Inventory Management for Kiranas: Preventing Stockouts & Slashing Deadstock

Working capital is the lifeblood of any independent retail business. Having too much inventory locks up precious cash on dusty shelves, while having too little leads to missed sales and disappointed regulars.

The 80/20 Rule in Local Grocery Retail

In a typical kirana store carrying 3,000 SKUs:

• **Top 20% of SKUs (600 items):** Generate 80% of daily sales volume (milk, atta, sugar, cooking oil, popular biscuits, detergents).
• **Remaining 80% of SKUs:** Move slowly and require tight inventory controls to avoid exceeding expiration dates.

Automated Low-Stock Audio Alerts

FirstMartt's merchant software tracks inventory counts automatically as counter and online sales occur:

• **Custom Reorder Thresholds:** Set minimum thresholds (e.g. "Alert me when Fortune Sunflower Oil drops below 10 pouches").
• **1-Click Wholesale Reorder:** Generate instant PDF purchase orders to send directly to your local distributor via WhatsApp.
• **Expiry Tracker:** Flag items reaching expiration within 60 days to trigger promotional discount bundles before losses occur.

Smart inventory management increases merchant cash flow by up to 25% within 90 days.