Features/Inventory Management
Core Features

Inventory Management

Inventory management tracks what you have, what's selling, and when to reorder. Good inventory features prevent stockouts, reduce overstock, and save hours of manual counting.

Why It Matters

  • Prevent lost sales from stockouts
  • Reduce cash tied up in excess inventory
  • Save time on manual stock counts
  • Track shrinkage and theft
  • Make smarter purchasing decisions

Key Capabilities

Stock Tracking

Real-time inventory counts that update with every sale

Variants & Modifiers

Track size, color, and other product variations separately

Low Stock Alerts

Automatic notifications when items need reordering

Purchase Orders

Create and track orders to suppliers

Multi-location

Track inventory across multiple stores or warehouses

Barcode Support

Scan items for faster checkout and receiving

Provider Comparison

square

Good for small-medium retail. Basic variants, low stock alerts, and multi-location support included free.

Limitations: Advanced features like purchase orders require Plus plan

lightspeed

Excellent inventory for complex retail. Matrices, bundles, serialized inventory, and advanced reporting.

Limitations: Higher price point for full features

shopify

Strong for omnichannel. Unified online/offline inventory with automatic sync.

Limitations: Some advanced features need apps

clover

Basic inventory included. Tracks stock and variants but less sophisticated than dedicated retail POS.

Limitations: May need third-party apps for advanced needs

toast

Restaurant-focused inventory. Ingredient tracking and recipe costing, not traditional retail inventory.

Limitations: Not designed for retail inventory management

Common Questions

Do I need inventory management?

If you sell physical products, yes. Even simple inventory tracking prevents embarrassing stockouts and helps you understand what's actually selling.

What's the difference between basic and advanced inventory?

Basic: stock counts, low stock alerts. Advanced: purchase orders, vendor management, serialized tracking, inventory transfers between locations, and detailed reporting.

Best For

  • Retail stores
  • Boutiques
  • E-commerce
  • Multi-location businesses