Two things sink a hardware shop
The first is stock you can't count. Cement leaves in ones and twos all day, and by Friday nobody is certain whether the shortfall is theft, breakage or simply a sale that was never written down.
The second is credit. Contractors buy on account because that's the trade, and the debt sits in a separate book — or in your head — until you need the money and can't remember who owes what.
PesaScope handles both from the same sale. Stock comes down when something is sold, and an unpaid balance becomes a debtor record automatically.
A sale, the way it actually happens
- Ring up the itemsCement, nails, a length of pipe — each with its quantity. Stock drops as you save, so the count stays right without a separate exercise.
- Take part payment if that's the dealEnter what the customer actually handed over. Anything outstanding is recorded against their name as a debt, not lost in a notebook.
- Split the payment if neededHalf cash, half Mobile Money is normal. Record both against the same sale so your till and your MoMo statement both reconcile.
- Chase what's owedThe debtors list shows who owes what and how long it's been outstanding, so a follow-up call is a decision rather than a guess.
Customer accounts, funded in advance
Hardware regulars don't only buy on credit — plenty pay the other way round. A contractor deposits money on account at the start of a job, then sends a foreman to draw cement and pipes against it all week.
PesaScope gives every customer an account. Fund it with a deposit, and each sale recorded against that customer reduces the balance automatically. The balance is live, not a running total in a torn notebook.
Deposits and purchases sit on the same statement, in order, so one printout settles any argument. And because credit sales land on the same record, a customer who is sometimes prepaid and sometimes owing is still just one account.
Your stock list, ready on day one
Pick "Hardware" at sign-up and the common lines are already there, grouped into Building, Plumbing and Tools. Set your buying and selling prices and add the rest.
Timber, wire, hinges, roofing nails — add as many as you carry. There's no limit on the catalogue.
Where the margin actually is
Cement turns over fast on a thin margin; the sheets earn more per unit. Seeing the two side by side is what changes how you buy.
Knowing before you run out
Each product carries its own count, and you can set the level at which a line is getting low. That matters most on the fast movers, where being out of cement for two days sends a regular customer to the shop down the road.
If you run more than one store, each branch keeps its own stock so you can see where an item actually is.
The detail, if you want it
Questions hardware owners ask
Can I sell on credit and track it?
Yes. Enter what the customer paid; anything left over is recorded against them as a debt, with the date. The debtors list shows every outstanding balance and how old it is.
Can a customer deposit money in advance and draw it down?
Yes. Open an account for the customer, record their deposit, and every sale you post to them reduces the balance. The statement lists deposits and purchases in order, so you and the customer always agree on what's left.
Does stock go down automatically when I sell?
Yes, for anything you're tracking. If you'd rather not track stock on a particular line — sand, for instance — you can turn that off per category and still record the sale.
What if I sell the same item in bags and in pieces?
Set them up as separate products with their own prices. That keeps the margin honest on each, which a single blended line never does.
Can two people serve customers at once?
Yes. Add each person as staff and every sale is tagged to whoever recorded it, which also tells you who is actually serving.
I have two shops. Does it handle that?
Yes. Each branch holds its own stock and its own takings, and you can look at one branch or all of them together.
What happens when the network drops?
You keep selling. Records are held on the phone and sync when the connection returns.
Set it up in about three minutes
Pick your trade at sign-up and PesaScope loads your starting list for you. Change any price, add what's missing, and record your first sale the same day.
Start free →