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Grace Wanjiru·28 June 2026·8 min read
InventorySmall BusinessKenya
How to manage inventory in a Kenyan duka (without losing your mind)
A field-tested framework for tracking stock, cutting shrinkage, and knowing your true margin — without buying anything fancy.
Grace Wanjiru·28 June 2026·8 min read
Most small shops in Kenya track stock in one of three ways: memory, a notebook, or an Excel file that lives on one laptop. All three break at the same point — the shop grows.
Start with the 20% that matter
Pareto is real. In every duka we audit, about 20% of SKUs drive 80% of the profit. Start by identifying those.
The starter checklist:
- List your top 20 sellers
- Note the true buying price (with transport)
- Set a par level — the minimum you never want to fall below
- Set a reorder quantity — how much to buy when you hit par
Count weekly, not monthly
Monthly stock takes are theatre. Weekly counts of your top 20 catch shrinkage while it's still small.
You cannot manage what you cannot count. But you also cannot count what you refuse to prioritise.
Let software do the boring bit
The reason we built DukaPro is that every rule above is exhausting in a notebook and effortless in software. Let the app remind you, count for you, and alert you.
