Boutique Inventory Spreadsheet: Track Sizes, Colors and Stock

By NexalyPlanner · Updated October 15, 2026

Free boutique inventory workbook

The workbook gives each SKU its own row, with sellable stock, reservations, available units and an optional physical count. Replace the three fictional examples and enter zero for movement fields you do not use.

• Download workbook (.xlsx)

The download is a one-location stock snapshot. Its signed adjustment column allows a reviewed gain or loss; the copyable table below records losses as positive write-offs. These are two layouts for the same stock relationship. The workbook example starts with 12 units, receives 8, ships 7 and returns 1 salable unit: 14 sellable, 4 reserved and 10 available. A count of 13 shows a discrepancy of -1; it does not apply an adjustment automatically.

A boutique inventory spreadsheet should give every size-and-color combination its own row, then distinguish the stock you physically hold from the units still available to sell. A total of 20 black tees is not enough information if all the mediums are reserved.

This guide explains stock movements, reservations and sellable variants. The downloadable workbook summarizes one defined period. Before your first purchase, plan your boutique's opening inventory against a cash ceiling and a test assortment; then use the rows here to record what actually arrives and sells.

This guide uses a fictional clothing shop to show the columns, formulas and daily checks that make a simple stock sheet useful. You can copy the tables into a spreadsheet. The free workbook above uses signed adjustments and includes additional input checks; the copyable table below uses a separate write-off column. The linked NexalyPlanner product is a separate paid browser app.

Give every sellable variant a stable SKU

Use one SKU for each item you need to count independently. A black tee in small and the same tee in medium are separate variants. Shopify's variant documentation uses size and color combinations in the same way. A consistent identifier lets you match a sale, receipt or return to the exact item.

Keep the SKU stable when a marketing title changes. Store the supplier's code in another column instead of overwriting your own identifier. If you track several locations, use a separate location field and count the same SKU separately at each location.

Separate sellable on-hand stock from available stock

For this simple sheet, sellable on hand means physically present units that passed your condition check. Reserved means those units are committed to confirmed orders that have not yet shipped. Available is sellable on hand minus reserved units. Damaged or quarantined items sit in a separate record.

Terminology differs between systems. For example, Shopify's inventory states include unavailable units within its on-hand total. When transferring a count into this simpler sheet, use the definition above rather than copying a number with a different meaning.

The first row is 12 + 8 − 9 + 1 − 2 = 10 sellable units on hand. Subtract three reservations and seven remain available. Across all four rows, there are 27 sellable units on hand, six reserved and 21 available. These totals help reconcile the sheet; they do not replace checking each variant.

If you put these nine columns in A through I with row 1 as headings, the first on-hand formula in G2 is =B2+C2-D2+E2-F2. Available stock in I2 is =G2-H2. Copy the formulas down and test the example before entering real movements. Do not hide negative results with a formula that forces them to zero; investigate overselling or data-entry mistakes.

Record reservations without counting a sale twice

Suppose TEE-BLK-S has ten sellable units on hand and three reserved. When those three units ship, on hand falls to seven and the reservation falls to zero. Available stays seven. If you subtract the shipment but forget to release its reservation, the sheet incorrectly reports only four available.

An inquiry, an unpaid order, a paid order and a shipped order can represent different stages. Write a reservation policy that fits your shop. A confirmed order may reserve a unit before payment; an abandoned inquiry may not. Use an order reference and release date so old holds do not remain forever.

For orders arriving through a website, social messages and a market stall, maintain one agreed stock record and one update routine. A manually maintained spreadsheet does not synchronize sales channels automatically. Use the small-business order-tracking guide to connect the reservation to its order status.

Treat refunds, physical returns and condition checks separately

A refund is a money movement. It does not prove that an item returned to the shelf. Add a returned unit back only after it arrives and passes the condition check. Record damaged returns separately; do not add them to sellable stock and later forget to remove them.

During a stock count, compare sellable physical units with the sellable on-hand column. Reserved items may still be on the shelf, so comparing the shelf with available stock creates a false discrepancy. If you count nine sellable units where the sheet says ten, investigate recent receipts, shipments, returns and damage before entering an explained adjustment.

Keep a simple movement log alongside the summary: date, SKU, quantity, movement type, order or receipt reference, and a short reason. A corrected closing number alone cannot explain what happened.

Review the size mix before placing a reorder

In the example, the medium tee has only three available units while the small has seven. A combined tee total can hide that imbalance. Review stock at the variant level before repeating last month's buying quantities.

A low-stock flag is a prompt to investigate, not an instruction to buy. Check recent demand, confirmed inbound stock, supplier lead time and whether the style will still be relevant when the shipment arrives. The reorder-point calculation guide explains demand during lead time and why incoming orders matter.

For a new seasonal style with little history, write down your assumptions and inspect them after the first selling period. Avoid copying an arbitrary reorder trigger across all sizes. If two suppliers quote different pack mixes, use a supplier quote comparison to check usable quantities and delivery terms as well as price.

Use a short, repeatable weekly routine

1. During the day: record receipts, shipments and approved returns against the correct SKU.
2. At close: reconcile unfulfilled orders and remove canceled reservations.
3. Each week: count a manageable group of variants and investigate differences.
4. Before buying: check size-level demand, inbound orders and available cash.
5. At period end: archive the sheet, carry closing on-hand balances forward and reset movement totals. Carry forward only outstanding reservations.

Assign one person to own the master copy. Save dated backups and keep formulas separate from input cells. A backup should be a copy you can restore, not another editable master that creates conflicting counts.

When a boutique planner is a better fit

A spreadsheet can work when one owner maintains a manageable stock list. It becomes harder when product costs, orders, clients and expenses live in disconnected files. The problem is often the number of repeated entries, not the number of rows.

The NexalyPlanner Boutique Business Planner is an offline browser application with product and pricing records, inventory, orders and sales, clients, money and planning sections. Its product page describes a pricing calculator, an automatic income-and-expense profit view, custom branding and backups. It is not an Excel workbook and should not be bought on the assumption that it provides a live store integration.

Check the screenshots and listed features against the work you need to do. A stock spreadsheet answers how many units you hold; a broader planner helps organize related business records. Neither removes the need to enter and reconcile accurate information.

Close a physical count with one explained adjustment

Use a cutoff time so a shipment entered after the count does not look like a missing unit. In this fictional example, the sheet shows ten sellable TEE-BLK-S units, including three reserved units still on the shelf. Count all sellable units physically present, including those reservations. If the first count is nine, recount that variant and review movements through the cutoff before adjusting anything.

Suppose a confirmed shipment of one unit was not entered. Record that shipment once: sellable on hand becomes nine, outstanding reservations remain three if that shipment belonged to a different order, and available becomes six. Do not also enter a one-unit shortage adjustment for the same event. If the cause remains unknown after review, record an explained count adjustment with the date, SKU, quantity, reviewer and reason; keep the original movement history.

A customer return still awaiting a condition check belongs outside sellable stock. Its refund can already exist in your payment records without increasing this sheet’s available quantity. When the item becomes sellable, record one return movement. For the separate manual app workflow, see the Boutique planner cancellation and return example. The spreadsheet formulas here are not automatically executed by that app.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use Excel or Google Sheets?

Yes. The table structure and basic arithmetic work in either. Check cell references after moving columns, protect calculated cells and keep a backup before changing the layout.

Should reserved units reduce the on-hand count?

Not in this example. They reduce available stock while remaining physically on hand. Shipment reduces on hand and releases the corresponding reservation.

Does this guide include a free downloadable workbook?

No. The tables and formulas are available on this page to copy. The Boutique Business Planner linked above is a separate paid HTML app.

Start with your current variants, reconcile one selling day and confirm that you can explain every movement before extending the sheet to more products.

Put this workflow into practice with the free Craft Fair Inventory Tracker & Stock Reconciliation. Review every item with a stock difference; opposing differences can cancel in the overall total. You can save on your device, download an editable backup or keep a CSV/PDF report.