Quick answer
Count deliveries by the exact sellable variant, not just the product family or total pieces. Match supplier codes, colours, sizes and pack contents against the accepted order, then separate any uncertain items before they reach the shelf. A delivery of 24 shirts can still be wrong if the size mix is different from the one you bought.
Make the order readable at variant level
Use the supplier’s exact code together with a plain-language description. Write “blue, medium” rather than relying on a colour swatch or shorthand that only the buyer understands. If the supplier uses its own colour names, keep a small reference that maps them to the names your staff use.
Record agreed assortments explicitly. An order for a mixed carton may permit the supplier to choose the mix; an order for specified quantities of each variant is different. Clarify this before purchase, especially for a new range. Do not assume a representative’s photograph describes the contents of every box.
Count the mix before updating available stock
Open the appropriate packaging and check the product or inner label. An outer carton may contain mixed goods or carry an incorrect label. Use a clean sorting area and keep new goods separate from existing stock until the check is complete; mixing them makes a later discrepancy difficult to reconstruct.
For an illustrative order, suppose a shop expects six small, twelve medium and six large shirts. It receives twelve small, six medium and six large. The total of 24 is correct, but six medium shirts are missing and six small shirts were supplied instead. Record the variant difference rather than marking the whole shipment complete.
| Variant | Ordered | Received | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 6 | 12 | +6 |
| Medium | 12 | 6 | −6 |
| Large | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Total | 24 | 24 | Total alone hides the error |
Keep the wrong variant out of promises to customers
Do not update online availability or allocate customer orders from an unverified total. Identify which items are approved for sale and which are awaiting a supplier decision. If goods have already reached customers, handle those cases through your customer-service and legal obligations while investigating the supplier error separately.
The commercial agreement should describe the goods clearly, as the Small Business Commissioner’s contract guide explains. Your receiving matrix is the practical record of whether the agreed mix arrived. It does not decide whether you are entitled to a particular refund or consequential cost.
Further reading: Small Business Commissioner: contract guide
Give the supplier a correction it can fulfil
Send the order reference and a variant table, with product-label photographs where helpful. Ask whether the supplier wants the extra variant returned and how the missing one will be supplied or credited. Confirm collection, replacement and invoice details rather than accepting “we will sort it” as the final answer.
If you agree to retain the extra variant, record that as a deliberate purchase decision with the agreed price. Do not quietly absorb unwanted sizes because returning them feels awkward. Equally, avoid ordering the missing quantity elsewhere until you understand whether a replacement is already on its way.
When the correction arrives, check the same variant matrix and close the original issue. Share recurrent code or label confusion with the buyer so the next order can be clearer.
Unpickle item notes can preserve the variant and quantity problem with the delivery. Keep your retail catalogue and sales availability updates in the systems you already use. Record the exact item discrepancy.