Stock counts & sell-out
This page explains the in-store stock count and what it tells you about how much actually sold off the shelf.
A stock count is a quick tally of how much of each product an outlet has on hand. Done each visit, it reveals sell-out — how much really sold to shoppers since last time — which is different from what the outlet ordered. You run a stock count during a visit, on your phone.
Note: The stock count is seeded from the outlet's must-sell list (MSL) — the products it must stock — so you count what matters. See Must-sell lists.
What you record per product
For each product (each SKU, one specific sellable item) you enter three numbers:
- Opening — what was on hand at the start. This is carried over from your last count, so you usually don't re-type it.
- Inward — what came in since then (new deliveries).
- Closing — what's on the shelf and in the back right now, counted today.
From those three, the app works out how much left the shelf:
opening + inward − closing = sold
That "sold" figure is the sell-out — what shoppers actually bought.
📷 [SHOT: stock-and-sellout-1] — mobile — Stock count screen with opening (carried), inward, and closing fields per SKU and a sold preview — caption: "Record opening, inward, and closing — the app previews how much sold."
Sell-out vs sell-in
These two words sound alike but mean opposite ends of the shelf:
- Sell-in — what the outlet ordered in from you. It's the order you booked.
- Sell-out — what the outlet sold out to shoppers. It's what the stock count reveals.
Why the difference matters: an outlet can order a lot (high sell-in) but sell little (low sell-out), leaving stock piling up — or sell fast and risk running out. Sell-out tells you the real demand, so you order the right amount next time instead of guessing from the last order.
Tip: When sell-out is strong but stock is low, that product is about to run out — a clear reason to reorder. When sell-in keeps outpacing sell-out, you're overstocking; ease off.
Best practice: Count honestly and consistently every visit. The opening number carries forward, so a sloppy count today throws off the next one too.
Where the numbers go
Your stock counts feed the sell-out view your managers use — how much actually sold off the shelf, by product, outlet, and territory — alongside an indicative comparison of sell-in versus sell-out. They also power the strongest order suggestion: when sell-out shows a product is about to run out, it surfaces as a replenish prompt in your next order.