Inventory Management for Product Bundles
A product bundle is considered a single product that combines multiple SKUs into one offering. For example, a clothing set consisting of a top and shorts can be created by grouping tops in two colors with shorts in two colors. This results in four unique inventory items that require management within the system. If any variant goes out of stock, it may affect the availability of the entire bundle.
To help you efficiently track the inventory of your product bundles and their associated SKUs, this guide explains how to manage bundle inventory using the Product Option Customizer & Product Bundler app.
Enabling Automatic Inventory Updates for Product Bundles
To minimize the risk of overselling or fulfillment delays, it is recommended to enable the automatic inventory update feature for inventory management. Once enabled, the system will automatically calculate the available quantity of product bundles based on the inventory of individual SKUs. Follow these steps:
Note: This automatic inventory update feature is currently in beta testing. For early access, please contact SHOPLINE Customer Support. |
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In the Product Option Customizer & Product Bundler app, go to the Bundles tab and select the product bundle you want to update.
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In the Stock section, select Calculate the maximum quantity of bundle that can be formed based on the quantity of components. Once enabled, manual inventory adjustments are disabled, and the system calculates the bundle's inventory based on the available SKUs across all locations.
Note: When the automatic inventory update is enabled, the Enable inventory tracking and Continue selling when out of stock options become unavailable. Inventory management follows the SKU settings on their respective product pages, according to these rules: - If all SKUs in the bundle do not track inventory, the bundle will also not track inventory. If any SKU tracks inventory, the bundle must also track inventory.
- If all SKUs in the bundle are set to continue selling when out of stock, the bundle will also continue selling when out of stock. If any SKU does not continue selling when out of stock, the bundle will also not continue selling when out of stock.
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Under Select a location, choose a location for the system to use when calculating the shipping fee for the bundle.
Note: This location is used only for shipping fee calculation and does not affect inventory tracking. - Click Update to save your changes.
Example Calculations
Assume a product bundle consists of three SKU types, totaling six SKU items (1 of SKU 1, 2 of SKU 2, and 3 of SKU 3). The following examples illustrate different inventory calculation scenarios:
Scenario 1: ALl SKUs Track Inventory
If all SKUs track inventory, the number of available bundles is determined by the SKU with the lowest number of items that can participate in the bundle.
SKU | Items per Bundle | SKU Stock | Maximum Items to Participate in the Bundle | Maximum Bundles Available |
SKU 1 | 1 | 100 | 100 / 1 = 100 | Since SKU 3 limits the bundle to 20 units, the available bundles are 20. |
SKU 2 | 2 | 400 | 400 / 2 = 200 | |
SKU 3 | 3 | 60 | 60 / 3 = 20 |
Scenario 2: Some SKUs Track Inventory
In this scenario, inventory for SKU 3 is not tracked, meaning it does not limit bundle availability. SKU 1, which has the lowest number of items available for the bundle, determines the total number of available bundles.
SKU | Items per Bundle | SKU Stock | Maximum Items to Participate in the Bundle | Maximum Bundles Available |
SKU 1 | 1 | 100 | 100 / 1 = 100 | Since SKU 1 limits the bundle to 100 units, the available bundles are 100. |
SKU 2 | 2 | 400 | 400 / 2 = 200 | |
SKU 3 | 3 | Not Tracked | Unlimited |
Scenario 3: No SKUs Track Inventory
In this scenario, none of the SKUs track inventory, meaning that bundle inventory is also not tracked.
SKU | Items per Bundle | SKU Stock | Maximum Items to Participate in the Bundle | Maximum Bundles Available |
SKU 1 | 1 | Not Tracked | Unlimited | Since none of the SKUs track inventory, there is no limit on bundle availability. |
SKU 2 | 2 | Not Tracked | Unlimited | |
SKU 3 | 3 | Not Tracked | Unlimited |
Viewing Available Product Bundles
Once the automatic inventory update feature is enabled, you can view the available inventory of your product bundles on their product settings pages. From your SHOPLINE admin panel, go to Products and select the bundled product. In the Inventory section, you can:
- View the available bundle inventory quantity: This is displayed at the bottom left and is automatically calculated; it cannot be manually adjusted.
- Check the inventory calculation method: Click See calculation method at the bottom right to view how the inventory is calculated.
- Review update history: Click Log to view the update history of this bundled product.
This allows you to easily check and manage the bundle inventory, calculation method, and update history for your product bundles.
Updating Bundled Product Inventory Manually
If you prefer to manually manage the available inventory for product bundles at each location, follow these steps:
Reminder: Ensure to update the inventory promptly to prevent the risks of overselling, stock discrepancies, and fulfillment delays. |
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In the Product Option Customizer & Product Bundler app, go to the Bundles tab and select the bundled product you want to update.
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Locate the Stock section and select Manually edit the quantity of the bundle.
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Check Enable inventory tracking and/or Continue selling when out of stock, if needed.
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In the store location list, manually adjust the inventory for each location.
Note: When a bundle is sold, the stock levels of its individual SKUs are automatically deducted. Ensure that the SKUs are stored in locations where the bundle is available and that there is sufficient stock to fulfill orders.
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Click Update to save your changes.