RunKarobarInventory and Stock Management Software for Retail Shops
Meena was on the top step of a ladder when the customer called out, "Madam, it's okay. I'll try somewhere else."
She had been up there for eleven minutes.
Meena isn't a real person, but that ladder is in a lot of Indian shops.
She runs two footwear shops. The customer wanted one thing: a black school shoe, size 8, for a boy whose school reopened the next morning.
Her stock register said she had 6 pairs. So she'd said, with total confidence, "Yes, we have it."
Then she started opening boxes.
Size 6. Size 6. Size 7. Size 6. A left shoe with no explanation.
The register was right. She did have 6 pairs. None of them would fit that boy's foot.
| Black school shoe | Pairs in the shop |
|---|---|
| Size 6 | 4 |
| Size 7 | 2 |
| Size 8 | 0 |
| Register total | 6 |
Her other shop might have had size 8. She called. The phone rang out, because the person who answers it was on a ladder of his own.
The customer left. Meena climbed down, sat on a box of size 6s and asked herself the question this whole article is about:
"Why do I own 6 pairs of shoes and still have nothing to sell?"
What is an inventory management system?
Here's a simple inventory management system definition: it's any method that tells you what you have, where it is and what it's worth.
A register is an inventory management system. So is an Excel sheet. So is the one staff member who "just knows," until they take leave.
A software inventory management system does the same job, except it updates by itself. You sell something and the count goes down. You receive something and the count goes up. Nobody has to remember to write it down.
The objectives of an inventory management system
Forget the textbook version. A shop owner needs four answers:
- Do I have it? The exact size and colour, not just the product.
- Where is it? In the shop, in the godown or at the other branch.
- What did I pay for it? Otherwise, you can't know your real profit.
- How much money is sitting on my shelves? Unsold stock is cash you can't spend.
If your current system can't answer these in under a minute, the system is you. And you're tired.
What good inventory management software should do
Count sizes and colours separately
This is what would have saved Meena.
Good inventory management software treats size 8 and size 6 as different stock, while still showing them as one product. In runkarobar, totals are grouped by product, with a breakdown for every barcode. Size-wise barcodes and colour variants are built in for footwear and clothing.
So the screen doesn't just say "6 pairs." It tells you that you're out of size 8.
Keep shop and godown stock apart
"We have it" means very little if it's in a godown across town and the customer is standing in front of you.
Stock inventory management software should show each location separately. runkarobar tracks store and warehouse stock for each branch, so you know where to send someone before they put on their shoes.
Update when you sell, not when you remember
In runkarobar, a bill reduces your stock by itself. If you also run the online store, an online order comes out of the same stock.
That means no evening data entry, and no Sunday spent "matching the register," which is a polite name for arguing with last week.
If you want to see how the billing side works, read our guide to POS billing software.
Make receiving stock less painful
The truck arrives at the worst possible time. It always does.
Now someone has to type a supplier's invoice, line by line, while customers wait. And by Thursday, that invoice is under the calculator with tea on it.
runkarobar can read supplier invoices from a photo. Take a picture, then give the result a quick check. It's still your stock, so it deserves one look.
Move stock without phone calls
Meena's other shop could have sold that size 8. All she needed was to see it.
With inventory and stock management software, you can check stock at every branch from one login. In runkarobar, you can also record the transfer, so the stock leaves one branch and arrives at the other in the system too.
No more "Bhaiya, just check the top shelf and call me back."
Handle the same product at different prices
Last month's cartons cost you ₹420 a pair. This month's cost ₹465. The shoes look identical, and your profit doesn't.
runkarobar supports batch pricing per barcode, so a new purchase price doesn't quietly rewrite the old one. The Retail & Wholesale plan also has cost batches with FIFO profit, which means the oldest stock's cost counts first when you work out your profit on a sale.
Fix the count when real life happens
A box gets damaged. A rat develops an interest in your stock. Someone gives a pair to their cousin and describes it as "marketing."
Good software lets you adjust the count and move on. Even with the best system, walk your shelves and count sometimes. Software can record every sale, but it can't see a rat.
Show you what your stock is worth
runkarobar shows your stock value, best sellers and profit in its reports. That's how you learn that ₹2 lakh of your money has been sitting in size 6.
Why cloud stock management software makes sense for a small shop
"Cloud" sounds like a word for big companies. For a shop, it just means your stock data isn't trapped on one computer at the counter.
With cloud stock management software, you can:
- check stock from home, or from the other branch
- see the same numbers on your phone, tablet and PC
- stop worrying about the counter PC, because your data is backed up every day
A cloud based inventory management system needs the internet, so keep a phone hotspot handy for the day your connection decides to rest.
runkarobar runs on the Windows desktop app, in any browser, and as an inventory management software application on Android through Google Play.
Register, Excel or inventory stock management software?
| Paper register | Excel sheet | Inventory stock management software | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Updates when you sell | No | No | Yes |
| Shows stock by size and colour | Only if you're very patient | If you build it | Yes |
| Shows every branch | No | Rarely | Yes |
| Can be used by two people at once | Not comfortably | It gets messy | Yes |
| Survives a cup of tea | No | Depends where the laptop was | Yes |
Excel can still work for a very small shop. We've put together the formats to use and the signs you've outgrown it.
How to choose inventory management software
Skip the sales demo at first. Test it with your own stock:
- Add your most complicated product. One shoe with every size and colour. If that's painful, 500 products will be worse.
- Bill one item, then check that the stock dropped.
- Receive a real supplier invoice. Count how long it takes.
- Move stock between two locations. Check that both counts changed.
- Check stock on your phone from outside the shop.
- Ask how you'll get your current stock in. Nobody wants to spend Diwali typing 3,000 items.
On that last one, runkarobar lets you import your products and stock, and setup support is included.
What does runkarobar cost?
Every subscription plan starts with a ₹1 first month, with full access. Prices exclude GST.
| Plan with live stock | Yearly | Monthly | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| HRMS + POS + Finance | ₹15,000/year | ₹1,700/month | Stock, billing, reports and staff |
| Complete + Online Store | ₹35,000/year | ₹3,500/month | All of that, plus selling online from the same stock |
Traders who need party khata and FIFO cost batches should also look at the Retail & Wholesale plan. See full pricing →
Back to Meena
Three weeks later, another customer walked in and asked for the same shoe in size 8.
Meena didn't look up at the ladder. She looked down at her phone.
None in this shop. Three pairs at the other branch.
"I can have it here by this evening, madam."
The customer came back at six. Meena got the sale, and the boy got shoes that fit.
The register is still in the drawer, and it still says 6 pairs. It was never exactly wrong. It just never told her the part that mattered.
Start your first month for ₹1 →
FAQ
What is inventory and stock management software?
It's software that tracks what you have, where it is and what it's worth. In a shop, it updates stock when you bill or receive items, so you don't have to keep a register by hand.
What is the difference between stock management and inventory management?
In most Indian shops, people use the two terms to mean the same thing: knowing what you have and where it is. Larger businesses sometimes use "inventory" for a wider process that includes raw materials and purchasing.
Can I track stock by size and colour?
Yes. runkarobar supports size-wise barcodes and colour variants, with totals grouped by product and a breakdown for each barcode.
Can I manage stock across more than one shop?
Yes. Every branch has its own store and warehouse stock, and you can run them all from one login and move stock between them.
Can it read supplier invoices?
Yes. runkarobar can read supplier invoices from a photo, which saves typing each line when new stock arrives.
Can I move my current stock into runkarobar?
Yes. You can import your products and stock, and setup support is included.
Do I need internet to use it?
Yes. Your stock data lives in the cloud so it can stay in sync across your devices and branches, and it's backed up every day.
Is runkarobar good for restaurants or pharmacies?
runkarobar is built for retail shops and traders that sell products off a shelf. A restaurant or pharmacy has different needs, so check that any software you choose covers them.
How much does it cost?
The first month on any subscription plan is ₹1. After that, the HRMS + POS + Finance plan, which includes live stock, is ₹1,700/month or ₹15,000/year, excluding GST. See all plans.