Setting low stock thresholds and reorder quantity
Two simple numbers on each item drive most of Stash's automation: the low stock threshold and the reorder quantity. Get these right and Stash will tell you exactly when to reorder and how much, send alerts before you run out, and pre-fill your purchase orders.
What each one means
Low stock threshold
The quantity at which Stash considers the item "low" and starts alerting you. When stock hits or drops below this number, Stash:
Sends a low-stock notification
Marks the item with a warning indicator in the inventory list
Counts the item in the dashboard's "Items requiring action" KPI
Surfaces the item in reorder suggestions
If quantity drops to half of the threshold (or to 2, whichever is lower), Stash escalates to a critical alert. At zero, it becomes out of stock. See Managing notifications.
Reorder quantity
How much Stash should suggest ordering when it's time to restock. Used as the default quantity when:
You create a purchase order from a low-stock alert
The Order Planner suggests an order for this item
Bulk-creating POs from reorder suggestions
Who can do this
Both Admins and Members can set thresholds and reorder quantities.
How to set them
Open Inventory from the sidebar.
Click the item you want to configure.
Click Edit.
Set Low stock threshold to the quantity at which you want to be alerted.
Set Reorder quantity to how much you typically order at once.
Click Save.
To set both for many items at once, use Bulk edit from the inventory list.
How to pick good numbers
Low stock threshold
A good threshold = your weekly consumption × your supplier's lead time in weeks, plus a small safety buffer.
Example: you sell 50 units of an item per week, your supplier takes 1 week to deliver. Threshold = 50 × 1 + 10 (buffer) = 60. When stock drops to 60, you order; by the time stock would have run out, the new shipment arrives.
If you don't know your consumption rate yet, start with a number that feels safe and adjust after a month.
Reorder quantity
Match this to your supplier's pack size, your storage capacity, and how often you want to reorder. A common pattern: order enough for 4 weeks of stock at a time. So if you sell 50/week, reorder quantity = 200.
Good to know
Notifications
Low-stock notifications appear in the Notifications page and in the bell icon at the top of the app. They're sent to all team members with permission to view inventory. Each item gets one active notification at a time — once you act on it (e.g., place a PO), you can mark it read. See Managing notifications.
The Order Planner uses these too
The Order Planner combines your threshold, reorder quantity, supplier lead time, and consumption rate to tell you when to order. The better your thresholds and reorder quantities, the better the Order Planner works. See How Stash calculates when to reorder.
Items without thresholds
If an item has no threshold set, Stash defaults to alerting at 10. Set a real threshold for any item that matters — the default is rarely correct.
Members and cost
Members can edit thresholds and reorder quantities, but they can't see cost prices. So when a Member opens a low-stock notification, they won't see the dollar value of the suggested order. See What Admins vs Members can do.
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