INV3NTORY alongside ShopMate
ShopMate is one of the most widely used EPOS systems in UK convenience retail — affordable, reliable, and designed with the independent shop in mind. Its built-in stock module records sales and keeps a count, which works for basic visibility.
The gap isn't what ShopMate does — it's what dedicated stock management software adds on top: a daily briefing before you open, waste tracking that spots patterns, live margins per product, and low-stock alerts that fire before a shelf goes empty, not after. INV3NTORY fills that gap automatically, reading ShopMate's export file every 15 minutes so both systems stay in step.
| ShopMate alone | INV3NTORY | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Point-of-sale & basic stock recording | Stock intelligence built around your ShopMate data |
| Stock levels update from sales | Yes — core to ShopMate | Yes — via 15-minute sync from ShopMate export |
| Daily AI briefing before you open | No | Yes — plain-English summary every morning at 7am |
| Waste & shrinkage tracking | Manual write-offs only | Full waste log with trend analysis and tips |
| Margin per product and category | Basic reporting | Live per product, per category, always visible |
| Dead stock and slow-mover detection | Not automated | Automatic flags with cash-tied-up value |
| Low-stock alerts by email | Limited | Yes — with urgency ranking |
| Separate from your ShopMate subscription | No — part of ShopMate | Yes — adds on top of your existing ShopMate setup |
| Staff accounts with restricted access | Dependent on ShopMate tier | Yes — stock and scanner only, no pricing or margins |
Where ShopMate genuinely wins
ShopMate is a purpose-built UK convenience EPOS — tobacco gantry integration, age-verification prompts, UK lottery, and a product database that covers the standard convenience range out of the box. Those are till features INV3NTORY doesn't attempt. If you need them, ShopMate is the right choice for your till.
The stock recording it does is also solid: it knows what sold and can flag when something drops below a reorder level. For a shop with a small range and one owner doing all the ordering, that's often enough.
What ShopMate's stock module wasn't built for
ShopMate's stock tools answer "how much do I have?" INV3NTORY is built around what a shop owner actually needs to know: what do I need to order today, which lines are losing money to waste, where is my margin shrinking, and is my shop financially healthy — delivered as a 30-second read before the doors open.
Waste tracking in ShopMate is a write-off entry. INV3NTORY's waste log captures the product, the reason, and the value, tracks it week over week, spots the patterns, and surfaces suggestions for reducing it. Most shops that start tracking waste properly for the first time find £200–500 per month they hadn't measured.
The 7am briefing is the biggest gap. ShopMate gives you data in reports you have to go and find. INV3NTORY turns that data into actions — ranked by urgency — and delivers them automatically every morning.
INV3NTORY doesn't replace ShopMate
This matters: INV3NTORY is not a till. It works alongside ShopMate — your sales process, your tobacco prompts, your payments all stay exactly as they are. A lightweight background agent on the till PC picks up ShopMate's automatic export every 15 minutes and uploads any changes. From that point your stock intelligence and your till are separate but always in step.
Common questions
Can I use INV3NTORY with my existing ShopMate setup?
Yes. INV3NTORY works alongside ShopMate using a lightweight sync agent on the till PC. Your ShopMate setup — till, payments, tobacco gantry, everything — stays completely unchanged.
How does the sync work if ShopMate isn't cloud-based?
ShopMate exports a product and stock CSV automatically. A small background agent on the till PC watches for new exports, reads the file every 15 minutes, and uploads any changes to INV3NTORY. No internet-facing ports required — it's all outbound from your PC.
Is it worth paying for both?
For most shops, yes — the waste tracking and daily briefing alone typically identify more saving than the INV3NTORY subscription costs within the first month. The free 14-day trial is the quickest way to find out what your specific shop gains.