What to Track in Your GTBuy Spreadsheet
The essential data points that separate profitable buyers from guessers. Track these fields and your decisions become data-driven.
The Non-Negotiable Core Fields
Every GTBuy spreadsheet must track nine core fields. Product Name and SKU identify the item. Supplier and Contact Method tell you who to message for reorder. Cost Per Unit and Shipping Per Unit feed into Landed Cost, which is the only cost number that matters for profit math. Target Sell Price and Platform Fee combine into Net Margin, which determines whether you should buy the item at all. Without these nine, you are flying blind.
Most beginners skip Supplier Contact Method and regret it three months later when they need a reorder but cannot remember if they used WhatsApp, WeChat, or email. Add a dedicated Supplier tab with columns for Name, Primary Contact, Response Time, MOQ, and Payment Terms. Link it to your Master tab with a simple VLOOKUP so you never type a supplier name twice.
Advanced Fields for Scale
Once you pass 100 active rows, add these fields to stay organized: Expected Ship Date, Tracking Number, Warehouse Location, Listing Platform, Listing Date, Days to Sell, Return Rate, and Customer Rating. These transform your spreadsheet from a buying tool into a full business dashboard.
Days to Sell is especially powerful. Calculate it as Sold Date minus Listing Date. After fifty sales, sort by this column and you will know which categories move fastest. That insight alone can double your inventory turnover.
What Not to Track
More data is not always better. Avoid tracking fields that are available elsewhere or never influence decisions. Product descriptions longer than ten words clutter your view — keep descriptions in your listing tool, not your buying sheet. Full chat transcripts belong in your messaging app. Social media engagement metrics belong in your marketing dashboard. Your GTBuy spreadsheet should stay lean so it loads fast and updates easily.
A good rule: if you have not used a column to make a buying decision in the last month, hide it. Do not delete — you might need it during tax season — but remove it from your daily view to reduce cognitive load.
| Field | Priority | When to Add | Decision Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landed Cost | Critical | Day 1 | Buy / skip every product |
| Net Margin | Critical | Day 1 | Profitability signal |
| Supplier Contact | High | Week 1 | Reorder speed |
| Expected Ship Date | Medium | Month 2 | Cash flow planning |
| Days to Sell | Medium | Month 3 | Inventory velocity |
| Return Rate | Low | Month 6 | Supplier quality score |
Quick Tips
- Start with nine core fields. Add one advanced field per month as your volume grows.
- Use the same units everywhere. Mixing USD and CNY in the same column destroys margin accuracy.
- Archive sold items monthly rather than deleting them. Historical data improves future forecasting.
Browse curated collections and fill your GTBuy spreadsheet with profitable products.
Frequently Asked Questions
For daily use, cap at 15 visible columns. Additional data can live in hidden tabs or archive sheets. If you need to scroll horizontally, your sheet is too wide.
Related Guides
Continue building your GTBuy spreadsheet knowledge with these hand-picked guides.
Best GTBuy Spreadsheet for Beginners
How to Use GTBuy Spreadsheet Step-by-Step
Free GTBuy Spreadsheet Templates
Back to the GTBuy Spreadsheet ultimate guide or return to the homepage.