How often should I do a stock-take?

A full count at least once a month, and a quick check on your fastest sellers and most valuable items every week.

Does the template work in Google Sheets?

Yes. Open Google Sheets, choose File, then Import, and upload the file. The formulas work the same way.

Can I import the template into SaleTick?

Yes. SaleTick's import reads Excel and CSV files and matches your columns to its own fields. Use the counted quantity as your stock level when you import.

Is there a faster way to count stock?

With SaleTick you can snap a photo of a shelf and it counts the items for you, and stock updates with every sale so the system figure stays current.

Free tool

Free stock-taking template

Download a ready-made stock-taking sheet for Excel or Google Sheets. List what you should have, enter what you counted, and the sheet works out the difference and its value in Naira for each product.

Download the template

A CSV file that opens in Excel, Google Sheets and most spreadsheet apps on your phone. Free, no sign-up.

Download stock-taking template

What is in the sheet

Product name: What the item is called
Category: Optional, for grouping
Barcode: Optional
Cost price: What you paid per unit, in Naira
Selling price: What you sell it for
Expected quantity: What your records say you have
Counted quantity: What you actually counted
Difference: Worked out for you
Value of difference: Worked out for you, in Naira

The first three rows are examples. Replace them with your own products.

How to do a stock-take, step by step

1
Pick a quiet time
Count before opening or after closing, when no sales are happening, so the numbers do not change while you count.
2
Fill in what you should have
List each product with its cost price and the quantity your records say you should have.
3
Count shelf by shelf
Count the shop floor and the store separately, one shelf or section at a time, and write the total in the counted column.
4
Recount big differences
If a product is far off, count it again before deciding stock is missing.
5
Act on the result
Look at the total value of the differences, find out where large gaps came from, and update your records to the counted figures.

What the template calculates

For each product you enter the quantity your records say you should have and the quantity you actually counted.

The sheet works out the difference and multiplies it by the cost price, so you can see in Naira how much stock is missing or extra.

Difference = Counted quantity − Expected quantity
Value of difference = Difference × Cost price

Example: one product line

Your records say you should have 40 tins of milk.
You count 36 tins on the shelf and in the store.
Difference = 36 − 40 = −4 tins.
At a cost price of ₦1,200, that is ₦4,800 of missing stock.

Use the same sheet to move into SaleTick

The template uses column names SaleTick's import understands: product name, category, barcode, cost price, selling price and quantity. After your count, you can import the sheet so SaleTick starts with the stock you actually have.

Stock-Taking Template: common questions

How often should I do a stock-take?: A full count at least once a month, and a quick check on your fastest sellers and most valuable items every week.
Does the template work in Google Sheets?: Yes. Open Google Sheets, choose File, then Import, and upload the file. The formulas work the same way.
Can I import the template into SaleTick?: Yes. SaleTick's import reads Excel and CSV files and matches your columns to its own fields. Use the counted quantity as your stock level when you import.
Is there a faster way to count stock?: With SaleTick you can snap a photo of a shelf and it counts the items for you, and stock updates with every sale so the system figure stays current.

More free tools

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