General Store Software Guide for Kiryana Shops

A kiryana or general store runs on quick sales, many small items and good relationships. A customer buys milk, two packets of biscuits and a bag of rice in one visit. Some pay cash, some ask for credit, and some shop buyers arrive with a list. Software for this kind of shop should be fast at the counter and simple to set up.

This checklist walks you through the setup, from the first product to the daily close.

Before you start

Decide the basics first:

• How many counters will you run, and who will use each one?
• Do you sell loose goods by weight or count, such as sugar, pulses, tea and spices?
• Do you serve wholesale or shop customers as well as walk-in buyers?
• Do you give credit, and to whom?
• Are you a Tier-1 retailer that must integrate with FBR? Read our FBR integration guide if you are unsure.

Write the answers down. They decide the setup choices below.

Step 1: Build the product list

Start with the 100 to 200 items that sell most. Add the rest over time. A long list entered in one weekend often has mistakes that slow the counter down for months.

Name each item clearly, with the brand, the size and the unit, such as "1 kg" or "500 ml". Use 10 to 20 categories, such as biscuits, dairy, oil and ghee, spices, personal care, cleaning, tea and sugar, snacks, beverages and household. Set the base unit, such as piece, kg, litre or packet, and set the carton conversion if you buy in cartons.

Enter the cost price and the sale price. If the pack prints an MRP, enter that too. Add photos for fast-moving items, because staff find them quicker on a touch screen.

Step 2: Add barcodes and labels

Many packs already carry a barcode. Loose goods do not. For sugar, pulses, rice and other bulk items, create your own barcode and print a label. Keep one barcode per item, and avoid duplicates, because duplicates split the stock.

A label printer is ideal for high volume. A sheet printer works for a smaller shop. AIFFICIENTO's label designer supports roll sizes, two-up and three-up layouts, A4 sheets and printer calibration.

Teach the cashiers the quantity shortcut. In AIFFICIENTO, typing 3 then an asterisk then a code adds three of that item, which saves time when a customer buys several of the same pack.

Step 3: Add Urdu and second-language names

Enter the Urdu name next to the English name. It helps staff who read Urdu more easily, and it can print on the receipt. Use the same spelling for every item, and keep a short list of common names so that everyone types them the same way.

Test the search with the words your staff actually type. The smart search, opened with Ctrl K, finds products, customers and invoices. Try the Roman Urdu and English names in your store, and fix any items that do not come up.

Step 4: Set wholesale and retail prices

Walk-in customers pay the retail price. Shop customers and bulk buyers often pay a wholesale price. AIFFICIENTO supports retail and wholesale price tiers per customer, so you set the tier once on the customer record.

Keep the rules simple. For example, a shop customer might pay the carton price when buying a full carton. Check that the margin still works after each price change. Decide the tax setting, whether prices include tax or not, and the rounding rule for small change, with your accountant if you are unsure.

Step 5: Set up customers and credit

Create a record for each regular customer with a phone number. Set a credit limit for those who buy on credit, and follow the policy in our digital khata guide. A customer record that is complete makes reminders easy and disputes rare.

Step 6: Set up suppliers and stock

Enter each supplier with a contact number and the payment terms. Record each purchase when the goods arrive, not later. Set the reorder level for fast-moving items so that the low-stock list tells you what to order.

Record expiry dates for biscuits, dairy and other items that expire. AIFFICIENTO's expiry watch flags batches that are close to their date. When goods are damaged or expired, record a stock adjustment with a reason, so that the stock value stays correct.

Run a stock count once a month, at least for the top sellers.

Step 7: Set up staff and the till

Create a user for each cashier, with a PIN for quick login. Give cashiers the permissions they need to sell, and keep price changes and voids for the owner or a senior person. AIFFICIENTO records voids with a reason and an approval, so you can see who did what.

Each shift starts with an opening float. Record the cash in and cash out during the shift, count the banknotes at the end, and compare the expected cash with the counted cash. A small difference is normal, but a repeated difference needs a conversation.

Step 8: Test the counter

Before you go live, run a short test:

• Scan 20 products and check the price and the name on the screen.
• Hold a bill, then recall it.
• Take a payment split between cash and credit.
• Process a return with a receipt, and a return without one.
• Print a receipt and check the Urdu name, the QR code if you use one, and the paper width.

Fix anything that is slow or confusing before the first busy evening.

Step 9: The daily close

End every day with the same routine:

• Close the till and count the cash. Note any difference with a reason.
• Check that the credit sales total matches the customer ledger.
• Review the low-stock list and prepare the order for tomorrow.
• Confirm that the automatic backup ran. Copy a backup to a USB drive or another folder once a week.
• Print or export the daily sales report.

A routine done every day is faster than a rescue done once a month.

Reports to review each week

Look at the top sellers, the slow movers, the margin by category, the customer dues, the supplier dues and the expenses. Slow movers tell you what to stop buying. Margins tell you where the profit is. Dues tell you who needs a call.

Where AIFFICIENTO fits

AIFFICIENTO covers this checklist in one system. It includes barcode billing, price tiers, customer credit, purchases, label design, the receipt designer, shift control and automatic backups. The system works offline, so the counter keeps selling during load shedding. The Android app lets the owner check stock while walking the shelves, and Geto answers questions such as what sold most this week.

The Starter plan is Rs 1,999 per month for one counter. The 30-day free trial gives you full access and needs no credit card, so you can set up your real product list and test a week of sales. Browse the Pakistan POS page and the Lahore page for more local detail.

Start your 30-day free trial with no credit card. Load your top 100 products and run a week of real sales. Start the trial.