Guide · Stock
AI for stock and reordering: flags you act on, not orders it places
For a small retailer or brand, AI is most useful on stock as a second pair of eyes. Each week it can suggest reorders from your sales history and lead times, flag slow movers and lines about to run out, and spot data errors, while a person places every order. Most of the gain comes from having clean sales and stock data in one place.
What it does each week
- Reorder suggestions: what to order, how much and when, from recent sales, current stock, lead times and minimum order quantities.
- Run-out warnings: best sellers likely to sell out before the next delivery.
- Slow movers: lines tying up cash, with a suggestion to mark down, bundle or stop.
- Data checks: negative stock, duplicate lines and missing costs that throw everything else off.
What you need
| Data | Where it usually lives |
|---|---|
| Sales by product, at least 12 months | Your EPOS or shop platform |
| Current stock levels | EPOS, inventory tool or spreadsheet |
| Supplier lead times and minimum orders | Often only in someone's head, so write them down |
| Cost prices | Accounts or the product list |
What to keep a person on
- Placing orders and committing money with suppliers.
- New lines, where there's no history to learn from.
- Seasonal and one-off events, where last year is a poor guide.
Do you need new software?
Usually not. Many EPOS and inventory tools already include forecasting or reorder features, so check those first. Where data sits in several places, a weekly workflow that pulls it together and writes the suggestions into a spreadsheet is often enough.
How we help
Stock is one of the areas our audit looks at, because cash tied up in slow stock is easy to miss. For the wider picture, see our guide for independent retailers. Niddy's AI Audit costs £1,495 fixed, takes five days with minimal client time, and carries a guarantee: ten times the fee in estimated annual value identified, or the fee back.
| What | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| AI Audit | £1,495 fixed | Five days, minimal client time. A build, buy or wait plan from your own numbers. Ten times the fee in estimated annual value identified, or the fee back. |
| Sprint 1: set-up and team workshop | At the Sprint rate | Accounts and permissions set up properly, and a workshop so your team knows what the tools are for and who approves what. |
| Sprint, per workflow | £2,950 | One workflow built, tested and handed over in five to ten working days, in your own tools wherever we can. |
| Foundation | £2,000 a month | We advise and direct, your team implements. |
| Growth | £5,000 a month | Ongoing builds and support, three-month minimum. |
Too much cash sat on the shelves? Book a 30-minute call.
or email hello@niddy.co.uk
Questions we get asked
What's the best app for managing stock in a small business?
Usually the EPOS or shop platform you already use, because it holds your sales. We don't sell software; we help you get more from what you have.
Is there a free AI tool for inventory management?
A general AI assistant can analyse a stock spreadsheet you give it, and many platforms include forecasting features. Clean data matters more than which tool you pick.
Can AI forecast demand for a small retailer?
For established lines with a year or more of sales history, it can give useful weekly suggestions. For new lines and one-off events, a person's judgement still wins.
How much does it cost?
Our AI Audit is £1,495 fixed and each workflow is £2,950. See our UK cost guide.