In short: A stocktake, or stock count, is a physical count of the goods on your shelves, compared against the quantities in your system to find any gap.
The full guide: Shop inventory management
A stocktake means counting what is physically in your shop and storeroom, item by item, then comparing it with what your system says. A gap can be a shortage from theft, damage or a selling mistake, or a surplus from a purchase invoice nobody recorded. Value of the gap = (system quantity - counted quantity) × cost price. A full stocktake covers every item, while a partial count focuses on one section or product group.
Shops in Jordan usually count at month end or before the financial year closes, often after closing time so stock does not move during the count. Pen and paper is slow and error-prone, so counting by barcode has become the faster way.
How to run a stocktake
- Catch up first
Enter returns, damaged goods and any purchase invoices not recorded yet, so the count starts from a true figure. - Split the shop into sections
Shelf by shelf or section by section, and do not sell from the section you are counting until you finish it. - Count by scanning
Scan each item with the phone camera or a scanner and type how many are on the shelf. - Recount big gaps
Count again any item with a large difference before you confirm it; counting errors are more common than theft. - Confirm the numbers
Save the count so the system matches the shelf, with the value of any shortage or surplus recorded.
After the count
If the same items keep coming up short, treat that as a reason to review staff permissions or where the goods are displayed, not just a number to correct and forget until next time.
In Ghalleh you count from the tools by scanning: scan the item and type how many are on the shelf, the shortage or surplus shows with its value at cost, and saving the count corrects your stock.
A shop example
At a mini market in Irbid, the system shows 48 cans of tuna but the count finds 45. The shortage is 3 cans at a cost of JOD 1.200 each, so the gap is worth JOD 3.600. It is recorded as a loss and the quantity in the system is corrected to 45.
Common questions
What is a stocktake in Arabic?
الجرد. A stock count or inventory count means the same thing.
How often should I do a stocktake?
A full count every one to three months suits most shops, with a quick weekly count for expensive items or ones that often come up short.
Do I need to close the shop to count?
Not necessarily. You can count one section at a time during quiet hours, as long as you do not sell from the section you are counting until you finish and confirm the numbers.