This article is part of a larger series on Retail Management.
TABLE OF CONTENTSConducting a physical inventory count is a tedious but essential business process. Since product tracking needs differ, inventory templates are rarely one-size-fits-all. While some products just need a basic quantity count, others will require variations in size, color, or both for accuracy.
We tried dozens of inventory templates online and picked the best for most business types. We even created a few ourselves to help you get started on an inventory count process that works for you. You can download free Excel or Google Sheets inventory template spreadsheets from our list below.
Looking for a more integrated solution? Square offers a free POS plan complete with inventory management software that’s integrated with sales so your inventory levels are always updated in real time. Sign up for a free account.
Best for: Retailers looking for an automated inventory tracking workbook with simple reporting functionality
Inventory List Template: Allows you to customize the options headers and add your stock counts for each or leave blank if not needed.
Supplier Contact List Template: Allows you to maintain a list of supplier information; purchase order template will generate supplier contact information based on this list.
Purchase Record List Template: Allows you to maintain a record of all your purchases and adjust your stock-on-hand and generate a list of purchase order reports.
Sales Record Template: Displays accurate on-hand inventory as shown in your inventory list to reflect sales of items that have left and not yet left your store.
Low Stock Reporting Template: Using a filter, allows you to creates a list of products that are below your specified reorder point.
Purchase Order Template: Provides you with a dropdown list for products available in your inventory template and auto-populates the cost price for you; also automatically computes for total cost per item and order after deducting specified discounts (if any).
Inventory Performance Calculator: Allows you to compute your inventory shrinkage rate and inventory turnover ratio to determine how much inventory you’ve lost and how efficiently you converted inventory into sales for a specific period.
A new inventory count sheet tab with barcode option
The new barcode print tab allows you to choose a product barcode to display from a dropdown list. The margins are already set for an A4 size sticker paper.
To use, print, or modify the workbook: Download it as a Google or Excel spreadsheet and make a copy. Please note you need the Google spreadsheet version to use the barcode functionality.
For retailers and ecommerce business owners looking for added automation and reporting functionality in their physical inventory counting process, our inventory management workbook is your best choice. It contains everything from physical inventory count templates to inventory performance calculators. Step-by-step instructions are also included in the workbook.
FILE TO DOWNLOAD OR INTEGRATE
Inventory Management Template
Download as Excel Download as Google Sheets
💡 Quick Tip: If you need something more sophisticated, consider signing up for a POS system like Lightspeed to track stock automatically. Lightspeed is our recommended POS for inventory management because of it’s granular inventory control features and comprehensive analytics that will provide you with the information needed to make powerful business decisions. Plus, they provide 24/7 Support with a dedicated account manager to help with onboarding.
Select Download TypeSince Our Last Update: We introduced Version 2 of our free inventory management workbook, which includes a barcode generator, barcode printing page, and an inventory count sheet template with a barcode reading functionality all in your smartphone. Simply download a barcode scanner app on the App Store or Google Play Store, follow the two-step guide to link your inventory spreadsheet, and you’re good to go.
Alternatively, we recommend using a point-of-sale (POS) system to automate inventory management. An end-to-end POS system like Square for Retail helps small retailers handle sales and inventory counts, plus get real-time insights on product performance and profits. You can set up a free Square for Retail account in minutes.
Simple Quantity-on-Hand Template: Lists product names and numbers and leaves a space for the counter to enter the quantity-on-hand (QOH) for each item or case unit.
Total Quantity-on-Hand Inventory Template: Adds columns for a stockroom count and grand total so you can count products in the stockroom and on store shelves separately; best for stores that carry overstock in a storeroom and also stock items on store shelves.
Case Count Inventory List Template: Count cases, note the case quantities (12, 24, etc.), then count any individual units on the shelf and add up the total quantity-on-hand after counting is done. Best for retailers that stock items by the case but sell by the piece.
Single Variant Option Inventory Template: Best for counting goods that have one option like size, such as cleaning items, snacks, and pet food. You can update the size options on the headers for the template or expand by adding additional columns if you need more.
Multiple Variant Option Inventory Template: Handles counts for products that have two options, like color and size, and works for retailers and stores that sell anything from household items to school supplies. Customize the template headers with your own naming conventions for size or expand by adding additional columns if you need more.
FILE TO DOWNLOAD OR INTEGRATE Inventory List Templates Download as Excel Download as Google Sheets
This workbook contains five different templates in different tabs for counting your on-hand stock and is one of the easiest inventory templates to use to help you prevent stockouts. Make a copy of the file to use, print, or modify the templates in the workbook. You can edit in Google Sheets, export to Excel, or print from there. The first tab has the most basic template for businesses that need a quick counting list for just a few items. The second tab has columns dedicated to shelf and stockroom quantities, ideal for mom-and-pop retailers with small storage rooms. The next template is for counting by the case—ideal for warehouses, liquor stores, or other businesses with large quantities of the same products. The templates on the last two tabs have options for tracking variants, such as multiple sizes or colors of the same product.
Related: What is a Stockout?If you run a bar that primarily sells alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, this free template is your best option. The spreadsheet lets you categorize your list based on your selection of drinks and supports functions that allow you to easily track beer on tap and in bottles and liquor and wine by bottle and glass.
FILE TO DOWNLOAD OR INTEGRATE
Full-service Bar Inventory Template
Download as Excel Download as Google Sheets
This spreadsheet is ideal for businesses that sell wine but not liquor. The template provides a space for a large selection of wine categories and tracks each by storage location, bottle, and glass.
FILE TO DOWNLOAD OR INTEGRATE Wine Bar Inventory Template Download as Excel Download as Google Sheets
Restaurants with a full bar will need an inventory tracking system to handle a wider range of beverages. This spreadsheet not only creates categories for different wine and liquor brands but it includes subcategories for tracking drinks by glass and by the bottle.
FILE TO DOWNLOAD OR INTEGRATE Restaurant Bar Inventory Template Download as Excel Download as Google Sheets
For store or restaurant owners selling alcoholic beverages, keeping a tab on supply requires a more detailed inventory count process. The ease or complexity of conducting bar inventory will depend on your business size. If you only have one lightly trafficked venue or store, using a spreadsheet could do the trick for maintaining inventory count. The tables are straightforward, with space to customize your item list. It lets you track the number of units based on where they are stored along with the unit price and totals.
If you have a high-volume bar or plan on expanding your business, we recommend using a POS system to help maintain liquor and bar inventory. See our top picks for the best bar POS systems. One of our selections, Revel, lets you input and track inventory the moment it is ordered and adjust your inventory count in real time as products are sold.
Best for: Wholesalers and retailers that maintain a warehouse or deal with large volumes of inventory and variants
Inventory List Template: Allows you to keep a record of all your products and track the location and inventory value of each variant.
Inventory Pick List Template: Gives you the ability to send a set of inventory items based on a client’s purchase order and allows your warehouse personnel to easily locate and prepare the items for shipping.
Bin Lookup Template: Keeps a record of bin locations inside your warehouse; you can specify row, shelf, and bin number to help locate products in your warehouse faster.
Visit Microsoft to Download Template For wholesalers and retailers with high-volume inventory, Microsoft Office’s warehouse inventory template is a simple yet effective solution for keeping inventory organized and easy to track. It allows you to maintain inventory bin locations within your warehouse while also keeping track of inventory levels and knowing when it’s time to reorder. This also improves efficiency in fulfilling purchase orders, not only in terms of speed but also by minimizing inventory loss if you are dealing with perishable products. There is no reporting function included in this worksheet, so like Coupler.IO’s simple food inventory template, you can use this as a supplementary toolkit for your larger inventory management workbook. All you need to do is click on the download link and make a copy of the template, which you can then customize.
Related reading: How to Start a Retail Business
Settings and Configuration Tab: Allows you to set performance metrics as well as taxes and staff allowances; lets you assign categories that will be applied to the rest of the workbook.
Inventory List Template: Lets you keep an updated record of each ingredient in your inventory, assign units of measure for each item, and specify the category it falls under.
Food Stock Opening Template: Shows you the starting quantity per food item for a specified period; provides option to manually change the quantity to adjust for wastage.
Purchase Log Template: Allows you to keep a record of your weekly purchases and show how much of each item is purchased for your specified period.
Stock Count Template: Use this template when conducting a physical count of your food items in regular intervals within your specified period.
Stock Closing Inventory Template: Displays the final count of all your food inventory within your specified period and accounts for the changes recorded from the stock opening and stock count tabs.
Weekly Inventory Report Tab: Provides total value of your food inventory along with a report of your cost of goods sold and profit margin; displays the variance to indicate any inventory lost due to wastage.
Visit Spreadsheet 123 to Download Template This food stocktake inventory template allows you to manage food variances and give you a quick overview of your inventory cost at opening, forecast profit margins, and cost variances. You can categorize your food stock and get a weekly report and analysis of product purchase cost, stock availability, and gross profit for each section. It also allows you to define the unit of measure and country-specific tax settings. If you are comfortable with Excel, this inventory template is a simple but comprehensive solution. However, you might need a separate inventory template to track your beverage inventory, as there is no provision for counting per case and unit. Overall, the spreadsheet is easy to use and maintain. Spreadsheet 123 recommends this template as a good way to train team members to handle inventory. You simply need to click on the download button to get your own copy of the template.
Best for: Small retail businesses wanting to maintain backend inventory data linked to a simple barcode scanner app
Sync your Barcode Inventory Template with the inventory management app by AppSheet to automatically update your inventory records. (Source: AppSheet)
Inventory Management App by AppSheet: Turn your smartphone into a barcode scanner and manage your inventory with this app. Connect your barcode inventory template to create a backend inventory record that automatically syncs your data. (Source: AppSheet)
Visit Coupler.IO to Download Template If you’re looking for a simple barcode scanner app for your small retail business, AppSheet’s inventory management app is a simple, easy-to-use option. This turns your smartphone’s camera into a barcode scanner, which you can then use to capture barcode data to search, update, and sort your inventory within the app. Using this software will require you to have a Google Sheet dedicated to maintaining inventory data in the backend.
Related: How to Make a Barcode + Free GeneratorCoupler.IO designed a barcode inventory template for AppSheet’s inventory management app. Download the template, make a copy, and then get the AppSheet add-on for your Google Sheets. This template is already set up with predefined column types that you can customize and match with the app so it gives you an organized view of your data. Visit AppSheet’s inventory management app download page for more instructions.
When you’re ready to sign up for your first POS system, you’ll find advanced solutions, like Lightspeed, have barcode scanners to make inventory management and physical inventory counts faster. For annual or large cycle counts, you can organize the count by product line, store location, or product category—whatever works best for your shop, staff, and count helpers. Read our Lightspeed Retail POS review to learn more.
Food Inventory Template: Allows you to list items by date of purchase, use date, and storage location
This is a very simple inventory template for tracking your ingredients. Coupler.IO’s Simple Food Inventory template allows you to list items based on date of purchase and makes it easy to identify ingredients that are about to go out of stock or expire. It also lets you specify where each ingredient is located in your kitchen and highlights staple items for faster tracking. Unlike Spreadsheet 123’s food stocktake inventory template, this spreadsheet does not provide any reporting function and is best as a supplemental inventory tracking tool for larger inventory management workbooks. It’s also ideal for occasional sellers who sometimes mix home pantry items with ingredients they use to create products for sale. Click on the download link and make a copy for your personal use.
Best for: Small businesses that sell custom items with warranties or rent equipment such as cars and bicycles
The tabs on this inventory spreadsheet can be customized to list the parts you keep track of to maintain your equipment for sale, rent, or use.
If you earn from selling custom items that carry warranties, or rent equipment that requires regular maintenance, you’ll need a constant supply of replacement parts to keep the business going. Stocking small items like different types of screws, oil, and tires can become challenging without a dedicated inventory tracking system. This small business inventory template from Fleetio was designed for its vehicle rental service but can be easily customized to match your business needs. Each tab represents a parts category, and you can add as many tabs as you need by copying one as a template and replacing the data. The template keeps track of the current inventory level and alerts you of reordering requirements in real time. Supplier contact information is also stored on the spreadsheet for easy reference. Visit Fleetio to Download Template
Best for: Any small business that uses equipment to customize their products or provide professional home services
This equipment inventory template from Microsoft comes with a depreciation value tracker for each item on your inventory.
Some of the most popular online businesses today offer customized products by way of crafting or printing. Home service professionals also need transportation, cleaning, plumbing, or gardening equipment to run their business. This Microsoft inventory template allows you to track the value of all your equipment from the moment of purchase, to cost of maintenance, up until the end of their useful life. It gives you timely information on your business financials (reporting) and prepares you for expenses needed to replace equipment. Like the rest of the spreadsheets on our list, this equipment inventory template is free to download and use. It already includes a preset depreciation calculation based on the values and depreciation method that you will specify. Visit Microsoft to Download Template
Software Inventory Tracking Template: Allows you to keep detailed records of your software inventory, which includes the number of licenses available, expiry dates, and vendor information.
Software Inventory Installation Template: Lets you track every software sold and installed for customers for company use; keeps detailed location, installation, and software information.
Hardware Inventory Template: Allows you to list all hardware products that have been purchased, sold, or used for repair services. Along with cost and purchase information, it lets you note vendor details, date of next upgrade, and even upload an image link.
Hardware Vendor List: Helps you keep a record of all your hardware vendors’ contact details for future reference.
Visit Smartsheet to Download Template Smartsheet’s software inventory template is designed for IT professionals who offer their technical expertise while also selling computer software and hardware products. It allows you to efficiently keep track of your software and hardware purchases, license expirations, and upgrades. The worksheet makes it easy to locate where and when each software was installed, determine license renewal dates, and locate purchase and supplier information. This free inventory spreadsheet offers a very detailed tracking system for IT businesses, setting it apart from the other inventory templates in our list, but you will need a separate toolkit for generating reports. However, the template already lets you keep a record of all your purchases and sales and you will only need someone with Excel skills to create a system to compute your sales metrics. Click on the download link and make a copy of the file to start using the template.
Yes. Smaller businesses with a few hundred items in their inventory can easily use Excel for management and tracking. There are a number of Excel functions available to help you easily create a customized and organized inventory list. You can even set it up so that Excel can generate reports to help you with planning for your inventory in the future.
How do I create an inventory template in Excel?Excel comes built with simple to advanced functionalities to help you build an inventory template customized to your business. There are presets for formulas and inventory count sheet functions to build out your template. The faster way is to use prebuilt free inventory spreadsheet templates like the ones we listed above. All you need to do is download a copy, customize the fields, and add your inventory information—then it’s all set to use!
What are the main types of inventory templates?Most inventory templates are categorized based on use type. Retailers would look for inventory spreadsheets that can track both non-perishable and perishable items, with larger establishments looking for warehouse management features. Those in the food industry can use templates that support food stocktake by location as well as beverages that can be tracked by case, bottle, or glass. Service-type businesses, meanwhile, can use spreadsheets that can efficiently monitor parts and equipment.
What does inventory management software do?Inventory management software is an application-based inventory tracking system that’s ideal for businesses with fast-growing inventory volume. It’s often integrated with larger business management solutions like POS systems or even mobile payment processing applications. The best ones offer advanced tracking and reporting features tailored to different business types.
Counting inventory with a POS system or simple-to-use forms are the first steps in creating an accurate inventory list for managing your stock. There are many small business inventory sheets out there, but the free inventory templates and processes listed above will get you started on the right track. Once you have an inventory list with accurate counts, use it as a clean slate for inventory control. And if you’re not already tracking inventory through a modern, computerized system, now is the time to start.
