Organize suppliers, purchases, received items, inventory updates and purchase history with SellingIt.
Manage the supplier-to-stock workflow
A merchant selects or creates the supplier, records the purchase and its items, receives the goods, and updates inventory through the supported receiving workflow. Purchase history then provides context for incoming stock.
Keep purchase records separate from expenses
Purchases document goods acquired through the supplier workflow. Other operating costs can be organized as expenses. The correct treatment for accounting or tax purposes should be determined separately.
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Receive what arrived, not what was expected
A purchase record describes what the business intended to buy. Receiving confirms what physically reached the store. Compare the delivery with the relevant supplier and purchase information, then record the actual products and quantities received. Do not increase stock for missing items simply because they appeared on an order or supplier document.
Keep the order and receipt connected
Use consistent product and supplier records so staff can match each delivered item with the intended purchase. Where the supported workflow allows it, retain enough context to distinguish ordered quantity, received quantity and anything still outstanding. Partial deliveries should remain understandable without rewriting the history of what happened.
Record exceptions while the delivery is present
Count cartons and sellable units, check obvious damage, and note substitutions or unexpected items before products are mixed into existing stock. If an item needs separate inspection, keep its status distinct from normal available inventory until the business decides how it should be handled. Specialist batch, quality-control or quarantine capabilities are not implied unless explicitly confirmed.
Check quantity, product and cost differences separately
A quantity difference affects what entered stock. A product substitution affects which item was received. A cost difference affects the purchasing record and may require review before product cost or pricing is changed. Treating all three as one correction makes later investigation harder.
Review supplier history with the source records
Supplier information is most useful when a merchant can find the purchases and receipts behind it. Use that history to investigate recurring shortages, incorrect items or price differences, but verify the underlying records before drawing conclusions about supplier performance.
Use the retail goods-receiving checklist when a delivery arrives. Then review inventory movements, maintain clear product records, and use expense records only for the appropriate operating costs.
Turn supplier purchasing into a traceable stock workflow
A purchase record should explain what the store intended to order, from which supplier, in what unit, at which agreed price and when it was expected. Receiving should then record what physically arrived. Keeping those stages distinct makes shortages, substitutions, damaged goods and invoice differences easier to investigate.
What should a small retailer record before placing an order?
Confirm the supplier, exact product, purchase unit, quantity, agreed price, expected delivery date and any known additional charge. Check whether the quote is per piece, pack or case. Store a useful reference according to the supported workflow so staff can match the delivery to the original decision.
Is a purchase order the same as received inventory?
No. An order describes an intention or request; it does not prove that usable goods arrived. Increase available stock only through the supported receiving process after staff compare the physical quantity and condition with the relevant purchase information.
How should partial deliveries be handled?
Record the quantity actually received and keep the remainder identifiable according to the current workflow. Do not mark the full quantity as available merely because the supplier invoice or order shows it. Review whether the balance is still expected, cancelled or replaced.
What should happen when the supplier sends a substitute?
Check whether an authorized person accepts the different brand, size, specification or pack. If accepted, receive it against the correct product identity and price rather than silently adding it to the requested item. If rejected, follow the documented return or supplier-resolution process.
How can a shop compare suppliers beyond unit price?
Compare the same product and unit, then consider freight, minimum order, lead time, fill rate, damage, expiry where relevant, payment terms and issue resolution. A cheaper case may be a worse decision when it creates excess stock, unreliable availability or unusable goods.
Should supplier invoices be treated as formal accounting records?
Supported purchase and supplier records help the operational workflow, but merchants may still need separate accounting, tax, payment reconciliation and document-retention processes. Confirm statutory requirements with qualified advisers instead of assuming a purchase screen completes them.
Follow the supplier selection checklist and goods-receiving checklist. Connect accepted goods to Inventory Management and maintain consistent identities in Product Management.