General store billing software for shops that sell a bit of everything

1Finding the right item fast

On the sell screen, products are organised by category chips and a search box that finds items by name or category. A frequently used list shows the items you sell most, so regular sales are one tap. Staple goods and impulse items can sit in their own categories, and category names can have Urdu as well as English.

2Many small items, many small margins

General stores often earn little on each item, so errors add up. When every item has its cost, retail price and stock figure, you can see which categories earn and which just fill shelf space. The product sales report shows what sold in any period, so you can order more of what moves and stop buying what does not.

3Photos and descriptions

Items that look alike, such as three sizes of the same battery, are easier to tell apart with a photo and a short description on the product. You can add a photo from your phone, which also helps new staff learn the stock quickly.

4Several suppliers, one record

A general store buys from many suppliers: distributors, wholesalers, local makers. Each purchase is recorded against its supplier, with what you paid and what you still owe, so end-of-month payment day is not a puzzle. You can attach a main supplier to each product to remember where it comes from.

5Credit for the neighbourhood

Regulars take goods on credit too. Customer balances, due dates and payments are handled the same way as in a grocery, so the general store does not need a second system for udhaar.

6Keeping a large catalogue tidy

A catalogue of several hundred items stays usable only if it is kept clean. Name products the same way every time, such as brand first and size last. Switch off items you no longer stock instead of deleting them, so their history remains. Look for duplicates when you add something new, and use categories that match how customers ask: cleaning, kitchen, school, toys. Ten minutes each month on this saves your cashier minutes every day.

7Training a new cashier in an hour

A new cashier in a general store can learn the essentials in about an hour. Show them the category chips and the search box first, because finding an item is most of the job. Then practise five sales together: a single item, several items, a sale with a discount if they are allowed, a part-payment for a named customer and a return. Give them their own cashier login, so any mistake is traceable and they cannot see your profit, and let them sell under your eye for a day.

★Get started in four steps

1. Create categoriesGroup items into categories such as cleaning, stationery and toys.
2. Add products with pricesSwitch on listed items and add the rest with name, unit and price.
3. Link suppliersAdd your suppliers and attach the main one to each product.
4. Review product sales monthlyUse the report to decide what to reorder.

!Good to know before you start