How to inventory stock by reference before collection

A lot of jackets with four combinations and seven sizes is not inventoried by box. Reference, size, colour, condition and packaging are the data that tell you what is there and what can be valued. This guide explains how to inventory stock by reference before collection, using lot 163 as a real case.

4combinations: men's and women's in orange or black

7sizes, from XS to 3XL

What it means to inventory stock by reference

Inventorying stock by reference means grouping units by the code that identifies the product and its variant, not by the container they are stored in. A box can hold mixed sizes; a reference cannot. When the inventory is done by reference, each line answers a specific question: which product it is, in which colour, in which size, in which condition and where it is.

Counting boxes gives a total. Counting by reference gives the composition. That difference matters before collection: the team valuing the lot needs to know whether sizes are complete, whether any combinations repeat and whether the packaging allows units to be separated from one another.

The reference is the unit of conversation. Once the sheet is sorted by reference, you can discuss units, variants and condition without handling the stock again. That is why the work starts with separating, not adding up.

The data each reference must carry

Each line of the sheet must contain at least the following data:

• Reference or internal code. It is the identifier cross-checked against the product page and the delivery note.
• Product and variant. Model and colour, written exactly as on the product page, so that the same thing is not named two ways.
• Size. In textiles this is not a minor attribute: a size missing from the sheet is a unit that cannot be found later.
• Units counted. The number is recorded once, on the line it belongs to; the total is calculated at the end.
• Condition and packaging. Whether the unit is new, whether it keeps its original packaging and whether there are any issues.
• Location. The physical place where the package or the reference is, so that collection does not depend on memory.

If one of these data points is missing, the line cannot be cross-checked against the product page and raises questions again. The sheet stops being an inventory and becomes a list of boxes.

The order of the data is not random: reference and variant identify the line; size and units quantify it; condition, packaging and location make it possible to find it. If the total is recorded first and the composition afterwards, a size can easily end up without a row.

The case of lot 163: 4 combinations and 7 sizes

The lot 163 page shows how a textile reference breaks down. These are the catalogue data:

The table describes the composition of the product, not the contents of the warehouse. Four combinations and seven sizes do not mean that every combination is complete: that is what the inventory confirms. The sheet must cross every combination with every size and record what is actually there; if a combination does not appear, that is recorded too.

Condition and location complete the picture. A new lot, in original packaging and in Spain, is inventoried like any other: reference by reference, size by size. The difference is that textiles force you to separate sizes from the first minute; if they get mixed, the count has to be done again.

In practice, the sheet is laid out as a table: one row per combination and size, and one column for the units counted. Combinations that do not appear are marked as zero or as absent, so that the absence is documented too. That way, when the lot is reviewed, nobody has to guess whether a size does not exist or was not counted.

How to prepare the inventory before collection

The order of the steps matters less than the physical separation. These five help you leave no loose ends:

1. Separate by reference. Group model and colour; keep the sizes within each group.
2. Count by size. Record the units per reference and size; do not move on to the next one until the previous one is closed.
3. Check condition and packaging. Set aside units with issues and note them on the same line.
4. Label. Every package must carry the reference and the size; if a package mixes sizes, it is opened.
5. Close the sheet. Check that no box is left without a line and that every line has its six data points.

Men's orange Men's black Women's orange Women's black

• XS
• S
• M
• L
• XL
• XXL
• 3XL

The rows are ticked in sequence. The quantities per size are added by the count.

The figure summarises the work: four combinations and seven sizes that are ticked in sequence. It does not show quantities per size; those come from the count. The sheet is there to organise the work, not to replace it.

Mistakes that delay the valuation

Some mistakes recur when the inventory is done in a hurry:

• Counting boxes without opening them. The total may add up but the breakdown will not.
• Mixing sizes on the same line. Afterwards you do not know which size is missing.
• Not documenting condition. A unit with opened packaging does not read the same as one in its original packaging.
• Leaving references unnamed. A box without a code has to be opened again.
• Not separating issues. What is not in saleable condition gets mixed with what is.

None of these mistakes can be fixed without handling the stock again. That is why the sheet should be closed before collection, not during it.

The sheet separates what can be valued from what needs a review. An issue noted on its line stops the problem from being discovered at the end, when the lot is already prepared for collection.

Next step: the valuation

Selling surplus stock without an orderly sheet forces you to redo the inventory. With the sheet closed, the valuation rests on data: composition, variants, condition and location. Answers to the seller's usual questions are on where do I sell my stock: what is valued, how the transaction is closed and what happens to stock that is not sold.

The team reviews the sheet and the lot; if a data point is missing, it is requested before anything is moved. A complete sheet avoids questions and leaves the valuation with whoever can resolve it.

The review does not replace the inventory: it checks it. If the sheet and the lot match, the conversation focuses on the valuation; if they do not, it is corrected before going further.

Frequently asked questions

Why inventory by reference and not by boxes?

Because a box can mix sizes and a reference cannot. Inventory by reference separates product, colour, size and condition, and lets you check what is there before collection. Counting boxes gives a total; counting references gives the composition. That difference avoids opening the lot twice and lets you talk about specific units. That is the basis for closing the sheet without recounting.

What data should each inventory line carry?

Reference, product and variant, size, units counted, condition, packaging and location. If one is missing, the line cannot be cross-checked against the product page and raises questions again. Record the number only once and calculate the total at the end; that way the sheet can be reviewed without handling the stock again. The closed sheet is the one that goes to collection.

Keep reading

• How to value a stock lot
• Sanitary clogs wholesale
• Sell stock
• Where do I sell my stock