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Stock control for mini marts and supermarkets: cases, units and expiry dates

By the 868POS team · 3 October 2026

Most stock problems in a shop come from the same few places: buying by the case but selling by the unit, receiving deliveries without checking them, and losing track of expiry dates. Get these right and your counts start to mean something.

Cases and units on the same product

You buy a case of 24 and sell single cans. If your system only knows "cans", every delivery means multiplying in your head. If it only knows "cases", your shelf count is never right. You need both on the same product: receive by the case, sell by the unit, with the system doing the conversion.

Set the number of units per case once for each product, and check it whenever a supplier changes pack sizes. It's one of the most common sources of counts that slowly drift.

Purchase orders before deliveries

A purchase order records what you asked the supplier for. When the delivery comes, you check it against the order instead of from memory:

1. Create the order with the quantities you want.
2. Print a pick list for the supplier or your staff.
3. When it arrives, receive it against the order and note anything short or extra.
4. Only confirmed quantities go into stock.

This catches short deliveries on the day, when they can still be fixed.

Expiry dates

Expired stock is money thrown away, and selling it damages trust. Record expiry dates when you receive stock, then check regularly what is coming up in the next few weeks. Move it to the front, or run a promotion before it expires.

Damaged goods

Dented tins, burst bags and breakage happen. Record damaged stock separately instead of quietly adjusting the count. You'll see where losses really come from, whether a supplier, a shelf or a delivery route, and you'll have a record if you claim from a supplier.

Getting thousands of items in

A supermarket can carry thousands of products. Typing them in one at a time isn't realistic. Use bulk import from a spreadsheet, and start with your fastest-moving items if you need to go in stages.

Count regularly, not just at year end

• Count a different section each week rather than everything at once.
• Compare the count with what the system expects, and look into big differences straight away.
• Limit who can adjust stock, and keep a record of every adjustment.

Use your numbers

Once counts are reliable, reports become useful: which items make you the most profit, which sit on the shelf, and when to reorder. That's where stock control pays for itself.