Store closing checklist
A store closing checklist covers five blocks in order: customers and doors, registers and cash, the sales floor, stock and back room, and the building, with the closer initialing each line. Copy the table below, change the times to your closing hour, and post it by the office door.
The checklist
Times assume a 9:00 pm close. Shift them to your hours.
| Time | Task | Who | Initials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block 1: customers and doors | |||
| 8:45 | Announce closing in 15 minutes | Closer | |
| 9:00 | Lock the entrance, flip the sign, walk the floor and fitting rooms for remaining customers | Closer | |
| 9:00 | Check restrooms and back exits are empty and locked | Second closer | |
| Block 2: registers and cash | |||
| 9:05 | End sales on every register; sign cashiers out | Closer | |
| 9:05 | Take drawers to the office; count each one blind and sign the count slip | Closer | |
| 9:20 | Run end-of-day report; settle the card batch | Manager on duty | |
| 9:25 | Compute over/short per drawer; recount any variance above the written threshold | Manager on duty | |
| 9:30 | Pull floats, recount, put floats in the safe | Two people | |
| 9:35 | Prepare deposit, record bag number on the reconciliation sheet, put the bag in the safe | Two people | |
| 9:35 | Leave register drawers open and empty | Closer | |
| Block 3: sales floor | |||
| 9:40 | Return go-backs and fitting-room items to shelves | Floor staff | |
| 9:40 | Face shelves, fill gaps from back stock on top sellers | Floor staff | |
| 9:45 | Clean counters, empty trash, sweep or vacuum | Floor staff | |
| Block 4: stock and back room | |||
| 9:50 | Count the items on tonight's stock count list; write counts on the sheet | Closer | |
| 9:50 | Log deliveries received today and put received stock away or label it | Floor staff | |
| 9:55 | Write the handover note for the opener: cash issues, stock outs, repairs, who called out | Closer | |
| Block 5: building | |||
| 10:00 | Turn off displays, music, sales-floor lights; leave night lights on | Closer | |
| 10:00 | Check back door, windows, safe locked | Second closer | |
| 10:05 | Staff clock out; set the alarm; leave together | Both closers | |
Cash block in detail
- Count each drawer before looking at the report, then compare. The full counting steps are in how to count a cash drawer; the comparison method is in blind cash count.
- Expected cash = float + cash sales − paid-outs. Over/short = counted − expected. Example: a $150.00 float, $441.20 in cash sales and $588.40 counted gives 588.40 − 591.20 = $2.80 short.
- Pull the float in the same breakdown every night. Rolled coin is counted by roll: 40 quarters, 50 dimes, 40 nickels or 50 pennies per roll (US Mint glossary).
- Deposit = counted cash − float. Fill in the end-of-day reconciliation sheet before the bag is sealed.
- Staple the count slips and reconciliation sheet to the register tape. The IRS lists cash register tapes and deposit information among the documents that support gross receipts, and says to keep records for 3 years in the basic case and employment tax records at least 4 years.
Two people at close
The checklist marks three lines for two people: floats, deposit and leaving. If your schedule only has one closer, move the deposit count to the next morning with the opener and keep the sealed bag in the safe overnight. Schedule the second closer at the busiest locations first; more on staffing several stores is on the multiple locations page.
Handover note template
| Item | Note |
|---|---|
| Drawer variances over threshold | Register, amount, recount result |
| Deposit bag number | |
| Items out of stock or low | |
| Repairs or safety issues | |
| Staff issues (late, call-outs, early leave) | |
| Tomorrow: deliveries, events, schedule changes |
More detail on what goes in the note is in shift handover notes. The opener's side is the store opening checklist.
Assistlify records cash-drawer counts and stock counts per location, and staff clock in and out with breaks recorded.
Questions
What should be on a store closing checklist?
Locking doors and clearing customers, counting registers and preparing the deposit, recovering the sales floor, stock counts and handover notes, then lights, locks and alarm.
Should two people close a store?
The checklist assigns two people to three lines: floats, deposit and leaving; with one closer, move the deposit count to the opener the next morning.
When should the cash be counted at closing?
After sales end on every register and before the end-of-day report is read, so the count is blind; then compare with float plus cash sales minus paid-outs.
How long should I keep closing cash records?
The IRS says keep records 3 years in the basic case and employment tax records at least 4 years; register tapes and deposit records support gross receipts.
Sources
- IRS: What kind of records should I keep (checked 2026-11-12)
- IRS: How long should I keep records? (checked 2026-11-12)
- US Mint Kids: Coin Glossary (entry: roll) (checked 2026-11-12)