Store and backroom counts
Count what is on the floor separately from what is in the back, so a full-looking shelf with an empty backroom still triggers a reorder.
Use case
Retail Inventory software
The website said in stock, the customer drove over, and the only one on the shelf was a display unit that still scanned as sellable. Retail inventory breaks at the seam between the channel that takes the order and the shelf that fills it.
Definition
Retail Inventory software
Retail inventory management software keeps a live, accurate count of what is sellable across the sales floor, the backroom, and every store, and keeps that count in step with the channels that sell it. The retail-specific problem is not tracking a number, it is that the number lives in three places at once: the POS, the online channel, and the physical shelf, and they drift apart between counts. Order3 holds one record per SKU per location, reconciles it against Shopify, and drafts a reorder when a store runs low, so staff stop promising stock the shelf cannot back. It is built for independent and multi-store retailers who have outgrown a spreadsheet, not for enterprise chains running a full merchandising suite.
Built by Cameron Priest, who co-founded TradeGecko (acquired by Intuit) and has spent over a decade building software for the people who run physical stock.
Capabilities
What the workflow covers
Transfers between stores
Move stock from the store that is overstocked to the one that is short, with a record of what left and what arrived.
Channel sync that holds
Reconcile the shelf count against Shopify so the listing flips to unavailable before a customer buys the display unit.
Reorder points per store
Each location gets its own reorder rule. A slow store and a busy one do not share one threshold that is wrong for both.
Cycle counts without closing
Count a section or category on a rolling schedule while the store stays open, and accuracy climbs week over week.
Shrinkage with a reason
Every variance is stamped with who counted, when, and why, so the quarterly shrink number is traceable instead of a shrug.
How it works
From floor action to approved record
- Step 01
Set up stores and items
Import your item list and define each store, plus its sales floor and backroom as separate locations.
- Step 02
Count and receive
Scan receiving against the PO and count from a phone. Each event updates the live record for that location.
- Step 03
Sync channels and sell
Order3 keeps the shelf count and the Shopify channel in step, so availability online matches the floor.
- Step 04
Reorder and reconcile
Review reorder drafts per store, approve them, and pull stock-on-hand and shrinkage reports without rebuilding them in Excel.
Looks like the workflow you need? Set up your first workspace in under an hour.
Start free, no credit cardWorkflow artifact
The record a team can inspect
A useful retail inventory workflow leaves an item, location, owner, next action, and approval trail behind it.
Order3 record
Retail Inventory review
Trigger
Store and backroom counts
Count what is on the floor separately from what is in the back, so a full-looking shelf with an empty backroom still triggers a reorder.
Evidence
Set up stores and items
Import your item list and define each store, plus its sales floor and backroom as separate locations.
Next action
Count and receive
Scan receiving against the PO and count from a phone. Each event updates the live record for that location.
Control
Reorder and reconcile
Review reorder drafts per store, approve them, and pull stock-on-hand and shrinkage reports without rebuilding them in Excel.
Who runs this
What makes retail inventory different
Retail stock is sold through more than one door at the same time. A unit on the shelf can be claimed by a walk-in customer or an online order in the same minute, and the count has to reflect both. The systems that break are the ones where the POS, the online channel, and the shelf each keep their own number and reconcile only at a periodic count. The retailers who stay accurate treat every sale, receipt, and transfer as an event that updates one shared record, which is the job retail inventory software exists to do.
Fit checklist
Use Order3 when the workflow needs these controls
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Store and backroom counts
Count what is on the floor separately from what is in the back, so a full-looking shelf with an empty backroom still triggers a reorder.
-
Transfers between stores
Move stock from the store that is overstocked to the one that is short, with a record of what left and what arrived.
-
Channel sync that holds
Reconcile the shelf count against Shopify so the listing flips to unavailable before a customer buys the display unit.
-
Reorder points per store
Each location gets its own reorder rule. A slow store and a busy one do not share one threshold that is wrong for both.
How it works in Order3
How Order3 runs retail inventory
Order3 holds one record per SKU per location and keeps it current as stock is received, sold, transferred, and counted. It reconciles that record against Shopify so the channel and the shelf agree, flags what is running low per store, and drafts the reorder for someone to approve. Inventory value flows to QuickBooks or Xero, so the books match the floor without a manual export.
Feature
Multi-location tracking
Multi-location tracking means you can answer 'where is it' without calling someone. One workspace holds stock across warehouses, retail shops, trucks, jobsites, stockrooms, zones, and bins. Each keeps its own balance. Transfers between locations are first-class events, not adjustments hidden inside a global total.
Feature
Low-stock alerts
Most low-stock alerts are noise. This one shows up with the lead time factored in, the right owner attached, and a next action one click away. Hand off to the purchasing agent for a draft, request a transfer from another location, or dismiss with a documented reason. Dashboards that nobody opens twice were not the goal.
Feature
Barcode scanning
Scan an item, confirm a quantity, and update the record from the floor. Order3 reads UPC, EAN, Code 128, Code 39, QR, and GS1 DataMatrix from an iOS or Android camera, plus Bluetooth handheld scanners that act as keyboards.
Feature
Real-time reports
A stocker confirms a receipt at 9:47am. By 9:47am, the inventory value report reflects it. Reports in Order3 are queries against the live ledger. Every scan, transfer, count, and approval feeds the same data the leadership team reads. No nightly batch. No reconciliation lag. The number on the floor matches the number in the office.
How to choose
Where this sits next to your POS
A point-of-sale system rings up the sale and takes the payment. It is not built to hold an accurate stock record across several stores, a backroom, and an online channel at once. Order3 is the inventory record behind the POS: it tracks what exists and where, reconciles the channels, and handles purchasing, while the POS keeps doing checkout. The two work together rather than replacing each other.
Free tools
Try the math before you commit
Related guides
Read before you switch
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Guide
Inventory management for small business: the practical guide
Inventory management for a small business comes down to four things: knowing what you have, where it is, what changed, and what to reorder next. Most small teams do not need an ERP. They need clean item records, named locations, reorder rules where shortages hurt, and a weekly rhythm that survives a busy quarter.
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Guide
The multi-location inventory playbook
Multi-location inventory has three layers: bin, location, region. Track stock at every physical place it rests, with separate quantities, separate reorder rules, and a clear record of every movement between locations. Get the location hierarchy and transfer accountability right and the rest of the system follows. Get them wrong and every report lies.
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Guide
Reorder points explained: formula, examples, and how to set them
A reorder point is the inventory level that triggers a replenishment order before you stock out. Formula: ROP = (Average Daily Usage × Lead Time in Days) + Safety Stock. Set it for the items where shortages cost a job, a customer, or a margin. Ignore it for the long tail until you have usage data.
Retail Inventory software FAQ
What is retail inventory management software?
Retail inventory management software keeps a live, accurate count of sellable stock across the sales floor, the backroom, and every store, and keeps that count in step with the POS and online channels so the business stops promising stock it does not have.
Does it replace my POS?
No. Your POS rings up sales and takes payment. Order3 is the inventory record behind it: stock by location, transfers between stores, channel reconciliation, and purchasing. They work together.
Can it sync with Shopify?
Yes. Order3 reconciles your shelf and backroom counts against Shopify, so online availability matches the floor and oversells get caught before they ship.
How does it handle multiple stores?
Each store, and its sales floor and backroom, is its own location with its own counts and reorder rules. You can transfer stock between stores with a record, and reorder per location instead of from one global number.
What is the best retail inventory software for a small business?
For an independent or multi-store retailer that has outgrown a spreadsheet but does not need an enterprise merchandising suite, look for per-location counts, channel sync, and reorder drafting at a price that scales by store. Order3 covers that middle and starts free for small workspaces.
Adjacent use cases
Try Retail Inventory in Order3.
Start with the SKUs, locations, and counts behind the problem. Bring in expert help when the workflow needs integrations, approvals, or agent policy.