Quick Summary
Keep one stock record for each product in kilograms, and give each way you sell it (a cup, a half-bag, a full bag) its own price and its weight in kilograms. Every sale then takes the right weight off the same stock, whether the customer buys one cup or a whole bag. For odd amounts, the cashier enters the weight.
Why does stock go wrong when you sell loose and by the bag?
Stock goes wrong because loose sales and bag sales are usually counted in different ways, or not counted at all. A shop records "3 bags in" but sells rice by the cup, so the book never matches the shelf. The same happens with beans, garri, sugar and other goods sold both packed and loose.
How do you set up selling by the cup and by the bag?
You set it up in five steps:
1. Choose one base unit for the product, usually the kilogram. 2. Weigh your own measure. Weigh ten cups of the product and divide by ten, because cups differ from shop to shop and from product to product. 3. Create each selling unit with its own price and weight: for example a cup (its measured weight), a half-bag (25 kg) and a full bag (50 kg). 4. Record every delivery in kilograms, so three 50 kg bags go in as 150 kg. 5. For anything else, enter the weight at the till, so a customer who wants 5 kg is charged for exactly 5 kg.
What does a day look like?
A day of selling rice by the cup and by the bag might look like this, using example figures:
| Movement | Kilograms |
|---|---|
| Opening stock | 30 |
| Delivery: 3 bags of 50 kg | +150 |
| Sold: 1 full bag | −50 |
| Sold: 120 cups at 0.4 kg (your cup will differ) | −48 |
| Sold: loose, weight entered at the till | −5 |
| Closing stock | 77 |
Because everything is counted in kilograms, opening a bag to sell by the cup needs no separate entry: the cups come off the same stock.
How do you check that the count is right?
Check it by weighing what is left of one or two products every week and comparing it with the stock on the system. A small gap is normal (spillage, a generous cup); a gap that keeps growing means something is not being recorded, or the cup weight needs re-measuring.
How does a POS handle loose and packed sales?
A POS handles it by selling the same item in several units from one stock record, each at its own price. In EliteTeQ, the cashier picks the unit (cup, bag or packet) or enters the weight, and the stock falls by the right amount every time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sell the same product by weight, cup and packet?
Yes, if your POS keeps one stock record per product and lets each selling unit have its own price. Each sale then takes the right amount off the same stock.
Do I need a scale connected to the till?
No. The cashier can weigh the goods and enter the weight, and the till works out the price.
How do I find out what a cup weighs?
Weigh ten level cups of the product and divide by ten. Do it for each product, because a cup of rice and a cup of garri weigh differently.
What if customers bargain on loose prices?
Give the cashier fixed prices per cup and per bag in the system, and limit who can change a price, so the day's takings match what was sold.
Let's discuss how EliteTeQ POS can help you achieve the results you just read about.