How To Keep Track of Fabric Inventory: 8 Tips & Tools

It’s Tuesday morning. A customer asks if you have 3.5 yards of that Kaffe Fassett floral from last month. You think you do. You’re pretty sure you put it... somewhere.

Five minutes later, you’re digging through bins while she waits. You find 2.75 yards. Not enough. She leaves. You just lost a $45 sale because you couldn’t track a bolt.

This happens every day in fabric stores — not because owners don’t care, but because fabric inventory is genuinely complicated. You sell by the yard, quarter-yard, and fat quarter. Bolts dwindle from 15 yards to 11 inches. Remnants pile up faster than you can price them.

In this blog, we’ll show you how to track fractional yardage, handle end-of-bolt pieces, organize seasonal fabrics, and use systems built specifically for fabric stores. 

Let’s fix your inventory chaos.

Why Fabric Inventory Management Matters

Organized inventory creates a better customer experience. When every bolt is in its place, customers find what they need faster, improving efficiency and increasing the likelihood of purchase.

Good inventory management also reduces loss and theft. Inventory errors can cost businesses up to 30% of their revenue. When items disappear or get misplaced, costs climb. Tracking each bolt and monitoring counts reduces these risks and helps keep sales consistent.

Here are eight tips and tools you can use to sharpen your fabric inventory management skills.

1. Use a Fabric-Specific POS System

Generic retail point of sale (POS) systems aren’t built for fabric stores. They don’t connect to fabric vendor catalogs. They can’t track charm packs made from 42 different fabrics. And they treat “Kona Cotton Parchment” and “Kona Cotton Pearl” as identical items.

A fabric store POS system can help you:

• Connect to vendor catalogs so ordering updates stock levels automatically.
• Handle kits and bundles, like charm packs made from multiple fabrics.
• Sync online and in-store inventory in real time to prevent overselling.
• Generate barcode labels for different units — by the yard, fat quarters, and layer cakes.
• Tag remnants separately so they appear in end-of-bolt reports.

Generic systems force you into constant manual workarounds. A fabric-specific system eliminates the guesswork that plagues stores trying to track yardage in platforms designed for T-shirts.

Related Read: Fabric Store Vendor Catalogs: 4 Time-Saving Benefits You Need

2. Track Fractional Yardage With Decimal Precision

You don’t sell fabric in whole numbers. Customers buy 0.375 yards for binding. They need 4.625 yards for backing. Your system needs to track these exact amounts.

Decimal-based inventory reduces stock by exactly 2.25 yards when you cut that amount. No rounding. No manual adjustments. Cut 1.25 yards, and the system reflects exactly that.

Over time, this accuracy adds up. After 100 cuts, rounding errors can leave you with more than 10 yards of phantom inventory, making you think you still have fabric you actually sold weeks ago.

Decimal tracking also helps you identify bolts nearing their end:

• When a bolt drops to 0.875 yards, you know it’s remnant time.
• You can offer end-of-roll discounts before customers ask for yardage you don’t have.
• You always know exactly how much fabric sits on each bolt.

This precision eliminates the guesswork that comes from rounding 1.375 yards to “about a yard and a half.”

3. Create a System for End-of-Bolt Pieces

Every fabric store struggles with remnants and scraps. Bolts dwindle from 1.5 yards to 0.75 yards, then to 18 inches. These small pieces take up space and complicate inventory counts.

Develop a clear end-of-bolt process:

• Measure and tag: Record the exact yardage when a bolt drops below two yards. Create a tag with the precise amount and mark it as a partial bolt.
• Price strategically: Discount these pieces by 20–30% to move them quickly. Quilters love short cuts for scrappy projects and binding.
• Designate space: Create a dedicated remnant bin or wall section so customers know where to look for deals.
• Update your system: Mark these pieces as remnants in your POS so they appear in reports separately.

This system prevents small pieces from getting lost in your regular inventory and turns slow-moving partial bolts into quick sales.

4. Conduct Regular Inventory Audits

Even the best POS system needs manual verification. Physical counts catch discrepancies from theft, damage, or data entry errors.

Audit at least quarterly — monthly works better for high-volume stores. Count inventory by hand and check it against your digital records, adjusting any inaccuracies immediately.

Enlist employees to help. Have different staff members count the same sections and compare results to catch errors. Using barcode scanners can speed up this process significantly.

Schedule audits during slow periods. Early mornings or post-holiday weeks work well. Close your store for a day if needed — accurate inventory is worth the temporary closure.

5. Implement Barcode Scanning for Fabric Inventory

Barcode systems eliminate pricing mistakes and speed up checkout. Scan the fabric, and the correct price appears instantly. No fumbling through product lists. No accidentally charging $12.99 for $22.99 fabric.

Set up separate barcodes for different units:

• One for Kona Cotton Parchment sold by the yard
• Another for the same fabric sold as a fat-quarter bundle
• A third for precut layer cakes or charm packs

Generate and print barcode labels in-store. Tag new fabric as soon as it arrives, and scan items during physical counts to update stock levels instantly.

Barcode scanning also tracks inventory by designer, collection, or colorway. Need to find all your Tula Pink fabrics? Scan and sort. This organization saves time when customers request specific lines.

Related Read: Serialized Inventory for Sewing Shops: The What, Why, and How

6. Organize Inventory by Logical Categories

Your physical layout directly impacts how quickly customers find fabric. Poor organization frustrates shoppers and slows sales.

Group fabrics into clear categories:

• By color: Organize solids and blenders chromatically for easy browsing, since most quilters shop by color first.
• By designer or collection: Keep Kaffe Fassett, Anna Maria Horner, and other designer lines together so loyal customers know exactly where to look.
• By project type: Separate quilting cottons, apparel fabrics, and home decor. Different customers need different fabric types.
• By season: Create a seasonal wall for holiday and event fabrics. Rotate this section monthly to highlight timely collections.

Place your bestsellers front and center, and feature slower-moving inventory in premium spots to generate awareness. Experiment with different arrangements and track which layouts increase sales.

7. Master Seasonal Fabric Ordering

Seasonal fabrics drive significant revenue but create inventory challenges. Order too much, and you’re stuck with Halloween bats in December. Order too little, and you sell out before the holiday.

Put seasonal fabric on shelves at least six weeks before major holidays:

• Valentine’s Day fabrics appear in early January.
• Easter and spring prints arrive in late February.
• Halloween prints hit the floor by mid-September.
• Christmas fabric needs space by early November.

Use past sales data to guide orders. Track which seasonal collections sold out and which lingered. This information helps you order the right quantities next year.

Start small with new seasonal lines. Order conservatively your first year. If you sell out, you know to order more next time. Keep in mind, leftover seasonal inventory rarely sells at full price later.

Related Read: Retail Seasonal Planning: 7 Things Fabric Shop Owners Need To Know

8. Use Data To Drive Inventory Decisions

Your POS system generates extensive data. Use it strategically:

• Track top sellers: Emphasize designers and collections that move fastest. Reduce lines that consistently sit on shelves.
• Monitor turnover rates: Fabric that doesn’t sell within 90 days might need discounting. Fresh inventory attracts repeat customers.
• Identify customer preferences: If your top spenders love batiks, expand your batik selection. Stock what your best customers actually buy.
• Set automatic reorder points: When Kona Cotton White drops to 10 yards, the system orders more. Never run out of essential basics.

Your analytics show exactly where profit comes from and where you’re losing money. This insight helps you make smarter purchasing decisions.

Keep Track of Fabric Inventory With Like Sew

Clean, organized inventory makes customers want to shop at your store. Sound inventory management practices attract more customers, increase efficiency, and grow sales.

Using a fabric-specific POS system is the easiest way to track inventory accurately. Generic systems can’t handle the complexities of fabric retail. You need Like Sew.

Like Sew is an all-in-one, cloud-based system built specifically for fabric stores:

• Track fractional yardage with decimal precision down to the eighth of a yard.
• Manage end-of-bolt pieces with remnant tags and automated discounting.
• Access fabric vendor catalogs and order directly from the system.
• Schedule classes and workshops with built-in registration features.
• Sync online and in-store inventory automatically across all sales channels.
• Generate detailed reports on sales, inventory, and customer preferences.

With our software, you get everything you need to track inventory and maximize sales. Like Sew takes your fabric store to the next level — see how by scheduling a free demo.