Planning

Planning stock, cash and staff for Ramadan and Eid

A practical plan for the busiest weeks of the shop year: what sells more and when, how much extra to buy, keeping cash ready for suppliers, fair pricing, staff hours while fasting, and what to do after Eid.

16 October 2026 · 9 min read · By Muhammad Ahmad

For many shops in Pakistan and across the Muslim world, Ramadan and the days before Eid are the busiest weeks of the year. Customers come at different hours, buy different things and buy more of them. Then, for a few days after Eid, the street goes quiet.

A shop that plans for this month has full shelves, calm staff and cash ready for suppliers. A shop that does not spends Ramadan running out of the things people want and Shawwal sitting on things nobody needs.

Planning starts six to eight weeks before the month begins. Ramadan moves about ten or eleven days earlier each year in the calendar, so check the expected dates each year rather than going by last year's.

Look at last year first

The best predictor of this Ramadan is last Ramadan in your own shop. If you have sales records from last year, look at:

• Which products sold much more than usual, and in which week of the month.
• Which ran out, and on what day.
• Which were left over after Eid.
• What time of day the shop was busiest.

If you only have a notebook, write down what you remember now, before the month starts. A paper list of "ran out of besan on the 3rd day, too many vermicelli packs after Eid" is worth more than any general advice.

If you are using a till app, this is exactly what sales history is for: look at last year's Ramadan dates and see which items sold most, and when.

What usually sells more, and when

Every shop and neighbourhood is different, but the pattern of the month is broadly similar.

Two changes catch shops out:

• Trading hours move. The afternoon is quiet, the hour before iftar is a rush, and in many areas the busiest shopping is after taraweeh, late into the night.
• Basket sizes change. Fewer visits but larger baskets, especially in the first week.

How much extra to buy

Do not simply double everything. Buy more of what sells more, and the same or less of what does not.

A simple method for your top products:

1. Find a normal week's sales for that product.
2. Estimate the Ramadan multiple from last year's records or your memory. For dates, besan and frying oil it might be several times normal; for shampoo it might be no change.
3. Plan stock for two weeks at a time, not the whole month. Order for the first two weeks before Ramadan starts, then reorder in the middle of the month based on what is actually selling.

Example for a neighbourhood kiryana store:

These multiples are only examples to show the method. Use your own shop's history.

Order Eid-specific items, like vermicelli, decorative packaging and gift boxes, closer to Eid and in smaller amounts. They sell quickly for a few days and then not at all until next year.

Prepare cash before you need it

Ramadan is when shops are most likely to run out of cash, for a simple reason: you have to pay for stock before you sell it, and you are buying far more stock than usual.

• Work out the extra stock you plan to buy in the two weeks before Ramadan. That is the cash you need, beyond your normal supplier payments.
• Collect udhaar in the month before. A reminder round six weeks before Ramadan, and again three weeks before, brings in cash when you need it most. The udhaar reminder messages can help with polite wording.
• Talk to suppliers early. Ask whether they will give a few extra days on the Ramadan order, at the same price. A supplier you pay reliably all year is more likely to agree.
• Reduce slow stock in the weeks before. Clearing items that are not moving frees cash for items that will.
• Plan owner withdrawals. Household spending rises at the same time as shop spending. Decide in advance how much the household will take, so the shop does not run dry in the third week.

The connection between stock, credit and cash is explained in more detail in profit vs cash.

Price fairly and visibly

In Ramadan customers notice prices more than ever, and a shop's reputation for fairness lasts far longer than the month.

• Follow official rate lists where your district issues them for essentials, and display them if required.
• Do not raise prices on old stock just because demand is high. If your cost has genuinely risen on new stock, adjust prices on the new stock and be ready to explain it.
• Keep a visible price list for the most-bought iftar items so customers do not need to ask.
• Consider small, honest packs. A half-kilo or pao pack of dates or besan helps customers on a tight budget, and you can price it fairly to cover the packing. See pricing loose goods.

Many shopkeepers also choose to offer something for the month, such as a small discount on staples or a ration bag at cost for families in need. That is a personal decision. If you do it, record the discount properly so your numbers stay true.

Staff: hours, breaks and Eid

Most of your staff may be fasting too. A good plan respects that and keeps the counter running.

• Shift hours to match demand. Fewer people in the afternoon, more in the hour before iftar and after taraweeh.
• Plan iftar at the shop. Decide who breaks fast first and who covers the counter for those ten minutes. Keep dates and water ready for staff at the shop.
• Allow time for prayer. Rotate so the counter is never left empty, and nobody misses prayer because of the shop.
• Plan Eid leave early. Many staff will want to travel home. Ask in the first week of Ramadan who needs which days, and plan the last days before Eid, when you will be busiest, around it.
• Plan salaries and any Eid bonus. Staff often need their pay before Eid, not after. Keep that cash aside along with your supplier payments.

Tired staff make more mistakes at the counter. A careful close at the end of each day is more important in Ramadan, not less, because late trading and cash-heavy days make errors more likely.

Zakat and your stock

Many shopkeepers calculate zakat on their business, including stock and money owed to them. If you do, a full stock count shortly before your zakat date gives you a reliable figure instead of a guess. How to do a stock take in one evening explains how to count quickly. For how to calculate what is due, ask a scholar you trust.

Eid ul Adha is a different pattern

Eid ul Adha brings its own demand, about two months and ten days after Eid ul Fitr. For grocery stores, it is less about sweets and more about cooking: spices, onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic, yogurt, cooking oil, charcoal, skewers, knives and freezer bags. Plan it the same way: look at last year, buy for the few days before, and avoid overstocking anything that will not sell once the holiday is over.

After Eid

The days after Eid are quiet for most shops, and some close for a few days. Plan for this:

• Do not restock perishables heavily in the last days before Eid. Milk, yogurt, bread and fruit bought for Eid eve may not sell for several days.
• Check what is left of the Ramadan and Eid stock. Anything Eid-specific that will not keep should be discounted soon after Eid rather than stored for a year.
• Count the drawer and the stock when you reopen. A month of busy trading can hide errors.
• Write down what you learned. Which items ran out, which were left over, which days were busiest. Next year's plan starts here.

A planning timeline

• Eight weeks before: look at last year; list top products; start the udhaar collection round.
• Six weeks before: talk to suppliers about rates, quantities and payment days.
• Four weeks before: clear slow stock; plan staff hours and Eid leave.
• Two weeks before: place orders for the first two weeks; set aside cash for staff and suppliers.
• First week of Ramadan: watch what sells fastest; adjust the mid-month order.
• Middle of Ramadan: reorder based on actual sales; order Eid items in small amounts.
• Last ten days: extend hours; keep cash counts tight; stop heavy perishable orders before Eid.
• After Eid: discount leftovers; count; write down lessons.

A POS app helps in two places here: last year's sales history to plan from, and a reorder list built from current stock instead of memory. In Saleva, Reports can be run for whatever period you choose, so last Ramadan can be set side by side with an ordinary month.

Questions shopkeepers ask

How early should I start buying for Ramadan?

Order staples about two weeks before, so they are on your shelf before the first-week rush. Start planning, collecting dues and talking to suppliers six to eight weeks before.

Prices from suppliers go up before Ramadan. Should I buy earlier?

For fast-moving, long-life staples like flour, rice, sugar and oil, buying a little earlier can make sense if you have the cash and storage. Do not do it for perishables or slow movers.

Should I extend my hours in Ramadan?

If your area shops late, yes, but shift the hours rather than adding them all. Being open late at night and closed in the quiet afternoon is often better for everyone than being open eighteen hours.

What do I do with leftover Eid stock?

Discount it soon after Eid if it will not keep. If it keeps, store it properly and check it against expiry dates before next year.

My staff want leave on Eid. How do I manage?

Ask early, plan fairly, and give priority to those who need to travel. Many shops close on Eid day itself and the day after. Make sure everyone knows the plan well before the last week.

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