For independent and multi-site retailers
Every site, every channel, one cash forecast.
Footfall, seasonality, rent reviews and stock orders decide a retailer's year. Uniflow models in-store and online sales as separate streams, puts staffing and rent against them, and shows the cash position through the quiet months before they arrive.
- In-store, online, exclusive and private-label sales as separate streams
- Staff rotas, rent and utilities as planned costs with real dates
- Square, Stripe and your ledger feeding one forecast
Free before revenue. No credit card. Read-only accounting access.
Retail finance
Why retail forecasts fail in February
The strongest quarter is followed by the weakest cash position. Rent, payroll and supplier invoices for the Christmas stock all fall due after the tills go quiet.
Seasonality is the whole story
A flat monthly average hides the fact that November and December can be a third of the year. The forecast has to carry a month-by-month shape, and so must costs.
Stock is cash on the shelf
Buying for the season means paying suppliers months before customers pay you. Stock has to be planned as dated cash outflows, not just as cost of goods sold.
Each site has its own economics
Rent, staffing and footfall differ by location. Modelling sites and channels as separate streams shows which ones carry the business.
Inside the product
How Uniflow models a retailer
Choose retail at onboarding and the workspace starts from retail streams, in-store customer segments and the department structure of a shop.
- 01
Revenue streams
Pre-loaded with in-store sales, online sales, exclusive and private-label products, subscription services, loyalty programmes, gift cards, partnerships and advertising space.
Example: Flagship store at £62k a month, online at £18k, gift cards peaking in December.
- 02
Cost of sales
Cost per sale, as a percentage of sales or fixed by period, so purchase cost, card fees and shrinkage are separate lines.
Example: Purchase cost 52% of sales, card fees 1.6%, shrinkage 1.2%.
- 03
Growth
Target customers (in-store customers, online shoppers) and campaigns with monthly seasonality, so promotions and quiet months shape the plan.
Example: December at 210% of an average month, February at 65%, a spring campaign at £4k.
- 04
Team and premises
Departments for sales floor, operations and management, hires with start dates, plus rent, rates and utilities as planned expenses.
Example: Four seasonal staff from October to December, rent review in April.
- 05
Cash and tax
Cash balance, burn, VAT and corporation tax reserves and a rolling forecast update from your ledger and card provider.
Example: VAT on the Christmas quarter reserved before it is spent.
What to watch
The numbers investors and lenders will ask for
Gross margin by channel
In-store and online carry different costs. Separate streams show which channel earns its keep.
See the definitionSales per square foot or per site
Site-level revenue streams make this a direct output rather than a spreadsheet exercise.
See the definitionStock turn and cash cycle
How long cash sits in inventory. Drives the timing of the seasonal dip.
See the definitionLabour as a share of sales
Rota cost against revenue, month by month, so seasonal staffing is planned rather than reactive.
See the definitionBreak-even sales per month
The takings each site needs to cover rent, staff and stock. A free calculator is available.
Try the free calculatorCash low point
The lowest projected balance and the month it happens, so the overdraft or stock order is arranged early.
Try the free calculatorConnections
Tools that feed the forecast
Connecting is free on every plan and read-only. Paid plans change how often data syncs.
How it works
Set up in an afternoon
- 01
Pick your business type
Onboarding asks what kind of company you run and loads the revenue streams, cost-of-sales drivers and departments that fit it. You rename or delete what does not apply.
- 02
Connect what you already use
Accounting, payments and CRM connections are read-only and free on every plan. Historic figures come in; the forecast starts from real numbers rather than a blank sheet.
- 03
Run the month from one screen
Cash, burn, tax reserves and the rolling forecast update as data syncs. Scenarios, hiring plans and fundraising sit next to the actuals so decisions are made on the same page.
FAQ
Retail questions
Yes. Each site can be its own revenue stream with its own sales, seasonality and staffing, and the totals roll up. Multi-site operators or advisors can also run separate workspaces per company.
Each stream carries a monthly seasonal adjustment, and campaigns can be dated. That gives the forecast the real shape of a retail year instead of a flat average.
Square and Stripe sync as payment providers. Other point-of-sale systems can be reflected through your accounting ledger, which syncs from Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent or Zoho Books.
Yes. Expenses and hires carry dates, and you can compare expected, upside and downside cases to see the cash position under each.
Free before revenue. Once trading, Scale is priced on monthly revenue, starting at £39 or $49 a month for businesses under £10k a month. Connecting integrations is free on every plan.
Keep reading
Other business types
Not on the list? The templates are a starting point. Tell us what you run
See the quiet months before they arrive
Connect your ledger and card provider, load the retail template and plan the season with the cash low point in view.
No credit card. First forecast in about 30 minutes.