Guide
An AI inventory manager for Shopify: what it should do
What to expect from an AI inventory manager on Shopify, what to check before you trust one, and what it should never do on its own.
· 7 min read · wurkkin
Shopify tells you what you have and what you sold. It doesn't tell you what to buy next. That gap is usually filled by a spreadsheet, a gut feeling, or a weekly afternoon the owner never gets back. An AI inventory manager fills it every day.
What it should do without being asked
- Check every item, every day, not just the ones you remember to look at.
- Forecast sales for each item, including the promotions, launches and price changes you have planned.
- Spot the items that will run out before a supplier can deliver, and the ones tying up cash.
- Tell stock outs apart from low demand, so a sold out week doesn't make next month's order too small.
- Recommend what to order, how much and when, using each supplier's lead time, minimum order and pack size.
- Write the order sheet so you can send it to the supplier.
- Tell you in plain words, at the level of detail you want, and not bury you in alerts.
What it should never do on its own
Spend your money. An inventory manager that places supplier orders automatically can turn a data glitch into a pallet of stock you didn't want. A good one prepares the order and waits for your approval, and enforces the spending limits you set.
Questions to ask before you trust one
- Where do its numbers come from? Every figure should trace back to your store's data.
- What does it do when information is missing, like a supplier lead time? It should say so, not guess silently.
- Can it take your promotions into account?
- Can you set rules it can't break, such as a monthly budget per supplier?
- Can your team use it, with the right people approving orders?
- What happens to your data? It should stay yours and not train models for other companies.
Who it suits
Stores that hold stock and buy it from suppliers: fashion, health and wellness, supplements, beauty, home, food and drink, pet supplies, sports and outdoors. If you're print on demand or pure dropshipping, you have less to gain, because you don't hold stock.
Cathy
Cathy is wurkkin's AI inventory manager for Shopify, trained on 300+ live Shopify stores. She does everything in the first list every day, never does the thing in the second, and you can try her free for 7 days with no credit card, with your money back within 7 days of your first payment if she isn't right for you.