Shopify Plus Inventory Management: Best Practices and Tools

Shopify Plus inventory management for enterprise-level brands on Shopify Plus can be the difference between smooth sales and major headaches. In 2025, Shopify powers more than 5.6 million active stores, while Shopify Plus handles thousands of large-scale brands that can process up to 10,000 checkouts every minute during events like Black Friday.

Such activity requires complex inventory systems, rather than just tracking of stocks. Scaling Shopify Plus merchants rely on accurate foresight, real-time alerting, and automatic processes, eliminating the need for guesswork and manual intervention.

This Shopify Plus inventory best practices guide describes the importance of inventory control at Shopify Plus stores and the features, tools, and best practices that ensure the smooth running of operations without interruption.

Why Inventory Management Matters for Shopify Plus Stores

Weak inventory systems can lead to lost sales, frustrated buyers, and wasted capital. Understanding the risks makes it clear why advanced tools are worth the investment.

Business Consequences Of Poor Inventory Control

Overselling creates unhappy customers and extra returns. Holding too much stock locks up money and reduces profit margins. Without proper tracking, even large operations can feel disorganized.

Multi-location Warehousing

Shopify Plus is able to keep track of inventory in various locations such as regional warehouses, retail stores, fulfilment centers, or pop-up stores. You must have software designed to work with a Shopify Plus multi‑warehouse inventory tool so you can maintain the correct stock levels in all locations.

Stock Syncing

You can have sales in numerous locations, such as your site, in stores, or as packaged deals. Real-time syncing tools are also important so that your inventory count is correct by the time a customer checks out.

Purchase Order (PO) Management

Reordering shouldn’t be slow or confusing. When your system can create, monitor, and process POs inside Shopify Plus, you hit reorder points quickly and keep shelves stocked without chasing data.

Key Features You Need in a Shopify Plus Inventory Tool

Enterprise teams rely on inventory software that connects smoothly with Shopify Plus and offers the right functions. Look for these core features:

• Multi-location support: Monitor inventory quantities in warehouses, physical stores and fulfillment centers in real-time.
• Warehouse: Sync with warehouse systems to ensure real-time data consistency across Shopify Plus, your inventory tool and other platforms.
• Computerised low-stock notifications: Receive alerts when the stock goes below a particular amount so that you can reorder before the sales are influenced.
• Forecasting & analytics: Make reordering decisions based on past sales and trends rather than estimates or guesses.
• Purchase order generation: Create POs within the system to cut down on errors and manual work.
• Bulk updates & CSV support: Handle big catalogs and frequent changes without slow, manual updates.

Top Inventory Management Tools for Shopify Plus

Here are five strong inventory management apps for Shopify Plus that meet enterprise performance needs.

1. Stocky (by Shopify)

Stocky is the best Shopify Plus inventory management app that adds forecasting and low-stock alerts directly into Shopify Plus. You can create POs and see stock health without leaving the dashboard.

Key Features:

• Sales trend forecasting
• Low-stock notifications
• PO creation inside Shopify
• Direct Shopify Plus integration

2. Katana

Katana works well for manufacturers and brands that build products in batches. It supports material tracking, variant control, and assembly workflows within Shopify Plus.

Key Features:

• Track batches and raw materials
• Manufacturing management tools
• Real-time Shopify syncing
• Material planning features

3. TradeGecko (QuickBooks Commerce)

TradeGecko is popular with B2B and wholesale brands. It offers order portals, bulk ordering tools, and built-in PO workflows ideal for high-volume Shopify Plus sellers.

Key Features:

• B2B ordering management
• Stock tracking across channels
• Built-in PO features
• Sync with QuickBooks accounting

4. Skubana / Extensiv

Now called Extensiv, this tool combines inventory from all channels, automates reordering, and routes orders efficiently—perfect for brands selling on multiple platforms alongside Shopify Plus.

Key Features:

• Unified inventory across channels
• Forecasting and alert systems
• PO automation
• Intelligent order routing

5. DEAR Inventory

DEAR offers in-depth reporting, automated purchasing, and detailed SKU analysis, making it a strong fit for enterprise operations linked with Shopify Plus.

Key Features:

• Advanced stock and cost reports
• Automated PO workflows
• SKU-level performance data
• Full integration with Shopify Plus and accounting tools

Best Practices for Managing Inventory on Shopify Plus

Software alone won’t fix stock problems; your processes keep everything in line. These practices make inventory control reliable and scalable.

• Set reorder points based on demand patterns: Use past sales data to know exactly when to restock.
• Use ABC inventory classification: Group products into high, medium, and low turnover categories and focus checks where they matter most.
• Perform cycle counts on a monthly basis: These audits, conducted at regular intervals, assist in the early detection of problems.
• Coordinate stock on and off the internet: When operating physical locations or selling wholesale make sure all your sales channels are updated in real time.
• Be compatible with your ERP or warehouse software: The interconnection of systems will minimize errors and keep your back-end smooth-operating.

Shopify Plus Inventory Management – Common Inventory Mistakes to Avoid

Even large operations can hit common problems. Here’s what to watch out for:

• Not forecasting demand: Without demand forecasts, you risk overstocking or running out.
• Not using automation tools: Manual ordering and stock checks waste time and fail at scale.
• Delaying purchase orders: Waiting too long to place orders means missed sales opportunities.
• No stock sync across multiple locations: Un-synced locations can cause inaccurate numbers.
• Inability to provide real-time visibility: Data updates, which are slow, may provide ineffective decisions.

Address these pitfalls effectively with the best Shopify Plus tools to safeguard profits and maintain a smooth process.

How CartCoders Helps Enterprise Brands With Inventory Setup?

Managing inventory for large Shopify Plus stores requires more than one app, it’s about creating a system that stays accurate, fast, and easy to manage. CartCoders works with enterprise brands to design and maintain that system.

Here’s how we help:

• Configure Shopify Plus backend and themes to suit inventory workflows
• Integrate tools like TradeGecko, Katana, and Extensiv seamlessly
• Build custom dashboards for demand forecasting and data insights
• Provide ongoing support, testing, and automation, so systems stay stable

Conclusion

Managing inventory is not a simple process of counting items; it is what drives your profits and customer satisfaction. Shopify Plus is the infrastructure, but your inventory tools and processes will define how well it can work.

Choose a powerful tool such as Stocky, Katana, TradeGecko, Extensiv, or DEAR. Adhere to best practices such as real-time stock updates, forecasting and programmatic use of POs. In scenarios where scaling creates complexity, CartCoders is capable of designing systems that ensure that inventory is precise and trustworthy. CartCoders is a top-of-the-line Shopify Plus development company offering feature-rich Shopify Plus development services to meet your online store development requirements.

If you’re looking for inventory control that supports growth, consider hiring Shopify developers from CartCoders to create stunning stores for your business.