Each size and color as its own SKU
Each size and color will be its own stock keeping unit (SKU), the same way Shopify handles variants, with on-hand counts by location.
By industry · Apparel and fashion
Clothing brands that know where every size is.
Popular sizes sell out on drop day while slow ones sit, and your boutique and website rarely show the same stock. adorabl's apparel inventory management will track every size and color across Shopify, your store, and Amazon in one count.
Mediums gone by day two, XLs waiting for the sale.
A size run never sells evenly. Popular sizes sell out fast, slow ones pile up, and a drop packs days of orders into a few hours. adorabl's inventory management will show every size and color in every location, so you'll see the imbalance while there's still time to act.
Drops and collections on schedule
Purchase orders and receipts will have each collection's stock in place before launch day, and transfers will move units between your warehouse, your store, and any third-party logistics (3PL) partner.
Promo and holiday spikes
Shopify online orders and Shopify POS sales will share channel tags and one process, so Black Friday will run the same way as a normal Tuesday.
The adorabl capabilities clothing brands will use.
Fashion brands and boutiques will use the same capabilities as any product business on adorabl.
Inventory management
Your item list will hold each size and color as its own SKU, with categories, costing, and stock on hand by location.
Order management
Shopify online orders, Shopify POS sales from your boutique, and Amazon orders will all run through one order process, from checkout to invoice.
Purchase orders
Purchase orders will cover each drop's size run, one receipt can cover several of them, and purchase-to-order lines will handle special orders.
Warehouse management
Bins and a packing workspace will handle parcels at your warehouse, and your boutique will be its own location for in-store stock and pickup.
Accounting
Invoices for Shopify, boutique, and Amazon sales will post as orders ship, and marketplace settlement reconciliation will tie each payout back to its orders.
Shopify integration
Connect Shopify for your website and Shopify POS, and tag your other channels, so each drop will show up in one place.
A drop week in apparel.
Apparel inventory management means tracking stock for every style, size, and color in every place you sell, so you know which sizes to reorder and which are sitting. This is how one drop will run in adorabl.
- 01
Set up the collection
Create each style's sizes and colors as items, assign categories, and set up the warehouse and store that will hold launch stock.
- 02
Buy the size run
A size run is the mix of sizes ordered for one style. Place a purchase order for each size run, receive it into your warehouse or 3PL, then transfer stock to your store.
- 03
Sell on Shopify and in your store
Connect Shopify, and your website and Shopify POS sales will draw from the same count. Amazon orders, if you sell there, will pull from it too.
- 04
Ship and reconcile after the spike
Pick, pack, and ship the online orders, and adorabl will create invoices as they ship and tie each payout back to its orders once the rush is over.
Outcomes for apparel brands.
Once your drops, channels, and books share one enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, a few things will change.
Know which sizes are left, and where
You'll see which sizes are left in your boutique versus your warehouse before you promise a customer a ship date.
One order model through promo week
Channel defaults will choose how each order ships, so you won't rebuild your process for Black Friday or a big drop.
Buy timing tied to stock
Purchase orders and receipts will post to inventory, so launch week won't turn into a spreadsheet chase.
Honest scope
adorabl fits brands that buy finished clothing. It doesn't include a size-and-color grid, so each size and color will be its own SKU, the way Shopify handles variants. It also doesn't include allocation planning, product development software, a returns app, or manufacturing.
Running a clothing brand on spreadsheets vs. adorabl.
Many clothing brands track sizes in a spreadsheet and keep the books in QuickBooks. The table compares that setup with adorabl.
| What you're tracking | Spreadsheets and QuickBooks | adorabl |
|---|---|---|
| Stock by size and color | A tab per style, updated by hand after each drop | Will show every size and color in every location, updated as sales post |
| Boutique and website | Two counts that drift apart between updates | Will share one count across Shopify online and Shopify POS |
| Drop-day orders | Extra hands and a spreadsheet to keep up | Will run through the same order process as any other day |
| Your books | Sales exported into QuickBooks after the fact | Will post to your books as stock moves and orders ship |
Example · Linen shirt drop
One linen shirt, four sizes, and a two-day sellout in medium.
A fictional fashion label drops a linen shirt in four sizes, sold on Shopify and in its boutique on Shopify POS.
1. Buy the size run
A purchase order covers 80 shirts: 10 small, 30 medium, 30 large, and 10 extra-large. The receipt adds them to the warehouse, and 20 transfer to the boutique.
2. Drop day
Shopify and Shopify POS orders pull from the same count. By day two, mediums are down to 3 while 9 extra-larges are still on the shelf.
3. Ship and settle
Each shipment creates its invoice, and settlement reconciliation ties the Shopify payouts back to their orders, so the drop's sales land in the books that week.
Related solutions.
Other industries and challenges clothing brands often explore.
Technical outdoor apparel
Outdoor gear and performance clothing sold on Shopify, on Amazon, and in store, from one stock count.
Consumer electronics
Accessory brands tracking stock on the water and one count across Shopify and Amazon.
Challenge · Know what you have in stock
Stock by SKU and location, in one count.
Challenge · Sell across channels
Shopify, your store, and Amazon in one place.
Apparel and fashion questions, answered.
What's the best ERP for a small clothing brand?
What's the best ERP for a small clothing brand?
The best enterprise resource planning (ERP) system for a small clothing brand tracks every size and color in every location, keeps your website and boutique in one count, and ties sales to the books. adorabl will do all three. If you cut and sew in-house or need allocation planning, choose a system built for that.
How do I track inventory by size and color?
How do I track inventory by size and color?
Make each size and color its own stock keeping unit (SKU), the same way Shopify handles variants. adorabl will track each one by location, so you'll see how many medium black tees are in your warehouse and your boutique. adorabl doesn't include a size-and-color grid, so you'll set up each SKU on its own or import them from a spreadsheet.
How do I keep popular sizes from selling out while others pile up?
How do I keep popular sizes from selling out while others pile up?
Start by seeing the imbalance early. adorabl will show stock for every size and color in every location, with low-stock warnings as popular sizes run down, so you can reorder mediums or move stock to the boutique while slow sizes sit. It won't forecast your next size run, but you'll have the numbers to plan it.
Can my boutique on Shopify POS and my online store share the same inventory?
Can my boutique on Shopify POS and my online store share the same inventory?
Yes. A boutique on Shopify POS rings up in-store sales that draw from the same inventory as its Shopify website. adorabl will keep that one count, with your store as its own location. It isn't a point-of-sale (POS) system, so you'll keep Shopify POS at the register, and adorabl will run the stock, orders, and books behind it.
Will adorabl hold up during a drop or Black Friday?
Will adorabl hold up during a drop or Black Friday?
Yes. A drop is a limited release of new styles on a set date, which packs a burst of orders into a few hours or days. adorabl will run those orders through the same process as any other day, shipping from stock that exists, so you won't need a separate setup for Black Friday.
What about returns and exchanges?
What about returns and exchanges?
adorabl doesn't include a returns app. Returned items will go back into stock through an inventory adjustment, while your returns app or Shopify will handle the labels and refunds. For an exchange, you'll return the original item to stock and send the new size as a regular order.
How is adorabl different from running a clothing brand on spreadsheets and QuickBooks?
How is adorabl different from running a clothing brand on spreadsheets and QuickBooks?
adorabl will keep every size and color, your boutique and website, and your books in one system. With spreadsheets and QuickBooks, you update size counts by hand after each drop and export sales into your books later. In adorabl, those will update as stock moves and orders ship.
Is manufacturing or cut-and-sew supported?
Is manufacturing or cut-and-sew supported?
No. adorabl fits brands that buy finished clothing from a supplier and sell it. If you cut and sew in-house, you'll need a manufacturing system for production. Once finished pieces arrive, adorabl will handle the buying, stock, orders, and books.
A fashion ERP built for every size run.
Start on the free tier before your next drop, or talk to us about moving over from NetSuite or another system.