How do I track stock by size and colour across Instagram and my shop?
Three T-shirts on a shelf do not mean three black mediums are available. Give each size and colour combination its own quantity. If you promise the last medium to a buyer in a DM, the quantity available in your online shop needs to reflect that promise too.
How should I record my opening stock?
Count the garments before you list them. Two T-shirts with the same cut but different colours or sizes are separate choices for the buyer. Give each combination a short code. Put the same code on the shelf and in the shop so the person packing the order can pick the right garment.
| Variant | Code | Available at opening | After a confirmed DM for black M |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black, M | TS-BLK-M | 1 | 0 |
| Black, L | TS-BLK-L | 1 | 1 |
| White, M | TS-WHT-M | 1 | 1 |
What happens when a DM buyer wants the last one?
Distinguish “Do you have an M?” from a confirmed order. For an enquiry, send the product link. If you accept the order in the conversation, record it in your shop immediately and check that black M now shows zero available. If recording the order already deducted it, a second manual deduction will put your count out.
Check what the next shopper sees
Open the page as a shopper and select black M. The sold-out combination should be unavailable to buy while white M can still be ordered. If a parcel comes back, check the code on the shirt and its condition. Return it to available stock only once, after checking it can be sold again and whether the system has already put it back.
What does “held until tonight” mean in numbers?
At ten in the morning someone asks you to hold the last black medium until she can collect it after work. Decide whether you offer holds and tell her when this one expires. One shirt is on the shelf, one is committed, and zero are available to new buyers. Record the code, the expiry time and a reference you can use to find the hold. When the customer collects it, convert that same hold to a sale. A second deduction would leave a negative quantity on paper.
When the agreed time passes, look for a matching payment or online order before releasing the hold. If the customer has checked out online in the meantime, match her to the existing order. If there is no sale and the shirt is still on the shelf, release the reservation. A reply such as “We can hold the black medium until six. Please message before then if you need longer” also tells the next person on shift exactly what you promised.
How to investigate a shelf count that disagrees with the shop
The page shows two white mediums, but you find only one when packing. Before accepting another order for the last unit, count that code in three places: the shelf, the boxes waiting for collection and the holds set aside for customers. Check garment labels rather than shelf labels because a white large on the wrong pile can look like the missing medium. Then review the last movement for that exact code and see whether yesterday’s counter sale was recorded.
If you find a missed sale, record it against the correct code with a note. If the cause stays unclear, record the verified physical count, the date and who checked it. The quantity should tell the next seller what they can safely promise. The reason matters too. If the mismatch appears every Saturday that you run a market stall, change who records stall sales and when they do it during the day.
How should I handle a size exchange?
A buyer returns a black medium and wants a black large. That is two movements against two different codes. First see whether the large is actually available and reserve it if you accept the exchange. When the medium arrives, inspect it before offering it again. A damaged return belongs physically apart from the sellable pile. Check both variants on the live page at the end. After a successful exchange, medium may increase by one while large decreases by one.
To begin, check the variants with low remaining quantities and those featured in a story that day each evening. A small team can keep that promise. If those counts agree for a week, extend the check to the next group. If the discrepancies persist, trace two specific orders from the first customer message through packing before committing a whole day to recounting every product.
How should I receive a delivery from my supplier?
If the delivery note says “six black shirts”, open the box and count by size before updating the shop. You may have ordered three mediums and three larges but received two mediums and four larges. Enter what actually arrived. Record the supplier discrepancy separately so you can follow it up. Otherwise you can sell a third medium that never came in the box even though the overall quantity of shirts looks correct.
After receiving the stock, look at the public page for each size. If medium was sold out, check it can now be selected. If people were waiting in your inbox, reply with the correct variant link once you have checked how many pieces are actually available to them.