Start with
A small group of products, agreed thresholds and one shop location.
INDEPENDENT SHOPS
Know what’s running low before the shelf is empty.
A simple improvement for shops using Shopify: use its built-in automation to flag low stock by size, colour and location, with the details your team needs to act.
See how it worksIllustrative workflow with sample data. We’d confirm the tools and setup for your business.
PAIN POINTS
The popular size has nearly sold out. Again.
The T-shirt is selling well, but the medium in blue is nearly gone. You can see stock by size, colour and location in your records. Finding the lines that need attention still means checking them one by one.
- Scanning product variants one by one for low stock.
- Missing a shortage at one location because another has plenty.
- Ordering twice because an alert doesn’t show what you should check.
THE SOLUTION
How the automation works
Set a reorder threshold for the products and variants that matter. I connect stock changes to an internal alert showing the item, location and current count, with a link to the stock record.
- 01 / TRIGGER
Stock quantity changes
Shopify records a sale, return, adjustment or other inventory change.
- 02 / AUTOMATION
Check the threshold
Compare the relevant variant and location with its agreed reorder threshold.
- 03 / AUTOMATION
Alert the shop manager
Send the item, location, current count and stock-record link in an internal email.
- 04 / YOUR DECISION
You decide what to order
Check the shelf and incoming stock, then place any supplier order yourself.
WHEN SOMETHING NEEDS ATTENTIONThe line is discontinued or the count looks wrong?
Exclude discontinued lines from reorder alerts. An unexpected count needs a stock check before you act on it.
WHAT YOU GET
The right stock record, without the search
The alert identifies the exact size, colour and location. Open the stock record, check incoming deliveries and decide whether to reorder.
Example output
- Product
- Sample cotton T-shirt
- Variant
- Blue · medium
- Location
- Shop floor
- Available
- 3 remaining
- Alert threshold
- 5 or fewer
- Action
- Check incoming deliveries before reordering
This alert is for blue, medium at the shop. Other sizes or stock held elsewhere do not hide the shortage.
INTEGRATIONS & HOSTING
The tools working together
| Tool | Its part in the workflow |
|---|---|
| Shopify inventory | Provides stock changes and the product, variant and location details. Inventory tracking needs to be enabled. |
| Shopify’s built-in automation | Checks the product variant’s threshold and exclusions, then sends the internal email. The first version covers one stock location. |
| Your business email | Receives the internal alert and stock-record link. No supplier email or order is sent. |
A useful place to start simply
This example uses features inside Shopify. I help choose the thresholds, exclusions and alert details, then test them against your stock changes. It is a small configuration project.
Where it runs
The workflow runs inside Shopify. I check what your plan includes and set out any additional costs before starting.
Technical references
Shopify: internal email actions · Shopify: stock-change trigger
A FIRST PROJECT
Test it on real work.
Measure the difference
Check whether alerts arrive before a stockout and reduce the time spent reviewing inventory.
Test the awkward cases
Try a sale that crosses the threshold, a return that restores stock and a discontinued line. Check that alerts arrive when useful and do not repeat for every sale below the threshold.
Finding low stock a little too late?
Tell me which stock lines you keep checking. I’ll look at what your Shopify setup can already do and explain the scope, costs and support options for a useful improvement.