Control your shop's stock: counts, shrink, reorder points and markdowns
A complete store-level stock system for independent shops, store managers and franchisees: know your numbers, receive properly, count what matters, reorder at the right point, clear what does not sell and find where stock goes, fairly.
- A 10-chapter e-book that follows one composite gift and homeware business through two months of fixing its stock, with every step tied to a file
- The Retail Stock Workbook: 19 sheets from SKU master and ABC classes to reorder planner, open-to-buy, receiving, counts, shrink analysis by cause, markdowns and three dashboards
- A 8-sheet Reorder Point and Open-to-Buy Calculator with safety stock, service levels, a lead-time test, a season plan and a size curve
- 4 fillable forms, 38 supplier messages, 11 stock SOPs, a loss prevention plan, a write-off policy, a 13-number KPI card, a 5-page print pack, a calendar and a task board
The Stock, Shrinkage and Reorder System · Bodhih Pro Kits · 230 by Bodhih Training, trainers to 2,000+ companies since 2008.
How do I control stock in a small retail shop?
Track weeks of cover and sell-through for every line, rank lines with ABC analysis, count deliveries by unit and claim shortages the same day, run small cycle counts weekly, reorder at calculated reorder points with safety stock, budget buying with open-to-buy and measure shrink by cause. The Stock, Shrinkage and Reorder System from Bodhih Training gives you a file for each step.
Want the full free guide first? Read How to control stock in a small shop: reorder points, counts, shrink.
You already feel the problem. Here is what it is costing you.
Best sellers run out while the stockroom is full
The lines customers ask for are gone on Saturday, and the stockroom holds things that have not sold for months. Ordering by eye means some weeks you guess well and some weeks you do not.
The stock figure never matches the till
Every count comes in lower than the system says, and nobody can explain why. A loss found once a year is too old to investigate.
Deliveries are signed for, not checked
Boxes are counted, units are not, and short deliveries become your loss the moment someone signs. By the time anyone notices, the claim window has passed.
Markdowns come too late and too shallow
Seasonal lines get a small cut at the end of the season, sell a few, then sit. Money that should fund the next season is stuck on a shelf.
Shrink talk turns into suspicion
Without data, missing stock becomes a conversation about who might be taking it. That hurts the team and usually misses the real causes in receiving, transfers and waste.
Picture the next few weeks with the kit open beside you.
Imagine next Monday morning. You open the workbook with a coffee, type last week's sales into one column and read the dashboard. Three lines need ordering; you check each suggestion against what you know, type your name and send the orders in ten minutes.
As you receive Wednesday's delivery, you open every carton and count by the unit you sell. Two mugs short and one cracked plate: photographed, logged and claimed before lunch, in words you copied from the supplier message library.
When the counts come in, you will see the patterns: a loss in one shop matching a gain in the other, a look-alike candle scanned as its neighbour, a supplier whose cartons keep arriving light. Each one has a cause you can fix, and nobody on your team had to be suspected for you to find it.
By the end of the season, the slow lines have actions, owners and dates, the markdowns are judged on sell-through, and your open-to-buy tells you how much you can spend before the rep arrives. Whether you start with the workbook tonight or the receiving card tomorrow morning, the first hour is already planned for you.
20 files that do the work for you
The e-book shows you how. The tools make it happen. Here is exactly what you download.
The Stock, Shrinkage and Reorder System (e-book, PDF)
The guide: methods, worked examples, scripts and exercises
Start here: stock control map
The whole stock job in eight steps with the file to open at each, your first hour, brand it in five minutes, your first week and a 30/60/90 day plan.
Retail Stock Workbook
19-sheet workbook: settings, SKU master with margin and ABC class, weekly sales and stock with weeks of cover, sell-through and stock turn, reorder planner with safety stock, department view with GMROI, open-to-buy, receiving log, count schedule and variance log, shrink log and analysis by cause, markdown tracker, slow and dead stock, transfers, monthly trend and three dashboards.
Reorder Point and Open-to-Buy Calculator
8-sheet calculator: safety stock, reorder point, order-up-to level and order quantity for one line, the cost of each service level, a lead-time test, a season open-to-buy plan and a size curve, with a summary chart.
Delivery receiving checklist and supplier return note
Four-page fillable form: the delivery check at the door, the line-by-line count against the delivery note, the discrepancy record, and a supplier return note to send with goods going back.
Stock count sheet and variance investigation form
Four-page fillable form: count preparation, a blind count sheet, a recount and sign-off page, and a variance investigation that ends with a cause and a fix.
Markdown decision sheet
Two-page fillable form: the facts on a slow or ending line, the markdown decision with depth and timing, and a four-week review that decides the next step.
Shrink action plan
Three-page fillable plan: the shrink baseline by cause, the top three causes with fair and lawful actions, owners and dates, and a 90-day review.
Supplier message library
38 ready-to-edit messages and scripts in 8 groups: orders, delivery slots, short and wrong deliveries, damage and quality, prices and terms, returns and slow stock, the supplier relationship and notes inside the business.
Stock control SOP pack
11 step-by-step SOPs (receiving, returns to supplier, stockroom and replenishment, cycle counts, full stock take, transfers, write-offs, markdowns, dated stock, online orders from store stock, the weekly stock review) with a training record.
Loss prevention plan template (fair and lawful)
A brand-ready plan for one store or a small group: principles, the shrink baseline, controls by cause, people and training, CCTV and data, incident response that keeps staff safe, and a review cycle.
Write-off and damage authorisation policy, and staff stock notices
A one-page write-off and damage authorisation policy to adopt, plus six ready-to-print staff notices: count day, stockroom rules, receiving rules, transfers, staff purchases and the near-date routine.
Worked example pack: a gift and homeware shop finds its shrink
The kit's main forms and sheets completed for one composite case: two Leeds gift shops trace rising shrink to short deliveries signed by box count, clear dead stock, and set reorder points for their best sellers.
AI prompt pack for stock control
28 tool-agnostic prompts in 7 groups (numbers and range, receiving and suppliers, counts, reorders and buying, markdowns, shrink and loss prevention, team routines), each with what to paste in and what to check.
Reorder and markdown decision card, and mistakes to avoid
Fourteen 'if this, do this' rows for reorders, cover, dead stock, markdowns, dated stock, deliveries, counts and shrink, a 'never' box, and twenty common stock mistakes with what to do instead.
Numbers that matter: KPI card
Thirteen stock numbers with plain-words meaning, exact formula, where each lives in the workbook and what to do when it moves, plus a sample worked out.
Stock rules by country (correct at October 2026)
Dated orientation on stock valuation, date labels on food, CCTV and data protection, retail crime figures, the 4-5-4 calendar and franchise and employment pointers for named countries.
Stockroom and shop floor print pack
Five A4 pages to print and laminate: a stock count rules poster, two receiving checklist cards, near-date and markdown cards, a 'place for everything' stockroom poster, and a 'spot it, log it' write-off poster with a who-to-call box.
Weekly stock review and count calendar
37 events over 90 days: a first-week set-up, a weekly stock review every Monday, cycle counts, markdown reviews, month-end trend updates, open-to-buy, shrink analysis and a 90-day review. Import into Google, Outlook or Apple Calendar.
Stock control task board
33 set-up and routine tasks with list, owner, due day, priority and the kit file to use. Import into Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner or Jira.
Chapter by chapter
Each chapter opens with a real situation, gives you a method and ends with something to do today, using the tools in your kit.
- Format
- PDF e-book + XLSX + fillable PDF + DOCX + printable PDF + ICS + CSV
- Files
- 20 files plus a one-click ZIP
- E-book
- 58 pages
- Workbooks
- 19-sheet stock workbook and 8-sheet calculator, with sample data, formulas and charts
- Works with
- Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice, Word, Google Docs, Acrobat Reader, GoodNotes, Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar, Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner, Jira
- Best for
- Independent shops, store managers, franchisees and area managers running one to ten stores, in any country and currency
The Shop That Ran Out of Candles
Why store stock needs a method, what retail loss research shows, and the eight-step stock control loop on one page.
Stock Is Cash on a Shelf
Weeks of cover, sell-through, stock turn, GMROI and the stock-to-sales ratio in plain words, set up for your shop in an hour.
SKU Discipline and Where to Focus
One code per item, the product hierarchy, barcodes, RFID and negative stock, and ABC analysis to decide where attention goes.
Receiving, Where Shrink Starts
Checking at the door, counting by the unit you sell, discrepancies, damaged goods, same-day claims and returns to supplier.
The Stockroom and the Shop Floor
A labelled home for every line, safe storage, replenishment at set times, planograms and first expiry, first out for dated stock.
Counting That Finds Things
Cycle counts by ABC class and full stock takes, blind counting, recounts and reading variances before you adjust.
Reorder Points, Safety Stock and Order Quantities
Lead time, safety stock, reorder points, order-up-to levels, minimums, packs and the economic order quantity, with a person approving every order.
Open-to-Buy, Seasons and Size Curves
Open-to-buy by month and department, the stock-to-sales ratio, the 4-5-4 retail calendar and splitting a buy across sizes.
Markdowns, Slow Movers and Dead Stock
When and how deep to mark down, judging markdowns on sell-through, the clearance ladder and near-date stock.
Shrinkage, Diagnosed and Handled Fairly
Shrink by cause, malicious and non-malicious, known and unknown, and a loss prevention plan that is fair to customers and staff.
Many Stores, Online Orders and AI
Transfers between stores, franchise ordering, online and quick-commerce orders from store stock, AI with human approval and the weekly review.
The Calm Monday
What a calm Monday looks like when the system holds the details.
Not just reading. Tools you will actually open again.
E-book
- The Stock, Shrinkage and Reorder System: 10 chapters, 2 appendices and 6 hand-drawn figures (PDF)
Start here
- 00-Start-Here-Stock-Control-Map: the whole stock job as eight steps with the file to open at each, your first hour, brand it in five minutes, your first week and a 30/60/90 day plan
Workbooks
- Retail Stock Workbook (19 sheets): Start here, Settings, SKU Master with margin and ABC class, Weekly Sales and Stock with weeks of cover, sell-through and stock turn, Reorder Planner, Department View with GMROI, Open-to-Buy, Receiving Log, Count Schedule, Count Variance Log, Shrink Log, Shrink Analysis, Markdown Tracker, Slow and Dead Stock, Transfers, Trend, and three dashboards with a shrink trend chart, weeks of cover by department and shrink by cause
- Reorder Point and Open-to-Buy Calculator (8 sheets): safety stock, reorder point and order quantity for one line, the cost of each service level, a lead-time test, a season open-to-buy plan, a size curve and a summary chart
Fillable PDF forms
- Delivery receiving checklist and supplier return note: the door check, the line-by-line count, the discrepancy record and a return note to send with goods
- Stock count sheet and variance investigation: count preparation, a blind count sheet, recounts and sign-off, and an eight-check investigation
- Markdown decision sheet: the facts, the options, the depth and date, and a four-week review
- Shrink action plan: the baseline by cause, three causes with fair actions, owners and dates, and a 90-day review
Word templates (brand-ready)
- Supplier message library: 38 messages and scripts for orders, delivery slots, short and damaged deliveries, prices and terms, returns, the supplier relationship and notes inside the business
- Stock control SOP pack: 11 step-by-step SOPs and a training record
- Loss prevention plan template: principles, baseline, controls by cause, people, CCTV and data, incident response that keeps staff safe, and review
- Write-off and damage authorisation policy (one page to adopt) with 6 staff stock notices
- Worked example pack: a composite two-shop gift and homeware business finds its shrink, clears dead stock and sets reorder points
- AI prompt pack: 28 prompts, each with what to paste in and what to check
Cheat sheets
- Reorder and markdown decision card with 14 'if this, do this' rows and 20 mistakes to avoid
- Numbers that matter KPI card: 13 numbers with meaning, exact formula, where each lives and what to do when it moves
- Stock rules by country, correct at October 2026: stock valuation, food date labels, CCTV and data, retail crime figures, the 4-5-4 calendar and franchise pointers
Print pack
- Stockroom and shop floor print pack (5 A4 pages): count rules poster, receiving cards, near-date and markdown cards, a 'place for everything' stockroom poster and a 'spot it, log it' poster with a who-to-call box
Calendar and import
- Weekly stock review and count calendar (ICS): 37 events over 90 days for Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar
- Stock control task board (CSV): 33 tasks for Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner or Jira
When you have worked through it, you will be able to…
Every outcome is practised with a worked example and a tool, not just described.
- Work out weeks of cover, sell-through, stock turn and GMROI for every line and department
- Rank your lines with ABC analysis and set counting and service levels by class
- Receive deliveries by unit and claim shortages and damage the same day
- Run blind cycle counts and investigate variances before adjusting stock
- Calculate safety stock and reorder points and approve suggested orders
- Budget buying by month and department with open-to-buy
- Judge markdowns on sell-through and give every slow line an action
- Measure shrink by cause and plan fair, lawful actions with a 90-day review
Know your starting point. Prove your progress.
People who measure before and after improve faster and can show it. AssessAll, our sister assessment platform, has AI-graded assessments that pair with this kit. Take one now, work through the kit, then re-take it.
Demand and Inventory Planning Judgment for Supply Chain and Operations Teams
Take the assessment →AssessAll assessmentAttention to Detail & Error Checking
Take the assessment →AssessAll assessmentWarehouse & Logistics Operations Judgment
Take the assessment →JobularyIf-then plans that make habits stick (Jobulary)
Make it a growth plan →A taste of Chapter 1
A stock value on its own means little. Five thousand pounds of stock is lean for a shop selling a thousand a week and heavy for one selling two hundred. Weeks of cover puts stock and sales in the same sentence. Set a target on the Settings sheet (the sample uses eight weeks), plus a low alert and a high alert. The workbook flags every line below the low alert as Low cover and every line above the high alert as Overstocked. In the sample, the fig and cedar candle shows Low cover and the bottle openers show No sales: the two problems from the Saturday scene, found by a formula in seconds. Grocery and convenience run short cover because goods are fresh and suppliers deliver often. Gifts, homeware and fashion run longer because suppliers are slower and customers expect choice. There is no universal right answer. Your own first eight weeks of figures will show you what normal looks like for your shop.
The honest comparison
| Free templates and typical advice | This kit | |
|---|---|---|
| Reordering | By eye when the shelf looks thin | Reorder points and safety stock from your own sales, with a person approving every order |
| Counting | One big count a year | Blind cycle counts by ABC class every week, with recounts and an investigation page |
| Receiving | Sign for the boxes | Count by unit, log every line, claim the same day with 38 supplier messages to hand |
| Shrink | Assume it is theft | Shrink analysis by six causes and a loss prevention plan that is fair to customers and staff |
| Markdowns | A small cut at the end of the season | Decisions on sell-through after four weeks, and a clearance ladder |
| Buying | Whatever the rep suggests | Open-to-buy by month and department, and size curves |
| Country rules | Advice that assumes one country | A dated sheet covering the UK, US, India, Australia, the EU and pointers elsewhere |
Made for you if…
- Independent shop owners in gifts, homeware, fashion, grocery and convenience, books, electronics, specialty food and pharmacy front-of-store
- Store managers and assistant managers who own stock, counts and ordering
- Franchisees running one to ten units who order from a central warehouse or approved suppliers
- Multi-site and area managers who move stock between stores and review shrink
- Small franchisors setting stock standards for their network
- Retailers in India, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, the Gulf, Singapore, the Philippines, Africa and Europe
Probably not for you if…
- Warehouse and distribution centre teams: The Inventory and Warehouse Control Kit covers that job
- Anyone looking for legal, tax or accounting advice on stock valuation, CCTV or franchise agreements: the kit is educational and points you to your accountant, lawyer and regulator, with country notes dated October 2026
- Anyone wanting a guaranteed cut in shrink or a rise in sales: the kit gives you a method and tools, not promises
Built by trainers, tested in real rooms.
Bodhih Training has designed and delivered corporate programmes since 2008. Bodhih Pro Kits package what works in those workshops into a guide plus the exact tools we use, so you can apply it the same day without a facilitator in the room.
From here to using it in three steps
- STEP 1
Tap Get the kit
Name, email and country. UPI, card or netbanking in India; international cards everywhere else. No account to create.
- STEP 2
Download instantly
Your download page opens at once, with every file and a one-click ZIP. A permanent link lands in your inbox too.
- STEP 3
Open the first tool
Start with the quick-start chapter, then the main spreadsheet or planner. Most buyers use something from the kit the same day.
Your stock system starts with twenty lines and one delivery.
Open the Start Here map, type your twenty best sellers into the workbook and put the receiving card on the delivery door. Whether you begin with the e-book this evening or the first count tomorrow morning, the next step is already written down.
Personal licence for the buyer's own use (and use with your own team or clients where the kit says so). Please don't share or resell the files. Team and company licences: solutions@bodhih.com.
What buyers say
No ratings yet. Only people who have bought this kit can rate it - every buyer gets a one-click rating link a couple of days after their purchase.
The Bodhih family, when you are ready for more
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AssessAll
250+ AI-graded assessments to measure skills and earn verified credentials.
Jobulary
Individual development plans that start from evidence and stay yours.
Bodhih Training
Run this topic as a live workshop for your team, in person or online.
Pewple
Book a vetted coach for career, leadership or communication. Pay per session.
Bodhih.org pathways
Certification pathways in Applied AI, Workplace English and management.
The Stock, Shrinkage and Reorder System: FAQs
Read the free guideAlready bought? Resend my linkHow do I calculate a reorder point for my shop?
Multiply average weekly sales by the lead time in weeks and add safety stock. Safety stock covers weeks when sales run high: the kit works it out from how much your weekly sales vary, the lead time and the service level you choose. The calculator does the arithmetic and the Reorder Planner applies it to every line.
What is a normal shrink rate for a small shop?
It varies widely by type of shop and country. For context, the US National Retail Federation's National Retail Security Survey 2023 reported an average of 1.6% of sales for fiscal 2022. Use your own first eight weeks as your baseline and measure shrink by cause rather than chasing a benchmark.
How often should I count stock?
Count a small part of the shop every week and your most important lines most often: the kit suggests weekly or fortnightly for A lines, monthly for B lines and quarterly for C lines. Do a full stock take when your accountant needs one, often at your year end.
Can I use this with my staff?
Yes. Use the files with your own staff and stores within your own business under the personal licence. Company and multi-site licences, for example for a franchise network, are available through solutions@bodhih.com.
Does it work in my country?
The method works anywhere and the workbooks take any currency and tax rate. The dated rules sheet covers stock valuation, food date labels and CCTV for named countries including the UK, US, India and Australia, with pointers elsewhere. Laws change and differ locally, so check your accountant, lawyer and regulator.
Is this legal, tax or accounting advice?
No. The kit is educational. Stock values in the workbook are for running the shop; your accountant decides the valuation for your accounts and tax. The loss prevention plan and policies are starting points for your adviser to check against local law.
How do I measure my starting point?
AssessAll offers assessments that fit this kit, including Demand and Inventory Planning Judgment for Supply Chain and Operations Teams, Attention to Detail & Error Checking and Warehouse & Logistics Operations Judgment. Take one before you start and again after 90 days. Links are on the Start Here map; the assessments are separate products, not included.
How do I make the weekly review a habit?
Tie it to a fixed cue, such as Monday at 8.30 with the first coffee. Jobulary's guide to if-then plans explains how to set that kind of plan, and the link is on the Start Here map. The calendar file puts every review in your diary for 90 days.
Can I use AI tools for stock control?
Yes, for drafting supplier claims, summarising logs, spotting patterns in counts and checking suggested orders. A person approves every order, price change and write-off. The AI prompt pack has 28 prompts, each with what to paste in and what to check.
Which software do I need?
The workbooks open in Excel, Google Sheets or LibreOffice with no macros. Forms fill in Acrobat Reader and most PDF apps, templates open in Word or Google Docs, the calendar imports into Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar, and the CSV imports into Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner or Jira.
What is the refund policy?
Digital kits are non-refundable once downloaded. The exceptions are corrupted files that are not fixed within 3 working days, duplicate charges, or failed delivery.
How much does The Stock, Shrinkage and Reorder System cost?
₹999 including 18% GST for buyers in India, or $29 for buyers outside India. One-time payment, no subscription, with an automatic invoice.
How do I get the files after paying?
Instantly. Your download page opens the moment payment succeeds, and a permanent download link is emailed to you. Download each file separately or everything in one ZIP.
What software do I need?
Any of the usual tools: Excel or Google Sheets for spreadsheets, Word or Google Docs for templates, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Preview, Xodo or GoodNotes for the fillable PDFs, and Google, Outlook or Apple Calendar for the calendar plan.
Can I get a refund?
Because it is a digital download, kits are not refundable once downloaded. We always refund a duplicate charge or a failed delivery, and if a file is corrupted and we cannot fix it within 3 working days. Full terms: bodhih.org/refunds.
Can my company buy this for a team?
Yes. Team and company licences, and workshops on this topic run by Bodhih Training, are available. Write to solutions@bodhih.com or call +91 99000 11601.
