Running Two or More Shop Branches: Stock Transfers Without Spreadsheets

To run stock across two or more shop branches, track every item per location, not just in total, and move stock between branches with a recorded transfer that has four steps: requested, approved, sent and received. While a transfer is on the road, the items belong to neither branch, so neither can sell them. Give each branch live visibility of the others' stock, decide in advance which location fulfils online orders, and count each branch on a schedule. Spreadsheets struggle with this because two branches update them at the same time and transfers get recorded once instead of twice.

This guide shows how to set up locations, run transfers that don't lose stock, decide what to move where, and handle the customer who wants an item that's in the other shop.

Why spreadsheets break with more than one branch

A single shop can run on a spreadsheet for a long time. Add a second branch and the cracks show quickly:

• Two people editing at once. Both branches update the sheet during a busy afternoon and overwrite each other.

• Transfers recorded once. Branch A writes "sent 5 to B", but branch B never records receiving them, or records 4.

• Phone calls instead of data. "Do you have the black one in M?" gets answered from memory.

• Totals that hide problems. The sheet says you have 12; all 12 are in the branch the customer isn't in.

• No one knows who changed what. When a count is wrong, there's no history to check.

The answer isn't a better spreadsheet. It's a process where every movement is recorded in a way both branches see, and a tool that keeps one count per location.

Step 1: Set up your locations

List every place stock can be:

Each location keeps its own count of every SKU (every size and colour). "In transit" and "holding" are real locations too; they stop items from being counted as sellable when they're not.

Step 2: Run transfers in four steps

Every movement of stock between locations follows the same steps:

1. REQUESTED  → Branch B asks for 5 × TS-014-BLU-M from the warehouse
2. APPROVED   → Owner or manager approves (optional for small transfers)
3. SENT       → Warehouse packs and sends: stock leaves the warehouse
                and moves to "in transit"
4. RECEIVED   → Branch B counts what arrived: stock moves from
                "in transit" to Branch B

Key rules:

• Stock leaves the sender when it's sent, not when it's requested. Until it's packed, the sender can still sell it.

• Stock arrives when it's counted, not when it's expected. The receiver confirms the actual quantity.

• Differences are recorded, not ignored. If 5 were sent and 4 arrived, the transfer stays open with a "1 missing" note until someone finds out why.

What every transfer record needs

• Transfer number

• From location and to location

• SKUs and quantities requested, sent and received

• Who requested, approved, sent and received, with dates

• Notes (reason, differences found)

A paper delivery note travelling with the box, with the transfer number on it, makes receiving faster and catches mistakes.

Step 3: Decide who can do what

With several branches, not everyone should be able to change everything. A simple setup:

The principle: people see what they need to sell and serve, and only a few can change counts and prices. It cuts both honest mistakes and dishonest ones.

Step 4: Decide what to move, and when

Transfers cost time and sometimes money. Move stock for a reason, not by feel.

Look at sell-through per branch

For each SKU and branch, over the last few weeks:

Weekly sales per branch    = units sold ÷ number of weeks
Weeks of stock left        = units in stock ÷ weekly sales

A size that's sold out at the mall kiosk but has eight weeks' stock at Main Street is a transfer waiting to happen.

Set minimum and maximum levels

For your best sellers, set a minimum and maximum per branch, for example "keep 2–6 of TS-014-BLU-M at the kiosk". When stock falls below the minimum, request a transfer back up to the maximum. This turns rebalancing into a routine instead of a scramble.

Batch transfers

Unless it's urgent, collect requests and send transfers on fixed days, such as Monday and Thursday. Fewer, fuller trips are cheaper and easier to check.

Step 5: Serve the customer who wants an item from another branch

This is where multiple branches become an advantage instead of a problem.

1. The cashier checks other branches' stock on the spot, without phoning.

2. Offer the customer a choice: go to the other branch (with the address and opening hours), have it transferred to this branch for collection, or have it delivered to them.

3. Reserve the item at the other branch immediately so it isn't sold while they decide.

4. Create the transfer or delivery and tell the customer when it'll be ready.

We don't have the [product] in [size] here, but our [branch name] has 2. I can hold one for you there, have it brought here for you by [day], or deliver it to your home. Which would you prefer?

Step 6: Decide who fulfils online orders

When someone orders online, which location sends it? Common rules:

• Warehouse only: simplest; shops never pack online orders.

• Nearest location with stock: faster delivery, but shops need to pack online orders.

• Branch with the most stock of that item: helps balance stock across branches.

Pick one, write it down, and make sure online orders reserve stock at the location that will send them.

Step 7: Count each branch on a schedule

• Weekly: spot-count each branch's top 20 SKUs.

• Monthly: count one category per branch, rotating through categories.

• After every transfer: the receiving branch counts what arrived (that's Step 2's "received").

• Investigate patterns: if one branch is often short, look at how it receives transfers, handles returns and records damages.

Common mistakes

• Moving stock without recording it ("I just took a few to the other shop").

• Recording a transfer only on one side.

• Selling stock that's in transit, because it never left the sender's count.

• Letting every branch adjust every count.

• Rebalancing by feel instead of by sales data.

• Counting stock only in total, so the system says "available" when it's in the wrong place.

When to move off spreadsheets

If you have two or more branches selling the same products every day, and especially if you also sell online, a spreadsheet will keep causing the problems above. Look for a system that:

1. Keeps stock per SKU per location, updated at the moment of each sale.

2. Runs transfers with request, approval, sent and received steps, including "in transit".

3. Lets staff see other branches' stock at the counter.

4. Has roles, so cashiers, managers and owners see and change only what they should.

5. Connects online orders and social sales to the same per-location stock.

Nodi Commerce runs up to 10 branches (more on Enterprise) on one catalog, with stock per branch and warehouse, roles for owners, branch managers and cashiers, and owner approval for transfers and purchase orders. Every branch sees the others' stock, and sales from your website, Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp come out of the same per-location count. See how Nodi runs multiple branches →

Selling in the UAE? Read Inventory Management for Small UAE Shops and Best POS Systems in the UAE for Small Shops.

Common questions

How do I track inventory across multiple stores?

Keep a separate count of every SKU at each location, update it at the moment of every sale, and record every movement between stores as a transfer with sent and received steps. Give staff in each store live visibility of the others' stock.

What is a stock transfer?

A stock transfer is a recorded movement of items from one location to another, for example from a warehouse to a shop. A good transfer record shows what was requested, what was sent, what arrived, who handled each step and any differences.

How do I decide which branch gets which stock?

Look at how fast each item sells at each branch, set minimum and maximum levels for your best sellers, and send transfers when a branch falls below its minimum. Batch non-urgent transfers on fixed days.

Should stock in transit be counted?

Yes, but as its own location, not as part of either branch. That way, nobody sells items that are on the road, and you can see if something goes missing between locations.