Hardware stores
Hardware store POS for thousands of products and the contractors who buy them
A hardware store stocks thousands of items, from cement and iron sheets to screws, paint, pipes and electrical fittings. Many are sold in different units, prices change with every delivery, and your best customers — fundis and contractors — often buy on credit.
Ultimate POS lets you load your whole catalogue from a spreadsheet, set the unit each product is sold in, sell on credit to contractors with clear customer aging, and see exactly what stock you hold and what it is worth.
Why hardware stores choose us
- Units of measure for every product
- Bulk import from Excel or CSV
- Contractor credit accounts
Hardware store problems we solve
The problem: A huge, varied catalogue that would take weeks to type into any system.
How Ultimate POS solves it: Bulk import products and categories from Excel or CSV. Organise them by category and brand, and set the unit of measure each item is sold in.
The problem: Contractors and fundis buying on credit across many visits, with balances that are hard to keep track of.
How Ultimate POS solves it: Give each contractor a customer account and sell on credit. Receivables and customer aging show who owes you, how much and since when, and customer buying insights show who your biggest buyers are.
The problem: Heavy, valuable stock — cement, iron sheets, steel — where shrinkage is expensive and hard to notice.
How Ultimate POS solves it: Stock updates in real time with every sale and delivery, and every adjustment needs a reason. Stock movement reports and the audit log show where stock went and who touched it.
The problem: Supplier prices that change constantly, making it hard to price correctly and protect margins.
How Ultimate POS solves it: Track supplier price trends, record cost revaluations when prices move, and use profit by product and margin reports to see which items still earn their keep.
A day at a hardware store on Ultimate POS
A contractor comes in for a site order: bags of cement, a bundle of iron sheets, nails and paint. The cashier rings everything up and records the sale on the contractor's account, and the contractor's balance updates straight away.
A walk-in customer buying a few fittings pays with M-Pesa via an STK push and leaves with a receipt.
In the back office, the owner checks stock levels and raises purchase orders, comparing current supplier prices with past ones. When a new price comes in, stock is revalued so profit reports stay accurate.
At month-end, the customer aging report shows which contractors are overdue, so follow-up calls go to the right people first.
Getting started
The biggest job when a hardware store moves to a new system is the catalogue. Send us your product list in Excel or CSV — with categories, brands and units — and we import it. We then set up customer accounts for the contractors you sell to on credit, create staff logins and roles, and train your counter and store staff before you go live.
- 1Book a free demo
- 2Set up and import your products
- 3Train your staff
- 4Go live
Features
Features for hardware stores
The parts of Ultimate POS that matter most for your business. Switch on only the modules you need.
Categories, brands and units
Organise products by category and brand, and sell in the units of measure your business uses.
Bulk import from Excel or CSV
Load your products and categories from a spreadsheet instead of typing them one by one.
Customer accounts and credit sales
Sell on account, track receivables and see who is overdue with customer aging.
Customer buying insights
See who buys what, and how often, so you can stock and promote the right products.
Real-time stock per branch
Every sale, purchase and transfer updates stock levels for that branch immediately.
Adjustments and branch transfers
Record stock adjustments with a reason, move stock between branches, and receive incoming transfers through a transfer inbox.
Stock valuation and revaluation
See the value of the stock you hold and record cost revaluations when prices change.
Purchase reports and supplier price trends
Follow open orders, review purchases, and spot suppliers whose prices are creeping up.
Purchase orders and suppliers
Raise purchase orders, manage suppliers, and keep supplier ledgers and payables up to date.
Fast POS checkout
Scan barcodes, print receipts and handle returns and refunds without slowing the queue.
M-Pesa payments built in
Send an STK push to the customer's phone, match incoming payments to sales, and review every transaction in the M-Pesa payment log.
Profit and loss, and margins
Profit and loss, profit by product and margins, so you know what actually makes money.
FAQ
Hardware stores: frequently asked questions
Can I import my hardware catalogue from Excel?
Yes. You can bulk import products and categories from Excel or CSV, so even a catalogue of thousands of items can be loaded quickly.
Does Ultimate POS support different units of measure?
Yes. Each product is set up with the unit of measure your business sells it in, alongside its category and brand.
Can contractors buy on credit?
Yes. Contractors can have customer accounts for credit sales, and the customer aging report shows who owes what and for how long.
How do I stop stock from disappearing?
Stock updates in real time, every adjustment must carry a reason, and the audit log records who did what. Stock movement reports show where stock went.
Can walk-in customers pay with M-Pesa?
Yes. Send an STK push to the customer's phone at checkout. Payments are matched to sales and recorded in the M-Pesa payment log.
Ready to run your hardware store on Ultimate POS?
Book a free demo, ask for a quote, or just talk to us — by phone or WhatsApp.