One system for titles, editions, publisher terms, special orders, returns and school supply.
Run a bookshop from one system. Each title is held by ISBN with its edition, publisher and shelf section. Purchasing follows each publisher’s discount and return terms, and the counter bills from the same catalogue. Special orders, school lists and returns to publishers are tracked from the first request to the credit note, so staff can answer a customer without leaving the till. Nothing is rekeyed.
- Publisher discounts, return windows and shelf sections entered as your shop works
- Title list and open special orders migrated from your current files
- Catalogue and terms edits handled by GullySystem staff when asked
Single bookshops and small chains share one title database, which GullySystem configures. One title catalogue serves the buyer at the desk, the staff at the till and the owner reading reports. Each ISBN carries its edition, publisher terms and stock, and the shop sees which copies can still be returned before billing or reordering.
What goes wrong before the software.
How the work flows through it, step by step.
- 1
Ordering
The buyer picks titles from the catalogue, raises an order against the publisher’s terms and marks what is for a customer.
- 2
Receiving
Each carton is opened and counted against the delivery note, line by ISBN. Short, damaged or wrong editions are noted before shelving.
- 3
Shelving and display
Each title goes to a section. Front-table and window picks are recorded.
- 4
Selling
The counter scans the ISBN, bills the sale in cash, card or gift card, and applies any member or school price.
- 5
Special orders
Each request is entered with its deposit, linked to the incoming carton, and the customer gets a message or call when the copy lands.
- 6
Returns to publishers
Slow sellers come off the returnable list. They are packed and matched to the credit note.
What is inside.
Every module can be switched on, left out or changed to match how your team already works.
The business modules it is built from.
Each one is also available on its own, or inside a system built for you.
- Product Management
Every ISBN is held as its own item with edition, format, publisher and shelf section, so a hardback never shares stock with its paperback.
- Vendor Management
Each publisher keeps its discount bands, payment days and return window on one record that the buyer reads before ordering.
- Purchase Order Management
Orders for new releases and backlist titles are raised from low-stock lists with the publisher’s discount already applied to each line.
- Goods Receipt (GRN)
A carton is checked against the delivery note by scanning each ISBN, with short, damaged or wrong-edition copies recorded before shelving.
- Point of Sale Billing
The counter scans an ISBN, bills the sale in the customer’s chosen payment, and redeems or sells gift cards in the same screen.
- Purchase Returns and Debit Notes
Copies past their selling life are packed against the publisher, listed by ISBN, and matched to the credit note when it arrives.
- Order Management
A customer’s request is held with a deposit, matched to the copy on arrival, and closed when the book is collected.
- Quote & Proposal Management
A school’s reading list becomes a priced quote with quantities and substitutes, and later revisions stay on file with the supply.
How we would put it in.
Setup, data migration, integrations and anything built on top.
One system, each person sees their part.
Owner view
See sales by subject and publisher, returnable stock and its value, and open school quotes.
Book buyer
Work from reorder lists, publisher terms, new-release orders and the returns due this fortnight.
At the counter
Scan titles, check editions, take special orders and see what is reserved for whom.
Events coordinator
Plan author events, record loan stock received, and settle sold copies afterwards.
Accounts clerk
Match publisher invoices to receipts, credit notes to returns, and gift card balances to sales.
The numbers the owner asks for.
- Sales by subject and publisher
- Titles with one copy left
- Returnable stock by closing date
- Special orders open and received
- School and library quotes outstanding
- Gift card liability
- Loan stock settled by event
Who this is built for.
- Independent bookshops with a single counter
- Shops with a second-hand or antiquarian shelf
- Children’s and educational bookshops that supply schools
- Bookshop chains with a few branches
- Campus and college bookstores
- Comic and graphic novel specialists
When it is not the right choice.
- A stall selling a few hundred titles at a market can use a notebook and a card reader.
- A shop that sells books only online with a distributor shipping them will want an online store product more than this one.
Adapted to your business before it goes live.
You are not handed a login and left to it. The product is set up around your records, your people and the tools you already use.
Works alongside
- Barcode scanner
- Receipt printer
- Card payments
- SMS or WhatsApp
- Accounting export
Questions owners ask before a demo.
Does it handle ISBNs and editions?
Yes. Each ISBN is its own line with edition, format and publisher, so the hardback and the paperback of one title never share stock.
Can it tell which copies we can still send back?
Yes. Returnable copies are listed with the date each window closes, and the shop can build a return pack from that list.
How are special orders followed?
A request is logged with the customer, deposit and title. When the copy is received it is held and the customer is messaged.
Can we quote a school from a reading list?
Yes. The list becomes a quote with quantities, substitutes and availability, and deliveries are invoiced as titles come in.
Do second-hand books fit in the same system?
Yes. Used copies carry a condition grade, a source and their own price, and stay separate from new stock in every list.
Can we sell gift cards?
Yes. Cards are sold and redeemed at the till, and the outstanding balance is listed for the accounts clerk.
How do we get our catalogue in?
Existing titles come from a spreadsheet or a till export. The buyer reviews the imported list section by section before trading starts.
Who owns the sales and stock records?
The shop does. The export format for titles, stock and customer orders is agreed in the written proposal before anything is built.
What does it cost?
Tills, branches and publisher feeds are counted first, and the quotation is priced from them. Before any quote, you see the system working with a sample of your own titles, and a formal offer comes after it.
Is it useful for a small shop with a single till?
Not always. A shop with few returnable titles and few special orders may manage with a simple till. Once publisher terms, school lists and reservations start to multiply, a shared catalogue saves the counter many phone calls and paper slips.
Wondering what it would cost? Share your requirements and an engineer will come back with a scope.
Businesses that use this.
Related products.
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