Inventory and customer tabs for grocery stores and small retailers
Hundreds of products, thin margins, deliveries every day and regulars who pay at the end of the month: when a small shop keeps its records in several places, what quietly disappears is profit. This page shows how a store sets up stock, customer accounts and cash in GiroPS.
Set each product up once with a barcode and stock code, book supplier deliveries as purchase invoices, and sell by scanning. A sale on credit goes onto the customer's account and payments go into cash or bank. Low-stock alerts flag what is running out before the shelf is empty.
Why a shop's records drift
A retail store carries many items and earns little on each one. A case miscounted on the shelf, a price rise that reaches the label a week late, a purchase on tab that never made it into the notebook: none of these shows up until the month is over.
The problem is rarely missing information. It is information kept in three places: stock in your head or a spreadsheet, tabs in a paper notebook, cash in the drawer. GiroPS brings the three together in the same product, contact and cash records.
Product records, barcodes and quick sales
Each product gets a name, stock code, barcode, unit, purchase price and selling price. If you already have a product list, import it from Excel. For goods you buy by the case and sell individually, choosing the right unit from day one prevents most later count differences.
In the quick barcode mode of the sales screen you scan items one after another with the phone camera or a USB or Bluetooth scanner. Selling into negative stock is allowed, so an item you have not counted yet never blocks a sale.
- Stock code and barcode stop the same item being created twice
- Purchase price is the basis for profit and stock value
- A low-stock level tells you when to reorder
- Warehouses let you track the back room and the shop floor separately
Supplier deliveries and low stock
Booking a delivery as a purchase invoice raises stock and adds the amount to what you owe that supplier. Documents are shared as PDFs; they do not replace fiscal receipts or official e-invoicing where your country requires them.
Products that fall below their low-stock level appear as alerts on the home screen. Building the weekly order from those alerts costs far less than hearing about an empty shelf from a customer. You can also record what you ordered from the wholesaler as an order and turn it into an invoice when the goods arrive.
Customer tabs and the end-of-day cash check
Every customer who buys on credit becomes a contact. A sales invoice adds to their balance and each payment brings it down. You can send the statement over WhatsApp and spot slow payers in the aging report.
Open separate cash and bank accounts for cash, card takings and the bank. Comparing the counted cash with the balance in the app at closing time lets you find any difference the same day.
- Each customer's outstanding tab is visible at a glance
- Partial payments reduce what is left on the invoice
- Cash differences are checked before you go home
Practical scenario
Example: a corner shop with 600 products
Maria runs a neighborhood grocery with about 600 products and 40 regulars on tab. In the first week she imports her product list from Excel, scans the barcodes, enters an opening count and moves the balances from her notebook into customer accounts. At month end the aging report shows three customers more than 60 days behind, and the low-stock list reveals that her five best sellers run out every week. Once she orders from that list, empty shelves and forgotten tabs both become rarer.
Step-by-Step Implementation
1. Set up products and barcodes
Import your list from Excel or add products one by one, each with a stock code, barcode, unit, purchase price and selling price.
2. Do an opening count
If you created separate warehouses for the shelf and the back room, enter the count per warehouse. The opening quantity is the starting point for every movement that follows.
3. Add customers who buy on credit
Create a contact for every name in the notebook with their current balance. From then on, credit sales and payments update the balance automatically.
4. Make the closing check a habit
Compare the cash balance with the money in the drawer and the low-stock list with the shelves. Five minutes a day prevents month-end surprises.
Common Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep selling without an internet connection?
Yes. The Android app works offline and syncs without losing records once you are back online. You reach the same business from the web and from the iOS app.
Can I use a barcode scanner?
You can scan with the phone camera, and the quick barcode mode on the sales screen also works with USB and Bluetooth scanners. No dedicated till hardware is needed.
Does GiroPS print fiscal receipts or send e-invoices?
No. GiroPS creates and shares invoices, quotes and orders as PDF documents. It does not replace a fiscal cash register or an official e-invoicing system, so keep using those where they are required.
Can I hide purchase prices from staff at the counter?
Yes. Give a team member a role with purchase prices hidden: they can sell, but they cannot see costs or purchase documents. You set each member's permissions individually.
Is GiroPS paid?
You can start for free. When your records outgrow the free limits, or you want wider reporting and team options, you move to one of the options on the Plans page.