Multi-site stock control – why concessions need real-time visibility

Managing stock across multiple concession stores can make it difficult to know what’s selling, what’s running low and where products are located.

Concession partners providing stock without payment upfront need confidence that their goods are managed effectively, every sale is recorded accurately and they’ll receive the correct payments.

That’s why real-time concessions stock control matters. By bringing stock, sales and concession partner information together, concession stores can make quicker decisions, reduce time-consuming admin and give concession partners confidence in how their stock is handled.

What is concessions stock control?

Concessions stock control means tracking concession partners’ stock held and sold by a concession store.

The concession store doesn’t buy the goods upfront. The concession partner owns them until they sell, then receives payment minus the concession store’s agreed commission.

Accurate stock and sales tracking is essential. Concession stores need to know who owns each product, where it is, what’s sold and what each concession partner is owed. A central concessions management system keeps this information together, making it easier to manage than separate spreadsheets or systems.

Why is real-time visibility so important?

A product might sell quickly at one location but sit untouched at another. Without up-to-date figures, you may not notice until one site sells out.

Real-time visibility keeps stock figures updated as products are sold, received or transferred, giving teams reliable information to act on.

This reassures concession partners that their stock is accounted for and helps concession stores answer questions about stock, sales and payments without chasing individual locations for updates.

Keep popular products available

Running out of a popular product can mean missed sales and disappointed customers. At the same time, holding too much stock takes up valuable space and leaves concession partners’ goods sitting unsold.

Effective concessions stock control helps you strike a better balance. Live stock information shows which products need replenishing and which aren’t moving as quickly as expected.

You may discover that a product selling slowly in one location is in high demand elsewhere. Where transfers are agreed with the concession partner, existing stock can be moved to where it’s more likely to sell.

Make stock transfers easier to manage

Moving stock between concession stores sounds straightforward, but it can quickly cause confusion if it isn’t tracked properly.

A central system provides a clear record of each transfer, helping teams follow products from one location to another while keeping ownership information accurate.

FM Mobile makes stock management even easier. Using a portable device, teams can:

• Complete faster, more accurate stock takes
• Receive and process incoming deliveries
• Track and manage transfers between concession stores
• Update stock figures in real time
• Benefit from remote support and automated software updates

This helps keep stock information accurate and ensures the right products are in the right place at the right time.

Track every sale against the correct concession partner

Knowing what’s in stock is only part of concession management. Every sale also needs to be attributed to the correct concession partner.

Because concession partners are paid when their goods sell, accurate reporting directly affects how much they receive. Concession stores need to provide a clear breakdown of the products sold, the retail value of those sales and the agreed commission retained by the concession store.

Our concessions management solution brings separate concession stock, sales reporting, commission calculations, returns and concession partner settlements together. This helps concession stores provide reliable figures to each concession partner and reduces time spent reconciling spreadsheets.

Make self-billing reports simpler

FM uses recorded sales and agreed commission rates to produce self-billing reports. These show concession partners:

• Which products have sold
• The total value of those sales
• The agreed commission retained by the concession store
• The remaining amount to invoice the concession store

This gives both parties a clear breakdown of what’s owed. FM simplifies the process, reducing manual calculations and giving concession partners confidence that they’re being paid the correct amount.

Build stronger relationships with concession partners

Clear reporting can make a big difference to concession partner relationships. Concession partners are placing their stock in another business’s care, so they need to feel confident that it is being tracked, managed and sold responsibly.

Accurate concessions stock control gives both sides greater transparency. Concession stores can provide clear information on sales, remaining stock and payments, reducing uncertainty and making conversations with concession partners much simpler.

When everyone can rely on the figures, it becomes easier to build stronger, longer-lasting partnerships.

Make better decisions about stock

Real-time visibility doesn’t just show you what’s in stock. It helps you understand what customers are buying, where demand is strongest and which products may need extra attention.

Stock-level, valuation, sell-through and movement reports can help teams identify trends and make more informed decisions about replenishment and product ranges. Teams can act on changes earlier instead of waiting until the end of the week or month to find out what happened.

Sharing accurate information with concession partners also makes it easier to discuss which products to replenish, where stock is needed and which ranges are performing well.

Two solutions for different sides of concession retail

FM supports both concession stores and concession partners, with solutions for their different needs.

For concession stores, FM helps manage concession partners’ stock, attribute sales to the correct concession partner, calculate commission and produce accurate stock, sales and self-billing reports.

For concession partners, FM can manage their stock across the different concession stores they supply, helping them keep track of where their goods are held and how they are performing. FM automatically imports sales data from concession stores, including those not using FM, and uses this information to accurately manage stock across multiple concession store platforms.

Grow your concessions without creating more admin

Adding a new brand or location should feel like an opportunity, not another administrative burden.

With the right system, you can add new concessions while keeping stock, sales and financial information organised in one place. Managers gain an overall view of the business but can still look closely at the performance of an individual brand or location.

It’s a simpler, more scalable way to grow while continuing to give concession partners the accurate reporting and reassurance they need.

Ready to make concessions stock control simpler? Contact FM Retail to arrange a demonstration and see how our solutions could support your business.

Frequently asked questions

Can I manage concession stock across multiple locations?

Yes. A central concessions management system can track stock and sales across several locations while keeping each concession partner’s products and information separate.

How do self-billing reports help concession stores?

FM’s self-billing reports show which products have sold, their sales value and the agreed commission retained by the concession store. This gives each concession partner a clear record of the amount they should invoice the concession store.

Does FM support concession partners as well as concession stores?

Yes. FM offers solutions for concession stores managing concession partners’ goods and for concession partners managing their own stock across different concession stores.

How does FM Mobile help with stock management?

FM Mobile helps teams complete stock takes, process goods received and manage transfers using a portable device, with information updated in real time.