WooCommerce inventory management ranges from basic (built-in stock fields) to sophisticated (ATUM Inventory Manager, WooCommerce Stock Manager, or custom warehouse integrations). Shopify's native inventory tools are capable for most stores, but some WooCommerce inventory plugins have no direct Shopify equivalent. This guide covers what Shopify provides natively and what requires a third-party app.

Shopify's native inventory features

Per-variant inventory tracking: Each product variant has its own stock level. Enable "Track quantity" per variant.
Multiple locations: Assign inventory to multiple locations (warehouses, retail stores, fulfillment centres). Stock levels are per variant per location.
Inventory adjustments: Manual stock level changes with reason codes (received, returned, damaged, theft, correction). Adjustment history maintained.
Committed inventory: Shopify tracks "committed" (in open unfulfilled orders) and "available" stock separately. Available = on hand − committed.
Incoming inventory: Mark stock as "incoming" for purchase orders in transit (Shopify plan and above).
Low stock notifications: Not built in natively — handled by apps or email notification automations.
Inventory CSV export/import: Bulk update stock levels via CSV. Useful for periodic reconciliation.

What doesn't exist natively in Shopify

Feature	WooCommerce approach	Shopify solution
Purchase orders	ATUM, WC Purchase Orders	Stocky app (Shopify-owned, free), Inventory Planner
Supplier management	ATUM suppliers module	Stocky, Inventory Planner, Cin7
Low stock email alerts	WooCommerce core + email	Mechanic (automation), Low Stock Alert app
Bundle inventory deduction	WPC Product Bundles, YITH Bundles	Bundles by Shopify (free, basic), Bundler, Kite
Warehouse management	Custom / WMS integration	Linnworks, Cin7, Brightpearl (3PL/WMS integration)
Reorder point automation	ATUM, custom	Inventory Planner, Stocky
Serial number / batch tracking	WooCommerce Serial Numbers plugin	TradeGecko (via API), or custom metafield tracking
Expiry date tracking	Custom / WC product expiry	Custom metafields + Mechanic automation

Multi-location inventory after migration

If your WooCommerce store has a single stock pool, migration is straightforward: all stock migrates to your primary Shopify location. If you run multiple locations (warehouse + retail shop, for example):

Add all locations in Shopify Admin → Settings → Locations before migration
Import initial stock to your primary location via k-sync or CSV
Manually allocate stock to secondary locations via Shopify Admin → Inventory (or via inventory CSV per location)
Configure which locations fulfill online orders (drag to set priority in Shopify Admin → Settings → Shipping → Fulfillment)

Bundle inventory

WooCommerce bundle plugins (WPC Bundles, YITH Bundles, Composite Products) track component stock and deduct it when a bundle is purchased. Shopify's native Bundles app (free) handles simple fixed-component bundles — when a bundle sells, all component variants are decremented automatically. For complex bundles (configurable, quantity-variable), use Bundler or Kite apps.

During migration from k-sync: bundle products import as standard products. Component tracking must be reconfigured post-migration. Tag all bundle products in WooCommerce before export (bundle tag) so they can be easily identified and reconfigured in Shopify.

Inventory during migration cutover

The riskiest inventory moment is the cutover period when both WooCommerce and Shopify are accepting orders simultaneously (if running in parallel). To avoid overselling:

Set a specific cutover time (e.g. 9am Tuesday) when WooCommerce goes to maintenance mode and Shopify goes live
Export final WooCommerce stock levels immediately before cutover
Import those stock levels to Shopify as the opening inventory
If any WooCommerce orders came in during the migration window, manually decrement Shopify stock for those items

Stock level migration with k-sync

k-sync imports stock_quantity from WooCommerce products into the normalised product format. The stock level is included in the Shopify push and sets the initial inventory quantity at your primary location. After import:

Verify stock levels on the Shopify inventory page match your WooCommerce export
Run a spot check on your top 20 SKUs by revenue to confirm accuracy
Check that variants on variable products each have their correct stock level (not a pooled total)

Post-migration inventory checklist

All locations configured in Shopify before first inventory import
Stock levels imported and verified against WooCommerce export
Variable products: per-variant stock levels confirmed (not pooled)
Bundle products: component deduction configured in bundle app
Low stock alerts set up (Mechanic rule or third-party app)
Inventory tracking enabled for all variants that require it
"Continue selling when out of stock" set correctly (true for pre-orders, false for hard out-of-stock)
Stocky app configured if purchase orders are part of workflow
Fulfillment location priority set for multi-location stores
Inventory adjustment reason codes agreed on with warehouse team

Shopify inventory management after migrating from WooCommerce (2026)