An effective inventory system is an essential part of any successful business, whether you’re operating out of your garage or have multiple warehouses. Every item on your shelves represents a cash investment. Without an inventory management system, you’re essentially navigating without a map. You risk overstocking—tying up precious capital in products that aren’t selling—or understocking—missing out on sales and disappointing customers who may look elsewhere.
Inventory list templates help prevent these pitfalls by providing a structure for recording details about your stock, ensuring you always have accurate, up-to-date information. If you still count inventory on paper or can’t answer "How many do we have?" without physically checking your shelves, you’ve hit the tipping point where a structured system makes sense.
Instead of managing stock levels based on intuition alone, an inventory tracking system allows you to make informed decisions backed by data. With the right inventory templates, you can set reorder points, analyze sales trends, and turn your inventory into a driver for your bottom line.
What is an inventory list?
An inventory list is a detailed, itemized record of all the goods or materials a business has in stock. It forms the foundation of any inventory management system by providing an accurate picture of your current inventory at any given time. Each entry includes key details such as a stock keeping unit (SKU), product name, description, cost per unit, quantity on hand, and supplier information. Maintaining a comprehensive inventory list helps track stock levels and manage inventory as a whole, ensuring the right products are available to meet customer demand.
The main purpose of an inventory list template is to provide a standardized, reusable framework for tracking stock. Instead of creating a new list from scratch each time, a template ensures you use the same format and capture the same essential data every time you manage inventory. This consistency saves time, reduces the chance of manual errors, and makes the process of creating new lists more efficient. For small businesses, a ready-to-use template streamlines this task and establishes a reliable foundation for accurate inventory tracking.
Basic inventory list template
To get started, use the basic inventory list template below (currently filled out with example products). This template includes all the fields you need to begin tracking your inventory, and you can easily customize it to suit your needs. Whether you’re tracking apparel with variants like size and color, managing beauty and cosmetic stock, or keeping count of the homemade goods you sell on Etsy, this intuitive design simplifies data entry from the outset.
This template includes the following columns:
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Item ID/SKU. A unique identifier for each stock item.
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Item name. The name of the product.
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Description. A detailed description of the item, including relevant specifications.
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Quantity in stock. The current stock level for each item.
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Unit cost. The cost of a single unit.
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Total value. Total value of the stock for each item, often calculated with built-in formulas.
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Reorder levels. The minimum stock levels that trigger reorders.
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Vendor information/supplier information. Details about the item vendor or supplier.
Using free inventory templates like this, which function much like Excel templates, lets you start tracking your inventory immediately without expensive software. As your business expands, you can edit and expand the template to include new products and additional tracking fields.
How to generate an inventory list in Shopify
Small businesses using Shopify to power their ecommerce stores can take advantage of its built-in tools to manage inventory. One useful feature is the ability to export your entire product catalog into a comma-separated values (CSV) file. This export functions like a premade inventory list template that you can open and edit in programs such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. Here you can update current stock levels, analyze sales data, and streamline your inventory process.
Exporting your Shopify inventory
Once you’re logged in to your Shopify account, you can generate and export your inventory list by following these steps:
1. Visit the Products section. From your main Shopify admin dashboard, click on Products. This displays all the products currently in your store.
2. Select Inventory from the submenu. Under Products, you’ll see options like All products, Collections, Inventory, etc. Click Inventory to view detailed stock quantities of all of your products and their variants across your locations.
3. Click the Export button. In the upper-right corner of the Inventory page, click Export. A box titled “Exporting Inventory to CSV file” will appear.
4. Customize your export settings. Choose the data you want to export: Current page, All products, or Selected products. For a complete inventory list, select All products. You can export as a CSV for Excel, Numbers, and other spreadsheet programs, or as a CSV file.
5. Confirm and start exporting the file. After you’ve made your selections, click the Export products button. Shopify will begin preparing your file.
6. Check your email and download the file. Shopify emails a secure download link to the address associated with your account—you don’t download files directly from the dashboard. The process is usually quick, though files for large stores with thousands of products might take a few minutes. Open the email and click the link to download your CSV file.
7. Manage your inventory list. Open the CSV file in Excel, Numbers, or Google Sheets. It will contain all your essential item details: SKUs, product names, variant information, current stock levels, and prices. This file now serves as your foundational inventory tracker, helping you make smarter decisions for your business.
Leveraging Shopify’s built-in inventory reports
Beyond exporting your inventory data, Shopify also provides a suite of built-in inventory reports that offer business performance insights. These reports can help you transition from inventory tracking to strategic inventory management, enabling you to analyze sales trends and make informed decisions.
To access these reports, navigate to Analytics > Reports, and then select Inventory. You’ll find key report options, including:
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Month-end inventory snapshot. This report shows you the quantity of each stock item you had at the end of every month. It’s an invaluable tool for tracking how inventory levels change over time and identifying sales patterns.
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Month-end inventory value. This report shows the total value of your current stock at the end of each month. It’s essential for accounting purposes and to understand the value of the assets you hold.
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Product sell-through rate. This report calculates how quickly you’re selling through your inventory. A high sell-through rate reveals strong sales, and a low rate might signal that a particular item isn’t performing well and needs to be re-evaluated.
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Days of inventory remaining. This report forecasts how many days the current inventory will last based on recent sales patterns. This is key for planning your purchases and setting reorder points.
By combining CSV exports with these detailed inventory reports, you can maintain a complete and up-to-date picture of your business and ensure the right products are always in stock.
Inventory template FAQ
How do I create a simple inventory template?
Think of a simple inventory template as a detailed checklist for all your physical goods. Creating one is straightforward, especially with tools like Google Sheets or Excel. First, create a new spreadsheet and then decide on the columns you need, such as Item ID or SKU, item name, description, unit price, etc. Take advantage of built-in formulas and tailor the template to your business’s requirements. Once you’re happy with the layout, save the file as a template so you can reuse it for future inventory counts.
What are the four types of inventory?
Inventory is typically divided into four main types:
- Raw materials. Components used to manufacture products.
- Work-in-process (WIP). Items currently in the production process but not yet finished goods.
- Finished goods. Products ready to be sold to customers.
- Maintenance, repair, and operating (MRO) supplies. Items necessary for the daily operations of a business but not part of the final product, such as office supplies and spare machinery parts.
What is the best inventory method?
The best inventory method depends on your business, your accounting practices, and your economic environment. The two most common inventory valuation methods are first-in, first-out (FIFO) and last-in, first-out (LIFO). The FIFO method assumes that the first items added to your inventory are the first ones to be sold. The LIFO method assumes that the most recently purchased items are the first ones to be sold.
