Stock Take & Inventory template

2. Types of count and frequency

• Full stock take: every item, every location, at [frequency — e.g. monthly or quarter end], timed to match the accounting period end.
• Cycle counts: [category or area] counted on a rota so everything is counted at least [frequency], without stopping trade.
• Spot checks: unannounced counts of high-value or high-shrinkage lines ([examples — spirits, meat, batteries]) by [name/role].

3. Roles and responsibilities

• Stock take lead ([name/role]): sets the schedule and cut-off, issues count sheets, and signs off the final figures.
• Counters: count in pairs where possible; count what is physically there, not what should be there.
• [Name/role]: enters counts into [system], runs the variance report, and files the records.
• Where staffing allows, counters do not count areas they alone manage — fresh eyes find what familiarity skims over.

4. Before you count

1. 1Set the cut-off: no deliveries booked in and no stock moved between areas from [time] until the count is signed off.
2. 2Process all outstanding paperwork first — delivery notes, credits, transfers, wastage sheets — so the records are current.
3. 3Tidy each area so stock is visible and grouped; count sheets should follow the physical layout, not the supplier list.
4. 4Prepare count sheets from [system] without expected quantities shown, so counters record what they see rather than confirm what should be there.
5. 5Mark and exclude anything not yours to count: customer property, sale-or-return stock, items already invoiced out.

5. Counting

1. 1Count systematically — shelf by shelf, left to right — and record each figure immediately, in units that match the system: [singles, cases, part-bottles by tenths].
2. 2Weigh or estimate open and part-used stock by the agreed method for each category: [method].
3. 3Check dates as you count and pull anything out of date or unsellable into the waste area — record it as waste, not stock.
4. 4Mark each shelf or section as counted so nothing is missed or double-counted.
5. 5Sign your sheets. Illegible or unsigned sheets go back to the counter, not into the system.

6. Variances and investigation

[Name/role] runs the variance report and investigates every line beyond [threshold — value or percentage per category]. Standard checks, in order: recount the line, check for delivery notes and credits not yet entered, check transfers and wastage sheets, then check sales data for the period.

Persistent unexplained variance on the same lines is escalated to [name/role] and may trigger spot checks, a till and refunds review, or, where evidence points to theft, the disciplinary procedure. Adjust the system to the physical count only after sign-off — the record must show what was found, not a tidied version.

7. Waste, damage, and date rotation

Waste is recorded when it happens, not reconstructed at the count: log it in [wastage log location/system] with reason codes ([damage, out of date, prep waste, breakage]). New stock goes behind old on the shelf (first in, first out), and [name/role] checks dates [frequency]. For food stock, date rotation and allergen information are managed under the food safety procedure.

8. Records and review

Signed count sheets, variance reports, and wastage logs are kept in [system/location] for [period] — your accountant needs them for the accounts, and they are your evidence if shrinkage ever becomes a disciplinary or insurance matter.

This procedure is reviewed [frequency], after any count that produces a major unexplained variance, and when stock systems, categories, or sites change. Owner: [name/role]. Next review due: [date].