thread Re: Inventory Counting in Orders, Menu Items, Catalog & Fulfilment

Inventory Counting for all items

rustywillow — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 10:29:09 GMT

We are preparing to complete full count of inventory for EOY. We would like to use the Square app to scan an item as all of our items have barcodes. (We have the capability already.) Our question - what about items that are in the Item Library but are not physically in my store to inventory? Most likey due to theft.

Where does this show up in the Full or Cycle count process, and how do we make those adjustments and clarify why those adjustments are being made.

Re: Inventory Counting

BernadetteA — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 16:39:00 GMT

Thanks for posting, @rustywillow 😊

You can edit your item inventory from the Square Dashboard by clicking Items, then the individual item.

On the Edit Item page, scroll down to Variations > Edit Variation Details. In the Edit Variation popup, you will click on Manage Stock. Here you will be able to edit the quantity, and select a reason for the number change. The dropdown has an option for "theft" that you can use.

I hope this helps you out, but please let me know if you are looking for a different answer. Thanks!

Re: Inventory Counting

Candlestore — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 17:56:49 GMT

@BernadetteA ;

But after we select Item quantity decreased because of Loss Damage Theft etc we have no CSV file to give to an accountant why items were decreased. We can see this on reports in our square dashboard but then have to copy paste it to another file which we could miss selecting every item. Why can this not be exported as a csv file?

Re: Inventory Counting

Candlestore — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 17:59:05 GMT

@BernadetteA ;

See this thread: Square-for-Retail/Inventory-tracking-Loss-damage-other-Where-is-this-report/m-p/700874#M23131

Re: Inventory Counting

rustywillow — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 18:01:29 GMT

This does not answer my question...

How will we know which items are not present in our store? This method only accounts for items physically in the shop. We are trying to use the app instead of printed pages of inventory. Unfortunately we do have theft and need to identify those items so we can remove them from the inventory.

Re: Inventory Counting

MayaP — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 19:45:12 GMT

Hello @rustywillow, stepping for @BernadetteA. I don't believe we have this reporting available right now, but I am tagging out super sellers who can provide some insight. Thank you, @HC_Charlie, @Doran @Candlestore, and @TCSlaguna for all your help.

Re: Inventory Counting

TCSlaguna — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 20:48:32 GMT

Hi @rustywillow,

I would do the following:

1. Export Item Library

2. Do Full Inventory Count (anything not scanned will turn to zero)

3. Export New Item Library

4. In Excel, copy-paste original item library quantities next to new ones, so you have the before and after quantities in one sheet

5. At the end of an item row, run an excel formula to calculate value of loss (Q2-Q1)P

6. Sum the loss column

Perhaps @Doran knows if Square automatically reports the changes after doing a Full Inventory Count. I always like to do it manually just to confirm the numbers.

Let me know if that helps. Good luck!

Re: Inventory Counting

Doran — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 20:53:47 GMT

I also do it manually. So I’m not sure about an auto feature. I’m doing inventory on Saturday so I’ll try and see if I notice it then.

Re: Inventory Counting

DinaLRosenberg — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 16:32:25 GMT

So... I have never (and likely will never) export our item library to a spreadsheet.

We just sorta guesstimate and give a guesstimation of what our loss figures are. Hell, we guess what our year-end inventory levels are...

It isn't perfect but it's completely annoying that inventory control is lacking within retail.... I've beat the drum on this with anyone at Square I can speak to. It makes no business sense (from Square's perspective) to limit functionality in a way where people are taking data from square, mining it in some way, and then re-uploading it. That makes Square less sticky... Square wants customers to be MORE sticky not less...

Re: Inventory Counting

arikkeller — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 13:15:07 GMT

This is helpful, I need to take full inventory of my small grocery store. 5 years of items in there that I need to clean out. Why export item library first? I was hoping to scan all items, edit inventory. Then export and take all inventory >0. Delete rest. Reimport library. What do you think about that? Thanks again, struggling with this process.

Re: Inventory Counting

Museum2022 — Sun, 19 May 2024 20:27:26 GMT

Hi @TCSlaguna

How would this method work if the item in your original item library had 1 in stock but when you do the count and the item is no longer there and not scanned? Will it still show up on the new item library? Thank you!

Re: Inventory Counting

TCSlaguna — Mon, 20 May 2024 01:44:18 GMT

Hi @Museum2022,

Using this method, all items will remain in the item library.

Anything that is not scanned will be marked as 0.