The difference between retailers who scale smoothly and those drowning in stockouts often comes down to how well they manage their operations.

From predicting SKU-level demand with machine learning, to automating purchase orders and replenishment, to using chat-based AI agents for real-time inventory queries, retailers are replacing manual, error-prone processes with intelligent systems.

The result isn’t just efficiency. It’s fewer stockouts, faster fulfillment, leaner inventory, and more working capital freed up for growth.

We’ll look at the concrete ways AI and automation are optimizing retail operations, and how brands already using them are pulling ahead.

Why Are Retailers Turning to AI and Automation?

Before exploring how AI helps, it’s important to see why modern retail demands change in the first place.

1. The retail industry is now more competitive than ever

Global retail trade is predicted to grow by USD 27–36 trillion by 2030, which is a far higher pace than in previous decades. This rapid growth means you are competing in one of the fastest-expanding and most intense industries in history.

eCommerce giants like Amazon and Alibaba are raising the bar even higher. They offer lower prices, faster shipping, and manage operations with fewer frictions, pushing smaller and mid-sized brands to adopt new tech just to stay profitable.

Even physical stores are not immune to this competition.

Many are already investing in robots, AI-powered cameras, and ship-from-store models in an attempt to cut costs and survive. Without automation, sustaining profitability in this environment becomes nearly impossible.

2. The demand for speed, accuracy, and scalability

Today’s customers expect fast and reliable service. They want same-day or next-day delivery, accurate orders, and real-time stock availability at their fingertips.

One stockout or late shipment is often all it takes to push them to a competitor.

Outdated, manual processes can’t keep up. No matter how good your team is, they can’t handle the surge of orders, variants, and complexity that come with peak seasons like BFCM.

To stay competitive, you need systems that can scale instantly, whether it is processing thousands of orders in minutes or synchronizing product data across multiple sales channels.

3. AI and Automation Make Processes More Efficient

Retailers are increasingly leaning on AI and automation to take over routine, time-consuming tasks. In fact, more than 75% have already invested in these technologies to improve efficiency and customer experience.

With AI and automation, you can:

• Track and restock inventory in real time
• Forecast demand with accuracy
• Simplify checkout and returns
• Optimize pricing and promotions

What used to take hours of manual work now happens in minutes. That frees your team to focus on higher-value work like improving customer service or building stronger supplier relationships.

6 Powerful Use Cases of AI and Automation in Optimizing Retail Operations

AI and automation aren’t future trends, they’re redefining retail operations today. Here are six practical use cases showing how these technologies make a real impact.

Use Case 1: Personalized customer experiences

AI personalization is changing how retail stores interact with customers. Today, more than 65% of retailers currently employ AI chatbots, which can handle up to 70% of customer queries, improving productivity and customer satisfaction.

Chatbots provide instant answers, personalized guidance, and a smoother shopping experience. At the same time, recommendation engines learn from browsing behavior to suggest the right products at the right time.

The result is clear: higher engagement, stronger conversion rates, and greater customer loyalty. For shoppers, it’s convenience; for retailers, it’s profitability.

Use Case 2: Smarter inventory and supply chain management

Inventory management has always been a balancing act: too much stock ties up cash, too little means missed sales. AI makes this easier by spotting sales patterns, seasonality, and even local events that drive sudden demand shifts.

Beyond forecasting, AI can also trigger automatic replenishment. Instead of waiting for staff to notice low stock, it generates purchase orders in real time, reducing errors and preventing costly stockouts.

Prediko offers AI and automation for your end-to-end inventory workflows. In fact, it takes this a step further with Inventory AI agents that don’t just report data but act on it. For complex retail operations requiring custom automation beyond standard platforms, an AI software consultancy can design tailored solutions that address unique workflow challenges.

Through natural language, you can ask it to open reports, refresh demand plans, or draft purchase orders instantly, saving hours of manual work.

It keeps context, adapts to the page you’re on, and links directly to actions, helping you plan faster, react earlier, and scale with confidence.

Deloitte calls this new wave “Agentic AI”, a shift from passive tools to active collaborators that orchestrate workflows across supply, demand, and finance without constant human input.

Learn how brands are using AI in inventory management to automate decisions and stay ahead of demand.

Use Case 3: AI-powered visual search for product discovery

Traditional text search often falls short because customers don’t always know the exact name, keyword, or description of what they’re looking for.

AI-powered visual search makes product discovery faster and easier, driving up to 40% higher conversions.

Shoppers can simply upload or snap a photo, and AI instantly suggests similar products. This works especially well for fashion, home, and lifestyle retailers where visuals drive decisions.

By removing friction from discovery, visual search keeps customers browsing longer and improves the overall buying experience.

Use Case 4: Self-checkouts and automation in physical stores

No customer enjoys standing in long checkout lines. It slows down the shopping experience and often leaves buyers frustrated enough to abandon their carts.

AI and automation remove this friction.

AI-powered self-checkouts use sensors and cameras to scan products and charge customers automatically. Research shows these systems can cut waiting times by 20-30%.

Faster checkout not only improves customer satisfaction but also lowers labor costs. Staff can be redeployed from checkout counters to higher-value tasks like assisting customers or managing merchandising.

The result is a quicker, simpler, and more enjoyable shopping experience that shoppers prefer.

Use Case 5: Automated return processing

Returns are part of retail, but they don’t have to be painful. With AI and automation, the process becomes simpler for both you and your customers.

For shoppers, that means easy return labels, real-time status updates, and in some cases even instant credit. Behind the scenes, AI analyzes return patterns to flag recurring issues like sizing problems or product defects.

These insights help you improve product descriptions, cut down on unwanted returns, and protect revenue. A smoother return process doesn’t just save costs, it also strengthens customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Use Case 6: Data-driven pricing and promotion

Pricing has one of the biggest impacts on retail profitability. At times, customers are willing to pay more; at other times, excess stock forces you to lower prices just to move inventory.

Dynamic pricing helps you strike the right balance. AI-powered tools adjust prices in real time based on demand, competitor activity, and customer buying patterns.

For example, during peak demand, AI can raise prices slightly to protect margins. When inventory slows, it can lower prices or trigger targeted promotions to stimulate sales.

By running A/B tests, you can also experiment with discounts and offers to find what drives the best results.

The outcome is a win-win: you stay competitive and grow revenue sustainably, while customers get fair, market-driven prices and personalized offers tailored to their shopping behavior.

Where AI Fits in Different Retail Models

AI is not tied to any single business model; it adapts flexibly to address challenges and unique needs.

Whether you run a brick-and-mortar store, sell online, or operate omnichannel, AI can improve how you sell, manage, and grow.

1. Brick-and-mortar stores

In physical retail, AI is adding a new layer of efficiency to store operations and helping you deliver better customer experiences at the same time.

Grocery chains, for example, use computer vision to monitor shelves in real time, ensuring products are always available.

Cameras and sensors also capture foot traffic data, helping managers optimize store layouts and product placement.

AI-powered self-checkouts cut queues and automation frees up staff to focus on customer service instead of repetitive tasks.

The outcome: smoother operations, higher productivity, and happier customers.

2. E-commerce

In eCommerce, AI powers both personalization and growth. From search history to tailored recommendations, it simplifies shopping and makes it more engaging. Research shows that recommendations drive up to 35% of online sales.

AI also plays a critical role in inventory planning and management as well as logistics.

By optimizing fulfillment, improving demand forecasts, and automating replenishment, it helps retailers reduce shipping delays and prevent costly stockouts or overstocks.

The result is a better customer experience and significant savings in working capital.

As brands scale, AI can also automate pricing, promotions, and campaigns, freeing teams to focus less on repetitive tasks and more on strategy.

3. Omnichannel stores

Delivering a true omnichannel experience means keeping physical and digital touchpoints consistent and AI makes that possible.

From personalized insights to real-time inventory updates, it ensures customers enjoy the same seamless journey whether they’re shopping in-store, online, or through social media.

Automation plays a big role here, supporting inventory management across warehouses, store floors, and online channels to prevent stockouts or overselling.

For example, Magestore POS connects Magento with multiple locations, syncing inventory, customer data, purchasing, and sales in real time.

With an advanced POS system, retailers can deliver personalized experiences across channels while scaling operations from a single, unified view.

If you’re on Shopify, Prediko brings this same centralization to life. It pulls together your POS locations, warehouses, 3PLs, and more into one hub, giving you the visibility and control you need to act confidently across every channel.

How Prediko’s AI is Helping 1,000+ Shopify Brands

From fashion to FMCG, Shopify brands of every size face the same challenge: keeping inventory in balance while growing fast.

Prediko’s AI helps merchants solve this daily, turning inventory management into a growth driver instead of a bottleneck.

1. Real-time Shopify sync across stores and warehouses for accurate decision-making

Managing inventory across stores, warehouses, or channels on Shopify can quickly spiral into chaos.

That’s why Prediko offers a real-time sync that consolidates inventory data into one place. With accurate, real-time visibility across locations, brands always know exactly what they have and where it’s located.

Prediko’s AI also manages complexities such as product bundles, subscriptions, and multi-warehouse fulfillment. This prevents both under-selling and over-selling while giving teams the clarity to make smarter buying and stocking decisions.

2. AI-embedded demand and supply planning for proactive stocking

Legacy spreadsheets can’t keep up with the speed of modern retail. Prediko’s AI analyzes historical sales data, seasonality, growth trends, and buying behavior to generate accurate forecasts up to 12 months ahead.

From these forecasts, Prediko automatically creates a buying plan, showing exactly what to order, when, and in what quantities.

It accounts for supplier lead times, MOQs, and safety stock levels, so replenishment decisions are precise and cash isn’t tied up in excess inventory.

With clear purchase recommendations, Shopify brands can prevent stockouts, reduce overstocks, and keep inventory flowing smoothly.

3. Smart purchase order management for uninterrupted and synced operation

Managing POs manually eats up time and often leads to mistakes that disrupt supply.

Prediko automates this process by generating purchase orders directly from your buying plan, pre-filled with supplier details, lead times, and quantities. You can share them with suppliers in just one click, without ever leaving the platform.

Track status, update delivery dates, and sync everything with your inventory in real time, keeping operations smooth and preventing costly gaps in supply.

4. BOM and raw material traking & forecasting for production-focused brands

For brands that manufacture in-house, finished goods are only part of the equation, raw materials matter just as much.

Prediko links products to Bills of Materials (BOMs) so that every sales forecast automatically translates into raw material planning as well.

This helps you know exactly how much fabric, packaging, or components to order ahead of time, preventing production delays and locking in supplier capacity before demand spikes.

Explore the 7 best AI demand planning software trusted by fast-growing brands to improve forecast accuracy and streamline operations.

5. Inventory reports and analytics to course-correct in real time

Retail moves fast and decisions can’t wait until month-end reports.

Prediko provides 20+ ready-to-use inventory and sales reports that highlight stockouts, excess risk, sell-through, and turnover in real time.

With daily and weekly summaries sent straight to your dashboard and inbox, you can catch issues early, adjust forecasts, or trigger transfers, making sure growth stays on track without surprises.

6. AI agent to execute inventory and supply chain tasks (coming soon)

The future of retail lies in autonomy.

Prediko’s AI Agent acts like an extra team member, helping you manage inventory through simple natural-language commands.

Instead of clicking through multiple screens, you can ask it to refresh demand plans, draft or update purchase orders, open reports, or schedule summaries, all from an in-app chat.

With session memory and context-aware suggestions, the Agent makes routine supply chain tasks faster, reduces errors, and frees your team to focus on strategy rather than admin.

Are Your Retail Operations Future-Ready?

The future of retail is owned by brands that move fast, think ahead, and are in tune with their customers' desires.

With Prediko's AI and automation, you don't merely react to stock problems but solve them before they happen.

Ready to automate your retail operations? Start a free 14-day trial with Prediko to see how Shopify D2C brands like Oyo Skincare, Kate Hewko, and Healf are already future-proofing with Prediko’s AI.

What happens when your store grows beyond a single warehouse?

Suddenly, it’s not just about keeping products in stock, but deciding which location should ship each order, how to balance inventory across regions, and how to stop stock from sitting idle.

That’s the reality of running Shopify multiple warehouses. It gives you more flexibility and reach, but it also adds complexity that needs to be managed carefully.

We’ll break down how to handle multiple warehouses on Shopify, how to know if you’re ready to add more, the setup and migration process, and the role Prediko plays in keeping everything under control.

Understanding What Shopify “Multiple Warehouses” Means 

In Shopify, multiple warehouses are managed through locations. A location can be a warehouse, a retail store, a third-party logistics provider, or a dropshipper. Each location tracks its own inventory and fulfills orders separately.

When you connect fulfillment apps, such as a 3PL or dropshipping partner, Shopify automatically creates new locations for them. This way, all stock levels across your business are recorded in one system.

Shopify also allows multi managed inventory, meaning a single product can be stored in more than one location at the same time. Orders are then routed according to where inventory is available and where the customer is based.

Having multiple warehouses in Shopify helps reduce delivery times, cut shipping costs, keep stock levels accurate, and give more flexibility in how orders are routed across regions or sales channels.

Do You Need Multiple Warehouses on Shopify? 

Not every store needs more than one warehouse. The decision usually depends on scale, geography, and product mix. 

Adding another location brings benefits, but also adds complexity in stock allocation and coordination. The key is knowing when the benefits outweigh the complexity. 

Here’s how to assess that decision.

Signs It’s Time to Add Another Warehouse 

✅ Order volume: Once daily orders climb above 100–200, single site fulfillment starts to strain

✅ Geographic spread: If a large share of orders ship to regions far from your current warehouse, delivery times and costs rise

✅ Shipping cost delta: Compare what you pay now versus what you would save if you stocked closer to customers

✅ SKU footprint: Larger catalogs and bulky items are harder to manage from one site

✅ Returns complexity: Frequent or regional returns can make a single warehouse inefficient

To make warehouse decisions easier, here’s a simple framework. 

Step 1: Are you shipping more than 100 orders a day?

• No: One warehouse is likely enough.
• Yes: Move to step 2.

Step 2: Are customers spread across distant regions?

• No: A single warehouse is still manageable.
• Yes: Move to step 3.

Step 3: Compare current shipping costs with projected costs if you add another warehouse.

• If savings outweigh the overhead of running a new site: Add another warehouse.
• If not: Stick with one.

Example: A Shopify store selling sports equipment ships 500 orders a day from one East Coast warehouse. Half of its customers are on the West Coast. Shipping from the East costs $12 per order, while West Coast fulfillment would cost $7. 

On 250 daily West Coast orders, that’s a saving of $1,250 a day or over $30,000 a month. The savings more than justify the cost of operating a second warehouse.

Step-by-Step Shopify Multiple Warehouses Setup

Here’s how to set up multiple warehouses from scratch and keep inventory accurate across all locations.

1. Add and name locations

Go to Shopify Admin → Settings → Locations → Add location.

Give each warehouse a clear name (e.g., New York DC or West Coast 3PL) and enter the full address. 

This address is used for shipping rates and tax calculations, so accuracy matters. Once saved, the location appears in your fulfillment list.

2. Configure fulfillment priority

In Settings → Locations, drag and drop your warehouses into the right sequence. The first location with stock available will be used to fulfill the order. Merchants often

• Rank by geography to ship from the closest site
• Rank by cost if one warehouse is cheaper to operate
• Use priority rules for markets, for example, keeping EU orders within Europe

3. Assign inventory to locations

Each product needs to be linked to the right warehouses. Open a product in the admin, scroll to the Inventory section, and select Edit locations. 

Check the boxes for each site that stocks the product, then enter the quantity on hand. Shopify will now track stock separately for each warehouse.

4. Bulk editor and CSV options

If you need to update many SKUs at once, use Shopify’s bulk editor. Go to Products → Inventory, select the variants to edit, and click Bulk edit.

Add columns for each warehouse, type in the correct quantities, and save. 

For even larger catalogs, export your inventory as a CSV. Update the quantities for each location in a spreadsheet, then re-import the file back into Shopify. This method is faster when migrating thousands of SKUs or setting up a new warehouse.

How Shopify Chooses Fulfillment Location 

Shopify looks at three things when deciding where to route an order: the fulfillment priority list you set, whether a single location can fulfill all items, and the routing rules you apply.

1. Fulfillment priority

Locations are arranged in a priority list under Settings → locations. 

Shopify checks this list from top to bottom and assigns the order to the first location that has enough stock to fulfill the item(s). 

2. Minimizing splits

• If one location has all items, Shopify routes the full order there
• If no single location can cover everything, it applies your routing rules
• With “Minimize split fulfillments” enabled, Shopify selects the location that can ship the most items together, even if another warehouse is physically closer

3. When orders get split

Orders split only when no single location has all items. Shopify sends as much as possible from the highest-priority location, then routes the rest to the next available site.

This is where extra shipping cost and slower delivery can appear if stock is spread too thin.

4. Single-location fulfillment

When there is only one location, every order goes there. The only requirement is that the location is active and set to fulfill online orders.

Common pitfalls to avoid include.

• Leaving inactive or “storage-only” sites in the list as they may receive orders by mistake
• Adding a 3PL but forgetting to update the priority sequence as orders route incorrectly
• Counting damaged or reserved stock as “available” as causes unexpected backorders

Regularly reviewing your settings helps prevent split shipments, delays, and misrouted orders.

Advanced Rules and Automation While Using Multiple Warehouses on Shopify

Once multiple warehouses are active in Shopify, rules and automation become important for keeping fulfillment predictable. 

With advanced settings, you can control which warehouse fulfills each order, define exceptions, and manage stockouts without disrupting operations.

1. Allocation rules

You can set rules that decide which warehouse gets the order. Common approaches include ranking locations by priority, choosing the warehouse closest to the customer, or minimizing split fulfillments. 

Rules can also be set by market, so customers in Europe are always served from an EU warehouse.

2. Automation triggers

Automation can determine when orders should be routed to different warehouses. For instance, high-value orders might go to a 3PL with stricter packaging standards, while oversized items are sent to locations equipped to handle them. 

Shopify apps can add even more triggers, such as routing based on order tags, sales channels, or shipping methods.

3. Backorder strategies

If one warehouse runs out of stock, Shopify can route the order to the next location with available inventory. 

Some merchants prefer to allow backorders instead, keeping the order tied to a primary warehouse until replenishment arrives. This avoids split shipments but requires accurate incoming PO data.

Migration Process to Go From a Single Location to Multiple Warehouses 

Scaling from one warehouse to many isn’t just about adding space, it’s also about redesigning how inventory, fulfillment, and data stay in sync. 

Here’s a step-by-step process for making the transition.

1. Audit SKUs

Review your product catalog before adding new warehouses. Remove inactive or duplicate SKUs and clean up bundled products that could cause confusion when stock is split. 

Ensure barcodes and product identifiers are consistent so fulfillment errors don’t appear once multiple locations are active.

2. Freeze sync windows

Pause automated syncs from ERPs, apps, or connected systems during setup. This prevents changes from being overwritten while new locations are created and tested. 

Once all warehouses are live, you can safely re-enable syncs.

3. CSV export

Export your current inventory into a CSV before making changes. This file works as a backup and lets you quickly restore stock counts if an error occurs during setup.

4. Set fulfillment priority

Add your new warehouses in Settings → Locations and arrange them in the correct order. Merchants typically:

• Rank by geography, so orders ship from the closest warehouse
• Rank by cost, so the lowest-cost warehouse is used first
• Rank by market, so international orders stay within the same region

5. Phased migration

Don’t move everything at once. 

Start with a small group of SKUs or a single warehouse. Route only a portion of orders there, monitor performance, then expand gradually. This staged rollout reduces the risk of widespread issues.

6. QA checklist

Before going live, place test orders across locations. 

Verify that stock counts update correctly, orders follow the fulfillment priority you set, shipping rates display as expected, and returns route to the right warehouse. 

Run these checks for both domestic and international orders if you sell globally.

How Prediko Helps Manage Shopify Multiple Warehouses

Prediko is designed to help Shopify merchants manage inventory across multiple warehouses without relying on spreadsheets or manual processes. 

It combines real-time tracking, demand forecasting, and automation to keep stock accurate, orders routed correctly, and replenishment timely. 

Here are the features that make this possible.

• Centralized inventory tracking: View inventory across all Shopify warehouses, 3PLs, and POS locations in a single hub. No more switching tabs or reconciling spreadsheets.

• Real-time sync: Every sale, return, or transfer updates instantly across all locations, reducing errors and avoiding duplicate stock counts.

• AI-demand and supply planning: Prediko’s forecasting drills down to the SKU and location level. By analyzing historical sales data, seasonality, and growth trends, it predicts where, when, and how much stock will be needed. 

‍

• Automated transfers: Move inventory between warehouses with AI-backed recommendations that balance stock efficiently and cut shipping costs.

• Automated replenishment alerts: Prediko generates alerts when stock falls below thresholds at any of your warehouses. Easily generate and track POs for multiple warehouses, ensuring each site has what it needs, when it needs it.

• Detailed analytics and reports: Prediko offers in-depth analytics and 20+ reports to identify location-specific sales trends, stock movement and health, along with incoming POs, inventory value, and more. You can also schedule reports to your inbox for timely action.

Make Multi-Warehouse Inventory Work for You

Multiple warehouses on Shopify can either improve fulfillment or create inventory chaos. By setting them up correctly, prioritizing locations, and managing stock in real time, you can cut costs, avoid split shipments, and keep customers happy.

Prediko makes it easier with AI-powered forecasting, real-time inventory sync, automated purchase orders, and full visibility across every warehouse. Instead of draining cash flow, your inventory starts driving growth.

Start your 14-day free trial to see how Prediko simplifies multi-warehouse inventory management.

‍

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Supply chains are getting cooler, well at least we think that they are. Up until a few years ago supply chains were necessary cost centres that didn’t do much more than fulfil the promise of delivering goods to a warehouse; but since the boom of e-commerce they are coming into their own and we are all pushing and looking for our supply chains to be more intelligent, digital and resilient.

On one hand supply chains have become easier to operate with constantly improving technology, globalisation and diversified consumer habits, but equally we face a more volatile economy, greater environmental hazards and material shortages.

Supply chain resilience in difficult times

‍

That's why Kimai shifted away from an excel spreadsheet to a software app to help them plan their demand. And that's how they were able to save 20 hours / week with help of Prediko

By insisting on resilience with your supply chain you are supporting the team that operate your inventory and helping to build robust processes so your business can navigate the unexpected, smoothly.

At Prediko we like to look at problems with a solutions focused perspective so before you hit the ground running take a read through our top tips on building supply chain resilience.

Time to go digital

By investing and implementing digital solutions into your supply chain you are apply to gain access to invaluable data that improves transparency, traceability and your power to react to changes. Brands using apparel supply chain management software can track inventory movement, supplier timelines, and replenishment needs from a single source of truth. We discuss this point in a webinar with Limited Supply Slack community.

We discuss this point in a webinar with Limited Supply Slack community

Although it can take time to educate teams to adopt these practices, everyone should consider this a form of invaluable future proofing that can greatly increase margins in the long term. Within  Prediko dashboard, you can have visibility on all your inventory, it’s health and recommendations for immediate ordering, all at one glance!

In industries like Building Materials Industry Digitalization, going digital ensures smoother operations and enhanced resilience by enabling real-time inventory tracking and predictive analytics.

Communication is the key when it comes to building supply chain resilience

The first rule of all relationships is the importance of putting communication first. By insisting on clear communication and collaboration between suppliers, retailers and customers, you have the opportunity to reduce tensions between these forces. If communication is easy, you are able to raise potential issues earlier on, find solutions and accordingly adjust expectations. 

Age of eCommerce

A rapid shift towards an eCommerce first sales approach has been an adjustment, the shipping of single units and the packaging required for this has increased economic risk and jeopardised margins.

To combat this issue, it's important to design your products to fit with all routes of sale and adjust distribution channels to be suited.

That's why for D2C brands, it becomes important to invest in eCommerce inventory forecasting.

Supporting talent

Correct technology is one part of ensuring supply chain resilience but its also vital to have the right teams to support and manage these tools. Invest in making hires who are keen to try out new tools, curate and develop systems that make product acquisition easy, are attuned to potential problems and the solutions needed to weather them. That's why it is important to invest in inventory tracking apps that can help when supply chains are disrupted.

International outlook

Before the pandemic we might have considered it easier to have fewer suppliers in fewer locations, but in fact that can leave businesses incredibly vulnerable when local shocks occur- That's why it's very important to choose your suppliers.

An unforeseen environmental occurrence might paralyse your entire supply chain.

By insisting on diversified locations you will have bought yourself time to source solutions if one branch of your supply chain has been temporarily put out of commission.

At Prediko, we look at the health of your supply chain overall, with forecasting, live lead times and a real time dashboard, you will be able to ensure resilience is being maintained at across the board. To discuss our features in more detail, please reach out from the website and we’ll be in touch.

When it comes to choosing your suppliers, it should be high quality over quantity.

For folks looking at new suppliers, we encourage you to consider these six points before placing your orders with the suppliers:‍

1. Innovation amongst suppliers

‍It's important to work with vendors that believe in the benefits of change.

Look for those suppliers that are keen to experiment, learn and adapt but also have the capacity to teach and implement new practices in your own company.

2. Suppliers with deep pockets

‍You don't want to be commit to anything before completing a financial health check on a potential new supplier. This stands especially true for smaller ones.

3. Diversity in terms of suppliers

In the same token that you should have a diverse supply chain, you want the same from your vendors. Try to get your hands on as much information as possible on their supply network and foresee any potential risks you could mitigate and prepare for. This also helps in building supply chain resilience.

4. A global presence amongst suppliers

‍A global network of suppliers can help you to protect against the impact of local supply shocks and support your own expansion plans.

5. Suppliers using the right technology

‍You should be working want to be working with suppliers who are using tech based solutions to make processes, updates and interactions as smooth as possible. It becomes easier to work with suppliers that use the best purchase order tools on the market.

Imagine a world where there was automated order processing and real-time order status.

6. Sustainability

‍Sustainability should be a top of the list priority for all retailers and should be on top of the mind of your suppliers as well.

Find vendors that are enthusiastic about working towards sustainable goals and help you to implement the infrastructure for making this a reality.

We discuss all these points in a community webinar with Limited Supply Slack D2C group.

After considering these six points, it's also important to choose the right purchase order management app to make it easy to create, track and manage purchase orders for these suppliers.