Free Retail Store Opening and Closing Checklist for Word: Task Checkboxes, Till Count with Formulas, Cash Over/Short and Shift Handoff Notes

What's inside

The document has 3 pages. Each part below is a heading in the file, so you can jump to it from the Navigation Pane (View > Navigation Pane).

Part	What it covers	What you write
Shift block	Which store, which day, who is in charge	Store, date, managers, day type, weather
1. Opening	What must happen before the doors open	Eight tasks with checkboxes and times
2. Till count	Whether the cash is right	Counts by denomination, formula amounts and totals, float, expected cash, over/short
3. Closing	What must happen before you leave	Seven tasks, deposit bag and amount
4. Handoff	What the next manager needs to know	Sales vs. goal, cash issues, maintenance, customers, next shift; signatures

Before you start

List your store’s real opening and closing tasks, in the order they are done, and replace the sample rows.
Know your till float and your over/short tolerance before you set the rule in the callout.
Decide whether the sheet is printed daily or filled in on a tablet, and where signed sheets are kept.

Step-by-step guide

Fill in the shift block
Type the store and managers, and pick the date, day type and weather.
Tick tasks as you go
Click each checkbox when the task is done and type the time. Leave a box empty if a task was skipped, and say why in the handoff notes.
Count the till
Type the count for each denomination over the sample numbers, then the starting float and the cash sales from the register report (numbers only).
Recalculate
Select the till table and press F9. Amounts, the total, cash to deposit and over/short update.
Record the deposit
Type the bag number and amount, and who counted it.
Hand off and sign
Fill in the five handoff notes for the next manager, then both managers sign.

Field and control map

Every content control and field in the document, in the order they appear. Gray-boxed fields in Word are the content controls.

Name	Type	Where	Value in the sample
Store header	Text	Header	Maple & Pine Home · Store 112
Store	Text	Body	Maple & Pine Home, Store 112
Shift date	Date picker	Body	November 7, 2026
Opening manager	Text	Body	Tasha Reid
Closing manager	Text	Body	Luis Moreno
Day type	Dropdown	Body	Weekend (Weekday / Weekend / Holiday / Inventory day / Event day)
Weather	Dropdown	Body	Clear (Clear / Rain / Snow or ice / Extreme heat)
Open alarm	Checkbox	Body	checked
Open walk	Checkbox	Body	checked
Open safe	Checkbox	Body	checked
Open till	Checkbox	Body	checked
Open systems	Checkbox	Body	checked
Open floor	Checkbox	Body	checked
Open huddle	Checkbox	Body	unchecked
Open doors	Checkbox	Body	checked
Close doors	Checkbox	Body	checked
Close tills	Checkbox	Body	checked
Close deposit	Checkbox	Body	checked
Close fitting	Checkbox	Body	checked
Close power	Checkbox	Body	checked
Close back door	Checkbox	Body	checked
Close alarm	Checkbox	Body	checked
Bag number	Text	Body	A-448210
Deposit amount	Text	Body	1,023.00
Counted by	Text	Body	Luis Moreno, Dana Cho
Sales vs goal	Text	Body	$8,912 vs. $8,500 goal (105%)
Cash issues	Text	Body	Register 1 short $3.40; recounted, no error found.
Maintenance	Text	Body	Left entrance door closer is slow; ticket #5521 opened.
Customer issues	Text	Body	Customer holding order #7781 picks up Sunday before noon.
Next manager	Text	Body	Truck arrives 7:00 AM Monday; two people needed to unload.
Sig open	Text	Body	Tasha Reid
Signed date	Date picker	Body	2 fields: Click or tap to enter a date.
Sig close	Text	Body	Luis Moreno
`{ PAGE }`	Field	Footer	1
`{ NUMPAGES }`	Field	Footer	3
`{ =B2*C2 \# "#,##0.00" } …`	Field	Body	13 table formulas: 300.00, 300.00, 440.00, 150.00 …
`{ SEQ Table \* ARABIC }`	Field	Body	1

Every field, control and style, explained

The code in each card is read straight from the .docx file (the XML Word stores, or the field code you see with Alt+F9), so it is exactly what the template contains.

Numbered headingsHeading 1 and Heading 2 styles

<w:lvl w:ilvl="0">
  <w:start w:val="1"/>
  <w:numFmt w:val="decimal"/>
  <w:pStyle w:val="Heading1"/>
  <w:lvlText w:val="%1."/>
  <w:lvlJc w:val="left"/>
  <w:pPr>
    <w:ind w:left="440" w:hanging="440"/>
  </w:pPr>
</w:lvl>
<w:lvl w:ilvl="1">
  <w:start w:val="1"/>
  <w:numFmt w:val="decimal"/>
  <w:pStyle w:val="Heading2"/>
  <w:lvlText w:val="%1.%2"/>
  <w:lvlJc w:val="left"/>
  <w:pPr>
    <w:ind w:left="660" w:hanging="660"/>
  </w:pPr>
</w:lvl>

The section numbers (1., 2., 6.1 …) are not typed. A multilevel list is linked to the Heading 1 and Heading 2 styles, so any paragraph you set to Heading 1 gets the next number and the table of contents picks it up.

Piece by piece

<w:pStyle w:val="Heading1"/>: Links list level 1 to the Heading 1 style (level 2 to Heading 2).
<w:lvlText w:val="%1."/>: Level 1 shows its counter and a period: 1., 2., 3.
<w:lvlText w:val="%1.%2"/>: Level 2 shows the parent number, a period and its own counter: 6.1, 6.2.
<w:ind w:left="440" w:hanging="440"/>: Hanging indent so wrapped heading text lines up after the number.

In the sample: 1. Opening, 2. Register till count, 3. Closing … (5 headings)

How it is used: To add a section, type the heading, then pick Heading 1 (Ctrl+Alt+1) or Heading 2 (Ctrl+Alt+2) on the Home tab. Numbers after it update by themselves.

How to change it: Home > Multilevel List > Define New Multilevel List to change the format (for example "Section 1"). Keep "Link level to style" set to Heading 1 and Heading 2.

Learn this: How to Plan and Structure Long Documents in Word: Outline View and Multilevel Numbering →

Page X of YFooter

Page { PAGE } of { NUMPAGES }

The footer counts pages with two fields: PAGE is the current page and NUMPAGES is the total. Both recalculate when the document is printed, saved as PDF or scrolled in Print Layout.

Piece by piece

PAGE: The number of the page the field sits on.
NUMPAGES: The total number of pages in the document.

In the sample: Page 1 of 3 on the first page

How it is used: Nothing to do: add or delete pages and the numbers follow.

How to change it: Double-click the footer to edit the text around the fields. Insert > Page Number > Format Page Numbers sets the starting number.

Learn this: How to Set Up Pages in Word: Margins, Breaks, Headers, Footers, and Page Numbers →

Numbered table captionsCaptions above tables

{ SEQ Table \* ARABIC }

Each table caption uses a SEQ field that counts tables in order. Insert a new captioned table in the middle and every later caption renumbers.

Piece by piece

SEQ Table: A counter named "Table". Every SEQ Table field adds 1.
\* ARABIC: Show the counter as 1, 2, 3.

In the sample: 1 caption(s): Table 1

How it is used: Captions are what a "see Table 2" cross-reference points to (References > Cross-reference).

How to change it: References > Insert Caption adds a new one. If numbers look stale, press Ctrl+A then F9 to update all fields.

Learn this: How to Add a Table of Contents, Captions, and Cross-References in Word →

Table formulasCalculated table cells

{ =B2*C2 \# "#,##0.00" }
{ =B3*C3 \# "#,##0.00" }
{ =B4*C4 \# "#,##0.00" }
{ =B5*C5 \# "#,##0.00" }
{ =D12-D13 \# "#,##0.00" }
{ =D15-D14 \# "+#,##0.00;-#,##0.00" }

Some cells are Word formula fields, not typed numbers. Word tables address cells like a spreadsheet: columns A, B, C from the left and rows 1, 2, 3 from the top. A field such as { =B2*C2 } multiplies two cells, and { =SUM(ABOVE) } adds every number above it in the column.

Piece by piece

=B2*C2: Multiply the cells in column B and column C of row 2.
=SUM(ABOVE): Add the numbers above, up to the first empty or text cell.
\# "#,##0.00": Number format: thousands separator and two decimals.

In the sample: 13 formula fields. Last result: -3.40

How it is used: Type the new counts, then select the whole table and press F9 to recalculate. Word does not recalculate table formulas on its own the way Excel does. To refresh them on every print, turn on File > Options > Display > Update fields before printing.

How to change it: Right-click a result > Edit Field > Formula to change the formula or number format. Press Alt+F9 to show every field code at once.

Learn this: How to Use Mail Merge and Fields for Letters, Labels, and Certificates in Word →

Fill-in fields (plain text content controls)Gray-boxed fields

<w:sdtPr>
  <w:alias w:val="Store"/>
  <w:tag w:val="store"/>
  <w:text/>
</w:sdtPr>

Names, numbers and other details people change every time are plain text content controls. Click one and type: the text replaces the sample, keeps the formatting, and the field still shows its name when selected.

Piece by piece

<w:alias w:val="…"/>: The title shown on the control’s tab when you click it.
<w:tag w:val="…"/>: A machine-readable name, useful for mail merge or code.
<w:text/>: Plain text: one line, one format, so pasted text cannot break the layout.
<w:showingPlcHdr/>: Present when the field shows gray placeholder text instead of a value.

In the sample: Store = Maple & Pine Home, Store 112

How it is used: 14 in this template: Store header, Store, Opening manager, Closing manager, Bag number, Deposit amount, Counted by, Sales vs goal, Cash issues, Maintenance, Customer issues, Next manager, Sig open, Sig close. Use Developer > Design Mode to see every control at once, or the Selection Pane to jump between them.

How to change it: Developer > Properties changes the title, tag and placeholder. To show the Developer tab: File > Options > Customize Ribbon > Developer.

Learn this: How to Create Fillable Forms with Content Controls in Word →

Date pickersDate fields

<w:sdtPr>
  <w:alias w:val="Shift date"/>
  <w:tag w:val="shift_date"/>
  <w:date w:fullDate="2026-11-07T00:00:00Z">
    <w:dateFormat w:val="MMMM d, yyyy"/>
    <w:lid w:val="en-US"/>
    <w:storeMappedDataAs w:val="dateTime"/>
    <w:calendar w:val="gregorian"/>
  </w:date>
</w:sdtPr>

Dates are date picker content controls: click the arrow to pick from a calendar, or type a date in any format and Word shows it as "November 2, 2026".

Piece by piece

w:fullDate: The stored date, independent of how it is shown.
<w:dateFormat w:val="MMMM d, yyyy"/>: Display format: full month name, day, four-digit year.
<w:lid w:val="en-US"/>: Language used for month names.
<w:storeMappedDataAs w:val="dateTime"/>: Stores a real date value if the control is mapped to data.

In the sample: Shift date = November 7, 2026

How it is used: 3 in this template: Shift date, Signed date. Pick the date from the calendar so every date in the document has the same format.

How to change it: Developer > Properties > Display the date like this, for example d MMMM yyyy or yyyy-MM-dd.

Learn this: How to Create Fillable Forms with Content Controls in Word →

Dropdown listsStatus and choice fields

<w:sdtPr>
  <w:alias w:val="Day type"/>
  <w:tag w:val="day_type"/>
  <w:dropDownList>
    <w:listItem w:displayText="Weekday" w:value="Weekday"/>
    <w:listItem w:displayText="Weekend" w:value="Weekend"/>
    <w:listItem w:displayText="Holiday" w:value="Holiday"/>
    <w:listItem w:displayText="Inventory day" w:value="Inventory day"/>
    <w:listItem w:displayText="Event day" w:value="Event day"/>
  </w:dropDownList>
</w:sdtPr>

Fields with a fixed set of answers are dropdown list content controls, so everyone uses the same words (useful when you search or count documents later).

Piece by piece

<w:dropDownList>: A list the reader must pick from (no free typing).
<w:listItem w:displayText="…" w:value="…"/>: One choice: the text shown and the value stored.

In the sample: Day type = Weekend (Weekday / Weekend / Holiday / Inventory day / Event day)

How it is used: 2 in this template: Day type, Weather. Click the field and choose from the list.

How to change it: Developer > Properties > Add, Modify or Remove choices. Use a Combo Box instead if people need to type their own answer.

Learn this: How to Create Fillable Forms with Content Controls in Word →

CheckboxesChecklists

<w:sdtPr>
  <w:alias w:val="Open alarm"/>
  <w:tag w:val="open_alarm"/>
  <w14:checkbox>
    <w14:checked w14:val="1"/>
    <w14:checkedState w14:val="2612" w14:font="MS Gothic"/>
    <w14:uncheckedState w14:val="2610" w14:font="MS Gothic"/>
  </w14:checkbox>
</w:sdtPr>

Checklist boxes are checkbox content controls: click to tick or untick. They print as ☒ and ☐.

Piece by piece

<w14:checked w14:val="…"/>: 1 when ticked, 0 when not.
<w14:checkedState w14:val="2612"/>: Symbol for ticked: U+2612 ☒.
<w14:uncheckedState w14:val="2610"/>: Symbol for unticked: U+2610 ☐.

In the sample: 14 of 15 ticked in the sample

How it is used: 15 in this template: Open alarm, Open walk, Open safe, Open till, Open systems, Open floor, Open huddle, Open doors, Close doors, Close tills, Close deposit, Close fitting, Close power, Close back door, Close alarm. Click the box. Checkboxes need Word 2010 or later; very old versions show a static symbol.

How to change it: Developer > Properties > Checked symbol > Change, for example to ✓ (Wingdings 2).

Learn this: How to Create Fillable Forms with Content Controls in Word →

Callout styleNotes, tips and warnings

<w:style w:type="paragraph" w:styleId="Callout">
  <w:name w:val="Callout"/>
  <w:basedOn w:val="Normal"/>
  <w:pPr>
    <w:pBdr>
      <w:left w:val="single" w:color="F2A93B" w:sz="24" w:space="8"/>
    </w:pBdr>
    <w:shd w:fill="EEF2F8" w:color="auto" w:val="clear"/>
    <w:spacing w:after="160" w:before="120"/>
    <w:ind w:left="180" w:right="180"/>
  </w:pPr>
  <w:rPr>
    <w:sz w:val="21"/>
  </w:rPr>
</w:style>

Notes and warnings use a paragraph style named Callout: tinted background, amber bar on the left, indented on both sides. Because it is a style, every callout matches and you can restyle them all at once.

Piece by piece

<w:shd w:fill="EEF2F8"/>: Light blue-gray background.
<w:left w:val="single" w:sz="24" w:color="F2A93B"/>: Amber bar, 3 pt wide, on the left edge.
<w:ind w:left="180" w:right="180"/>: Indented 1/8 inch on each side.

In the sample: Used for the notes, tips and warnings in the body.

How it is used: Put the cursor in a paragraph and pick Callout in the Styles gallery.

How to change it: Right-click Callout in the Styles gallery > Modify > Format > Border or Shading. All callouts change together.

Learn this: How to Use Styles and the Navigation Pane in Word →

Repeating table headersEvery table with a dark header row

<w:trPr>
  <w:cantSplit/>
  <w:tblHeader/>
</w:trPr>

Header rows are marked to repeat at the top of each page when a table breaks, and rows are set not to split across pages, so a long table stays readable when printed.

Piece by piece

<w:tblHeader/>: Repeat this row at the top of each page.
<w:cantSplit/>: Keep each row on one page.

In the sample: 3 of 7 tables repeat their header row

How it is used: Add rows with Tab in the last cell; the header keeps repeating.

How to change it: Click in the header row > Table Layout > Repeat Header Rows. Short tables are also set to keep with the next paragraph so they do not split.

Learn this: How to Build and Format Tables That Read Well in Word →

Guidance notesGray italic notes

<w:style w:type="paragraph" w:styleId="Guidance">
  <w:name w:val="Guidance"/>
  <w:basedOn w:val="Normal"/>
  <w:pPr>
    <w:spacing w:after="100"/>
  </w:pPr>
  <w:rPr>
    <w:i/>
    <w:iCs/>
    <w:color w:val="6B7280"/>
    <w:sz w:val="19"/>
  </w:rPr>
</w:style>

Instructions for whoever fills in the template use a Guidance style (gray italics). Delete them before you send the document; with a style, Find and Replace can remove them all at once.

Piece by piece

<w:i/>: Italic.
<w:color w:val="6B7280"/>: Gray text.

In the sample: One note under the title block.

How it is used: Home > Replace > More > Format > Style > Guidance finds every note.

How to change it: Right-click Guidance in the Styles gallery > Modify.

Learn this: How to Use Styles and the Navigation Pane in Word →

Tips and limits

Count tills in the office with the door closed, and with two people for the safe.
Word formulas only recalculate when you press F9 (or print with “Update fields before printing” turned on).
Type plain numbers in the count and input cells: a $ sign or a word in a cell makes the formula skip it.
Investigate any over or short beyond your tolerance before the deposit bag is sealed.
Keep the signed sheet with the deposit slip; it is your record if the bank count differs.

Retail Store Opening and Closing Manager Checklist for Word

What you can do with it

What's inside

Before you start

Step-by-step guide

Fill in the shift block

Tick tasks as you go

Count the till

Recalculate

Record the deposit

Hand off and sign

Field and control map

Every field, control and style, explained

Tips and limits

Learn the skills behind this template