Categories

Categories help you organise your products into groups. This makes it easier to find products during sales, filter your inventory, and view reports by category.

Why Use Categories?

Faster Sales

Filter products by category on the POS screen to find items quickly during checkout.

Better Organisation

Group similar products together so your inventory is easier to browse and manage.

Clearer Reports

View sales and profit breakdowns by category to see which product groups perform best.

Stock Overview

Quickly see stock levels for an entire category instead of checking products one by one.

Creating a Category

1. Open a product form

   When adding or editing a product, find the Category dropdown field.

2. Select or create

   Select an existing category from the dropdown, or tap “Create New” to make a new one.

3. Enter the category name

   Type a short, clear name (e.g., “Beverages”, “Electronics”, “Dairy”).

4. Add a description (optional)

   Optionally add a brief description to help staff understand what belongs in this category.

5. Save

   The category is created and the product is assigned to it.

Tip

Keep category names short and consistent. Use names your staff will recognise. “Drinks” is better than “Beverages and Liquid Refreshments”.

Example Categories by Business Type

Tip

Here are some suggested categories for different businesses:

• Provision store: Beverages, Dairy, Canned Goods, Snacks, Toiletries, Cleaning
• Electronics shop: Phones, Accessories, Chargers, Screen Protectors, Cables
• Restaurant: Food, Drinks, Desserts, Sides
• Pharmacy: Medications, First Aid, Personal Care, Baby Products

Using Categories to Filter Products

On the Products page, category pills appear below the search bar:

1. Tap a category pill (e.g., “Beverages”) to see only products in that group
2. Tap the same pill again to clear the filter
3. You can combine category filters with stock status filters (In Stock, Low Stock, Out of Stock)

Using Categories on the POS Screen

When recording a sale, you can filter the product grid by category to find items faster:

1. On the New Sale screen, look for the category pills above the product grid
2. Tap a category to show only products in that group
3. This is especially useful if you have a large inventory (100+ products)

Tip

Chidinma says: “In my restaurant, I use categories like Food, Drinks, and Desserts. When a customer orders, I tap the right category and find the item in seconds.”

Managing Categories

Viewing All Categories

Categories are managed through the product form. To see all your categories, go to the Products page and look at the category filter pills — each pill represents a category.

Renaming a Category

1. Open any product that belongs to the category you want to rename
2. Tap Edit
3. In the Category dropdown, the current category is selected
4. Create a new category with the correct name
5. Re-assign products to the new category

Deleting a Category

Categories are removed automatically when no products are assigned to them. To remove a category:

1. Re-assign all products in that category to a different category (or leave them uncategorised)
2. The empty category will no longer appear in filters

Note

Deleting a category does not delete the products in it. Products simply become uncategorised.

Categories in Reports

Your Reports page includes category-based breakdowns:

• Sales by Category — See which product groups generate the most revenue
• Profit by Category — Compare margins across different product groups
• Stock Value by Category — See how much inventory value is tied up in each group

This helps you make better purchasing decisions. For example, if “Beverages” consistently outsells “Snacks”, you might increase your beverage stock.