Building your item list in one day

Every shopkeeper who wants to start keeping records runs into the same obstacle: "First I have to list every product, and that will take weeks." For an average shop this simply is not true. With good preparation you can build a list of several hundred items in one day, after closing time. Here is how to do it step by step.

Preparation the day before

Half the job is settled before the counting starts. In the evening, get ready:

• printed sheets, or an empty table on a tablet or laptop;
• two pens and a marker;
• a plan of the shop divided into zones: till area, wall shelves, display case, storeroom;
• two helpers, one to count and one to write.

Keep the columns simple: item name, unit of measure, quantity and a note. Prices can wait. What matters now is capturing the goods themselves and how many there are.

On count day, close earlier than usual or warn customers in advance. If trading continues, the figures change during the count and the result cannot be trusted. If the till must stay open, keep a separate notebook of what is sold and subtract it from the list afterwards.

Agree on a naming rule in advance

Most of the confusion comes from one product being written in different ways. Before counting, set a rule: product type first, then brand, then size. For example "Oil sunflower 1 l", "Oil sunflower 5 l", "Tea black 100 g". When you sort alphabetically, similar items then sit side by side and duplicates are easy to spot.

Write units of measure the same way too: not "pcs" in one place and "pieces" in another. Count loose goods sold by weight (sugar, rice, nuts) in kilograms and packaged goods in pieces, and do not mix the two methods.

Your helper must follow the same rule, so explain it with an example before counting begins.

The counting routine

Split the shop into zones and finish each one completely. The routine:

1. Choose a zone and start the shelf in the top left corner.
2. Move top to bottom and left to right: count each type of item and say the figure aloud to your helper.
3. The helper writes the name and quantity straight away, never guessing, and asks again if they did not hear clearly.
4. When the zone is finished, stick a "counted" note on the shelf or section.
5. Move on to the next zone.

Count boxed goods too: "10 boxes of 12" is more accurate than "120 pieces", because it is easy to check later.

Estimating the time

A rough guide: two people can count and record 100 to 150 item types in an hour if the goods are simple. So four to eight hours is enough for a shop of 300 to 500 items. If the goods are very small (cosmetics, accessories, spare parts), it will take longer. Measure your own speed after the first hour and plan the rest from it.

Take a 10-minute break every two hours. A tired person writes the same number twice or drops a zero, and 20 pieces turn into 200. Leave the awkward places for last, such as high shelves, goods between boxes and storeroom corners, and set aside separate time for them.

After the count: cleaning up the list

In the evening or the next day, copy the list to a computer and do the following:

• sort alphabetically, then find and merge duplicates;
• give each item an internal code (we have a separate article on this);
• group the goods by category;
• add purchase and selling prices;
• resolve the lines from the "to check" list.

The result is your first "zero point": an exact balance as of today's date. Every later receipt and sale is counted from that number.

Conclusion

You can build the list in a day if you have preparation, one naming rule and a team of two. What matters is not flawless execution but making the start: on the second count the list cleans itself up. If your shop carries a great deal of stock or you are short of time, the AniqHisob team can build the list for you and hand over the stock count results as a ready-made table.