For years, I’ve watched small shop owners work harder than almost anyone I know.
Early mornings, long days, unpredictable sales, endless inventory checks—and still, most of them run their entire business on memory, notebooks, or scattered apps that don’t solve the real problems.
The issue isn’t effort.
The issue is clarity.
Many shop owners don’t know what’s actually happening inside their business until something goes wrong—items run out, profits dip, or bills pile up. The tools available to them were either too complicated, too expensive, or simply not built for their workflow.
That’s where the idea for Stoqyy came from.
I didn’t want to build “another dashboard.”
I wanted to build calm—a simple system that gives shop owners confidence in their daily decisions.
💡 The Problem I Saw
Here’s what almost every shop owner told me:
- “I don’t know what’s selling the most.”
- “Stock finishes before I realize.”
- “I don’t have proper sales records.”
- “I check everything manually at night.”
- “I feel like I’m guessing, not managing.”
These aren’t software problems.
These are life problems—stress, uncertainty, long hours, and lost money.
✨ What Stoqyy Focuses On
I didn’t start by thinking about features.
I started by asking,
“What clarity does a shop owner need every day?”
The answers shaped the product:
📦 Clear Inventory
No more guessing.
Live stock levels, low-stock alerts, and auto updates.
📊 Clear Sales
Daily, weekly, and monthly sales insights—simple enough to understand at a glance.
💰 Clear Profits
Profit tracking that makes sense without accounting knowledge.
📱 Clear Access
Mobile-first design because most shop owners manage everything on the move.
🧘 Clear Mind
A clean, lightweight interface that brings calm, not overwhelm.
🛠️ How I Built It (For Developers)
For DEV.to readers who enjoy the technical side, here’s a quick overview:
- Frontend: React + Tailwind (fast, clean UI)
- Backend: Node.js + Express
- Database: MongoDB (flexible for store-specific data structures)
- Auth: JWT
- Deploy: Vercel (frontend), Railway (backend)
- Design Priority: simplicity > features
I iterated through UI prototypes with real shop owners—standing inside their shops, watching how they actually work. That shaped 80% of the final product.
🚀 What’s Next
I’m expanding Stoqyy with:
- Barcode scanning
- Offline support
- GST invoices
- Multi-user roles
- Supplier & purchase management
- AI-based restock predictions
But even with new features, the core principle stays the same:
Design for clarity, not clutter.
🔗 Try Stoqyy
If you’re curious, or if you want to see how simple tools can help small businesses, check it out:
I’d love feedback from the DEV.to community—on design, UX, or tech.
This is just the beginning.
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