Stock counts on Fridays

Why weekly beats yearly

A lot of owners we work with in Soweto, Pinetown and Bellville do one big stock take in February for the accountant and nothing in between. By then nobody remembers why there are twelve fewer units of a fast seller or why the storeroom has three cartons of something that stopped selling in winter. The gap shows up on paper as a loss and the cash is already gone.

A weekly count does not have to cover everything. It covers the items that move fast, cost the most or walk out the door easiest. That is usually twenty or thirty lines, and it takes one person about twenty minutes on a Friday afternoon.

Set it up once

• Pick your top lines by value and by speed, not more than thirty
• Give each line a fixed shelf spot so counting is quick
• Use one sheet or one spreadsheet tab, the same every week
• Same person counts, a second person spot checks once a month

What to do with the numbers

Compare the count with what your system or till says you should have. Small differences happen, a breakage, a sample given to a customer. When the same line is short three weeks in a row, that is a pattern and it needs a conversation. Write a short note next to any gap with the reason if you know it. Over a few months those notes show you whether the problem is theft, receiving mistakes or just sloppy capturing.

The count also feeds your reorders. If a line is running low on Friday, the order goes in Monday morning instead of the day it runs out. That helps your supplier relationship too, nobody likes a panic call for same day delivery. Our cash triage note explains how stock and cash flow tie together when money is tight.

Keep it human

Do not turn the count into an accusation. Most staff are honest and a count that feels like a police check gets skipped quietly. Make it a normal Friday job, like cashing up, and thank whoever does it. Our rituals pages have more weekly habits that small teams actually keep, and the kits include ready count sheets.

If you want help choosing your thirty lines or setting up a simple sheet, send us your rough stock list through our contact form and we will suggest a starting point.