Inventory how-to

What inventory reports a small store needs

A small store needs five core reports: a stock-on-hand list, a sales velocity report per variant, a reorder report showing what to order and when, a purchase order status report, and a dead stock report.

Short answer: A small store needs five core reports: a stock-on-hand list, a sales velocity report per variant, a reorder report showing what to order and when, a purchase order status report, and a dead stock report. Together these tell you what you have, what is selling, what to buy, and what to stop buying.

Stock on hand by SKU

This is your baseline. It should show current quantity per variant, not just per product, since sizes and colors sell at different rates. Without this, every other report is guesswork.

Sales velocity per variant

Track units sold per day or per week for each SKU, ideally over a recent window like the last 28 days. This tells you which items are speeding up or slowing down, which matters more than total sales to date.

Reorder report

This combines stock on hand, sales velocity, and supplier lead time into one view: which SKUs are approaching their reorder point and by when you need to place an order. This is the report that actually drives purchasing decisions, the other reports mostly feed into it.

Purchase order status

A list of open POs, what was ordered, what has arrived, and what is still outstanding. Useful for knowing what is already on the way before you order more of the same thing.

Dead stock and slow movers

Items with high days of stock relative to their sales rate. This flags cash tied up in inventory that is not moving, so you can discount it or stop reordering it.

Step by step

  1. List current stock on hand by variant, not just by product
  2. Pull sales units per variant over the last 28 to 90 days to see velocity
  3. Calculate reorder point per SKU using daily sales x (lead time + safety days)
  4. Check open purchase orders so you don't double order stock already incoming
  5. Flag SKUs with high days of stock and low recent sales as dead stock
  6. Review the reorder report weekly, the dead stock report monthly
  7. Act on the reorder report by placing POs before you hit zero stock

Worked example

Suppose a store sells a blue hoodie at 4 units per day on average over the last 28 days. On hand is 60 units, lead time with the supplier is 10 days, and safety stock is 4 days. Reorder point is 4 x (10 + 4) = 56 units. Since on hand (60) is still above 56, no order is needed yet, but it will be in a day or two at this sales rate. Days of stock = 60 / 4 = 15 days, which tells you roughly when you will hit the reorder point.

How SteadyShelf helps

SteadyShelf covers the reorder report directly: it forecasts sales per variant, gives an order-by date per SKU, and sends a weekly reorder email. It does not give you a dedicated dead stock report or general sales analytics, so for slow movers and broader reporting you will still want to pull sales history manually or use your store admin's reports.

$29/month flat, unlimited products and suppliers, 30-day free trial. Run the numbers now with the free reorder point calculator.

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FAQ

How often should I check the reorder report

Weekly is enough for most small stores. Daily checks are only needed for fast-moving items with short lead times, where a few days of delay could mean a stockout.

What counts as dead stock

There is no fixed rule, but a common approach is to flag any SKU with no sales in 60 to 90 days, or with days of stock far beyond what your sales rate justifies, for example 200 days of stock on a slow seller.

Let SteadyShelf do this math for every SKU

Order-by dates per supplier, seasonal forecasts and draft POs for your Shopify store. $29/month after a 30-day free trial.

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