How a Multi-Store Shopify Seller Synced Inventory with Sumtracker

• Industry: Roofing, siding, and gutter supply
• Business Type: Wholesale distributor serving residential and commercial contractors
• Location: Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, USA
• Years in Operation: 30+ years
• Product Range: Tools, fasteners, hardware, cleaning supplies, tarps, and other job-site essentials
• Sales Channels:
  • Shopify-powered online store (nationwide orders)
  • Purchase orders via email
  • Local delivery within a 50-mile radius

About the Brand

This US-based wholesale distributor has been serving the roofing, siding, and gutter industry for over three decades. From its headquarters in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, the business supplies contractors nationwide with a wide range of tools, fasteners, hardware, and job-site essentials.

Their sales channels include a Shopify-powered online store for nationwide orders, direct purchase orders via email, and local delivery within a 50-mile radius.

Known for same- or next-day shipping and dedicated account representatives, the business has built its reputation on reliable supply, fast turnaround, and exceptional service to both residential and commercial contractors.

Operational Hurdles Before Sumtracker

As the business expanded from a single Shopify store to multiple storefronts, inventory management became a daily battle. What had once been a straightforward process started breaking down under the pressure of multi-store operations.

• Inventory Sync Was Unreliable
  With two Shopify stores running, keeping stock levels accurate without overwriting product titles was a constant struggle. Manual cross-checking between stores ate up valuable time and still left room for error.

• No Vendor Visibility in Low Stock Reports
  Without vendor names in threshold reports, grouping products for purchase orders was tedious and time-consuming, slowing down replenishment.

• Overselling Risk Increased
  The lack of real-time sync and manual adjustments meant stockouts and overselling could happen easily, especially on fast-moving products.

• Purchase Orders Were Managed Separately
  A standalone PO app added extra cost and duplicated work, requiring data entry in two different systems.

• Cost Accuracy Was Inconsistent
  Shopify overwrote moving average cost data in Sumtracker, making it hard to maintain accurate landed costs for decision-making.

• No Cycle Count Workflow
  Without a proper process for regular stock counts, discrepancies between physical and system inventory went unnoticed until they became urgent.

How Sumtracker Solved the Problem

After evaluating multiple inventory sync tools, the business chose Sumtracker for its ability to handle multi-store Shopify operations while offering a full suite of inventory management features in one platform.

The onboarding process focused on syncing both stores accurately, preserving product titles, and setting up vendor-based ordering.

• Accurate Multi-Store Sync
  Connected both Shopify stores through SKU-based matching, ensuring real-time updates without overwriting unique product names. Manual adjustments now sync instantly, while order-based updates happen every eight minutes.

• Vendor Visibility in Reports
  Added the ability to view and group low-stock products by vendor, making purchase orders faster and more accurate.

• All-in-One Purchase Order Management
  Replaced a separate PO app, bringing ordering, receiving, and vendor tracking into Sumtracker, saving time and reducing software costs.

• Protected Cost Accuracy
  Disabled Shopify’s cost overwrite so Sumtracker’s moving average cost stays intact and updates automatically when purchase orders are received.

• Introduced Cycle Counts & Variance Tracking
  Implemented stock adjustments with “stock take” reasons, variance reporting, and printable count sheets for a more structured counting process.

The Results

Within just weeks of implementing Sumtracker, the business transformed a time-consuming, error-prone inventory process into a streamlined, data-driven operation.

The impact was immediate, resulting in cutting wasted time, reducing software costs, and eliminating costly overselling incidents.

• 99.8% accurate sync between two Shopify stores, eliminating manual cross-checking.
• PO creation time reduced by 70% thanks to vendor grouping in low-stock reports.
• $20–$30/month saved by replacing a separate purchase order app.
• Cost data integrity improved to 100% by protecting moving average cost from Shopify overwrites.
• Cycle count efficiency increased by 50% through structured variance reports and printable sheets.
• Overselling incidents cut to near zero with instant manual updates and 8-minute order-based syncs.

What the Client Says

"I think it’s good. The setup was straightforward, and I like that Sumtracker can handle so much more than just syncing stock between stores. It replaces my separate purchase order app, gives me vendor grouping in reports, and keeps costs accurate without me having to double-check. Everything looks really good, I just need to play around with it more, but so far I’m very happy with how it’s working."

— Wholesale Distributor, Roofing & Siding Supplies – USA

The Impact

The move to Sumtracker didn’t just fix day-to-day operational issues, it reshaped how the business manages inventory across multiple stores. Processes that once took hours now take minutes, data accuracy is higher than ever, and overselling has been virtually eliminated.

Conclusion

By adopting Sumtracker, this wholesale distributor transformed its inventory management from a manual, error-prone process into a fully synchronized, insight-driven operation.

Multi-store stock accuracy, vendor-based ordering, and protected cost tracking have streamlined day-to-day workflows while cutting costs and reducing the risk of overselling.

What once took hours of manual checks, duplicate data entry, and spreadsheet juggling now happens in minutes, freeing the team to focus on growth rather than firefighting.

With the right systems in place, the business is not only managing current operations with ease but is also set up to expand confidently into new channels and markets.

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