How to Manage Stock Levels for Multiple Warehouses With Shopify

Do you need help managing stock levels for multiple warehouses on your Shopify store? Do you find yourself manually adjusting inventory quantities across different locations and wasting hours on this task? Don’t worry, in this article, we will discuss how you can efficiently manage your stock levels for multiple warehouses using Shopify. 

Understanding Multiple Warehouses on Shopify

Before we dive into the details of managing stock levels, let’s first understand how multiple warehouses work on Shopify. A warehouse is a location where you store your products. By default, Shopify allows you to set up one warehouse, but you can add more by using an app or upgrading to the Shopify Plus plan. 

Adding Multiple Warehouses to Shopify

To add multiple warehouses to your Shopify store, you can use an app like Stocky or Multi-location Inventory. These apps allow you to create and manage multiple locations, set up inventory transfers, and track stock levels across different warehouses. If you are using the Shopify Plus plan, you can use the built-in multi-location feature that allows you to add up to 20 locations.

Setting Up Stock Levels for Multiple Warehouses

Once you have added multiple warehouses to your Shopify store, the next step is to set up stock levels. You can do this by adjusting the inventory quantities for each location individually. However, this can be time-consuming and prone to errors, especially if you have a large number of products and warehouses. 

To streamline this process, you can use inventory management apps like TradeGecko or DEAR Inventory. These apps allow you to sync stock levels across multiple locations automatically, set up reorder points, and receive alerts when stock levels are low. 

Fulfilling Orders from Multiple Warehouses

When a customer places an order on your Shopify store, you need to fulfill it from the warehouse that has the product in stock. Shopify automatically selects the location with the highest stock level, but you can also set up custom fulfillment rules based on priority, distance, or other criteria. 

To manage fulfillment from multiple warehouses, you can use an app like ShipBob or ShipStation. These apps integrate with Shopify, allowing you to manage shipping, tracking, and returns across different locations. 

Monitoring Stock Levels and Sales Performance

To find a reliable Shopify development company for your inventory management needs, you should monitor your stock levels and sales performance regularly. Shopify provides built-in reports that show you the sales and inventory data for each location, but you can also use analytics apps like Metorik or Glew to get more insights.

These apps allow you to track metrics like revenue, profit, and inventory turnover by location, product, or category. You can also set up alerts and notifications for specific events, such as low stock levels or high demand. 

Benefits of Having Multiple Warehouses While Using Online Shopify Store

As your business grows, managing your inventory becomes increasingly important. One way to improve your inventory management is by using multiple warehouses. This strategy can help you optimize your shipping and fulfillment processes, reduce shipping times and costs, and avoid stockouts. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of having multiple warehouses while using Shopify, and provide tips for managing your inventory effectively.

1. Faster Shipping Times

By having multiple warehouses, you can store your inventory closer to your customers, reducing shipping times and costs. When an order is placed, you can fulfill it from the warehouse that is closest to the customer, ensuring that they receive their products quickly and efficiently.

2. Reduced Shipping Costs

Shipping costs can be a significant expense for e-commerce businesses. By using multiple warehouses, you can reduce your shipping costs by fulfilling orders from the warehouse that is closest to the customer. This can help you save money and improve your profit margins.

3. Avoid Stockouts

Stockouts can be frustrating for both customers and businesses. By having multiple warehouses, you can ensure that you always have enough inventory on hand to fulfill orders, even if one warehouse runs out of stock. This can help you avoid lost sales and maintain customer satisfaction.

4. Improved Inventory Management

Using multiple warehouses can also help you improve your inventory management. You can track inventory levels by location, set up custom fulfillment rules, and monitor performance metrics to ensure that you always have the right products in stock, in the right quantities.

5. Better Disaster Recovery

In the event of a natural disaster, power outage, or other unexpected event, having multiple warehouses can help you recover more quickly. You can shift your inventory to other warehouses and continue fulfilling orders, minimizing the impact on your business and your customers.

Tips for Managing Your Inventory with Multiple Warehouses

1. Use Inventory Management Apps

Shopify offers a variety of inventory management apps that can help you track inventory levels, set up custom fulfillment rules, and monitor performance metrics. Some recommended inventory management apps for Shopify are TradeGecko, DEAR Inventory, and Stocky.

2. Set Up Custom Fulfillment Rules

By setting up custom fulfillment rules, you can automate the process of selecting which warehouse to fulfill an order from. You can set rules based on factors like shipping time, cost, and inventory levels, ensuring that orders are fulfilled quickly and efficiently.

3. Monitor Performance Metrics

You can use analytics apps like Metorik or Glew to track metrics like revenue, profit, and inventory turnover by location, product, or category. This data can help you identify trends and opportunities for improvement, allowing you to make informed decisions about your inventory management.

4. Work with a Shopify Development Company

If you need help optimizing your inventory management or developing custom fulfillment rules, consider working with a digital marketing agency. They can provide expert advice and guidance, and help you implement the best practices for managing your inventory with multiple warehouses.

Conclusion

Managing stock levels for multiple warehouses on Shopify can be a challenging task, but with the right tools and strategies, you can streamline the process and improve your efficiency. By adding multiple warehouses, using inventory management apps, setting up custom fulfillment rules, and monitoring your performance, you can ensure that your products are always in stock and ready to ship. 

FAQs

1. Should I upgrade to the Shopify Plus plan to add multiple warehouses? 

No, you can use an app like Stocky or Multi-location Inventory to add multiple warehouses to your Shopify store without upgrading to the Shopify Plus plan.

2. How do I set up custom fulfillment rules for multiple warehouses? 

You can use an app like ShipBob or ShipStation to set up custom fulfillment rules based on priority, distance, or other criteria.

3. Can I track sales and inventory data for each location on Shopify? 

Yes, Shopify provides built-in reports that show you the sales and inventory data for each location.