definite gap from stale or missing stock information.
Keep a damaged return out of resale stock
Organise the inspected return by item, variant, quantity and condition for the shop's stock review.
- What you provide
- SKU and variant, returned quantity, staff inspection result, reason and inspection time.
- The useful result
- A proposed stock record identifying the damaged item and the reason for that status.
- When the task is complete
- An authorised staff member has confirmed the condition and recorded the appropriate stock outcome in the shop's process.
- What still needs checking
- The example does not decide a refund or resolve a consumer dispute.
Review older stock
List items by their recorded receipt date, current quantity and sales in the chosen period, with seasonal exclusions.
- What you provide
- SKU and count, receipt date, sales in the chosen period, cost if available and seasonal exclusions.
- The useful result
- An aging-stock review showing the source details and items that need better data.
- When the task is complete
- The owner has reviewed the items and made or deferred a decision on each relevant product.
- What still needs checking
- A list is not an instruction to reduce the price.
See the effect of a supplier cost change
Compare the previous and new unit costs for the same variant with the current selling price.
- What you provide
- SKU and variant, previous unit cost, new cost and pack size, and current selling price.
- The useful result
- A cost-change comparison and a gross-margin calculation where the figures are comparable.
- When the task is complete
- The owner has checked the comparable costs and decided whether to keep or change the selling price.
- What still needs checking
- Different pack sizes or missing prices must be resolved before comparison; no shelf price is changed by the draft.
Questions you may have
Does a matching total mean a delivery is correct?
No. Check the SKU and variant as well as the quantity. Twelve items in the box may include a substitution that was not ordered.
Should a returned product automatically go back on the shelf?
Have a staff member inspect and identify it first. Record a damaged or uncertain item separately from stock ready for resale, and handle any refund decision independently.
Can I compare a new case price with my old unit cost?
Only after converting the new case to the same unit using a known pack size. If the size or item is unclear, hold the comparison for review.
Can I connect my shop's inventory?
The demo uses sample company data. Ask whether your inventory source and the receiving comparison are available before planning a live workflow.
Sources and further reading
- Retail POS System and Software | Square
Square describes retail inventory, purchase orders and aging stock in its product.
- View, receive, and adjust inventory
Square documents inventory receiving, damage and return reasons, unit cost and margin fields.
- Where do you draw the line with inventory management software? (for small businesses)
A public small-business discussion raises questions about inventory management and an unavailable item.
- For Small Business Owners in the Retail Industry, what System do you Use?
A self-described retail owner asks about managing orders, physical stock and sales across spreadsheets.
The demo uses sample company data. Access may need to be arranged.
Explore the demo