Free Inventory Templates for Excel & Google Sheets
How shops keep a stock register in Excel — SKU, inward, outward, closing stock, and a reorder flag — without warehouse software.
Closing stock is not 'what I think is on the shelf'. It is opening stock + inward − outward, with a physical count at month-end to catch theft and billing errors. An Excel stock register with one row per SKU does that job for a kirana, a spare-parts counter, or a clinic dispensary until volumes justify dedicated inventory software.
Use columns: SKU code, item name, unit (pcs/kg), opening qty, inward qty, outward qty, closing qty (= opening + inward − outward), reorder level, and a flag = IF(closing < reorder, "REORDER", ""). Never type closing stock by hand if inward and outward exist — that is how two versions of the truth appear. Inward should tie to purchase bills; outward should tie to invoices or a daily sales export.
Negative closing stock means you sold something you never received, or a unit mismatch (pcs vs box). Fix the source document; do not hide the minus with MAX(0, closing). A yellow flag on negatives is more useful than a pretty dashboard.
Physical count belongs on a separate date-stamped sheet. Variance = book closing − counted qty. Large shortages on high-value SKUs are an operations problem, not a formula problem. For the money side of the same shop, use the cash book and GST invoice templates already on this site.
Downloadable files
There is no .xlsx in this category yet. The guide above is still meant to be used: copy the column layout into a blank workbook. Related downloads are linked at the bottom of this page.
What to look for in a inventory template
- Closing stock as a formula, never a typed number
- Reorder level per SKU and a visible REORDER flag
- Unit of measure on every row (pcs, kg, box) to stop 12-piece-box errors
- A physical-count sheet with a variance column
- SKU codes that match the HSN you use on GST invoices where possible
- Month-end freeze: copy values to an archive tab before starting the next month
Frequently asked questions
Can Excel replace a barcode inventory system?+
For under a few hundred SKUs and one location, yes. The failure mode is multiple people editing the same Google Sheet at the billing counter. Use one owner for the register, or switch to software when two counters sell the same SKU at once.
How often should I do a physical count?+
Fast movers and high-value items weekly; the full list at least monthly. Count after hours so outward is not moving while you count. Enter counted qty on the count sheet the same night — memory is not a control.
Where does GST fit into a stock register?+
The register tracks quantity. Tax sits on the purchase bill and the tax invoice. Do not mix GST amounts into the qty columns. If you need input tax from stock purchases, that belongs in the purchase invoice / GST records, not in closing stock.