Recommendations on Setting up Clothing Inventory System with Bar Codes?

[alytoash]

Hello, 

Brand new to Square and the retail store world, and have a Square register coming in tomorrow. We have clothing store opening up soon. 

Trying to keep monthly costs down, so trying to avoid purchasing the Square for Retail Upgrade @ $60/mth. 

I'm looking for recommnedations on managing inventory, as well as printing barcodes. 

I'm considering a version of: 

1. Input all items into a spread sheet and create a formual to automatically create SKUs from the factors (department, category, size, color, etc.)
2. Find some software to print barcodes for each of the SKUs from Excel
3. Create a formula to input my spreadsheet with SKUs into the Square template
4. Import this into the Square inventory, and use this to track my inventory. 

Essentially, the customized spreadsheet is used just to create barcodes and to get the items into the Square inventory system. After that, I'm relying fully on Square to manage those items. As new items come in, I will again input into my spreadhseet and repeat steps 1-4.

Does this make sense? is there a better solution? 

Also, how are people creating actual tags? I understand I can print a barcode label, but that has to stick onto something. Preferably a cardstock tag (in the shape of the tag) with my store logo and a size and price, to which I would stick a barcode label on. How do people accomplish this?

Lastly, I would have various sizes/colors for each. It would be necessary to have a different SKU for each and every possibility correct? For example, if I have a shirt in 3 colors and 3 sizes, I would need 9 separate SKUs. Any recommondations on doing this? 

Thanks in advance!

[Chad]

Hello @alytoash, welcome to the Seller Community! 

The steps you've outlined make sense for uploading your inventory. If you're updating multiple items at a time this would be the best solution. Just a word of advice, don't mess with the column headers otherwise you'll run into issues uploading the template. 

Each variation should be assigned a unique SKU, so you've got that part down when it comes to creating items. 

When you mention tags are you referring to a tag that you attach to an item? 

[alytoash]

Thanks Chad!

This was the best method I could come up with, I just wasn't sure if there was a better strategy people have used for clothing/retail stores. 

Yes, my question was around physical tags. For example, when you go to clothing store, they have a tag that is attached to the item with one of those plastic tags that pierce a whole in the clothing. 

I will try and find a way to print the barcodes, but I will need to affix the barcode to a tag that is attached to the item. The tag would, in a perfect world, have the SKU, price, and size. And i would stick the barcode label on the back. 

Not sure what people do for tags, since I haven't really seen it mentioned on the community forums. 

Thanks again.