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Inventory Management

Comprehensive guide to managing your bookstore inventory in BookWish.

Inventory Overview​

Your inventory is the heart of your BookWish store. It determines:

  • What customers see on your website
  • What's available for purchase
  • What appears in search results

Inventory Sources​

Native Inventory​

Manage inventory directly in BookWish:

  • Manual book entry
  • CSV import
  • Barcode scanning

Square Integration​

Sync with Square POS:

  • Automatic inventory sync via webhooks
  • Hourly full sync backup
  • ISBN-based book matching

Configure in Shop > Settings > Integrations > Square.

Adding Books​

Manual Entry​

  1. Go to Shop > Inventory
  2. Tap Add Book
  3. Search by:
    • ISBN (most accurate)
    • Title
    • Author
  4. Select the correct book
  5. Enter details:
    • Quantity
    • Price
    • Condition (new/used)
    • Location (shelf/section)
  6. Save

ISBN Scanning​

Use your device camera:

  1. Tap Scan ISBN
  2. Point at barcode
  3. Book details auto-populate
  4. Enter quantity and price
  5. Save

Bulk Import​

Import multiple books via CSV:

isbn,quantity,price,condition,location
9780143127741,5,16.99,new,Fiction A3
9780316769174,2,12.99,used,Classics B1
  1. Go to Shop > Inventory > Import
  2. Upload CSV file
  3. Map columns
  4. Review and confirm
  5. Import completes

Managing Stock​

Updating Quantities​

When stock changes:

  1. Find the book in inventory
  2. Tap to edit
  3. Update quantity
  4. Save

Changes sync immediately to your website.

Price Adjustments​

Update pricing:

  • Individual book price changes
  • Bulk price updates
  • Sale pricing with original price shown

Stock Locations​

Organize inventory by location:

  • Section (Fiction, Non-fiction, etc.)
  • Shelf number
  • Custom location codes

Helps staff locate books quickly for orders.

Condition Tracking​

New Books​

  • Full price
  • Perfect condition
  • From publisher/distributor

Used Books​

Condition grades:

  • Like New: Minimal wear
  • Good: Some wear, fully readable
  • Fair: Noticeable wear, complete

Each condition has its own inventory entry and price.

Low Stock Alerts​

Setting Thresholds​

Configure alerts for low inventory:

  1. Go to Shop > Settings > Notifications
  2. Set "Low Stock Threshold" (e.g., 2)
  3. Enable notifications

Alert Types​

Receive alerts via:

  • Push notification
  • Email
  • Dashboard indicator

Inventory Reports​

Current Stock​

View all inventory:

  • Total items
  • Total value
  • By category
  • By condition

Stock Movement​

Track changes over time:

  • Sales
  • Returns
  • Adjustments
  • Shrinkage

Best Sellers​

Identify top-performing titles:

  • Units sold
  • Revenue generated
  • Reorder recommendations

Square Sync Details​

How Sync Works​

Square POS
    ↓ (webhook on sale)
BookWish Backend
    ↓
Inventory Updated
    ↓
Website Reflects Changes

Sync Settings​

  • Real-time: Webhook updates on each Square transaction
  • Hourly backup: Full inventory comparison
  • Conflict resolution: Square is source of truth

ISBN Matching​

Books sync when:

  • Square item has ISBN in SKU or custom field
  • ISBN matches book in global catalog
  • Quantity and price are synced

Inventory Best Practices​

  1. Regular audits - Compare physical to digital counts
  2. Consistent pricing - Use standard markup formulas
  3. Location accuracy - Keep shelf locations updated
  4. Timely updates - Process changes same-day
  5. Backup exports - Periodically export inventory CSV