Inventory guide / COUNTERCRAFT FIELD NOTES
Get your product catalog ready for a fresh start
A practical way to organize product information before it becomes part of your next retail system.
Choose a working source
Start with one working copy of your product list. Record where it came from and when it was exported. Keep the original unchanged so you can compare decisions later. Choose one person to collect questions and resolve unclear entries before the list goes into a new system.
Make every product identifiable
Give each row a stable identifier, a clear product name, a brand, and a category. Keep size and selling unit in their own fields where possible. Two products with similar names may still be different items. Flag uncertain matches instead of merging them based on a name alone.
Separate price from quantity
A product list describes what the business carries. Pricing describes what the business charges. Stock describes what is physically available at a particular place and time. Keep those decisions separate so importing a catalog does not accidentally become an opening inventory count.
Review a small sample first
Pick a few representative products: a simple item, a product with a size choice, and something with store-specific pricing. Check names, categories, images, units, and prices in the destination before expanding the import. Write down the choices so the rest of the team can repeat them.
Keep a record of exceptions
Maintain a short list of missing details, duplicate identifiers, unexpected units, and products that should stay unpublished. Assign an owner to each question. A catalog with visible exceptions is easier to finish than one that hides uncertainty inside inconsistent fields.
A useful plan starts with your own store's needs. Bring these questions to your Countercraft demo and we'll work through them together.