Stock register format in Excel
A stock register shows, for one period, what each item had at the start, what came in, what went out and what should be left. The free WarehouseCalc stock register does the arithmetic for you, compares the result with your physical count and checks every row. No macros, no sign-up.
Download the free stock register
Download the stock register (.xlsx)
- Stock Register sheet: 200 item rows, with the business, store and period at the top.
- Example sheet: made-up practice data with three deliberate mistakes, so you can see the checks at work.
- Instructions sheet: how to fill it in and how to start the next period.
File: Excel 2010 or later, no macros, about 70 KB. Prints on A4 landscape with the column headings on every page. Version 1.0.0.
Testing: every formula is recalculated in LibreOffice and compared with figures worked out by hand. Checking in Microsoft Excel is still in progress, so keep a dated copy.
What each column means
| Column | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Item code, name, unit | One row per item. Use the same code every period and one unit per item. |
| Opening stock | The closing stock of the last period, or your counted stock when you start. |
| Stock in (received) | Everything received in the period: add up your goods received notes. |
| Stock out (issued) | Everything issued, used or sold in the period. |
| Closing stock | Calculated: opening + stock in − stock out. |
| Physical count | What you counted on the shelf at the end of the period. |
| Difference | Calculated: count − closing stock. Below 0 means stock is missing; above 0 means more is on the shelf than recorded. |
| Check | Says OK, or what to fix: a missing or repeated item code, a value that is not a number, a negative number, closing stock below 0, or a count that differs. |
Worked example
| Item | Opening | In | Out | Closing | Count | Difference | Check |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAPE-48 Packing tape | 150 | 120 | 95 | 175 | 175 | 0 | OK |
| FILM-500 Stretch film | 40 | 36 | 30 | 46 | 44 | −2 | Count differs |
| LBL-100 Shipping labels | 25 | 0 | 30 | −5 | Closing below 0 |
Stretch film should have 40 + 36 − 30 = 46 rolls, but 44 were counted: 2 rolls are unaccounted for. Look for an issue that was not recorded before you change the figure. The shipping labels show −5: more was issued than the store ever had, so either a receipt is missing or an issue was typed too high.
Starting the next period
- Make a copy of the sheet: right-click the tab, Move or Copy, Create a copy.
- In the copy, copy the Closing stock column, or the physical count once the differences are explained and approved.
- Paste Special > Values into Opening stock, then clear Stock in, Stock out and Physical count.
Keep one sheet per period, so the history stays and you can always see where a figure came from.
Stock register or a full inventory workbook?
A stock register is filled in by period: you add up receipts and issues and type the totals. That suits a small store or a monthly report. If you would rather record every receipt and issue on the day and let the balance keep itself, use the free inventory spreadsheet for Excel, which records each movement and checks each row.
Written and checked by a warehouse supervisor with about 15 years of hands-on experience. Last updated: November 2026. See the methodology.