Run a stock take

When to run a stock take

Run a stock take when you need to confirm which items are physically in your store and which items Ribbn still expects to be there.

This workflow helps you:

• tag every item you physically find
• compare those items with inventory that should be in-store
• isolate missing items for follow-up
• keep in-store and online inventory more accurate

Before you start

Make sure you:

• have access to the Ribbn Admin Dashboard
• can physically check both the shop floor and stockroom
• choose a unique stock take tag for this count
• choose a separate investigation tag for items Ribbn expects to be in-store

Example tag names

Stock take checklist

Follow this checklist in order.

1. Tag every item you physically find

Walk through all inventory areas and tag each item that is physically present, including:

• items on the shop floor
• items in the stockroom
• one-of-a-kind resale items waiting to be merchandised if they are currently in-store

Apply your unique stock-take tag to every item you can physically verify.

Example: stocktake-2026-08-07

This creates a snapshot of what was actually present on the day of the count.

Tips for this step

• Count carefully across all storage areas
• Make sure staff use the same tag format
• If an item is physically present but not yet fully ready for sale, still tag it if it is in-store
• If your team creates items during the count with AI QuickList, make sure those newly created items are tagged consistently if they are part of the physical inventory being counted

2. Tag everything Ribbn says should be in the store

In the Admin Dashboard, filter inventory to show items that should physically be in your store.

Depending on your workflow, this may include statuses such as:

• Listed
• In Quality Control
• Clearance
• Liquidation Ready
• Liquidation Requested

Then bulk-apply your investigation tag.

Steps

1. Filter inventory to the statuses that represent items expected to be in-store
2. Select all filtered items
3. Click Actions > Add Tag
4. Add your investigation tag

Example: investigate-2026-08-07

This marks every item Ribbn expects to be physically present so you can compare system inventory against the items you actually found.

3. Remove the investigation tag from items you found

Now remove the investigation tag from all items that were physically checked.

Steps

1. Clear your current filters
2. Filter inventory by your stock-take tag
3. Select all filtered items
4. Click Actions > Remove Tag
5. Remove the investigation tag

At this point:

• items you physically found still have the stock-take tag
• items Ribbn expected in-store originally received the investigation tag
• removing the investigation tag from found items leaves only unmatched items tagged for investigation

4. Review the remaining investigation-tagged items

Any items still carrying the investigation tag are the items Ribbn expected to be in the store, but your team did not physically find during the stock take.

These are your missing items.

What to investigate next

Use the remaining investigation-tagged items as your follow-up list.

Check for common causes such as:

• the item sold in-store but was not processed correctly
• the item sold online and its status was not updated correctly
• the item is misplaced in the shop floor or stockroom
• the item was attributed to the wrong location or workflow stage
• the item is still in quality control, clearance, or liquidation handling but was filtered into the stock-take set
• the item record was created, duplicated, or updated incorrectly
• a one-of-a-kind item was listed but is no longer physically available

Good follow-up actions

• search the store again for the item
• review recent in-store and online sales activity
• confirm the item’s current status
• check whether the item should be reassigned, updated, or removed from active inventory workflows
• correct the inventory record so future counts are cleaner

Example workflow

Here is the full process in one repeatable example.

Operational notes

For one-of-a-kind inventory

For resale businesses, each item is often unique. A stock take is not just a quantity check—it is a record-by-record check to confirm the exact item is still present and sellable.

This is especially important when:

• each SKU represents a single unique item
• items move between intake, quality control, shop floor, and clearance
• the same item may be available across in-store and online channels

For omnichannel stores

If you sell both in-store and online, accurate stock takes help prevent:

• overselling online
• keeping unavailable items listed
• status mismatches between physical stock and active listings
• confusion about whether an item is sellable, reserved, or missing

For AI QuickList workflows

If your team is creating products quickly during intake, make sure stock-take tags and status handling stay consistent. Fast product creation is useful, but the stock take should still end with clear attribution of where each item is and whether it is actually available.

Common mistakes to avoid

• reusing an old stock-take tag
• forgetting to check the stockroom
• including the wrong statuses in the “should be in-store” filter
• removing the wrong tag
• assuming a missing item is lost before checking recent sales and status changes
• skipping follow-up on investigation-tagged items

Quick summary

Use this method each time you run a stock take:

1. Tag every item you physically find with a unique stock-take tag
2. Bulk tag every item Ribbn says should be in-store with an investigation tag
3. Remove the investigation tag from all physically found items
4. Investigate whatever items still have the investigation tag

That final list is your exception list: the items Ribbn expected to be in the store, but your team did not find.

Next steps

After the stock take:

• resolve all remaining investigation-tagged items
• update incorrect statuses or inventory attribution
• confirm missing one-of-a-kind items are no longer available for sale if needed
• repeat the same tag-and-investigate process for your next stock take using new tags each time