out of stock management

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I am doing well with drop shipping on Amazon. Does anyone have any knowledge about software or any other ideas when you don't own the products you are drop shipping so you avoid being out of stock? I source from a online retailer and at times I will have a purchase and I have to notify the customer it's out of stock. I use FBA as well but I like doing it this way as well. Sometimes price changes can be an issue as well but I don't sweat that issue.
#drop shipping #inventory #management #out of stock #source
  • Profile picture of the author kjamesnv
    Can you get a data feed from your supplier?
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    • Profile picture of the author bgutsche
      Originally Posted by kjamesnv View Post

      Can you get a data feed from your supplier?
      No, I am using multiple suppliers like Target, Macys etc.
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      • Profile picture of the author serpyre
        Originally Posted by bgutsche View Post

        No, I am using multiple suppliers like Target, Macys etc.
        That's doesn't make much sense as they are end retailers. Anyway, you need advanced data loading software, called supplier onboarding. That is a complex area, we have access to the technology, but it is enterprise grade to make small business platforms act like real solutions.

        The out of stock is just something that happens, the principle is to minimise it and that is the hard part. You need to keep your supplier files and pricing in sync automatically, how often depends on how much of a problem it is. Which tool is the right tool depends on many circumstances - the ones we use cover 99%+ of scenarios, most will be in the 20-50% range so without more details it is hard to know.
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      • Profile picture of the author IdosellShop
        Do they provide CSV/XML or IOF product feed?
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  • An inventory management tool might be a good solution. Ecomdash in particular could send you low inventory alerts when your stock has reached a certain threshold (which you set), so you'd know it's time to reorder. We have the capability to remember the format of the purchase orders sent to suppliers/dropshippers/wholesalers, so you'd be able to communicate orders with just a few clicks. However, we don't integrate with FBA, which could be a deal breaker for you since you really love it. WebRetailer, Ecombytes and Internet Retailer are all good places to check for software that integrate with FBA. Might be worth a shot to take a look and try out some free trials to see what works for you. Good luck!

    Tiana with ecomdash
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    • Profile picture of the author bgutsche
      thanks Tiana. I don't get alot of out of stock requests but I would like to minimize it. I am averaging at least at least 5 non-FBA sales per day so its getting harder to track. I will check out your product.
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    • Originally Posted by tiana with ecomdash View Post

      An inventory management tool might be a good solution. Ecomdash in particular could send you low inventory alerts when your stock has reached a certain threshold (which you set), so you'd know it's time to reorder. We have the capability to remember the format of the purchase orders sent to suppliers/dropshippers/wholesalers, so you'd be able to communicate orders with just a few clicks. However, we don't integrate with FBA, which could be a deal breaker for you since you really love it. WebRetailer, Ecombytes and Internet Retailer are all good places to check for software that integrate with FBA. Might be worth a shot to take a look and try out some free trials to see what works for you. Good luck!

      Tiana with ecomdash
      Just to piggyback off of what Tiana said. SellerActive is another inventory and order management solution that may solve your low stock issue. We have the same basic set-up as Tina mentioned above but have the ability to integrate with FBA. We offer free 30 day trials on our website or you can call in and I can go through a quick overview of our software. Hope this helps!

      Daniel with SellerActive
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  • Profile picture of the author DWaters
    I will have a purchase and I have to notify the customer it's out of stock
    If I am understanding your business model it seems like you are potenially making some customers very unhappy if they place an order and than are notified that the item they have already ordered is not available.
    That does not sound like good customer service IMO.
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    • Profile picture of the author bgutsche
      I surpassed 10k profit for the first time last month. I guess my customer service is doing fine, LMAO
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  • Profile picture of the author DWaters
    Originally Posted by bgutsche View Post

    when you don't own the products you are drop shipping so you avoid being out of stock? .
    Keep in mind that with FBA anytime you are out off an item and your inventory reads zero Amazon will not show your item as being for sale. This makes it impossible to ever have a customer order an item that is out of stock.

    So in a sense the software you are seeking is something that Amazon uses to help manage your inventory and orders.
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  • Profile picture of the author repricerexpress
    Hi bgutsche,

    Our sister company, SellerExpress, may be worth a look to meet your needs, as it includes drop shipping tools to make inventory control easy. It also comes with a free 15-day trial so you can try it out. Congratulations on last month's profits.
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