For many businesses, their journey starts with a D2C (direct-to-consumer) model on Shopify. The platform is designed for this purpose, offering intuitive design tools, secure checkout, and a straightforward way to reach customers directly.
However, as a business grows, manual inventory tracking becomes a significant bottleneck. This is where Cin7 Core steps in.
Cin7 Core acts as the central nervous system for your inventory, communicating with Shopify and your other channels and systems to provide real-time stock levels. This is especially vital for wholesalers and manufacturers managing inventory across multiple sales channels.
This eliminates the risk of overselling and prevents the frustrating experience of a customer ordering an out-of-stock item. For example, a merchant selling handmade jewelry on Shopify can use Cin7 Core to track raw materials like silver, beads, and gems.
As a customer places an order, Cin7 Core automatically deducts the finished product from stock, ensuring accurate inventory counts across the board.
This automation frees up valuable time for the merchant to focus on growth and creativity.
“We save two to three work days, which is about 16 to 24 hours of manual labor. We don’t have to manually upload and sync inventory or upload orders one by one."
–The Lip Bar
Statistics show that businesses that automate their inventory management can reduce stockout rates by up to 30%, directly impacting customer satisfaction and revenue.
Navigating B2B with Precision
While Shopify is most famous for D2C, its B2B capabilities have evolved, and Cin7 Core's integration makes them truly powerful. B2B commerce presents a unique set of challenges for wholesalers and distributors, including wholesale pricing, bulk orders, and complex payment terms. A D2C-only setup cannot handle these intricacies.
By connecting Cin7 Core to a Shopify B2B store, wholesalers and manufacturers can offer tailored experiences to their wholesale clients.
Cin7 Core can manage:
- Specific wholesale price lists.
- Tiered pricing based on order volume.
- Custom catalogs for different B2B customer groups.
When a wholesale order is placed through the Shopify B2B portal, the data is automatically synced to Cin7 Core, which then handles the allocation of stock and the order fulfillment process. This is particularly crucial for wholesalers managing large, complex orders.
This integration streamlines operations, reduces manual data entry errors, and provides a professional, self-service platform for B2B partners.
This efficiency is critical:
Research indicates that B2B companies that prioritize a frictionless digital experience can see a 15-20% increase in sales.
For example, a boutique clothing brand that sells both D2C on its Shopify store and wholesale to retailers can use Cin7 Core to keep its inventory organized.
A large wholesale order from a retailer won’t accidentally sell out the stock available for direct customers because Cin7 Core manages the allocation in one central system.
This separation and precise management are crucial for maintaining healthy relationships with both D2C and B2B clients.
Mastering Omnichannel
True omnichannel retail is about providing a consistent and seamless experience across all touchpoints, whether online, in-store, or through a third-party marketplace. This is where Cin7 Core's value proposition is at its peak.
An omnichannel setup involves multiple sales channels, and managing inventory across all of them manually is a logistical nightmare. Cin7 Core acts as a single source of truth for inventory data, connecting to Shopify as well as other channels like Amazon, eBay, or even a physical retail store using a Point of Sale (POS) system. This is an essential function for wholesalers and manufacturers who sell through various channels.
When a product is sold on any channel, Cin7 Core immediately updates the inventory count everywhere else.
By providing this real-time, unified view of inventory, Cin7 Core helps merchants reduce fulfillment errors by up to 25%, leading to higher customer satisfaction and lower return rates.
The Full Product Lifecycle
One of the most significant benefits of using an inventory management system like Cin7 Core is its ability to manage the entire product lifecycle.
This is especially vital for businesses that manufacture their own products.
Cin7 Core's manufacturing and bill of materials (BOM) functionality allow manufacturers to track raw materials, components, and sub-assemblies. A merchant can create a manufacturing order within Cin7 Core, which will then deduct the necessary raw materials from inventory and add the newly finished goods to stock.
This provides complete visibility into the production process and the true cost of goods sold (COGS).
For a furniture manufacturer using Cin7 Core and Shopify, the process would look like this:
-
Raw Material Tracking
The manufacturer uses Cin7 Core to track inventory of wood, screws, fabric, and varnish. -
Manufacturing Order
An order is placed for a new armchair on Shopify. The manufacturer creates a manufacturing order in Cin7 Core. -
BOM and Costs
Cin7 Core automatically deducts the correct quantities of wood, fabric, and other components from stock. It also calculates the total cost of materials and can factor in labor and overhead costs to provide an accurate COGS for each finished armchair. -
Finished Goods
Once the armchair is built, it is "received" into stock within Cin7 Core, making it immediately available for sale on Shopify.
This process provides a level of financial and operational control that is impossible with Shopify's native tools.
By precisely tracking manufacturing costs, businesses can make more informed pricing decisions and improve their profit margins. This is a critical component for scaling a manufacturing-based business.
Why Cin7 Core is a Game-Changer
The bottom line is that while Shopify is a leading e-commerce platform for its ease of use and powerful front-end capabilities, it is complemented and elevated by a robust inventory management system like Cin7 Core.
The integration of these two systems is not merely a convenience; it is a strategic business decision that provides a host of benefits for the merchant, including:
- Centralized Control
- Operational Efficiency
- Enhanced Customer Experience
- Data-Driven Insights
- Scalability
For any merchant looking to move beyond the limitations of a single channel and manage a more complex, multifaceted business—whether as a wholesaler or manufacturer—the synergy between Cin7 Core and Shopify provides the robust, flexible, and scalable solution needed to succeed in the modern market.
“I 100% love Cin7. I love it so much.”
–Eleven86 Water
It’s an investment in efficiency that pays dividends in profitability and customer loyalty, positioning the business for long-term, sustainable growth.
If you're interested in learning more about how you can use Cin7 Core and Shopify to best effect, reach out to us here or email hi@shopcreatify.com and we can set the wheels in motion.
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