Inventory Management Insights
Practical guides for Shopify merchants who want to stop guessing and start managing stock with clarity. Written by a founder, not a content team.
Why Spreadsheets Fail for Inventory Management (And What to Use Instead)
Spreadsheets work until they don't. Here are the 5 specific ways Excel and Google Sheets fail growing Shopify brands — and the tipping point where you need a real system.
How to Know When to Reorder Stock (Without Guessing)
Stop ordering on gut feel. Here is the exact formula to calculate when to reorder every SKU, factoring in lead time, sales velocity, and safety stock.
What Happens to Your Stocky Data After It Shuts Down?
Shopify is removing Stocky on 31 August 2026. Here is exactly what happens to your purchase orders, supplier records, and forecasting data — and what you need to export before the deadline.
Why Shopify Brands Run Out of Stock (And How to Fix It)
The 7 most common reasons Shopify brands experience stockouts on their best sellers — and practical fixes for each one. No generic advice, just actionable steps.
How to Stop Overselling on Shopify: 7 Causes and How to Fix Each One
Overselling on Shopify damages customer trust and costs you money. Here are the 7 most common causes and practical fixes for each one — from sync delays to bundle stock errors.
Landed Cost Calculator for UK Importers: The Complete Formula with Real Examples
Most UK importers underestimate their true landed cost by 15-25%. Learn the full landed cost formula, see a worked example with real China import numbers, and avoid the HMRC mistakes that trigger underpayment penalties.
Warehouse Management for Small Business UK: The 5-Location System That Actually Works
Most small UK ecommerce businesses outgrow their garage but can't justify a proper warehouse. Here's the practical 5-location system Bailey & Coco uses to manage 2,845 SKUs across a garage and 4 shipping containers.
Importing from China: The Stock Management Guide for UK Ecommerce Brands
The 190-day lead time problem is real. Learn how to manage stock when you source from China — ordering calendars, MOQ strategy, Chinese New Year planning, and packing list verification with real examples from a brand managing 152 patterns.
Safety Stock Formula for Ecommerce: The Calculation That Prevents Stockouts
The safety stock formula is Z x σd x √LT — but what does that actually mean? A plain-English breakdown with worked examples for ecommerce brands, including how to calculate safety stock when your lead time is 190 days.
Shopify Inventory Tracking Multi-Location: The Complete Setup and Management Guide
Shopify supports multi-location inventory tracking natively — but the default setup has critical limitations. Learn how to configure locations, manage transfers, set allocation rules, and handle the gaps with real examples from a 5-location Shopify store.
Best Stocky Alternatives for Shopify in 2026: 5 Apps Compared Honestly
Stocky is shutting down in August 2026. We compare the 5 best Shopify inventory management alternatives — Canopy, Prediko, Fabrikator, Cin7, and Linnworks — on features, pricing, and who each one is actually for.
Phone Barcode Scanning vs Dedicated Scanner: Which Is Better for Shopify Inventory?
Should you use your phone camera or buy a dedicated barcode scanner for Shopify inventory management? We compare cost, accuracy, speed, and setup — with real results from a 2,845 SKU warehouse.
How to Calculate Weeks Cover for Shopify: Formula, Examples & Free Calculator
Learn how to calculate weeks cover for your Shopify store with the exact formula, worked examples using real data from a 2,845 SKU brand, and a free inventory calculator tool.
Dead Stock Clearance: 8 Strategies to Recover Cash from Unsold Shopify Inventory
Sitting on dead stock that won't sell? These 8 clearance strategies — from flash sales to B2B liquidation — help Shopify brands recover cash and free up warehouse space.
Canopy vs Linnworks: Which Is Better for Shopify Inventory Management in 2026?
A fair, detailed comparison of Canopy and Linnworks for Shopify merchants. Features, pricing, ease of use, and who each tool is actually designed for.
Purchase Order Management for Shopify: The Complete Guide for Growing Brands
Learn how to create, track, and manage purchase orders for your Shopify store. Includes real PO workflows from a brand managing 2,845 SKUs with China suppliers and 190-day lead times.
Shopify Bundle Inventory Management: How to Track Component Stock Without Losing Your Mind
Managing bundle inventory on Shopify is complex — component tracking, MIN calculation, overselling prevention. Learn how brands with 151+ bundles handle it without spreadsheet chaos.
The True Cost of Stockouts: How to Calculate Lost Revenue for Your Shopify Store
Stockouts cost more than lost sales. Learn how to calculate the full cost — including lost customers, SEO impact, and marketplace ranking — with real examples from a Shopify brand.
Inventory Management for Pet Products Ecommerce: The Complete Guide
Pet product ecommerce has unique inventory challenges — seasonal patterns, size variants, matching sets, perishables. Learn how successful pet brands manage stock with real examples.
Why We Built Canopy: The £80M Ecommerce Lesson That Changed Everything
Andrew Simpson spent £200K on enterprise inventory software he never learned to use while running an £80M ecommerce operation. Here's why he built something simpler — and why it matters for every growing Shopify brand.
How to Migrate from Stocky Before August 2026: Step-by-Step Guide
A complete step-by-step guide to migrating from Shopify's Stocky app before the August 2026 shutdown. Export data, evaluate alternatives, set up your new system, test, and go live — with a realistic timeline.
Best Barcode Scanners for Shopify Inventory in 2026: Hardware Comparison Guide
Compare the best barcode scanners for Shopify inventory management. Covers Zebra, Socket Mobile, Tera, phone scanning, Bluetooth vs USB, and price comparison for ecommerce warehouses.
Seasonal Weeks Cover Adjustments: How to Plan Inventory for Black Friday, Christmas & Summer
Learn how to adjust your weeks cover targets for seasonal peaks in ecommerce. Covers Black Friday, Christmas, summer lulls, and how to use Bailey & Coco's seasonal patterns to plan smarter.
Overstock Management for Ecommerce Brands: Prevention, Identification & Liquidation
How overstock happens in ecommerce, the cash flow trap it creates, and practical strategies for prevention and liquidation. Real examples from a 2,845-SKU Shopify brand.
Canopy vs Brightpearl: Which Inventory System Is Right for Your Shopify Brand?
A full comparison of Canopy and Brightpearl for Shopify merchants. Brightpearl is enterprise retail, Canopy is built for Shopify SMBs. Pricing, features, and who each system is designed for.
Why Supplier Portals Eliminate Errors in China Sourcing for Ecommerce Brands
How supplier portals transform China sourcing for ecommerce brands. Eliminate packing errors, streamline communication, and give your supplier direct access to purchase order data.
Shopify Inventory Forecasting: A Beginner's Guide to Predicting Demand
Getting started with demand forecasting for Shopify inventory. Covers historical data analysis, trend identification, lead time factoring, and AI-powered suggestions for smarter reordering.
Multi-Location Inventory for Shopify: Complete Setup Guide for 2026
How to set up multi-location inventory management in Shopify. Covers location types, transfer management, allocation rules, and Bailey & Coco's 5-location system for a 2,845-SKU operation.
Scaling Ecommerce Operations from £100K to £1M: When to Hire, When to Automate
The operational challenges of growing an ecommerce brand 10x. When to hire, when to automate, and why inventory management becomes the bottleneck that determines whether you scale or stall.
Inventory Management for Fashion Ecommerce: Size Curves, Variants & Seasonal Collections
Fashion-specific inventory management for ecommerce brands. Covers size curve forecasting, colour variant planning, seasonal collection timing, returns rates, and markdown strategies.
Stocky App Shutting Down: What Shopify Merchants Need to Do Before August 2026
Shopify's Stocky app is shutting down on 31 August 2026. Here's what happens to your purchase orders, demand forecasting, and stock reports — and the best Stocky replacements to migrate to.
Barcode Scanning for Shopify: The Complete Setup Guide for 2026
Learn how to set up barcode scanning for your Shopify store. Covers phone-based scanning, hardware scanners, receiving stock, and picking orders — with real ROI calculations.
Weeks Cover in Stock Management: Formula, Examples & How to Use It
Weeks cover tells you how many weeks your current stock will last at the current sales rate. Learn the formula, what good weeks cover looks like, and how to calculate it for thousands of SKUs.
Dead Stock in Ecommerce: How to Identify, Calculate Cost & Eliminate It
Dead stock costs the average Shopify merchant 20-30% of their inventory value. Learn how to identify dead stock, calculate the true carrying cost, and build clearance strategies that recover cash.
Shopify Inventory Management in 2026: What's Built In, What's Missing & What You Actually Need
Shopify's native inventory features have improved, but critical gaps remain. This guide covers what Shopify can and can't do for inventory management, the best apps to fill the gaps, and how to build a system that scales.
Stay ahead of inventory problems
Join the Canopy waitlist — built for Shopify brands that want clarity on stock.