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Sync Inventory Between Two Shopify Stores: How to Link Your Shopify Stores

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According to estimates, the growth rate for the e-commerce market will be roughly 10.4% by 2023. By 2026, the e-commerce market’s growth rate is estimated to hover around 9%. Additionally, retail sales are expected to increase by 24% by 2026.

Such massive upside spurs the creation of more and more e-commerce sites every day. Some successful merchants expand to the point where they need multiple online stores. The question is, why would merchants need multiple stores?

In this article, we’re going to discuss having multiple online stores on Shopify. In particular, we’ll be focusing on how to sync inventory among various Shopify stores. This discussion will give Shopify store owners and managers the information they need to manage multiple Shopify stores effectively.

Can You Have Multiple Shopify Stores?

The shower answer is yes. You can create as many Shopify stores as you want. However, the long answer is a bit more complex.

You can create individual Shopify stores with separate emails and accounts. Each store has its own dashboard and analytics. As a result, attempting to sync inventory between two Shopify stores requires manual processing. Manually processing inventory can be overwhelming, particularly if the stores report high-volume sales.

Alternatively, there is an easier way. Users can create multiple Shopify stores linked to a single email account. This approach creates separate Shopify stores while allowing Shopify administrators to run everything from a single dashboard. Users see separate stores listed in the dashboard. Thus, clicking on each one takes users to that store’s specific management console.

Multiple Shopify stores require multi-store sync Shopify tactics to ensure all stores work successfully. Using multi-store inventory management Shopify tools is much easier than you think. 

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What are the Benefits of Multiple Shopify Stores?

The biggest question on most readers’ minds is, “Why should you have multiple Shopify stores?

The answer focuses on market segmentation.

To begin with, having multiple stores allows Shopify store owners to segment their client base. For instance, dividing Shopify stores between D2C and wholesale stores allows users to choose the right option for them.

Additionally, language, currency, country, and shipping considerations may warrant the creation of separate Shopify stores. Some Shopify store owners prefer to run separate stores to keep things simple. 

Here are some specific benefits Shopify store owners can derive from having multiple stores:

Reach niche markets. Some brands notice some products are popular with very specific groups. Others realize that there is a potentially untapped market. Building a niche Shopify store allows separation from main brands and product lines. If the niche products fail, the main brand won’t be negatively affected.

Reach new markets. Separate Shopify stores allow brands to reach new markets, like customers in other countries, without those customers feeling as though they are buying from an overseas company.

Address different price segments. The issue of price segments is a concern for upscale and luxury brands. Similarly, budget-friendly brands tend to have a hard time appealing to wealthier consumers. Thus, separating Shopify stores by price segments is a good strategy.

Testing. Many merchants choose to have a separate Shopify store where they test new themes, apps, designs, and other elements without risking the chance of breaking something in their live store. 

Cost control. On the surface, it might seem more expensive to run two Shopify stores than to have one. However, having one massive online store with various sections, departments, pages, and collections requires far more maintenance and updating than having separate stores.

sync inventory between two Shopify stores
Source: Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash

Can Two Shopify Stores Share Inventory?

Indeed, two or more Shopify stores can share inventory. In fact, it makes sense to link two Shopify stores if they are both selling the same brands and products.

Consider this situation:

clothing brand offers two types of e-commerce sites: a D2C and a wholesale site. Both sites sell the same products. The difference is quantity and pricing. As a result, having separate Shopify stores allows customers to access the site they want to view.

The tricky part is inventory management. Since both Shopify stores sell the same products, it’s reasonable to link two Shopify stores. In doing so, the brand can centralize its warehousing operations cutting down on staffing and maintenance costs.

You can sync two Shopify stores to avoid duplicate inventory management procedures, especially if your staff must do it manually. When you sync products between Shopify stores, it helps take away extra time and effort from your staff. In doing so, you can avoid costly mistakes.

How to Sync Inventory Between Two Shopify Stores

By now, you must be thinking about how to sync inventory between two Shopify stores. The answer to that question is rather straightforward.

But first, there are a couple of ground rules.

With that in mind, here is how you can manually sync inventory between two Shopify stores:

multi-store sync Shopify

The CSV file contains the latest inventory information for both stores. This file allows both stores to run the same CSV file allowing them to calculate the current inventory and display it on product pages.

One additional note: Multi-store inventory management Shopify tactics are not something you can set and forget. Ideally, you’d want to regularly sync CSV files to ensure there are no gaps in inventory numbers. Otherwise, gaps may lead to question marks about the current status of inventory and potentially overselling items.

Using a Third-Party Inventory App for Multiple Shopify Stores

Another option you might consider is utilizing a third-party inventory app. These apps allow you to automate multi-store sync Shopify processes. While these apps are certainly useful, they do add to your overhead costs. So, it’s worth considering the cost-benefit ratio when utilizing automated apps.

The biggest case for automated apps is when Shopify stores manage significant inventory sizes. As a result, syncing substantial catalogs can be tricky to achieve manually. Automatically syncing two Shopify stores can reduce the burden needed to ensure both stores are on the same page.

On the whole, small Shopify stores can do well with manual multi-store sync Shopify tactics. Exporting and importing CSV files is an easy way to get the job done. If more help is needed, an automated app can take care of the heavy lifting.

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