What to Track in Your ACBuy Spreadsheet

The Foundation: Non-Negotiable Columns

Every acbuy spreadsheet needs a core set of columns. Without these, you are flying blind. With them, you can answer almost any business question in seconds.

1Order Date: When you placed the order. Useful for tracking supplier lead times.
2Item Name: A clear description you will recognize in six months.
3SKU or Product Link: The exact supplier page for easy reordering and price comparison.
4Purchase Price: What you paid, including any discounts but excluding shipping at this stage.
5Status: Ordered, In Transit, Received, Listed, Sold, Returned.
6Target Platform: eBay, StockX, Grailed, or your own storefront.
7Estimated Sale Price: Your listing price before fees.
8True Profit: Sale price minus purchase price, fees, and shipping.

Advanced Tracking for Growth

Once the basics are solid, add columns that reveal deeper patterns. These separate hobby resellers from businesses that scale systematically.

Category: Shoes, Hoodies, Accessories. Reveals your most profitable niches.
Supplier: Which agent or factory delivered the best ROI.
Size: Critical for apparel and footwear where margins vary by size.
Weight: Shipping cost estimation and platform fee variations.
Days to Sell: How long from Received to Sold. Flags slow inventory.
Return Rate: Track why items come back and which categories are riskiest.

Metrics That Drive Decisions

Data is useless without interpretation. Calculate these summary metrics weekly or monthly to guide your buying strategy.

Key Metrics Dashboard

Total Profit by Month: Are you growing, flat, or declining?
Average ROI by Category: Where should you focus future buying?
Inventory Turnover: How fast does stock move from Received to Sold?
Pending Action Items: What needs to be listed, shipped, or reordered today?

Column	Priority	Purpose	When to Add
Order Date	Critical	Lead time tracking	Day 1
Item Name	Critical	Identification	Day 1
Purchase Price	Critical	Profit base	Day 1
Status	Critical	Workflow tracking	Day 1
True Profit	Critical	Business health	Day 1
Category	High	Niche analysis	Week 2
Days to Sell	High	Inventory speed	Month 1
Supplier	Medium	Sourcing quality	Month 1
Return Rate	Medium	Risk assessment	Month 3

Start Using ACBuy Spreadsheet Explore Templates

Frequently Asked Questions

How many columns is too many?

Start with 8–10 columns. Add one new column at a time only when you find yourself repeatedly needing information that is not captured. Too many columns slow down data entry.

Should I track every fee separately?

In the beginning, a single Total Fees column is enough. Once you sell on multiple platforms with different fee structures, break them out for accuracy.

What about tracking customer info?

Platform selling handles customer data. Your spreadsheet should track the order, not the buyer. Keep customer data in your selling platform to avoid GDPR and privacy complications.