How To Do Inventory Counts with Shopify POS

Accurate inventory is a business essential, not just a best practice. Staff trust the numbers on screen, discrepancies surface before they compound, and the business runs on data that reflects what is on the shelf. The locations that maintain that level of accuracy tend to share one thing: a consistent count process, done on a schedule, with the discipline to reconcile what the count reveals.

If you’ve been using Stocky for inventory counts, it’s time to transition. Stocky was removed from the Shopify App Store on February 2, 2026, and will stop working entirely on August 31, 2026. The good news is that Shopify POS already has tools that handle the core counting workflow. Quick Count, a POS Pro extension, lets you scan and count your products in-store, and the Shopify admin handles reconciliation. Quick Count comes included with your POS Pro subscription and is accessible directly from within the POS app. You activate it in the admin under Point of Sale > Settings > POS apps.

This guide walks through the full inventory count process using Shopify POS and the Shopify admin, from preparation through reconciliation. Whether you’re doing your first count after Stocky or setting up a regular counting cadence, this is the process.

Choosing your counting method

Shopify offers two main ways to count inventory. Choose based on your setup, or combine both.

Quick Count (POS extension)

Best for staff counting in-store with a POS device. Scan or search product variants on your POS device, confirm or adjust your current quantities, and submit the session to sync inventory updates to the Shopify admin. Each session handles up to 1,000 variants (1 or more variants per product), so for larger catalogs, you can either work across multiple sessions by submitting one session, then starting another to continue, or use additional devices in parallel.

Admin bulk edit

Best for a headquarters team adjusting counts across locations. Edit inventory quantities directly in Shopify admin under Products > Inventory. Use CSV export and import for large updates.

You can combine both approaches. Staff count in-store with Quick Count, and headquarters reconciles in the Shopify admin.

Before count day: Preparation

Scheduling

Inventory counts are most accurate when customers aren’t moving products around. Here are your options, from most practical to most disruptive.

• After closing: Count after the store closes for the day. Staff are already on-site, no customers are moving stock, and you can pick up the next evening where you left off. This is the best option for most retailers.
• Before opening: Start early and count before doors open. The risk is that if you run long, you’re either delaying your open or counting while customers shop. If you go this route, submit your Quick Count sessions before you open so the work is saved, and continue the next morning if needed.
• Multi-day by zone: For larger stores, split the count across multiple days. Define zones by physical area (aisles, sections, rooms) and keep them small enough that each zone can be completed in a single session where possible. Count a few zones each evening and track which ones are complete using your zone assignment sheets. If you can’t finish a zone in one session, note where you stopped (shelf number, aisle marker) so you can pick up where you left off. You can scan any product to see whether it already has a count recorded, so it’s straightforward to check your progress. Between count days, avoid moving inventory between uncounted zones to prevent double-counting.
• Closing the store: If accuracy is critical and your catalog is large, a half-day closure during a low-traffic period gives you the cleanest count. But for most retailers, after-hours counting gets you close to the same accuracy without the lost revenue.

For larger teams, consider making count day an after-hours event. Bring food, assign zones, and work through it together. A focused group count is faster and more accurate than counting between serving customers.

Here’s a rough guide for scheduling. Your timing will vary based on product complexity, staff familiarity, and counting method:

• Under 500 variants: A few hours with one person
• 500 to 2,000 variants: Most of a day with two people
• 2,000 to 5,000 variants: Plan for a full day with two to three people
• 5,000+ variants: Consider multi-day or zone-based counting

System preparation

Before count day, make sure the Shopify admin inventory numbers are current. Complete all pending orders and transfers at this location. Process any received shipments. Sync all POS devices so they’re online and up to date. Spot-check a few products to verify that inventory numbers in POS match the admin.

Equipment

Charge all POS devices and barcode scanners. Scanning is significantly faster than manual search. If you don’t have a barcode scanner, consider getting one before your next count. If you’ve set up bin locations in the Shopify admin, those map directly to your counting zones. Export your inventory from Products > Inventory and use the Bin name column to sort and print zone assignment sheets. If you haven’t set up bin locations, assign zones informally by physical area (aisles, sections, rooms) and note which products are in each. Optionally, print backup count sheets in case of device issues.

Review your product catalog for items with missing or damaged barcodes and tag them for manual lookup during the count.

Count day

Before counting begins

If you’re closing the store, lock the doors and put up signage. If counting during business hours, brief sales staff that inventory numbers might fluctuate during the count.

Open Shopify POS on each counting device and navigate to Quick Count (accessible from within POS, no separate app needed). Confirm each device is connected to WiFi. Assign each staff member to their zone with their device.

The counting process

Start a new Quick Count session on each device. For each product in your zone, scan the barcode (fastest) or search by product name or variant, then enter the actual on-hand quantity.

After scanning 1,000 variants, submit the session. Changes sync to the Shopify admin when you submit. Start a new session and continue with the next batch. If a product won’t scan, search for it manually. If a product isn’t found in POS at all, note it on paper for follow-up (it might not be assigned to this location).

When your zone is complete, submit the final session and confirm with the count coordinator.

Tips for smooth counting

• Barcode scanners make a huge difference: Manual search is significantly slower than scanning.
• Quick Count works in kiosk mode: If your devices are locked down with MDM, Quick Count is accessible from within POS.
• Use the camera as a backup scanner: If your barcode scanner dies mid-count, the POS device camera can scan barcodes. It’s slower, but it works.
• If a device freezes or crashes: Restart POS. Any submitted sessions are already synced. If POS crashes before you submit, restart and check which items were counted. You may need to recount items from the unsubmitted session.
• If a device fails completely: Switch to another POS device or your staged spare. Your progress is saved. Log in on the new device and start a new session for the remaining products.

For large catalogs (5,000+ variants)

Use multiple POS devices counting simultaneously. All sync to the same Shopify admin. Assign zones by physical area, not alphabetically, so staff move through the space once rather than doubling back.

After the count: Review and reconciliation

Review adjustments

In the Shopify admin, go to Products > Inventory and review the adjustment history for this location. Filter for the count date to see all changes. Identify significant discrepancies where the count differs from the expected quantity by more than a few units.

Investigate discrepancies

For large discrepancies (more than 5% variance on a product), recount that product physically. Check if the discrepancies match known issues: theft, damage, receiving errors, transfer mistakes, or sales that occurred during the count. Document the cause of each significant discrepancy for your records.

Finalize

In the Shopify admin, go to Analytics > Reports and select the Inventory adjustment changes report to review what changed. Filter by date and location to see exactly which products were adjusted and by how much.

For larger catalogs, export the report to CSV so you can sort and filter. Start by looking at items with discrepancies above a threshold that matters for your business. You can also build custom inventory adjustment reports to track patterns over time. If you recounted any items, update the quantities in the admin. Resume normal sales operations and notify staff that the count is complete and inventory numbers are current.

Schedule your next count cycle. Quarterly is recommended for most retailers. Monthly is better for high-shrink categories (small, high-value items that are more prone to loss or theft).

Counting across multiple locations

If you operate multiple locations, coordinate counts to get an accurate picture across your business.

Planning

Decide whether to count all locations on the same day or stagger across the week. Staggering is easier on your team but means total inventory numbers are only accurate after all locations complete. If you use inter-location transfers, pause them during the count window to avoid double-counting.

Execution

Use the same Quick Count process at each location. Each location counts independently, and counts sync to the Shopify admin under their location.

Reconciliation

In the Shopify admin, compare expected versus actual inventory by location. Investigate any locations with significantly higher shrink than others. Check for items that show a positive discrepancy at one location and negative at another, which may indicate an unrecorded transfer. Document findings and adjust processes to reduce future discrepancies.

Transitioning from Stocky

For an overview of the migration timeline and what’s changing, see Migrating from Stocky to Shopify inventory management in the Help Center. This guide focuses on the physical counting workflow.

If you’re moving from Stocky, here’s how the tools map:

• In-store product scanning and counting → Quick Count (POS extension). Similar workflow, 1,000 variant session cap.
• Purchase orders → Shopify admin: Products > Purchase orders. Built into the Shopify admin.
• Stock transfers → Shopify admin: Products > Transfers. Built into the Shopify admin.
• Inventory reports → Shopify admin: Products > Inventory. CSV export available.
• Supplier management → Shopify admin: Products > Purchase orders > Suppliers. Basic supplier info.
• Demand forecasting and replenishment suggestions → Third-party apps on the Shopify App Store. Search for “demand forecasting” or “inventory planning” to find options.

Transition steps

1. Export any data from Stocky you want to preserve (purchase order history, stocktake records). Note: suppliers can’t be exported from Stocky — recreate them manually in Products > Purchase orders > Suppliers.
2. Familiarize yourself with the Shopify admin inventory tools (Products > Inventory, Purchase orders, Transfers)
3. Practice a Quick Count session on one device before your next scheduled count
4. If you rely on Stocky’s demand forecasting, research third-party apps in the Shopify App Store that offer replenishment planning
5. Remove Stocky from your POS devices after you’ve completed the transition (it stops working August 31, 2026 regardless)

Next steps

• Review the Shopify POS inventory management guide for ongoing inventory workflows
• Follow the Retail Release Roundup for updates on POS inventory features