The Webgility Blog | Ecommerce Content To Help Grow Your Business

Key Shopify POS Reports Every Retailer Should Track

Written by Monika Tripathi | Jan 7, 2026 12:03:27 AM

Shopify POS reports show you what sold yesterday. They do not show you why half your inventory sits untouched, which products actually make money after labor and overhead, or when to reorder before you stock out.

Most retailers glance at daily sales totals and move on, missing the insights that separate profitable stores from struggling ones. You cannot optimize what you do not measure.

Revenue feels good until you realize your best-selling product loses money after all costs are included.

In this guide, you will learn which Shopify POS reports matter for profitability.

The hidden cost of ignoring your POS data (and how to avoid it)

Shopify POS reports are the difference between profit and preventable loss.

Consider these real-world scenarios:

  • A boutique orders 500 units of a slow seller because they only checked revenue, not inventory velocity. Months later, cash is tied up in unsold stock
  • A shoe store runs out of bestsellers for weeks, never realizing inventory was low because they only tracked total sales. Loyal customers leave empty-handed
  • A retailer keeps three staff on during slow hours, unaware that staff sales reports show one person could cover the shift. Payroll costs rise with no return

These are not rare exceptions. Most new retailers make at least one of these mistakes in their first year. The data was always available, just never reviewed in the right way.

Manual reporting creates dangerous blind spots. You see revenue but miss profitability. You track total orders, but not which channels drive margin. You monitor staff hours but not who actually closes deals.

Each decision made without full context costs time, money, or both.

However, you can avoid all three disasters by focusing on just three report categories.

As your business grows, keeping track of these risks across multiple channels gets even harder, making unified reporting tools essential.

Suggested read: How Shopify Payouts Work

The three Shopify POS report categories to start with

Start with these three report categories to build a foundation for smarter decisions.

Sales reports

Show revenue, top products, and channel performance.

Shopify POS reports for sales reveal your revenue reality and which channels or products actually drive your business. This is critical for allocating marketing budget and planning inventory.

Business impact: Small shifts in marketing spend can double your ROI if focused on the right channel.

Suggested read: Shopify Wix integration: Common Problems & Solutions

Inventory reports

Track stock levels, sell-through rates, and slow-moving items. Inventory reports prevent costly stockouts and overstock, protecting both ecommerce cash flow and customer experience.

Business impact: Preventing even one stockout saves lost sales and keeps customers satisfied.

Staff performance reports

Measure individual and team sales, conversion rates, and hours worked. Staff reports help you spot top performers, optimize scheduling, and align incentives.

Business impact: Staff sales data can reveal who should be scheduled during peak hours, directly impacting payroll efficiency.

Knowing what to track is only step one. The real power comes from seeing how these reports work together.

Suggested read: 4 Cash Flow No-Nos Online Retailers Should Avoid at All Costs

How Shopify POS reports work together to reveal your business story

When you connect your sales, inventory, and staff reports, you move from guessing to knowing what drives results.

Data stream

What it shows

Combined insight

Sales reports

Revenue by product/channel

Where to focus resources

Inventory reports

Stock levels and velocity

What and when to reorder

Staff reports

Individual performance

Who to schedule when

Table 1: Shopify POS reports breakdown

Sales spikes mean little if inventory is unavailable. Staff performance cannot be judged without knowing what they had to sell.

Advanced platforms can unify these data streams in real time, making it easier to spot patterns.

Now, let us turn these connections into immediate, practical wins.

Suggested read: Shopify Automations to Eliminate Bottlenecks & Boost Profits

Quick-win actions for each Shopify POS report

You do not need to overhaul your business to get results. One focused action per Shopify POS report can drive measurable improvement.

Sales

Run a sales-by-channel report. Shift 10% of your marketing budget to the top-performing channel for the next two weeks.

Why this matters: Small shifts in marketing spend can double your ROI if focused on the right channel.

Inventory

Identify your top-selling product at risk of stockout. Set a reorder Shopify inventory alert or place a small restock order now.

Why this matters: Most retailers under-order bestsellers because they track total sales instead of item velocity. Preventing a single stockout can protect thousands in revenue.

Staff

Review staff sales for the past week. Schedule your top closer during peak hours or pair them with a new team member.

Why this matters: Scheduling your best performers at the right time can increase sales without adding headcount.

These actions are simple now, but as your store grows, tracking them manually gets harder.

As you add more locations or channels, ecommerce automation tools become essential to keep up.

What happens when you scale: The limits of manual Shopify POS reports

Manual reporting works for one store, but as you grow, it creates delays, mismatches, and missed insights.

  • Reconciling inventory across three stores and an online channel takes days, not hours
  • Spreadsheets cannot track real-time sales, inventory, and staff data across Shopify POS systems and online
  • Month-end close drags on, and errors multiply

This is where unified automation tools like Webgility come in.

Webgility unifies Shopify POS, ecommerce, and accounting data, turning hours of manual work into instant, actionable insights.

With Webgility, you get:

  • Real-time sync between POS, online, and accounting
  • Automated inventory and order updates across all channels
  • Dashboards that surface SKU-level profitability and staff performance
  • Automated report delivery and alerts

Stop losing hours to manual POS reporting and inventory reconciliation. Schedule a demo with Webgility today.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What is the difference between Shopify POS reports and online store reports?

Shopify POS reports track in-person sales, inventory, and staff activity at your physical locations. Online store reports focus on ecommerce transactions. Reviewing both gives you a complete view of your business.

How often should I review each Shopify POS report?

Check sales and inventory reports weekly. Review staff performance at least monthly. As you grow, consider daily reviews or automated alerts for at-risk inventory.

How do I know if my inventory turnover is healthy?

A healthy inventory turnover ratio is typically 5-10 times per year for most retailers. If your products sit longer, you may be overstocked or missing sales opportunities.

Can I automate report delivery or alerts?

Yes. Platforms like Webgility can send scheduled reports and real-time alerts for low stock, sales spikes, or staff performance.