ShipWave Channels

Inventory buffers and floors

Configure safety stock settings to prevent overselling on marketplaces.

What is an inventory buffer?

A buffer holds back a portion of your inventory from a marketplace. This creates a safety margin to prevent overselling during high-velocity sales or sync delays.

Example: You have 100 units in Shopify. With a buffer of 10 units, the marketplace shows 90 available.

Buffer types

Fixed buffer: Hold back a specific number of units.
  • Setting: Buffer = 5 units
  • Shopify has 100 → Marketplace shows 95
  • Shopify has 10 → Marketplace shows 5
  • Shopify has 3 → Marketplace shows 0 (can't go negative)

Percentage buffer: Hold back a percentage of inventory.
  • Setting: Buffer = 10%
  • Shopify has 100 → Marketplace shows 90
  • Shopify has 50 → Marketplace shows 45
  • Shopify has 10 → Marketplace shows 9

What is an inventory floor?

A floor sets a minimum threshold. When Shopify inventory drops to or below this number, the marketplace shows zero (out of stock).

Example: Floor = 3. If Shopify has 3 or fewer units, marketplace shows 0.

Why use a floor? Prevent selling your last few units on a marketplace where cancellation penalties are high (like Amazon). Reserve them for your own website or other channels.

Buffer + floor together

Buffers and floors work together:
  1. Start with Shopify quantity
  2. Subtract buffer (or apply percentage)
  3. If result ≤ floor, set to 0
  4. Final result is pushed to marketplace

Example:
  • Shopify: 20 units
  • Buffer: 5 fixed
  • Floor: 3
  • Step 1: 20 - 5 = 15
  • Step 2: 15 > 3, so use 15
  • Marketplace shows: 15

Another example:
  • Shopify: 7 units
  • Buffer: 5 fixed
  • Floor: 3
  • Step 1: 7 - 5 = 2
  • Step 2: 2 ≤ 3, so use 0
  • Marketplace shows: 0 (out of stock)

Configuring buffer and floor

  1. Go to Admin → Marketplace → [Channel] → Inventory
  2. Set Buffer Type: Fixed or Percentage
  3. Set Buffer Value: Number of units or percentage
  4. Set Floor Value: Minimum threshold
  5. Click Save
Changes apply to the next inventory sync.

Recommended settings by marketplace

  • Amazon: Buffer 5-10 units, Floor 2-3. Amazon has strict overselling penalties.
  • Walmart: Buffer 5 units, Floor 2. Similar penalties to Amazon.
  • eBay: Buffer 2-5 units, Floor 1. More lenient, but overselling hurts seller ratings.
  • Etsy: Buffer 2 units, Floor 1. Smaller order volumes, less risk.
  • TikTok: Buffer 3-5 units, Floor 1. Newer platform, conservative approach recommended.

FAQs

Should I use the same buffer on all channels?
Not necessarily. Use larger buffers on channels with stricter penalties (Amazon, Walmart) and smaller buffers where you want maximum inventory availability.
Does the buffer reduce my total inventory?
No. The buffer only affects what's displayed on the marketplace. Your actual Shopify inventory is unchanged.
What if I set buffer higher than my inventory?
The marketplace will show 0 units available. Negative inventory isn't possible—the minimum is always 0.
Can I have different buffers for different products?
Not currently. Buffers are set per-channel and apply to all listings on that channel. Per-product buffers are planned for a future update.

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