Stocky Is Being Sunset: How Shopify Retailers Are Managing Buying and Inventory Without It
Shopify has announced that Stocky will be sunset, leaving many retailers wondering how they will manage purchase orders, inventory receiving, and buying workflows going forward.
For many Shopify stores, especially boutiques and growing retailers, Stocky has been an important operational tool for handling purchase orders and receiving inventory. With the app going away, merchants are now asking an important question:
What is the best way to manage buying and inventory after Stocky?
The good news is that the workflows retailers relied on with Stocky still exist - they’re simply evolving.
Today, many retailers are adopting tools that not only help with receiving inventory, but also help capture buying decisions earlier, prepare products for Shopify before inventory arrives, and track spending across their buying budgets.
Instead of focusing only on inventory mechanics, many retailers are moving toward workflows that connect the entire buying process:
capturing products when buying from vendors
preparing products for Shopify before receiving inventory
receiving and organizing incoming products
tracking buying spend and seasonal budgets
In this guide, we’ll look at how Shopify retailers are managing buying and inventory after Stocky, and the workflows that are emerging as the next generation of retail operations.
What Stocky helped Shopify retailers do
For many Shopify retailers, Stocky became a key operational tool for managing purchasing and inventory workflows.
The app helped merchants handle several important tasks, including:
creating and managing purchase orders
receiving incoming inventory from vendors
tracking stock levels across locations
reviewing basic inventory insights to guide reorders
For retailers with growing product catalogs, Stocky provided a structured way to organize purchasing and keep inventory data connected to Shopify.
However, many retailers also relied on additional tools - such as spreadsheets or manual workflows - to manage other parts of the buying process.
With Stocky being sunset, retailers are now looking for ways to maintain these operational workflows while also improving how they plan and manage buying.
What retailers still need after Stocky
Even though Stocky is being sunset, the operational needs behind it haven’t changed.
Retailers still need reliable ways to manage purchasing, prepare products for sale, and keep inventory data organized inside Shopify.
In practice, most retailers rely on a workflow that includes several steps:
capturing product information when placing orders with vendors
organizing purchase details such as style numbers, colors, pricing, and delivery dates
preparing product data before inventory arrives
receiving inventory and making it available for sale
tracking buying spend and staying within seasonal budgets
For many boutiques and growing retail brands, these tasks have often been managed through a mix of tools, including spreadsheets, inventory systems, and manual notes taken during buying appointments or market visits.
As retailers look for solutions after Stocky, many are shifting toward tools that help connect these steps into a single buying workflow, starting with the moment products are selected from vendors and continuing through product preparation and inventory receiving.
This approach helps retailers maintain control over their buying decisions while also keeping their Shopify catalog organized and ready for new product launches.
The modern buying workflow many boutiques use today
For many boutiques and independent retailers, the buying process often starts long before inventory arrives at the store.
Buyers frequently place orders while visiting vendor showrooms, attending market events, or reviewing new collections with suppliers. During these buying appointments, retailers typically collect product details such as:
product photos
style numbers and colors
wholesale pricing
delivery windows
order quantities
Traditionally, this information has been captured through a mix of notes, spreadsheets, and photos stored on a phone.
Today, many retailers are moving toward workflows that allow them to capture this information immediately while buying, making it easier to organize products and prepare their Shopify catalog ahead of receiving inventory.
A typical modern buying workflow might look like this:
Capture product information while placing orders with vendors
Record details such as price, color, delivery date, and style numbers
Prepare products for Shopify before inventory arrives
Receive inventory and activate products for sale
Track buying spend and monitor budgets across the season
By organizing buying decisions earlier in the process, retailers gain better visibility into their purchasing activity and can ensure their product catalog is ready when inventory arrives.
Stocky Alternatives for Shopify Retailers
As Shopify retailers adapt to the sunset of Stocky, many are exploring tools that support different parts of the buying and inventory workflow.
Some retailers rely on Shopify’s built-in inventory features for basic stock management, while others use specialized tools to help organize purchasing and buying decisions.
In many cases, retailers are now looking for solutions that help them manage the full lifecycle of buying - from capturing product information when placing orders with vendors to preparing products for Shopify and receiving inventory.
Platforms like FAVES support this type of workflow by helping retailers capture buying decisions, organize product information, and prepare products for Shopify before inventory arrives.
For example, retailers using FAVES can:
capture product details and photos while placing orders with vendors
organize buying information such as price, style number, color, and delivery dates
prepare products and push them to Shopify before inventory is received
upload vendor invoices to quickly organize incoming products
track buying spend and monitor budgets across the season
By connecting these steps into one workflow, retailers gain better visibility into their buying activity while keeping their Shopify catalog organized and ready for new product launches.
How Retailers Use FAVES to Manage Orders and Inventory
Boutiques are using FAVES in different ways depending on how they operate, and that flexibility is intentional.
1. Planning Buys at Market or Online
Retailers enter products into FAVES at market or when placing online orders, including images, styles, pricing, categories, and expected delivery windows. Inventory is organized by month, season, and category, making it easy to see what’s coming and when.
2. Tracking Budgets in Real Time
Because orders live in FAVES before inventory arrives, retailers can track budgets by category, brand, or season as they buy — not after the fact. This helps prevent overbuying and highlights gaps early.
3. Preparing Shopify Ahead of Receiving (Optional)
Some boutiques choose to push products from FAVES to Shopify before inventory is received. This allows them to:
See product images in Shopify
Build collections and merchandising in advance
Prepare their online store before deliveries arrive
4. Receiving Inventory with Clarity
Other retailers wait to upload products to Shopify until inventory is physically received. When items arrive, they are marked as received in FAVES and pushed to Shopify only when they’re sell-ready.
Because receiving and uploading to Shopify are disconnected in FAVES, retailers can choose — or combine — the workflow that best fits their business.
“We put everything into FAVES at market, clean it up when we get home, and push it to Shopify when we’re ready. It keeps our budget in check and helps us see gaps before inventory arrives.” — Brianne Howard, Owner of Stella Ivy
Why This Flexible Workflow Replaces Stocky More Effectively
Rather than forcing retailers into a single process, FAVES gives boutiques control over how inventory moves from planning to selling.
Retailers gain:
Visibility into future inventory and delivery timing
Real-time budget tracking before products arrive
The ability to prep Shopify in advance or keep it clean until receiving
Fewer surprises and less last-minute work
This flexibility is especially valuable as boutiques grow, add channels, or change how they buy.
Exploring new workflows after Stocky
As Stocky sunsets, the opportunity isn’t just to find a replacement - it’s to build a smarter, calmer buying and inventory process that supports the way your business actually runs.
Many boutiques are taking this moment to rethink how they capture buying decisions, organize product information, and prepare their Shopify catalog before inventory arrives.
Seeing how other retailers approach these workflows can make the transition much easier.
We regularly host short, informal sessions where boutique owners share how they use FAVES to plan buys, track budgets, and manage incoming inventory before products go live in Shopify.
If you’re navigating the transition away from Stocky and want to see how other boutiques are approaching buying and inventory planning, learning from real workflows can be a helpful place to start.
Is Shopify Stocky being sunset?
Yes. Shopify has announced that Stocky is being sunset and will be discontinued. New installs are no longer available, and retailers are encouraged to transition to alternative inventory planning workflows.
What is a good Shopify alternative to Stocky for boutiques?
Many boutiques are using FAVES as an alternative to Stockly to manage inventory planning, budgets, and incoming orders before products are sold in Shopify.
Can FAVES replace Stocky?
FAVES does not replicate Stocky feature-for-feature. Instead, it replaces the planning, ordering, and visibility that retailers used Stocky for, while offering more flexibility in how and when products are uploaded to Shopify.
Do I have to wait until inventory is received to upload products to Shopify?
No. With FAVES, uploading products to Shopify and receiving inventory are separate actions. Some retailers upload products early to prepare their store, while others wait until inventory arrives. FAVES supports both workflows.
How do boutiques use FAVES for inventory planning?
Boutiques use FAVES to plan buys at market or online, track budgets by category or season, organize incoming inventory, and manage receiving - all before products are live in Shopify.
Is FAVES only for large retailers?
No. FAVES is used by independent boutiques of all sizes, especially those looking for a clearer, calmer way to manage inventory without relying on spreadsheets or complex ERP systems.