In an image forming system, a server includes (a) a transmitting/receiving unit that receives consumable-goods shortage information and consumable-goods stock information via a network and transmits the consumable-goods stock information and stock retrieval information for retrieving the consumable goods via a network, the consumable-goods shortage information indicating a shortage of consumable goods in an image forming apparatus, the consumable-goods stock information indicating an available stock in an image forming apparatus, and (b) a management control unit that causes the transmitting/receiving unit to transmit the stock retrieval information to the other image forming apparatuses than one of the image forming apparatuses that transmits the consumable-goods shortage information to the server, and causes the transmitting/receiving unit to transmit the consumable-goods stock information obtained from the other image forming apparatuses as a result of retrieving the consumable goods via the network.