How to Restock, Transfer, Adjust and Write Off Inventory Safely

Inventory changes should explain what physically happened to the goods. New pieces may arrive, existing pieces may move from a godown to a shop, or some pieces may leave sellable stock because they were damaged, lost, expired, given as samples or gifted.

Inventory Manager records these events as movements instead of letting someone silently replace 100 pieces with 92 pieces. That distinction protects stock quantities, location totals, stock worth and the history an owner uses to understand a mismatch later.

This guide explains how to restock an existing colour-size SKU, transfer one or many variants between locations, make a legitimate stock correction, remove or write off unsellable pieces, and review the resulting movement trail.

Four operations that should not be mixed

Physical event	Correct workflow	Effect on total units	Effect on location	Effect on stock value
More pieces arrived	Restock	Increases	Adds to the selected location	Increases by the new batch cost
Pieces moved between your own locations	Transfer	No change	Decreases one and increases another	Total unchanged; value moves with the stock
Pieces cannot be sold for a non-sale reason	Remove stock	Decreases	Deducts from the selected location	Decreases at the recorded average cost
Pieces were sold on an invoice	Order Manager or Staff Bill	Decreases	Deducts from the invoice location	Cost leaves stock and is used for invoice profit

Do not use Remove stock for a normal sale. Do not use Restock merely to correct a wrong location. Do not create a second copy of a SKU when the same colour and size has genuinely arrived again.

The safest rule is simple: select the workflow that matches the real movement of the goods.

Restock means adding to an existing SKU

A restock is not a new product merely because it arrived in a new carton or from a later purchase. If the piece is the same sellable type already represented by an existing SKU, add the new quantity to that SKU.

Example:

• Product: Mickey Mouse Printed T-shirt
• Existing SKU: Red / Medium
• Existing stock: 20 pieces
• Newly received: 30 pieces of the same Red / Medium type

After restocking the existing SKU, its total becomes 50 pieces. Product search, barcode identity, sales history and stock history continue to refer to the same type.

Creating a second Red / Medium SKU would divide one physical type into two identities and make counting, scanning and billing harder.

Two valid ways to start a restock

Inventory Manager supports two business sources for incoming stock.

Restock from Trade Manager

Use the connected Trade Manager handoff when the purchase and receiving were recorded there. During the shipment import, choose Restock, select the existing product and match the received colour-size rows to the correct existing SKUs.

This route can preserve the connected:

• trade and shipment identity;
• supplier information;
• received sellable quantity; and
• calculated landed cost for that batch.

Read how to move received goods from Trade Manager to Inventory Manager for the complete connected workflow.

Manual restock

Use the manual route when there is no Trade Manager record behind the incoming stock.

From Add Product Manually, each variant row can be changed from New to Restock. Then:

1. choose the exact existing item to restock;
2. confirm its colour, size and SKU;
3. enter the new quantity;
4. enter the cost of this new batch;
5. review or change the selling price;
6. choose the location where the pieces physically arrived; and
7. save the product entry.

The picker groups variants under the recognisable product first, then lets the owner choose the exact type. This reduces the risk of adding a Blue / L batch to Blue / M merely because their names look similar.

Manual restock is labelled in movement history as manually added stock without a trade record. It does not invent supplier or trade traceability that the owner did not record.

Why the new batch cost matters

The cost of a restock may differ from the cost of the pieces already on hand. Inventory Manager keeps both ideas:

• Last purchase cost each represents the latest batch cost; and
• Average cost each represents the weighted cost of the stock and receipts recorded for that SKU.

Suppose the current stock is:

• 20 pieces at an average cost of ₹100 each; and
• 30 new pieces arrive at ₹120 each.

The combined stock-cost calculation is:

(20 × ₹100) + (30 × ₹120) = ₹5,600

₹5,600 ÷ 50 pieces = ₹112 average cost each

After the restock:

• total stock: 50 pieces;
• latest batch cost: ₹120 each;
• average cost: ₹112 each; and
• stock value: ₹5,600.

The system should not simply replace the old cost with ₹120 because 20 older pieces still exist. It should not keep ₹100 for everything either because the new batch cost more.

This weighted cost is later important when Order Manager calculates the cost and profit of pieces sold.

Review the selling price when cost changes

Restocking does not force the old selling price to remain correct.

When the entered batch cost has meaningfully changed, Inventory Manager can show Protect your profit. The price adviser presents choices such as:

• Sale Price;
• Regular Price;
• More Profit Price; and
• Keep.

It considers the old stock, the new stock, their costs, the current selling price and the product's existing or implied markup. It then recommends an option with a short reason.

The owner still makes the decision. A lower new cost does not automatically force a price reduction, and a higher new cost should not silently destroy the expected margin. The selected price can also be changed later from Product Detail.

Choose the correct restock location

The restock location is where the new pieces physically entered stock.

If 30 pieces were unloaded at the Bhiwandi godown, restock them into Bhiwandi even if ten will move to the retail-facing shop tomorrow. Save the incoming stock truthfully first, then record tomorrow's movement as a transfer.

This keeps:

• stock at each shop or godown correct;
• location stock worth correct;
• location-filtered product lists correct;
• invoice availability correct; and
• the public shop's in-stock availability aligned with physical stock.

Transfer one SKU between locations

Use a transfer when stock stays inside the same owner's business but changes location.

For one exact SKU:

1. open the product's exact colour-size type in Inventory Manager;
2. find the Stock section;
3. tap Transfer;
4. choose the From location when the SKU has stock in more than one location;
5. choose the To location;
6. enter the quantity;
7. add an optional note; and
8. tap Save Transfer.

If the SKU has stock at only one location, the app selects that source automatically rather than asking an unnecessary question.

The From and To locations must be different. The app also prevents a transfer greater than the available quantity at the source.

Transfer example

Before transfer:

Location	Blue / M quantity	Stock value at ₹112 each
Bhiwandi godown	50	₹5,600
Borivali shop	0	₹0

Transfer 12 pieces from Bhiwandi to Borivali.

After transfer:

Location	Blue / M quantity	Stock value at ₹112 each
Bhiwandi godown	38	₹4,256
Borivali shop	12	₹1,344
Business total	50	₹5,600

The business did not gain or lose inventory. Only its physical location changed, so the overall units and stock worth remain the same.

Transfer several colour-size variants together

Wholesalers often move a complete product assortment, not one SKU at a time. A shirt may have four colours and four sizes, and the owner may want to send selected quantities of several types from the godown to one shop.

Open the grouped product's Listing Detail and use Transfer. The bulk transfer screen lets the owner:

1. choose the From location;
2. choose the To location;
3. see only variants that currently have stock at the selected source;
4. select individual variants or use Select All;
5. enter or adjust the quantity for every selected variant; and
6. save the transfer together.

When Select All is used, the available source quantity is prefilled for each eligible variant. Review those numbers before saving if only part of the stock should move.

If any selected quantity is no longer available, the complete bulk transfer does not quietly save a partial result. The app reports that stock changed so the owner can review the latest quantities.

What “adjust stock” means in the current app

Inventory Manager deliberately does not provide a free-form field that changes 100 directly to 93. A direct overwrite hides the reason for the seven-piece difference.

Instead, record the correction as a real movement:

• if seven legitimate pieces were missed during receiving, restock seven into the correct SKU and location;
• if seven pieces are physically in another shop, transfer them;
• if seven pieces were damaged, lost, expired, sampled or gifted, remove them using that reason; or
• if seven pieces were sold, record the invoice through Order Manager or Staff Bill.

This movement-based approach is what makes an adjustment explainable.

Remove damaged, lost or otherwise non-sellable stock

Open the exact SKU's Product Detail and tap Remove stock.

The current reason choices are:

• Damage;
• Loss;
• Expiry;
• Sample;
• Gift; and
• Other.

Then select the location when needed, enter the quantity, add a useful optional note, and save.

In day-to-day business, permanently removing an unsellable item is often called writing off inventory. The app's action is named Remove stock, and the owner should choose the most factual reason available instead of putting every event under Other.

Examples of useful notes:

• Water damage found during shelf count;
• One pair missing from carton after internal check;
• Given to buyer as display sample; or
• Owner-approved festival gift.

Avoid vague notes such as adjustment when the real event is known.

How removal affects stock worth

When stock leaves for a non-sale reason, Inventory Manager deducts its cost value from inventory.

Using the earlier ₹112 average-cost example, removing five damaged pieces produces:

• quantity reduction: 5 pieces;
• stock-value reduction: 5 × ₹112 = ₹560;
• sale revenue: ₹0; and
• remaining quantity: 45 pieces.

The movement history can show the ₹560 as value lost. This is different from a sale, where the owner receives or records revenue and Order Manager uses the cost to calculate profit.

Removing damaged stock does not change the product's selling price. It changes the quantity and value of stock still available.

What happens when a SKU reaches zero

When the last available piece of a SKU is removed or sold:

• that SKU becomes out of stock;
• it is removed from in-stock filters for that location;
• the public product can show that exact colour-size type as out of stock; and
• other variants of the same product can remain available.

If Red / M is zero but Red / L and Blue / M still have stock, the complete product does not need to disappear. Customers can still see the available types while understanding that Red / M is unavailable.

If every SKU is out of stock, the product is treated as out of stock rather than pretending it can be purchased immediately. This is separate from turning off the product's MLS listing or changing its active status.

Every operation creates a movement trail

Inventory Manager writes a stock-movement record for stock coming in, restocks, transfers and non-sale removals. The history includes operational facts such as:

• product name;
• SKU;
• movement type or removal reason;
• positive or negative quantity;
• location;
• optional note;
• date and time;
• cost value for a removal; and
• supplier or trade context when the incoming stock came through Trade Manager.

Open Stock Movement to see the latest activity first. The list loads in pages rather than downloading an unlimited lifetime history. Pull to refresh when a movement made on another device needs to appear immediately.

Product Detail also shows a short recent history for that exact SKU, making it easier to understand one item's latest receipts and changes without searching the complete business history.

Movement history is an operational audit trail. It is not permission to enter fictional reasons after a stock count. The value comes from recording the truth when the event happens.

What if two devices change the same stock?

An owner may transfer stock in Inventory Manager while billing staff sells the same SKU from Order Manager or Staff Bill. Another owner device may also be restocking it.

Inventory Manager does not trust only the quantity that was visible when the screen first opened. Stock-changing services reread the latest product state inside a Firestore transaction before committing.

Example:

1. Device A sees 10 pieces and starts transferring 8.
2. Device B completes an invoice for 4 pieces first.
3. The real available balance becomes 6.
4. Device A's transaction checks the latest balance.
5. The transfer of 8 is rejected with the current availability instead of creating -2 stock.

The user must then enter a valid quantity and try again. This is a visible failure, not a silent loss of someone else's update.

The same protection applies to single-SKU removal and multi-variant transfer. Restocking also starts from the latest committed cost and quantity so simultaneous updates do not overwrite one another's totals.

A practical stock-count SOP

When physical count differs from the app:

1. count the exact SKU, not only the common product;
2. check every shop and godown where that SKU may exist;
3. review recent invoices and stock movements;
4. identify whether the difference is an unrecorded receipt, transfer, sale or non-sale removal;
5. record the matching operation; and
6. add a note when it will help the owner understand the event later.

Do not repeatedly add and remove arbitrary quantities until the screen matches the shelf. That may correct today's number while destroying the explanation of how it changed.

For a large count mismatch, confirm the responsible location and time period before saving. A stock movement should represent one factual business event.

Common mistakes to avoid

Creating a duplicate SKU for a restock

If the exact type already exists, choose Restock. A duplicate breaks continuous barcode, quantity and movement history.

Restocking into the destination instead of recording a transfer

If the pieces already existed elsewhere in the business, moving them is not new stock. Use Transfer so total units and stock worth do not increase.

Removing sold pieces manually

Create the invoice. Order Manager and Staff Bill safely deduct the sold quantities and connect cost to the invoice's profit calculation.

Recording every removal as Other

Choose Damage, Loss, Expiry, Sample or Gift when it is factual. Clear reasons make the history useful.

Ignoring a changed batch cost

Enter the real new cost and review the selling price. Otherwise stock valuation and future profit may be misleading.

Assuming an old screen quantity is guaranteed

Another device may have completed a sale or transfer. If the app reports that stock changed, review the latest availability and correct the entered quantity.

Frequently asked questions

Does a transfer change total business stock?

No. It moves quantity and its stock value from one location to another. Overall units and overall stock worth stay unchanged.

Can several colours and sizes be transferred together?

Yes. Open the grouped product's Listing Detail and use the bulk Transfer flow to choose selected variants and quantities.

Can stock be removed from a location that has zero quantity?

No. The removal screen only uses locations with available stock, and it prevents removing more than the latest balance.

Is there a direct field to overwrite stock quantity?

No. Record the actual incoming, transfer, sale or removal event so the correction has an explainable history.

What reason should be used for a free customer sample?

Use Sample. Use Gift when the piece was deliberately given as a gift. Keeping those reasons separate gives the owner a clearer record.

Does removing stock create sales revenue?

No. It reduces sellable quantity and stock value. A sale must be recorded through an invoice.

Will a restock replace the old average cost?

Not blindly. The new batch contributes its quantity and cost to the SKU's stored cost calculations, while the latest batch cost is also retained separately.

What happens if another device sells the stock first?

The transaction checks the latest stored balance. An invalid transfer or removal is rejected and shows the current availability rather than allowing negative stock.

Can the owner see who supplied a later restock?

When the restock comes through Trade Manager, the movement can retain its supplier and trade context. A manual restock does not manufacture a supplier link that was never recorded.

Keep stock truthful, not merely tidy

Good inventory control is not only a clean total on the screen. It is the ability to explain why stock increased, where it moved and why it left.

Use Restock for new incoming pieces, Transfer for movement inside the business, Order Manager or Staff Bill for sales, and Remove stock for factual non-sale reductions. Inventory Manager then keeps quantity, cost, location availability, public listing status and movement history aligned while protecting concurrent changes from multiple devices.

Continue with how to create products with colours, sizes, SKUs, images, HSN and GST, or read the complete Inventory Manager guide.