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Inventory Overview

Your inventory is the heart of your BookWish store. This guide covers everything you need to know about managing your book inventory.

What is Inventory?​

Your inventory represents all the books available for sale in your store. Each inventory item includes:

  • Book information - Title, author, ISBN, cover image
  • Quantity - How many copies you have in stock
  • Price - Your selling price
  • Condition - New, Like New, Very Good, Good, Acceptable
  • Location (optional) - Where the book is stored in your shop
  • SKU (optional) - Your internal stock-keeping unit
  • Notes (optional) - Any special information about the item

Inventory Methods​

BookWish offers three ways to add and manage inventory:

1. Manual Entry​

Add books one at a time using the built-in search.

Best For:

  • New stores getting started
  • Adding a few new arrivals
  • Specialty or rare books
  • Books arriving from trade-ins

How It Works:

  1. Tap the + button on Inventory page
  2. Search for the book by title, author, or ISBN
  3. Set quantity, price, and condition
  4. Tap Add to Inventory

See Manual Entry for detailed steps.

2. Bulk CSV Import​

Upload a CSV file with multiple books at once.

Best For:

  • Initial inventory setup
  • Large collections
  • Regular inventory updates
  • Stores with existing inventory spreadsheets

How It Works:

  1. Prepare a CSV file with ISBN, price, quantity, condition
  2. Navigate to Inventory > Import
  3. Upload your CSV file
  4. Review and confirm import

See Bulk Import for CSV format and instructions.

3. Square POS Integration​

Automatically sync your inventory from Square.

Best For:

  • Stores already using Square
  • Automatic inventory updates
  • Real-time stock synchronization
  • Reducing manual data entry

How It Works:

  1. Connect your Square account (one-time setup)
  2. Initial sync imports all book inventory
  3. Future updates sync automatically
  4. Sales in Square reflect on BookWish

See Square Integration for setup and details.

Inventory Dashboard​

Access your inventory from the Shop tab → Inventory page.

Key Features​

Search Bar

  • Search by book title, author, or ISBN
  • Results filter in real-time
  • Find books quickly in large inventories

Inventory List Each item shows:

  • Book cover image
  • Title and author
  • Current quantity in stock
  • Price
  • Condition

Tap an Item to:

  • View full details
  • Edit quantity, price, or condition
  • Adjust stock with quick +/- buttons
  • Delete the item

Refresh Button

  • Pull-to-refresh to update inventory
  • Syncs latest data from server
  • Reflects recent sales or changes

Book Information​

When you add a book, BookWish automatically retrieves:

  • Title - Full book title
  • Authors - Primary and additional authors
  • ISBN-13 / ISBN-10 - Standard book identifiers
  • Cover Image - High-quality book cover
  • Publisher - Publishing company
  • Publication Date - Original publication date
  • Description - Book synopsis
  • Page Count - Number of pages
  • Categories - Genre and subject classifications

This information comes from our book database and cannot be edited (to maintain data consistency across the platform).

What You Control​

For each inventory item, you set:

  • Quantity - How many copies you have
  • Price - Your selling price in dollars
  • Compare-at Price (optional) - Original/list price for showing discounts
  • Condition - New, Like New, Very Good, Good, or Acceptable
  • Location (optional) - Shelf location (e.g., "A-3", "Backroom")
  • SKU (optional) - Your internal identifier
  • Notes (optional) - Special details about this copy

Stock Levels​

Managing stock levels ensures customers see accurate availability.

Viewing Stock​

  • Current quantity displayed on each item
  • Low stock items highlighted (when below threshold)
  • Out of stock items marked clearly

Adjusting Stock​

Quick Adjust:

  • Tap an inventory item
  • Use +1, +5, -1, -5 buttons
  • Immediate update

Manual Edit:

  • Tap Edit on item detail page
  • Enter exact quantity
  • Save changes

Automatic Adjustments:

  • Sales automatically reduce stock
  • Refunds automatically increase stock
  • Square sync updates stock in real-time

See Stock Levels for advanced management.

Pricing​

Set competitive prices for your books.

Price Components​

Sale Price (required)

  • Your selling price
  • What customers pay
  • Entered in dollars (e.g., 14.99)

Compare-at Price (optional)

  • Original or list price
  • Shows discount to customers
  • Example: List $24.99, Your Price $18.99 (25% off)

Pricing by Condition​

You can list the same book in multiple conditions at different prices:

  • New: $24.99
  • Like New: $19.99
  • Very Good: $16.99
  • Good: $12.99
  • Acceptable: $8.99

Each condition is a separate inventory item with its own quantity and price.

See Pricing Guide for strategy tips.

Inventory Best Practices​

Regular Updates​

  • Review inventory weekly
  • Remove sold-out items or mark as out of stock
  • Add new arrivals promptly
  • Update prices seasonally

Accurate Information​

  • Double-check ISBNs when adding books
  • Verify quantities match physical stock
  • Be honest about book condition
  • Keep location notes current

Condition Grading​

Use consistent condition standards:

New

  • Brand new, never opened
  • Perfect condition
  • No marks or wear

Like New

  • Appears unread
  • May have minor shelf wear
  • No writing or damage

Very Good

  • Gently used
  • Minor wear on cover or pages
  • May have previous owner's name
  • All pages intact

Good

  • Average used condition
  • Noticeable wear
  • May have writing or highlighting
  • Fully readable

Acceptable

  • Heavily worn but complete
  • Significant markings or damage
  • All pages present and legible

Organization​

  • Use location field for larger inventories
  • Organize by genre, author, or section
  • Keep high-demand books easily accessible
  • Use SKU for your own tracking system

Managing Low Stock​

  • Set mental thresholds for reordering
  • Check wishlist demand for what to restock
  • Order popular titles before running out
  • Consider automatic reordering from distributors

Wishlist Demand​

BookWish shows you which books your customers want.

How It Works:

  1. Customers set your store as their "home store"
  2. They add books to their wishlists
  3. You see aggregated wishlist demand in your store
  4. Stock books customers actually want

Benefits:

  • Know what to stock
  • Reduce guesswork on inventory
  • Keep customers coming back
  • Build community loyalty

See Wishlist Demand for details.

Inventory Reports​

Access inventory analytics from your store dashboard.

Key Metrics:

  • Total inventory count
  • Total inventory value
  • Top selling books
  • Low stock alerts
  • Out of stock items
  • Category breakdowns

Using Reports:

  • Identify bestsellers
  • Find slow-moving inventory
  • Plan purchasing decisions
  • Track inventory growth

Common Questions​

How many books can I add?​

Unlimited. Your Bookstore tier subscription includes unlimited inventory items.

Can I sell the same book in multiple conditions?​

Yes! Add separate inventory items for each condition with different quantities and prices.

Our database covers millions of books. If you can't find one, it may not have an ISBN or may be very obscure. Contact support to request adding it.

Can I import from my existing system?​

Yes, using CSV import. Export your current inventory to CSV format, then import to BookWish.

How often does Square sync?​

Initially synced on connection, then automatically as changes occur in Square.

Can I export my inventory?​

Yes, you can export your inventory to CSV from the Inventory page settings.

What happens to inventory when I cancel my subscription?​

Your inventory data is preserved. If you reactivate, everything is still there.

Next Steps​

Need Help?​

Questions about inventory management?