Guides

Practical, no-fluff guides on dead stock, sell-through, reorder points, and getting more out of the CSV exports your POS already gives you.

Retail guides

Lightspeed Insights Alternatives for Small Stores (2026)

Plus plan too pricey for one store? Honest comparison of StockTrim, Inventory Planner, Zoined, SyncHub, DIY spreadsheets, and ShelfReport — with prices.

2026-07-01

Lightspeed Dead Stock Report: The Core Plan Workaround

Lightspeed's dusty inventory report is gated above Core. How to build your own dead stock report from CSV exports — exact spreadsheet formulas included.

2026-07-01

Lightspeed X-Series CSV Export Guide: Every File You Need

How to export products, inventory, and sales history from Lightspeed Retail X-Series — which CSV feeds which report, plus the gotchas that mangle data.

2026-07-01

Cash Leakage: The Number Your POS Never Shows You

Dead stock, stockouts on your best sellers, and catalog errors quietly drain small stores. How to put one dollar figure on it — with a worked example.

2026-07-01

Vape retail

Vape-friendly payment processing in 2026: what high-risk actually costs, and how to not get burned

What vape-friendly payment processing really costs in 2026 — verified rates, rolling reserves, and red flags for US and Canadian shops leaving Shopify.

2026-07-01

Does Shopify's vape ban apply to Canadian stores? What we actually know, and what to do this week

Shopify's vape ban hits US merchants July 7, 2026. No Canadian notices confirmed yet. What's verified, what isn't, and what to do this week.

2026-07-01