Guides
Ecommerce accounting and
operations guides.
67 practical guides to the operations and accounting questions that come up as DTC brands grow, from keeping inventory accurate across channels to closing the books and selling internationally.
Inventory & Channel Sync
14 guidesHow to manage inventory across multiple warehouses without overselling
How to publish accurate available-to-sell for each warehouse so your channels stop overselling.
Read guideOne order hub for Shopify, Amazon, and wholesale
Running Shopify, Amazon, and wholesale orders from one system instead of three disconnected tools.
Read guideABC classification for DTC
Using ABC analysis to focus your counts and reorder attention on the SKUs that matter most.
Read guideHow do I manage inventory across Shopify Plus, my 3PL, and FBA without overselling?
Keeping Shopify, your 3PL, and FBA counts aligned so you stop selling units you cannot ship.
Read guideShould Shopify or my 3PL be the source of truth for inventory?
Deciding where your real inventory number should live when Shopify and your 3PL disagree.
Read guideHow do I reserve inventory for Amazon and wholesale without faking the Shopify count?
How to hold stock for Amazon and wholesale orders without distorting your Shopify availability.
Read guideHow do I stop overselling on Shopify during a drop when my 3PL inventory sync is delayed?
Keeping a limited drop from overselling when your 3PL sync runs behind demand.
Read guideHow do I manage thousands of Shopify SKUs and variants without inventory planning falling apart?
Planning inventory for a large catalog without tracking every single variant by hand.
Read guideHow do I track Shopify bundle inventory at the component level so I don't oversell and my COGS isn't $0?
Tracking bundle stock and cost at the component level so bundles show real availability and margin.
Read guideHow do I run two Shopify stores from one warehouse without overselling the same units?
Selling from two Shopify stores that share one warehouse without double-selling the same stock.
Read guideHow do I transfer inventory between two US warehouses (or warehouse → store) on Shopify without overselling what's on the truck?
Moving stock between US locations while keeping units in transit out of what is sellable.
Read guideHow do I reserve inventory for prepaid subscription boxes so month 2 and 3 contents aren't stolen by DTC?
Holding back product for future subscription shipments so everyday orders do not eat into it.
Read guideAvailable-to-Promise, explained: telling customers a ship date you can actually hit.
Giving customers a ship date you can actually meet based on stock, labor, and carrier cutoffs.
Read guideReserving inventory for exchanges without killing sellable stock.
Setting aside enough stock to cover exchanges without hurting what you can sell.
Read guideWarehouse Operations
9 guidesWarehouse bin numbering and sequencing
Designing bin labels and pick sequence so pickers move through the warehouse efficiently.
Read guideZone picking vs batch picking vs multi-order picking
Choosing the picking method that fits your order profile and warehouse layout.
Read guideFEFO vs FIFO and lot tracking
How FIFO and FEFO differ and when expiry dates should drive what your team picks.
Read guideEcommerce returns: restock, quarantine, or write-off
Deciding whether each returned item goes back to stock, into quarantine, or gets written off.
Read guideHow do I optimize picking paths in my ecommerce warehouse?
Cutting the walking time in every pick with better location sequencing and zoning.
Read guideHow should I slot fast-moving SKUs in my warehouse to reduce pick travel time?
Placing your best sellers where they save the most travel time for pickers.
Read guideHow do I cycle count a live ecommerce warehouse so inventory and the GL stay in sync?
Counting inventory in an active warehouse while keeping your books in agreement.
Read guideHow do I kit Shopify bundles in the warehouse without slowing pick-pack?
Assembling bundles on the warehouse floor without slowing down pick and pack.
Read guideWe have a product recall. How do I find every Shopify and wholesale order that shipped a specific lot and freeze the rest?
Finding every order that shipped a recalled lot and freezing what is still on hand.
Read guideAccounting & Finance
10 guidesMoving-average cost and contribution margin
How weighted-average cost feeds an honest contribution margin for each product.
Read guideHow do I speed up month-end close for a Shopify Plus brand with a 3PL and Amazon?
Closing the books faster when sales run across Shopify, a 3PL, and Amazon.
Read guideHow do I reconcile Shopify Payments payouts and Amazon settlements to my bank account?
Matching Shopify and Amazon payouts to your bank so cash ties out cleanly.
Read guideHow do I calculate true COGS when inventory is split across my warehouse, a 3PL, and FBA?
Getting an accurate cost of goods sold when inventory sits in several places.
Read guideHow do I track landed costs when freight and duty invoices arrive after I already started selling?
Handling landed cost when freight and duty bills show up after the goods have sold.
Read guideHow should a DTC brand recognize revenue for pre-orders, subscription boxes, and gift cards under ASC 606?
Recognizing revenue correctly for pre-orders, subscriptions, and gift cards under ASC 606.
Read guideHow do I calculate true contribution margin by channel for Shopify vs Amazon vs wholesale?
Comparing real profitability across Shopify, Amazon, and wholesale after each channel's fees.
Read guideHow do I account for ecommerce returns so refunds, restocked inventory, and damaged units hit the right accounts?
Recording refunds, restocked stock, and damaged goods so returns hit the right accounts.
Read guideHow payment application works: clearing open invoices without guesswork.
Applying customer payments to the right open invoices using the remittance detail.
Read guideHow to account for vendor deposits and progress payments on inventory POs.
Booking supplier deposits and progress payments while the inventory is still on order.
Read guide3PL & Fulfillment
9 guidesShould I use a 3PL or keep fulfillment in-house, or run a hybrid? How do I decide?
Weighing a 3PL, in-house fulfillment, or a hybrid on total cost and complexity.
Read guideHow do I add a second 3PL warehouse and route Shopify orders without split-shipment chaos?
Adding a second 3PL and routing Shopify orders to the right one without split-shipment mess.
Read guideHow do I reconcile my 3PL's on-hand report to my books every week?
A weekly routine for matching your 3PL's on-hand report to your own records.
Read guideHow do I switch 3PLs (or add one) on Shopify Plus without overselling during cutover?
Moving to a new 3PL without overselling while stock is in transit between them.
Read guideShould I fulfill Shopify orders with Amazon MCF, or keep FBA for Amazon and use a 3PL for my store?
Choosing between Amazon MCF and a dedicated 3PL to fulfill your Shopify orders.
Read guideHow do I offer BOPIS and ship-from-store on Shopify Plus without selling the last unit a store needs for walk-in customers?
Offering buy-online-pickup and ship-from-store while protecting stock your stores need for walk-ins.
Read guideHow do I mix warehouse stock and dropship on Shopify without losing track of margin?
Selling your own stock alongside dropshipped items while keeping margin visible on both.
Read guideHow rate shopping and cartonization cut shipping spend.
How rate shopping and smart box selection lower your shipping spend per order.
Read guideHow multi-warehouse order routing decides where an order ships from.
How order routing decides which warehouse each shipment goes out from.
Read guideInternational & Customs
8 guidesInternational expansion ops: landed cost, local 3PL, returns node
What a second country actually requires: customs paperwork, a cost basis, and a returns location.
Read guideHow do I expand my US Shopify store into the UK: VAT, fulfillment, entity, and inventory?
Sorting out VAT, an entity, and fulfillment when you take a US store into the UK.
Read guideHow do I account for it when my US Shopify store sells and my Canadian or UK warehouse ships?
Accounting for it when one entity sells the order and another entity ships it.
Read guideDo I need a UK legal entity to hold stock in a UK 3PL, or can I keep inventory on the US books?
Whether you need a UK company to hold stock in a UK 3PL, or can keep it on US books.
Read guideHow do I transfer inventory from my US company to my UK company with proper intercompany invoices?
Moving stock from your US company to your UK company with proper intercompany invoices.
Read guideHow do I assign 10-digit HTS codes to my Shopify SKUs and check if Section 301 China tariffs apply?
Assigning 10-digit HTS codes to your SKUs and checking whether Section 301 tariffs apply.
Read guideHow do I expand my US Shopify Plus store into Canada: GST/HST, a Canadian warehouse, and do I need a Canadian company?
Working through GST/HST, a Canadian warehouse, and whether you need a Canadian company.
Read guideDo I need an EU warehouse to sell on Shopify in Europe, or can I keep shipping from the US with IOSS?
When you can keep shipping to the EU from the US under IOSS, and when you need EU stock.
Read guideWholesale & EDI
7 guidesEDI to big-box retail: 3PL vs your own warehouse
How the EDI document flow to big-box retailers works whether a 3PL or you run the warehouse.
Read guideHow do I allocate inventory between Shopify DTC and wholesale so I don't chargeback a Target or Nordstrom PO?
Splitting stock between Shopify DTC and wholesale so a retailer PO never gets shorted.
Read guideHow do I stop EDI chargebacks from Target / Costco / Nordstrom?
Why most EDI chargebacks trace back to inventory, and how to keep them from happening.
Read guideCan I fulfill wholesale and DTC from the same warehouse? How do I set that up?
Running wholesale and DTC out of one warehouse with different pack rules and availability.
Read guideHow do I sell wholesale against inventory that's still on the water?
Taking wholesale orders against an inbound container with rules that hold up.
Read guideShould I put wholesale on Shopify B2B, a wholesale portal, or EDI, and can I run more than one?
Comparing Shopify B2B, a wholesale portal, and EDI, and running more than one at once.
Read guideHow do I set up case packs vs eaches so Shopify sells singles, wholesale orders cases, and the 3PL / retailer can scan the carton and the pallet?
Setting up case packs and eaches so DTC, wholesale, and the 3PL all scan correctly.
Read guidePurchasing & Supplier Management
6 guidesHow do I forecast demand and build a purchase plan for a seasonal Shopify brand?
Building a purchase plan for a seasonal brand from a week-by-week demand forecast.
Read guideWhat is three-way matching and how do I do it for ecommerce purchase orders?
What three-way matching is and how to run it on your ecommerce purchase orders.
Read guideThree-way matching when your invoice arrives before your inventory does.
Handling a supplier invoice that arrives before the inventory does.
Read guideHandling partial receipts and short-shipments cleanly.
Keeping a PO clean when a supplier ships part of the order or comes up short.
Read guideHow to set min/max so the system recommends a buy (without stockouts or over-buying).
Setting min and max levels so the system flags what to reorder before you run out.
Read guideManaging MOQs, price-break tiers, and true unit cost across suppliers.
Tracking minimum order quantities and price breaks to see true unit cost across suppliers.
Read guideAI in Operations
4 guidesHow do I actually use AI in ecommerce operations, not marketing?
Practical ways to put AI to work in operations, with a person still in the loop.
Read guideWhat tech stack should an AI-forward Shopify Plus / DTC brand use in 2026?
What an AI-ready tech stack looks like for a growing Shopify brand.
Read guideHow can I ask Claude or ChatGPT questions about my live Shopify inventory and margins without exporting CSVs?
Asking Claude or ChatGPT about your live inventory and margins without exporting spreadsheets.
Read guideHow do I replace ecommerce ops spreadsheets with internal tools my team can actually maintain?
Turning fragile ops spreadsheets into internal tools your team can maintain.
Read guideSee it run on
your data.
Fulfil runs inventory, fulfillment, purchasing, and accounting for scaling DTC brands in one system.