User Question: "Can Petboost track retail product inventory like shampoos, treats, and toys?"
Quick Version: Petboost focuses on service-based bookings (appointments, packages, courses), not retail product inventory. Here's what you should use instead.
What You're Trying to Do
You want to track retail products alongside your services:
Common Use Cases:
Pet shampoo and grooming products
Dog treats and chews
Pet toys and accessories
Leashes, collars, and harnesses
Training tools and equipment
Pet food and supplements
Reorder point alerts when stock is low
Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) tracking
What Petboost DOES Offer
Petboost is service-first, but does offer some product capabilities:
✅ Product Catalogue (Retail Line Items)
Create priced retail products (shampoo, treats, accessories) as catalogue items
Add products to appointment invoices alongside services
Products are priced and can be sold during appointments
How to access: Products section in the sidebar
What it's good for: Selling retail items alongside services without a separate POS
✅ Service Packages
Prepaid service bundles (5-pack grooming, 10-day daycare)
Credit tracking per pet
Expiry management
How to access: Packages → Create Package
What it's good for: Selling bundles of appointments/services
✅ Add-On Services
Optional service extras (nail trim, teeth brushing, flea treatment)
Priced alongside main service
How to access: Services → Add-On Services
What it's good for: Upselling complementary services during appointments
✅ Course Bundles
Multi-week training programs
Enrollment tracking
How to access: Courses → Create Course
What it's good for: Puppy schools, obedience training programs
✅ Service Pricing
Variable pricing by pet size/breed
Seasonal pricing adjustments
How to access: Services → Pricing
What it's good for: Charging appropriately for different service levels
Related guides: Packages - Getting Started, Services - Getting Started, Courses - Getting Started
Important Distinction
Services = Appointments, Time-Based
Grooming session
Dog walking
Daycare day
Training class
Boarding night
Products = Catalogue Items, Unit-Based (No Inventory)
Bottle of shampoo
Bag of treats
Pet toys and accessories
Petboost lets you sell products on invoices. Petboost does NOT track inventory quantities.
What Petboost DOESN'T Offer
Petboost does not currently include:
❌ SKU tracking for products
❌ Stock level management or quantity tracking
❌ Reorder point alerts
❌ Supplier management
❌ Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) tracking
❌ Barcode scanning for retail
❌ Standalone retail point-of-sale (POS) system
❌ Product expiry date tracking
❌ Bundle/kit management for retail
Why? Retail inventory management is complex, requiring multi-location tracking, purchase order management, supplier catalogues, expiry date tracking, bundle management, and seasonal inventory planning. This is a complete POS system, entirely different from appointment booking. Most pet businesses are service-first (90-98% service revenue), so a separate lightweight POS system works excellently for businesses with significant retail inventory needs. For occasional retail sales, the Petboost product catalogue covers the basics.
Understanding Your Retail Revenue Mix
Before choosing a solution, understand your revenue breakdown:
Pet Business Revenue Models:
Grooming: 90% service, 10% retail (shampoo, brushes)
Daycare/Boarding: 95% service, 5% retail (treats, toys)
Dog Walking: 98% service, 2% retail (leashes, poo bags)
Training: 85% service, 15% retail (training tools, books)
If retail is <20% of revenue: Simple tracking or lightweight POS is sufficient
If retail is 20%-50% of revenue: Invest in proper POS system
If retail is >50% of revenue: You're a retail business-Petboost may not be the right fit
✅ Recommended Alternatives (What You SHOULD Do)
Choose your approach based on retail revenue percentage:
Scenario 1: Retail <10% of Revenue (Most Pet Businesses)
Option A: Manual Tracking (Free)
What it does:
Track retail sales in spreadsheet
No automated inventory management
Simple product list with pricing
How to use:
Maintain product list in Google Sheets or Excel
Update spreadsheet when products sold
Check stock levels visually or in spreadsheet
Reorder when low
Time investment: ~15 minutes/week
Best for: Very small retail sales (<$500/month), minimal products (<20 SKUs)
Option B: Petboost Invoice + Cash Tracking
What it does:
Use Petboost payment tracking for retail sales
Record retail as "External Payment" or "Cash"
Manual inventory tracking
How to use:
Sell retail product to customer
Record payment in Petboost as "Cash" or "External Payment"
Add note: "Retail: Dog shampoo $25"
Track inventory separately in spreadsheet
Best for: Occasional retail sales to existing Petboost customers
Scenario 2: Retail 10%-20% of Revenue
Option A: Square POS (⭐ Recommended for Most)
What it does:
Complete retail POS system
Inventory tracking with stock alerts
Barcode scanning
Integrated card reader
Product catalogue management
Sales reporting and analytics
Pricing:
Software: Free
Card processing: 1.6% per in-person transaction, 2.2% + $0.30 online
Square Reader: ~$59 AUD (contactless reader)
Square Terminal: ~$499 AUD (all-in-one device)
How to use with Petboost:
Petboost: Manage appointment bookings (core business)
Square POS: Manage retail product sales
Reporting: View service revenue in Petboost, retail revenue in Square
Accounting: Both sync to Xero via bank feeds (or manual reconciliation)
Example workflow:
A grooming business uses Petboost for appointments ($10K/month). They sell retail products (shampoo, brushes, treats) via Square POS ($1.2K/month). Customer books grooming in Petboost, pays via Stripe. At checkout, customer buys shampoo, pays via Square Reader. Both transactions sync to Xero for accounting. Manager reviews service revenue in Petboost, retail revenue in Square. Total software cost: $0 (both free). Total transaction fees: 1.6-2.2%.
Link: squareup.com/au
Option B: Vend (Now Lightspeed Retail)
What it does:
Professional retail POS
Advanced inventory management
Multi-location support
Integrations (Xero, QuickBooks)
Customer loyalty features
Product variants (sizes, colours)
Pricing:
Lean: $119 AUD/month
Standard: $199 AUD/month
Advanced: $299 AUD/month
How to use with Petboost:
Petboost for service bookings
Vend for retail inventory and sales
Both systems tracked separately
Combined revenue in Xero
Best for: Businesses with substantial retail inventory needing professional-grade POS
Link: lightspeedhq.com.au
Scenario 3: Retail 20%-50% of Revenue
You need a proper POS system. Use Square POS or Vend as primary retail system alongside Petboost.
Setup:
Petboost: Service scheduling and bookings
Square/Vend: Complete retail management (inventory, POS, reporting)
Accounting: Both sync to Xero or QuickBooks
Time allocation: ~1 hour/week managing inventory, reordering products
Example:
A daycare + retail store ($15K service, $7K retail per month) uses Petboost for daycare bookings and Square POS for retail treats/toys. Square tracks 150 product SKUs, automatic reorder alerts, barcode scanning. Combined revenue flows to Xero via bank feeds. Manager spends 1 hour/week on inventory management.
Scenario 4: Retail >50% of Revenue
You're primarily a retail business, not a service business. Petboost may not be the right fit.
Consider:
Full retail POS as primary system (Lightspeed, Shopify POS, Square for Retail)
Petboost as secondary for limited service bookings (if services are minor part of business)
OR find retail-first software with booking add-on
Example:
A pet supply store ($30K retail, $5K grooming per month) uses Shopify POS as primary system for retail inventory and e-commerce. They might use Petboost for the small grooming side business, but retail is their core focus-full retail POS makes sense as primary system.
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Mobile Groomer - Manual Tracking
What they needed:
Occasional retail sales (shampoo bottles, brushes)
What they used:
Petboost for grooming appointments
Google Sheets for retail inventory (~15 products)
Manual restocking
How they set it up:
Track product sales in spreadsheet
Check stock levels visually in van
Reorder when low (quarterly bulk order)
Retail sales recorded as cash in Petboost
Result:
Retail is tiny ($200/month). Manual tracking sufficient. Zero additional software cost. Time investment: 15 minutes/week.
Example 2: Grooming Salon - Square POS
What they needed:
Moderate retail sales (shampoo, treats, accessories)
What they used:
Petboost for grooming bookings ($12K/month)
Square POS for retail ($2K/month)
Square Reader ($59 one-time)
How they set it up:
Set up 40 products in Square POS
Square Reader at reception desk
Customers check out for retail via Square
Square tracks inventory, alerts when low
Both Petboost (Stripe) and Square sync to Xero
Result:
Professional retail management. Automatic stock alerts. Combined revenue reporting in Xero. Square cost: $0/month software (only transaction fees 1.6%). Inventory management: 30 minutes/week.
Example 3: Daycare + Retail Store - Vend (Lightspeed)
What they needed:
Substantial retail inventory (150+ products)
What they used:
Petboost for daycare bookings ($18K/month)
Vend for retail POS ($8K/month)
Vend Standard Plan ($199 AUD/month)
How they set it up:
150 products in Vend (treats, toys, food, accessories)
Barcode scanning for checkout
Automatic reorder alerts
Product variants (sizes, flavours)
Combined financials in Xero
Result:
Professional retail operation alongside daycare services. Stock management under control. Cost: $199 AUD/month for Vend. Time investment: 2 hours/week inventory management.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Will Petboost add retail inventory management in the future?
A: Not in the near term. Retail inventory is a completely different product category (POS system) from appointment booking. Building professional retail POS would divert resources from pet-specific operational features. Square, Vend, and Shopify POS invest millions in retail inventory excellence. We believe using best-in-class retail tools alongside Petboost serves customers better.
Q: Can I record retail sales in Petboost somehow?
A: Yes. Petboost has a product catalogue where you can create priced retail items and add them to appointment invoices. This lets you sell products alongside services and include them on the same invoice. However, Petboost does not track stock quantities, SKUs, reorder points, or provide retail-specific inventory reporting.
Q: Which POS system do most Petboost customers use?
A: Square POS is the most common choice for pet businesses with <20% retail revenue (free software, simple setup, competitive transaction fees). Vend/Lightspeed is used by businesses with more substantial retail operations needing advanced inventory features.
Q: Can Square POS and Petboost share customer data?
A: Not automatically. They're separate systems. Best workflow: Use Petboost as your primary customer database (for service bookings), and Square POS for retail transactions. If a customer books a service, they're in Petboost. If they only buy retail, they're in Square. For accounting reconciliation, both systems can sync to Xero via bank feeds.
Q: What if retail is growing and might become >20% of revenue soon?
A: Set up Square POS or Vend NOW while retail is still manageable. Don't wait until inventory is out of control. Starting with a proper POS system early makes scaling retail easier.
Next Steps
If you want to proceed with Manual Tracking (Scenario 1):
Create product list in Google Sheets
Track sales manually
Visual stock checks
Reorder when low
If you want to proceed with Square POS (Scenario 2):
Sign up at squareup.com/au
Order Square Reader ($59)
Set up product catalogue
Configure inventory tracking
Start scanning/selling products
If you want to proceed with Vend/Lightspeed (Scenario 3):
Request demo at lightspeedhq.com.au
Choose plan (Lean, Standard, Advanced)
Import product catalogue
Set up barcode scanning
Train staff on POS system
Related Guides
Last Updated: 10 April 2026
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