Running a reselling business requires more than just finding great products—it’s about managing your inventory efficiently. Without proper tracking, you risk losing profits, overselling, or underestimating costs. While paid inventory management tools exist, many resellers prefer a Google Sheets inventory tracker template because it’s free, customizable, and cloud-based.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to set up a powerful inventory tracker in Google Sheets, share best practices, and explain how it can streamline your reselling business.
1. Why Use Google Sheets for Reselling Inventory
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Free & Accessible: Available to anyone with a Google account.
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Cloud-Based: Access your inventory from anywhere, on desktop or mobile.
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Customizable: Tailor the tracker to your niche (clothing, electronics, collectibles).
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Collaboration: Share access with business partners or virtual assistants.
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Integrations: Can connect with apps like Zapier or Closo for semi-automation.
2. Key Features Every Inventory Tracker Should Have
An effective inventory tracker for reselling should track:
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SKU / ID: Unique code for each product.
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Product Title & Description: Name, brand, category.
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Source & Cost: Where you got it and how much you paid.
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Listing Channels: eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, Shopify, etc.
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Listed Price & Selling Price: For margin calculations.
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Fees & Shipping Costs: Marketplace commission, postage, PayPal/eBay fees.
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Profit Calculation: Net revenue after costs.
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Quantity Available: Important for multi-unit items.
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Status: Listed, Sold, Returned, or Unsold.
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Date Purchased / Date Sold: Helps analyze sales velocity.
3. Step-by-Step: Creating Your Google Sheets Inventory Tracker
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Open Google Sheets: Create a new blank sheet.
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Create Headers: Add columns like SKU, Item Name, Cost, Platform, Sale Price, Fees, Profit.
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Format as Table: Use alternating colors for readability.
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Set Data Validation: Use drop-down menus for fields like "Status" (Listed/Sold/Unsold).
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Freeze Header Row: Makes navigation easier.
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Use Filters: Enable filters to quickly sort by platform, profit margin, or sales status.
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Add Conditional Formatting:
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Highlight low-profit items in red.
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Mark sold items in green.
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4. Google Sheets Formula Tips for Resellers
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Profit Calculation:
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Profit Margin %:
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Total Profit (SUM for all sold items):
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Sales Velocity (Days to Sell):
These formulas make the sheet dynamic and reduce manual math errors.
5. Example Template Layout
SKU | Item Name | Platform | Cost | Listing Price | Sale Price | Fees | Shipping | Profit | Status | Date Purchased | Date Sold |
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001 | Nike Air Max | eBay | $45 | $120 | $115 | $13 | $8 | $49 | Sold | 05/01/25 | 05/15/25 |
002 | Vintage Levi’s | Poshmark | $15 | $65 | — | — | — | — | Listed | 05/05/25 | — |
The link to download the template:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oLeOwz-nA3KWu99wyQjecgSGGRed9XIFhDDI2A6WV3c/edit?usp=sharing
6. Case Study: Scaling with a Sheets-Based Tracker
Background: Sarah started selling on eBay with 50 items. Initially, she tracked inventory on paper, but oversights led to lost profits.
Solution: She migrated to a Google Sheets tracker with automated profit formulas and color-coded alerts.
Results:
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Reduced order errors by 90%.
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Quickly identified high-margin categories (sneakers and vintage jeans).
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Scaled to 500+ SKUs across eBay, Poshmark, and Depop before upgrading to Closo for real-time sync.
7. Limitations of Google Sheets and When to Upgrade
While Google Sheets is great for small-to-medium resellers, limitations include:
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Manual Updates: Every sale needs to be logged manually.
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Error-Prone: Mistyped numbers can skew profit data.
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Scaling Issues: Becomes slow/unmanageable after 5,000+ SKUs.
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No Real-Time Sync: Unlike tools like Closo, Sheets can’t automatically delist items after a sale.
If you’re selling across multiple platforms and handling hundreds of items per month, consider upgrading to automation software.
8. Final Thoughts
A Google Sheets inventory tracker template is a free, flexible way to manage your reselling business. It helps track costs, profits, and inventory status while offering insights into your most profitable items. While not perfect for large-scale sellers, it’s the ideal starting point for beginners or small operations.