Mastering Shopify Purchase Orders: Your Guide to Variant-Level Inbound Stock Visibility Post-Stocky

Hey there, fellow store owners! It's no secret that the inventory game on Shopify got a little tougher for many of us after Stocky bowed out. I've been seeing a lot of chatter in the community, and one pain point keeps coming up: the struggle to get a clear, variant-level picture of your inbound stock when you're trying to create a purchase order (PO).

Our friend @louisepatterson, who runs a lingerie and swimwear store, perfectly articulated this challenge. They need to see their current on-hand stock, units already on order, and units not yet received — all at the variant level — right there in the PO form. Without it, replenishment decisions are slower, and the risk of over-ordering (or worse, under-ordering a key size!) goes way up.

The Hidden Dangers of Inaccurate Inbound Tracking

This isn't just about convenience; it's about making smart business decisions. As @juhyun_han pointed out in the thread, there's a critical error many of us have made: totaling outstanding stock across the entire order instead of per line item. Imagine this scenario:

• You order 12 units of a Size M item and 8 units of a Size S item.
• The supplier over-ships Size M (you get 15 instead of 12) but under-ships Size S (you get 5 instead of 8).
• Total ordered: 20. Total received: 20.

If you're only looking at the overall totals, your PO looks fully received, and you might think everything's settled. But here's the kicker: Size S is still 3 units short! The over-shipment on Size M quietly paid for it on paper, hiding a real stock gap. For businesses like lingerie and swimwear, this can be devastating because, as @juhyun_han rightly noted, the shorted line is often a middle size that actually sells, while the over-shipped item might be an end-of-curve size that sits on shelves.

Another crucial detail brought up by @Denyslg and @juhyun_han: an inbound delivery only counts as supply if it lands *before* your current on-hand stock runs out. A delivery arriving two weeks after you've sold out isn't supply; it's just paperwork attached to a sales gap. So, knowing expected arrival dates is just as important as the quantity.

Workarounds for Better PO Visibility

Since Shopify's native PO creation screen doesn't currently combine all these numbers (on-hand, on-order, not-yet-received) side-by-side at the variant level, the community has come up with a few smart workarounds:

1. The Two-Tab Shopify Approach

@Moeed suggested a simple, native Shopify solution: keep your "Products, Inventory" page open in a second tab while you build a PO. This view gives you "On hand, Available, Committed, Unavailable, and Incoming" per variant. "Incoming" is exactly those units on order but not yet received. You can filter this view down to the products you're ordering to avoid over-ordering.

2. The Smart Spreadsheet Method (Step-by-Step)

This is probably the most robust manual workaround, combining insights from @DanielAnderson, @clickfromai, and @Skubase. It requires a bit of setup but can save you a lot of headaches:

1. Export Your Inventory: Start by exporting your current inventory from Shopify. Make sure it has one row per size/color SKU and location.
2. Add PO Details: Create new columns in your spreadsheet for each open PO. Don't just add the original ordered quantity! Instead, track the outstanding inbound quantity per variant. If you ordered 12 and 5 were received, you'd enter 7 here.
3. Track Receiving: Keep a simple receiving log. When a partial shipment arrives, immediately reduce the "outstanding inbound" amount for that specific variant on that specific PO line. This ensures your "remaining inbound" is always accurate.
4. Include Expected Arrival Dates: Add a column for the expected arrival date for each inbound quantity. This helps you prioritize and understand if the stock will arrive in time to prevent a sales gap.
5. Calculate Your True Supply Position:
   • Available Stock: This is what you have on hand and not committed to existing orders.
   • Outstanding Inbound: The units still expected from open POs.
   • Your Supply Position: Available + Outstanding Inbound.
6. Determine Order Quantity: Calculate your ideal order quantity by taking your "Target Stock" (what you ideally want to have) and subtracting your "Supply Position." This ensures you're only ordering what you truly need.
7. Sort by Variant: Always sort your sheet by variant (e.g., specific size and color) to keep replenishment decisions tied to the exact items that are short.
8. Watch for Over-Receipts: As @juhyun_han wisely advised, if a receipt is far above the order (e.g., 200 typed where 20 was meant), stop and check it. A simple ratio check can catch these costly keystroke errors.

The App Ecosystem Steps Up

Of course, for many, the cleanest solution is a dedicated app. Several developers in the community are actively building solutions to fill this Stocky-sized void. @Denyslg mentioned his app, Binly, which was built with this exact problem in mind, ensuring partial receipts keep the remainder visible. @DougInOr showcased FyreTrail, which provides variant-level visibility across many parts of the application, even offering a "Restocking" feature to create multiple POs with a single button press. They even shared a sneak peek of their item chooser functionality:

And another for ordering by case quantity:

@Skubase also mentioned their app, Skubase, which is currently in Shopify's review process, aiming to provide similar solutions.

As @Mustafa_Ali advised, exploring these lower-cost inventory apps (often in the $19-49/month range) built specifically as Stocky replacements can be a great investment, especially since this combined view is one of the most requested features.

Making Your Voice Heard

While these workarounds and apps are fantastic, it's also important to let Shopify know what you need. @Moeed suggested posting your feedback on community.shopify.dev. This is where Shopify's product team actively engages. When you post, lead with the "over-ordering risk" argument, as it highlights a direct business impact. There are plenty of ex-Stocky users who are feeling this same gap, so your voice adds to a collective call for better native tools.

Ultimately, whether you choose a manual spreadsheet, a two-tab approach, or a dedicated app, having a clear, variant-level view of your inbound stock is non-negotiable for efficient inventory management. It helps you avoid those hidden shortages, ensures you're always ordering optimally, and keeps your customers happy by having the right products in stock at the right time. Keep experimenting with these strategies until you find what works best for your unique store!