From bolts and PVC fittings to cement, roofing sheets and paint, a hardware store carries more lines than almost any other duka. SmartBiashara keeps each one counted, prices it consistently at the counter and tracks what every fundi and contractor owes you.
All locations
Stock
Stock value
TSh 48.2M
Low stock items
12
ReorderExpiring in 30 days
5
| Product | SKU | Kariakoo | Mwanza | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooking oil 3 L | OIL-3L | 23 | 41 | Reorder soon |
| Sembe 5 kg | SEM-5 | 140 | 96 | In stock |
| Paracetamol 500mg | PCM-500 | 18 | 4 | Low stock |
| Cement 50 kg | CEM-50 | 62 | 0 | Transfer |
| Soda 500 ml (crate) | SOD-24 | 35 | 28 | In stock |
The problems we hear most often from owners in this trade.
A typical hardware shop stocks hundreds of screw sizes, hinges, pipe fittings and electrical parts. Small lines go missing a few at a time, and a monthly count never shows where they went.
When the price list is in one person's head, a new shop assistant quotes a different figure for the same tin of paint. Customers notice, and so does your margin.
A builder collects materials for a site over three weeks and promises to settle at the end. Without one running account, the slips get lost and the final figure becomes an argument.
Customers ask for a full bill of materials before they commit. Writing it by hand, then copying it again into an invoice or receipt, wastes time and invites mistakes.
Cement, nails and binding wire sell every hour. Running short on a Saturday morning sends a builder's whole order to the shop next door.
Load your full item list from Excel instead of typing it, then track quantities in real time as each sale goes through. Adjustments record breakages and damaged bags with a reason, so shrinkage is visible. Product limits are 1,000 on Starter, 5,000 on Basic, 25,000 on Standard and unlimited on Enterprise.
Scan a barcode with a standard scanner or pick the item on screen, and the price set by the owner is the price charged. The POS runs in a browser on a laptop, tablet or phone, so you can add a second till without buying new software.
Build a quotation for a builder's full list of materials and send it by WhatsApp or email. When the customer agrees, convert the quotation to an invoice with one click, with no retyping. For bigger contracts, project management on the Enterprise plan keeps tasks, time and project invoicing together.
Open an account for each regular contractor, set a credit limit and record every collection against it. Their balance and purchase history are on one screen when they come back to pay. CRM and customer credit limits are available from the Basic plan.
Raise purchase orders, record goods received notes when the lorry arrives and keep a ledger for every supplier. You always know what has been delivered, what is still outstanding and what you owe.
Here is an illustrative day at a mid-sized hardware shop in Arusha with one counter, one store room and a handful of contractor customers.
The owner checks the low-stock list and sees 32 mm PVC elbows and 4-inch nails running low. He raises a purchase order to his supplier from his phone.
Assistants scan or select items and take payment by cash or mobile money. A fundi buys a set of plumbing fittings and pays with M-Pesa, which is recorded on the sale.
A contractor asks for prices on cement, iron bars, binding wire and roofing nails for a two-room house. The shop builds the quotation and sends it to him on WhatsApp before he leaves.
The contractor accepts. The quotation becomes an invoice, his team collects the first load on credit, and his balance shows clearly against his limit.
The day's sales split into cash, mobile money and credit. The owner exports the stock report and the list of open contractor accounts to Excel.
All locations
Stock
Stock value
TSh 48.2M
Low stock items
12
ReorderExpiring in 30 days
5
| Product | SKU | Kariakoo | Mwanza | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooking oil 3 L | OIL-3L | 23 | 41 | Reorder soon |
| Sembe 5 kg | SEM-5 | 140 | 96 | In stock |
| Paracetamol 500mg | PCM-500 | 18 | 4 | Low stock |
| Cement 50 kg | CEM-50 | 62 | 0 | Transfer |
| Soda 500 ml (crate) | SOD-24 | 35 | 28 | In stock |
Live stock levels and low-stock flags across a large hardware catalogue.
When every bolt and fitting is counted as it sells, missing stock shows up in days. You can act while the amount is still small.
New staff charge the same as experienced ones because the price comes from the system. Customers stop shopping around your own counter.
Each builder's account shows every collection, date and amount. Settling at the end of a job becomes a short conversation backed by a statement.
Low-stock alerts and purchase orders keep cement and nails in stock for busy days. Builders come back to the shop that always has what they need.
“M-Pesa, Tigo Pesa and Airtel all come in automatically. No more end-of-day counting. The reports make my accountant happy and my tax filings take an hour, not a week.”
Still have a question? Ask our team on WhatsApp, phone or email.
A good hardware shop POS needs to handle a very large item list, contractor credit, quotations and mobile money, and it must stay fast at a busy counter. Check product limits and whether quotations convert to invoices before you buy. SmartBiashara does both, starts at TSh 15,000 a month, and lets you load your own catalogue during a 14-day free trial so you can judge it on real stock.
It depends on your plan. Starter allows 1,000 products, Basic 5,000, Standard 25,000, and Enterprise and Enterprise Pro are unlimited. Most hardware shops with a full range of fittings and fasteners should look at Basic or Standard.
No. Items with barcodes can be scanned with a standard barcode scanner, and items without them can be picked on screen. Many shops scan packaged goods and select loose items such as nails or wire by name.
Yes. You can open a customer account, set a credit limit and record each collection against it, with receivables and ageing reports to follow up. Customer credit limits come with CRM, which is available from the Basic plan.
SmartBiashara records every sale and produces the reports your accountant works from. Ask our team about your fiscal-device setup and how your EFD machine sits next to the system.
Plans start at TSh 15,000 a month for one shop on Starter. Basic at TSh 35,000 a month adds CRM, credit limits and up to 3 locations, and Standard at TSh 45,000 a month raises the limit to 5 locations and 25,000 products. Prices exclude VAT.
Start the 14-day free trial with no credit card, import your item list from Excel and run a normal trading day on it. If you want help setting up contractor accounts, book a demo or reach us on WhatsApp at +255 749 900 050.
