Monday Supply Audit: Count Your Station Before the Booking Week Fills
For a lot of barbers and stylists, Monday is the quiet day. The shop is closed or slow, the book for the week is filling up, and nobody is in the chair yet. That makes Monday the best day to do the job most of us skip until it is too late: count what is actually on the shelf before you need it.
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1. Set a par level for each item
A par level is the lowest count you will allow before you reorder. Pick one number for each consumable based on a normal week. For example, a set number of glove boxes in each size, a set number of neck strip rolls, and a set number of razor blade packs. Write it on a sheet or in your phone. Once the numbers are set, the audit takes minutes.
2. Look at the book before you count
Open your booking app and look at the week. How many cuts, shaves, lineups, beard services, and color or chemical clients are already on it? Every cut uses a neck strip. Every shave or lineup with a razor needs a fresh blade. Close work and chemical services use gloves. Add a cushion for walk-ins and for your heavier days.
3. Count the consumables
Gloves. Count boxes by size, not just total. Running out of the size you wear is the same as running out. Keep a backup box like the Safeko Nitrile Black Glove Medium 100 pc in the drawer.
Neck strips. Count the rolls in the drawer, not just the one in the dispenser. Sanek Neck Strips are a shop staple for a reason.
Razor blades. Count unopened packs. A fresh blade for every client is not optional, so this is one item you never want to stretch. If your razor takes single-edge blades, check your pack of Derby Single Edge Razor Blades Premium.
Blade care. Check the level in your clipper oil bottle and shake your blade spray can to feel how much is left. Keep Andis Clipper and Trimmer Oil and Andis Cool Care Plus on the list. Use them the way the labels say.
Styptic. Nobody plans for a nick, which is why it gets forgotten. Make sure there is a Nick Relief Liquid Styptic Spray at every station and follow the label.
Towels. Count clean towels after the weekend laundry. If the stack is thin before Tuesday, it will be gone by Friday. A 12 Pack of White Towels refills the shelf.
Sanitation. Check your disinfectant jar solution, your surface spray, and anything else your state board requires at the station. These are not items to run low on.
4. Write one order, not five
Everything at or below par goes on one list. Place one order early in the week so it has time to arrive before Friday and Saturday. One order also means fewer emergency runs in the middle of a busy day. Shop the staples in Barber Station Essentials, and Atlanta shops can check Barber Supply Delivery Atlanta for current local options.
5. Cut what does not move
The audit also shows you what has sat untouched for weeks. Lower the par on slow items or stop ordering them. Shelf space and money tied up in product nobody uses is money not working for the shop.
6. Make it a habit
Same day, same sheet, every week. If you share the shop, give each barber or stylist their own line on the list so nobody assumes someone else ordered the gloves.
Monday supply audit checklist
- Par level written for every consumable
- Book checked for the week ahead
- Gloves counted by size
- Neck strip rolls counted
- Razor blade packs counted
- Clipper oil and blade spray checked
- Styptic at every station
- Clean towels counted
- Sanitation supplies checked
- One order placed early in the week
FAQ
What is a par level?
It is the lowest count you are willing to have on the shelf before you reorder. Set one number for each item based on a normal week in your book. When the count drops to that number, it goes on the order list.
Why do the audit on Monday?
For a lot of shops Monday is the off day or the slowest day. You have time to count without a client in the chair, and an order placed early in the week has time to land before the weekend rush.
How do I figure out how much I need for the week?
Start with your book. Count the appointments you already have, think about which services use what (a neck strip every cut, a fresh razor blade for every shave or lineup, gloves for chemical and close work), and add a cushion for walk-ins.
What should I do with a product that is low but I barely use?
Keep a smaller par for it, or stop stocking it. The audit is also a chance to stop buying things that sit on the shelf.
Questions? Email info@leadblacks.com or call or text (470) 646-9473.
