# POS system for boutiques and shoe shops in Kenya

> Wave POS is a boutique POS system for clothing and shoe shops in Kenya. Each style is one product, with its sizes and colours as variants that have their own barcode, price and stock. Print barcode tags in batches, take returns by scanning the QR code on the receipt, sell on M-Pesa or on account, and see which styles sell in each branch.

- **Sizes and colours as variants**: A dress in four sizes and three colours is one product with twelve variants, each with its own barcode, price and stock.
- **Tags printed in batches**: Print barcode labels with prices for a whole delivery, so every item on the rail scans at the till.
- **Returns by receipt QR code**: Scan the QR code on the receipt, take the item back and refund to any method. The item goes back into stock.
- **See what sells**: The product performance report shows your best sellers and the styles that sit on the rail, by branch and category.

## How boutiques and shoe shops sell in Kenya

A boutique sells a few pieces of many styles, and every style comes in several sizes and colours. What matters at closing time is which sizes are left, what sold, and whether the dress a customer brings back on Monday really came from your rail.

Most clothing and shoe shops in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret restock in small lots, from Eastleigh wholesalers, importers or their own buying trips. The trouble starts when the stock lives in a notebook:

- A size 40 is missing, and nobody can say whether it was sold, swapped or carried out.
- Price tags are handwritten, so two cashiers quote two prices for the same jacket.
- A customer exchanges a size, and afterwards neither the drawer nor the stock adds up.
- Discounts are given freely on the days the owner is away.

Wave POS deals with each of these at the till, with stock kept for every size and colour.

## Every size and colour has its own barcode and price

In Wave POS, a style is one product and each size and colour is a variant with its own barcode, price and stock count. You can see that the black loafer in size 42 has two pairs left in this branch, without walking to the store room.

Variants can carry different prices where the cost differs:

- Ladies' block heel in black and tan, sizes 37 to 41: ten variants at KSh 3,200 each.
- Children's school shoe in sizes 28 to 34 at KSh 1,800, and sizes 35 to 38 at KSh 2,200.
- Men's cotton shirt in S, M, L and XL, in white and blue, at KSh 1,500, with XXL at KSh 1,700.

Sales, stock and reports all work per variant. If your catalogue is already in a spreadsheet, import it instead of typing it: see [moving from Excel](https://wavepos.app/guides/move-from-excel-to-pos).

## Tags that scan at the till

Print barcode labels with the name and price for a whole delivery in one batch, and every item on the rail scans at the till. If a shoe box already carries a factory barcode, add that barcode to the variant and scan it as it is. Labels, shelf labels and receipts are covered in [receipts and labels](https://wavepos.app/features/receipts-and-labels).

At the counter the cashier scans the tag, hears a beep, and presses F12 to pay. The customer pays in cash, by card or by [M-Pesa](https://wavepos.app/features/mpesa-pos), either with the transaction code typed in or with a prompt sent to their phone once you connect a ZetuPay account. One sale can mix methods.

## Returns and exchanges by scanning the receipt

To take something back, scan the QR code on the customer's receipt, choose the items coming back and refund in cash, by M-Pesa or by any other method. The items go straight back into stock. An exchange is a return followed by a new sale, which keeps both the stock and the drawer right.

A worked example: on Saturday a customer buys tan heels in size 38 at KSh 3,200. On Monday she wants a size 39 in a different style at KSh 3,800.

1. Scan the QR code on Saturday's receipt and return the size 38. The KSh 3,200 refund is recorded in cash, and the pair is back in stock.
2. Scan the new pair and take payment as a split: the same KSh 3,200 in cash and the remaining KSh 600 by M-Pesa.

The drawer ends where it started, the extra KSh 600 arrives by M-Pesa, and the stock count for both styles is correct.

## Discounts that need a manager

Cashiers can give line and basket discounts, but large discounts and price changes need a manager's PIN. That keeps the end-of-season sale under your control, even on the days you are out buying stock.

Cashiers who share a drawer switch in with their own PIN, so every sale records who made it. More on this in [staff and shifts](https://wavepos.app/features/staff-and-shifts).

## Customer accounts for your regulars

A regular customer can have an account with a credit limit. Each account keeps a ledger of every sale, return and payment, and the customer clears the balance at the till. The debtors ageing report shows who owes what, and for how long, so the office worker who takes three shirts before payday is easy to follow up.

## Stock in each branch, and what sells

Each branch has its own stock, tills and prices, and you see them all on one dashboard. When one shop runs out of a size, transfer it from another: the transfer is recorded as sent and received, and any shortfall as lost in transit. Read more about [running several branches](https://wavepos.app/features/multi-branch).

The product performance report lists your best sellers with their profit, and the stock that is not selling, by dates, branch and category. Check it before you reorder: if the size 37 heels sell out every month while the size 41s sit in their boxes, buy accordingly.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can one product have different sizes and colours?

Yes. Each style is one product, and each size and colour is a variant with its own barcode, price and stock. A shoe in five sizes and two colours is ten variants, so you always know that the black size 39 has two pairs left, and in which branch.

### Can I print price tags with barcodes for my clothes?

Yes. Wave POS prints barcode labels with the name and price in batches, so a new delivery can be tagged in one go. Items that already carry a factory barcode can keep it: add that barcode to the variant and it scans at the till.

### How do exchanges work in a boutique POS?

An exchange is a return and a new sale. Scan the QR code on the receipt, return the item that does not fit, and it goes back into stock. Then sell the replacement; if it costs more, the customer pays the difference by cash or M-Pesa in a split payment.

### Can I stop cashiers giving big discounts?

Yes. Cashiers can discount a line or the whole basket, but large discounts and price changes need a manager's PIN before the sale goes through. Every sale records the cashier who made it, and the audit log shows who did what and when.

### Does it work for a shop with two or three branches?

Yes. Each branch has its own stock, tills and prices, and you see them all on one dashboard. When one branch runs out of a size, transfer stock from another; the transfer records what was sent, what was received and any shortfall.

### How much does a boutique POS system cost?

From KSh 1,500 a month, paid by M-Pesa, after a free trial of 14 days with no card needed. You can also buy Wave POS outright with one payment, priced by quote. Any computer, tablet or phone with Chrome works as the till.

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Source: https://wavepos.app/industries/boutiques
Last updated: 2026-10-11