The Shopify Inventory Operations Report 2026

The Evolution of Shopify Inventory Operations

Shopify inventory management has passed through five distinct eras, each defined by the tools available and the complexity merchants faced. Understanding this progression reveals why the Stocky shutdown marks a genuine inflection point — not simply a product discontinuation.

Era	Period	Primary Tools	Dominant Challenge
1 — Pre-Digital	Pre-2006	Paper ledgers, physical counts	Accuracy
2 — Early Digital	2006–2012	Excel, Google Sheets	Visibility
3 — Platform-Native	2012–2018	Stocky, basic POS integrations	Synchronisation
4 — Ecosystem	2018–2024	Prediko, Assisty, Inventory Planner	Intelligence
5 — Autonomous	2024+	AI-powered platforms	Orchestration

The third era — platform-native tools — defined a generation of Shopify merchants. Stocky provided purchase orders, vendor management, reorder suggestions, and basic reporting at no additional cost, embedded directly in the Shopify admin. For merchants operating at a certain scale, it was genuinely sufficient. The problem is that merchant complexity did not stay static. Businesses grew, multi-location operations became common, and demand variability increased — all while Stocky received no meaningful feature development after 2022.

Key TakeawayThe Stocky shutdown forces a maturity reckoning. Merchants who have been operating on Era 3 tooling need Era 4 or Era 5 capabilities to remain competitive in 2026 and beyond.

The Rise of Stocky

Stocky achieved widespread adoption not through superior features but through five structural advantages that made it the path of least resistance for Shopify merchants managing inventory between 2015 and 2022.

1
Free at point of use: Zero marginal cost for any merchant on Shopify POS Pro removed the evaluation friction that stops most app installs.
2
Native integration: Direct read/write access to Shopify's inventory data without OAuth, webhooks, or sync delays.
3
Sufficient simplicity: A clean, focused interface that matched the mental model of how merchants thought about buying stock: order from supplier, receive, done.
4
POS synchronisation: Inventory counts updated in real time across all POS locations without additional configuration.
5
Shopify trust halo: Merchants defaulted to Shopify-built tools as a reliable choice, particularly during the high-growth 2019–2021 period.

At its core, Stocky encoded what this report terms the Inventory Decision Loop (IDL): a cyclical process of demand signal capture, stock assessment, reorder decision, purchase order creation, receiving, allocation, and cycle restart. This loop ran effectively at volumes under approximately 500 SKUs and two locations. Beyond that threshold, Stocky's limitations — no demand forecasting, no automated reorder triggers, no supplier lead time management, limited reporting — became operational constraints rather than minor inconveniences.

Key TakeawayStocky succeeded by making the most common 20% of inventory tasks effortless. It was never designed to handle the operational complexity that growing merchants eventually require.

The End of Stocky

Shopify's decision to discontinue Stocky followed a predictable pattern for platform-native tools that have been outgrown by their user base. The shutdown proceeded in four phases, each with distinct operational implications for merchants.

Date	Event	Merchant Impact
July 7, 2025	Feature development frozen	No new functionality; existing bugs unfixed
February 2, 2026	Removed from App Store	No new installs; existing merchants still have access
August 31, 2026	Full shutdown	All access and data permanently lost

The four migration phases that merchants should work through are: Phase 1 — Assessment (understanding what data exists in Stocky and what is recoverable), Phase 2 — Platform Selection (evaluating replacement tools using a structured framework), Phase 3 — Parallel Operation (running both systems simultaneously to validate data accuracy), and Phase 4 — Full Cutover (decommissioning Stocky and confirming all workflows in the new platform).

The most critical and most frequently overlooked data to export before shutdown: open purchase orders, supplier contact records, historical reorder quantities, variant-level cost prices, and inventory adjustment history. None of these export automatically when you install a new app.

Key TakeawayAugust 31, 2026 is a hard deadline. Merchants who have not fully migrated by that date will lose all Stocky data. There is no data recovery option after shutdown.

The Inventory Operations Maturity Model

The Inventory Operations Maturity Model (IOMM) provides a five-level framework for understanding where a merchant's operations currently stand and what capabilities they need to develop. Correctly identifying your current level is the prerequisite for any platform selection decision.

Level 1 — Reactive

Inventory managed through memory, spreadsheets, and visual bin checks. Purchase decisions are reactive to stockouts. No systematic reorder points. Typical profile: single-location merchants with fewer than 100 SKUs and low order frequency.

Level 2 — Structured

Basic tracking in a dedicated tool (Stocky or equivalent). Manual purchase orders with documented vendor contacts. Some reorder points set but not automatically triggered. Typical profile: most current Stocky users — 100–500 SKUs, one to three locations.

Level 3 — Systematic

Automated reorder point triggers. Consistent purchase order workflows. Supplier lead times captured in system. Basic reporting on stock turns and days of inventory. Typical profile: established Shopify brands, 500+ SKUs, multiple locations.

Level 4 — Predictive

Demand forecasting with seasonal and trend adjustments. Multi-location inventory balancing. Open-to-buy planning integrated with purchase orders. Supplier performance scoring. Typical profile: fast-growing DTC and wholesale merchants.

Level 5 — Autonomous

AI-driven demand signals feed automatic purchase order generation. Self-adjusting safety stock based on real-time variability. Supplier collaboration portals. Inventory decisions made and executed without manual intervention. Typical profile: enterprise Shopify Plus merchants.

Key TakeawayMost merchants migrating from Stocky sit at Level 2. The migration event is an opportunity to jump to Level 3 — not simply to find a Stocky clone. Choosing a Level 3 platform while operating at Level 2 is productive; choosing a Level 5 platform while at Level 2 typically fails due to implementation complexity.

The Stocky Migration Readiness Score

The Stocky Migration Readiness Score (SMRS) is a 100-point diagnostic across ten operational domains. Each domain is scored 0–10. A total score below 50 indicates high migration risk and requires remediation before committing to a platform switch. Scores of 50–74 indicate moderate risk with specific gaps to address. Scores above 75 indicate the merchant is ready to migrate safely.

Domain	What It Measures	Score 0–10
Data Completeness	Percentage of SKUs with accurate cost, supplier, and reorder data in Stocky	/10
Workflow Documentation	Degree to which purchase and receiving workflows are written down	/10
Supplier Relationship Maturity	Quality and completeness of supplier contact and lead time records	/10
Team Readiness	Staff availability and capacity to manage the transition	/10
System Integration	Number and complexity of third-party tools connected to Stocky data	/10
Financial Visibility	Accuracy of cost-of-goods and inventory valuation data	/10
Reporting Requirements	Clarity on which reports are business-critical vs. nice-to-have	/10
Operational Complexity	Number of locations, channels, and supplier relationships in scope	/10
Change Management	Leadership alignment and staff communication plan for the transition	/10
Business Continuity Risk	Proximity to peak season and tolerance for operational disruption	/10

The two domains that most commonly score poorly for Stocky merchants are Workflow Documentation (most processes exist only in someone's head) and Data Completeness (cost prices and supplier lead times were never systematically captured in Stocky). Address both before selecting a replacement platform.

The Six-Phase Migration Playbook

A structured migration from Stocky to a new inventory platform follows six sequential phases. Each phase has defined entry criteria, deliverables, and exit gates. Skipping phases — particularly Phase 4 (Parallel Operation) — is the single most reliable predictor of a failed migration.

Phase 1 — Assessment

1–2 weeks

Complete the SMRS diagnostic. Audit all data in Stocky. Export a full product list with costs, suppliers, and reorder levels. Document all current workflows. Identify integration dependencies. Output: a migration scope document with a prioritised data map.

Phase 2 — Platform Selection

1–2 weeks

Apply the IPEF framework to score candidate platforms against your operational requirements. Weight capabilities by your IOMM level and SMRS domain scores. Shortlist to two platforms and conduct live trials with real SKU data. Output: a signed contract with your chosen platform.

Phase 3 — Data Migration

1–3 weeks

Import product data, supplier records, and reorder parameters into the new platform. Configure locations, users, and integrations. Set reorder points for your top 20% of SKUs by volume first. Output: a fully configured platform with accurate opening stock positions.

Phase 4 — Parallel Operation

2–4 weeks

Run both Stocky and the new platform simultaneously. Create at least five real purchase orders in the new system and process their receipts end-to-end. Compare stock positions between systems daily. Resolve every discrepancy before proceeding. Output: confirmed parity between Stocky and the new platform.

Phase 5 — Cutover

1–3 days

Stop creating new purchase orders in Stocky. Complete all open receiving in the new platform. Archive Stocky data exports. Notify suppliers of any process changes. Output: all inventory operations running exclusively in the new platform.

Phase 6 — Optimisation

4–8 weeks post-cutover

Review and tighten reorder points using actual lead time data from the first cycle. Configure automated alerts and reporting. Begin exploring Level 3 capabilities such as demand forecasting and supplier lead time tracking. Output: a platform operating at or above your pre-migration operational baseline.

Key TakeawayPhase 4 (Parallel Operation) is the most skipped and the most important. Merchants who skip it save two to four weeks of effort and then spend two to four months correcting inventory discrepancies that accumulated during a rushed cutover.

Twenty-Five Migration Failure Patterns

Research across inventory system migrations identifies 25 canonical failure patterns, organised into five categories. Awareness of these patterns before migration significantly reduces their occurrence.

Data Failures

DF-01Corrupt or incomplete CSV exports from Stocky not validated before import

DF-02Missing supplier data — vendor contacts never systematically captured in Stocky

DF-03Incomplete variant mappings — SKU-level data missing for products with multiple variants

DF-04Stale cost prices — COGS figures in Stocky not updated after supplier price changes

DF-05Lost adjustment history — inventory count adjustments not exported before shutdown

Process Failures

PF-01No parallel operation period — cutting over directly without validating data parity

PF-02Skipping workflow documentation — replicating broken Stocky processes in the new platform

PF-03Reorder points not configured before cutover — operating blind for weeks after migration

PF-04Receiving workflows untested — new GRN process discovered to be broken on first real delivery

PF-05No rollback plan — no way to revert to Stocky if the new platform fails in the first week

Technology Failures

TF-01Integration misconfiguration — third-party tools still writing to old inventory fields

TF-02API rate limit surprises — high-volume stores hitting Shopify API limits during initial sync

TF-03Duplicate location mapping — physical locations matched incorrectly between platforms

TF-04Webhook failures — real-time inventory updates silently dropping during transition period

TF-05Currency and tax configuration errors — cost prices imported without correct currency mapping

Human Failures

HF-01Insufficient staff training — warehouse team using the new platform incorrectly from day one

HF-02Single point of knowledge — only one person knows the migration configuration

HF-03Change resistance — staff reverting to spreadsheets when the new tool feels unfamiliar

HF-04Leadership disengagement — migration treated as an IT project rather than an operations project

HF-05Supplier non-communication — suppliers still sending invoices to old PO email addresses

Timing Failures

TIF-01Migrating during peak season — cutover scheduled during Q4 or a promotional period

TIF-02Underestimating complexity — assuming a 1-week migration for a 1,000-SKU operation

TIF-03Last-minute urgency — starting migration in August with insufficient time before shutdown

TIF-04Premature cutover — declaring migration complete before Phase 4 validation is finished

TIF-05Post-cutover abandonment — stopping optimisation work after Phase 5 before the platform is stable

Key TakeawayThe highest-frequency failure pattern is TIF-03 — starting too late. As of the publication date of this report, merchants have fewer than 50 days before the August 31 deadline. Any merchant not already in Phase 4 of the migration playbook is at high risk.

The Inventory Platform Evaluation Framework

The Inventory Platform Evaluation Framework (IPEF) provides a structured methodology for comparing inventory management platforms against ten capability dimensions. Rather than comparing marketing pages, merchants score each platform 1–5 on each capability, then weight each capability by its operational importance to their business.

Core Inventory Management

Real-time stock tracking, variant-level accuracy, multi-location synchronisation

Purchase Order Management

PO creation, supplier management, receiving workflows, cost tracking

Demand Forecasting & Planning

Trend analysis, seasonal adjustments, open-to-buy calculations

Multi-Location Management

Stock transfers, location-level reorder points, allocation rules

Reporting & Analytics

Stock turn, COGS, days of inventory, custom report building

Integration Ecosystem

Depth of Shopify integration, third-party ERP and 3PL connectors

Workflow Automation

Automated reorder alerts, rule-based PO drafting, approval workflows

Supplier & Vendor Management

Lead time tracking, supplier scorecards, order history per vendor

User Experience & Adoption

Onboarding quality, interface clarity, mobile access, training resources

Scalability & Growth

SKU capacity, location limits, API performance at volume, pricing model

When applying the IPEF, weight Capabilities 1, 2, and 9 most heavily for merchants migrating from Stocky at IOMM Level 2. These three capabilities — core inventory accuracy, purchase order management, and ease of adoption — are the table stakes that most directly replicate what Stocky provided. Capabilities 3, 5, and 7 become more important as the merchant moves toward Level 3 and Level 4 maturity.

The 2026 Platform Landscape

The Shopify inventory management software landscape in 2026 can be organised into four categories, each serving a distinct segment of the merchant population. Category boundaries are defined by merchant complexity, not price alone.

Category 1 — Point Solutions

Simple tools focused on a single workflow (typically reorder point alerts or basic purchase orders). Low cost, fast setup, suitable for merchants at IOMM Level 1 transitioning to Level 2. Limited growth ceiling.

Best fit:Under 200 SKUs, single location, low order frequency

Category 2 — Comprehensive Platforms

Full-featured platforms covering the entire Inventory Decision Loop: purchase orders, receiving, reorder points, multi-location management, and reporting. Designed for Level 2–4 merchants. Supremo operates in this category, with a free plan that covers the full feature set with no artificial limitations.

Best fit:200–5,000 SKUs, one to five locations, regular purchase order cadence

Category 3 — Enterprise Solutions

ERP-adjacent platforms with advanced demand forecasting, supply chain planning, and multi-channel synchronisation. Require implementation projects and dedicated operators. Appropriate for Level 4–5 merchants with significant operational complexity.

Best fit:5,000+ SKUs, six or more locations, omnichannel operations

Category 4 — Vertical Specialists

Tools built for specific industries (fashion, food, manufacturing) where standard inventory models break down. Strong domain logic but limited generalisability. Appropriate when industry-specific constraints dominate the operational challenge.

Best fit:Industry-specific compliance requirements, production BOM tracking, perishable inventory

Key TakeawayThe majority of Stocky users fall squarely in Category 2. The critical selection error is choosing a Category 3 platform based on feature completeness without accounting for implementation complexity — resulting in an 80% implementation that takes twice as long as expected and still lacks the core workflows that Stocky made frictionless.

The AI-Powered Inventory Future

Artificial intelligence is entering inventory management through five successive stages of capability. Understanding this progression helps merchants select platforms that will grow with them rather than requiring replacement as AI capabilities mature.

Stage 1 — Descriptive

Reporting what happened. Historical stock movement, purchase order history, variance reports. Every modern platform operates here.

Stage 2 — Diagnostic

Explaining why it happened. Root-cause analysis for stockouts, identification of overstock patterns, supplier lead time variance attribution. Most current platforms operate at this stage.

Stage 3 — Predictive

Forecasting what will happen. Demand forecasting with trend and seasonal adjustments, predicted stockout dates, reorder date recommendations. Leading platforms are here.

Stage 4 — Prescriptive

Recommending what to do. AI-generated draft purchase orders, supplier allocation recommendations, safety stock adjustments based on forecast confidence. Emerging in advanced platforms.

Stage 5 — Autonomous

Executing decisions without human intervention. Self-generating purchase orders within defined approval thresholds, real-time safety stock adjustment, demand signal integration from external sources. The frontier.

The Intelligence Pyramid underpinning this progression has four layers: raw Data (transactional records), Information (structured analysis of that data), Intelligence (predictive models trained on that information), and Wisdom (autonomous systems that apply learned patterns to new situations without explicit instruction). Most platforms claiming "AI" capabilities in 2026 operate at the Information or early Intelligence layer. Genuine Stage 4 and Stage 5 capabilities are reserved for platforms with sufficient historical data volume and model investment.

Key TakeawayWhen evaluating platforms on AI capabilities, ask for concrete evidence of Stage 3 or Stage 4 operation: what specifically does the model predict, how is its accuracy reported, and what happens when it is wrong. Marketing language around "AI-powered" forecasting frequently describes Stage 1–2 functionality.

Autonomous Commerce 2030

The Autonomous Commerce model (ACOM) projects how inventory operations will function by 2030 for merchants who successfully execute Stage 4–5 AI capabilities. ACOM is defined by five operational characteristics that distinguish it from today's best-in-class operations.

Continuous

Inventory positions monitored and adjusted in real time rather than at batch intervals. No scheduled counts — permanent visibility.

Contextual

Demand signals interpreted in the context of external factors: weather, competitor pricing, social trends, economic indicators.

Coordinated

Inventory decisions automatically coordinated across channels, locations, and suppliers without manual reconciliation.

Confident

System recommendations accompanied by quantified confidence levels and scenario ranges, not point estimates.

Continuously Learning

Models retrain on each completed purchase cycle, improving forecast accuracy over time without manual reconfiguration.

The path to ACOM does not begin with AI tooling. It begins with data quality. A merchant with clean, complete, consistently captured inventory data in a structured platform is further along the path to autonomous commerce than a merchant using an AI-native tool with corrupt underlying data. The Stocky migration is therefore not just a deadline event — it is the foundation-laying moment that determines whether the merchant will be positioned for ACOM by 2028 or still resolving data quality issues.

Ten Principles That Outlast Technology

Beneath every framework and maturity model in this report are ten operational principles that have proven stable across every technology cycle in inventory management, from paper ledgers to AI-autonomous systems. These principles provide a reliable compass when platform decisions, AI claims, and migration pressures create noise.

1
Inventory Is a Financial Asset
Every unit of stock represents working capital. Inventory decisions are financial decisions. The merchant who treats stock as a logistics problem rather than a balance sheet item will always manage it suboptimally.
2
Data Quality Precedes Data Quantity
One thousand accurately captured transactions are more valuable than ten thousand approximate ones. Clean data in a simple tool beats dirty data in a sophisticated one, every time.
3
Visibility Enables Agility
You cannot respond to what you cannot see. Real-time visibility across all locations and channels is the prerequisite for every downstream inventory improvement.
4
Automation Serves Strategy
Automation should execute a defined strategy, not substitute for one. Automating a flawed reorder point formula faster is worse than running a correct one manually.
5
Integration Multiplies Value
An inventory platform connected to your sales channel, accounting system, and 3PL generates compounding value. A standalone tool generates linear value. Invest in integration quality.
6
Simplicity Scales Better Than Complexity
The simplest system that accurately covers your critical workflows will outperform a complex system that partially covers all workflows. Resist feature accumulation for its own sake.
7
Measurement Drives Improvement
Define your inventory KPIs before you select your platform. A platform that cannot report the five metrics that matter most to your business is the wrong platform, regardless of other capabilities.
8
Planning Beats Reacting
Every reactive stockout or emergency order costs more in time, margin, and supplier relationship capital than the equivalent proactive purchase order. Invest the discipline in planning.
9
Relationships Reduce Risk
Supplier relationships are inventory risk management. A supplier who will prioritise your urgent order or extend payment terms during a cash flow constraint is worth more than the cheapest available price.
10
Technology Serves People
Every inventory system ultimately depends on the people who operate it. A platform that your warehouse team will actually use consistently is more valuable than a technically superior platform they will work around.

Appendices

Four supplementary references accompany this report. The migration checklist and platform evaluation workbook are available as interactive tools on the Supremo site.

Appendix A50-Point Stocky Migration Checklist Appendix B12-KPI Inventory Performance Reference Appendix CPlatform Evaluation Workbook (IPEF scoring)Appendix DResearch Methodology & Data Sources

Ready to migrate from Stocky?

Supremo is a comprehensive Shopify inventory platform with a free plan that covers everything Stocky did — and the Level 3 capabilities to take your operations further. Install takes under five minutes.

Get Supremo Free Read the Migration Playbook

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Inventory Operations Maturity Model (IOMM)?

The Inventory Operations Maturity Model (IOMM) is a five-level framework for assessing how sophisticated a merchant's inventory operations are. Level 1 is Reactive (spreadsheets and memory), Level 2 is Structured (basic tracking with manual purchase orders), Level 3 is Systematic (dedicated tooling with automated reorder points), Level 4 is Predictive (demand forecasting and multi-location management), and Level 5 is Autonomous (AI-driven self-adjusting operations). Most merchants migrating from Stocky sit at Level 2 or early Level 3.

What is the Stocky Migration Readiness Score (SMRS)?

The Stocky Migration Readiness Score (SMRS) is a 100-point self-assessment across 10 operational domains — including data completeness, workflow documentation, team readiness, and business continuity risk — that helps merchants gauge how prepared they are to migrate from Stocky before the August 31, 2026 deadline. Scores below 50 indicate high risk and require immediate remediation before attempting migration.

What platform should Stocky users migrate to?

The right platform depends on the merchant's IOMM maturity level, order volume, and operational complexity. Merchants at Level 2–3 maturity (most Stocky users) should look for a platform that covers purchase orders, reorder points, multi-location inventory, and Shopify-native integration. The Inventory Platform Evaluation Framework (IPEF) rates platforms across 10 capabilities to help merchants select objectively rather than based on marketing alone.

What are the most common inventory migration failures?

The 25 canonical migration failure patterns fall into five categories: Data Failures (corrupt exports, missing supplier data, incomplete variant mappings), Process Failures (no parallel operation period, skipping workflow documentation), Technology Failures (integration misconfiguration, ignoring rate limits), Human Failures (insufficient training, change resistance, single point of knowledge), and Timing Failures (migrating during peak season, underestimating complexity). Awareness of these patterns before migration significantly reduces the failure rate.

How is AI changing inventory management for Shopify merchants?

AI is progressing through five stages in inventory management: Descriptive (reporting what happened), Diagnostic (explaining why it happened), Predictive (forecasting what will happen), Prescriptive (recommending what to do), and Autonomous (executing decisions without human intervention). Most current tools operate at Stage 2–3. By 2030, the Autonomous Commerce model predicts that inventory systems will continuously monitor demand signals, auto-generate purchase orders, and self-adjust safety stock levels in real time.

What is the Inventory Platform Evaluation Framework (IPEF)?

The Inventory Platform Evaluation Framework (IPEF) is a structured scoring methodology that rates inventory management platforms across 10 capabilities: Core Inventory Management, Purchase Order Management, Demand Forecasting and Planning, Multi-Location Management, Reporting and Analytics, Integration Ecosystem, Workflow Automation, Supplier and Vendor Management, User Experience and Adoption, and Scalability and Growth. Each capability is scored 1–5 and weighted by the merchant's own operational priorities.

What is the Autonomous Commerce model (ACOM)?

The Autonomous Commerce model (ACOM) is a framework that describes how inventory operations will function by 2030 for merchants who successfully implement Stage 4–5 AI capabilities. ACOM has five defining characteristics: Continuous (real-time inventory monitoring with no scheduled batch cycles), Contextual (demand signals interpreted using external factors such as weather, competitor pricing, and economic indicators), Coordinated (decisions automatically synchronized across all channels and locations), Confident (recommendations accompanied by quantified uncertainty ranges, not point estimates), and Continuously Learning (models retrain on each completed purchase cycle without manual reconfiguration).

What are the six phases of the inventory migration playbook?

The six-phase migration playbook for moving from Stocky to a new inventory platform is: Phase 1 (Assessment — complete the SMRS diagnostic and audit all Stocky data), Phase 2 (Platform Selection — apply the IPEF framework to score candidates), Phase 3 (Data Migration — import products, suppliers, and reorder parameters), Phase 4 (Parallel Operation — run both systems simultaneously for 2–4 weeks to validate data parity), Phase 5 (Cutover — stop creating new purchase orders in Stocky and complete all receiving in the new platform), Phase 6 (Optimisation — refine reorder points and configure automation using real post-cutover data). Phase 4 is the most critical and most frequently skipped phase.

What is the difference between Level 2 and Level 3 inventory management?

Level 2 (Structured) inventory management means using a dedicated tool like Stocky with documented vendor contacts and some manually configured reorder points, but no automated triggers or forecasting. Level 3 (Systematic) inventory management means automated reorder point triggers, consistent purchase order workflows, supplier lead times captured in the system, and basic reporting on stock turns and days of inventory. The Stocky shutdown is the natural catalyst for Level 2 merchants to step up to Level 3 rather than simply replacing like-for-like.

What data is permanently lost if you do not export from Stocky before August 31, 2026?

Any data not exported from Stocky before August 31, 2026 is permanently lost with no recovery option. This includes: open purchase orders, complete purchase order history, supplier contact records and lead times, cost price data entered in Stocky, inventory adjustment history, and reorder level configurations. Shopify's API does not expose a way for third-party apps to automatically import Stocky's supplier records — manual documentation before the shutdown is the only option.

How should a Shopify merchant assess their readiness to migrate from Stocky?

Merchants should complete the Stocky Migration Readiness Score (SMRS) before selecting a replacement platform. The SMRS scores readiness across 10 operational domains (each 0–10, maximum 100 points). The two most commonly under-scored domains are Workflow Documentation — most Stocky processes exist only in someone's head and have never been written down — and Data Completeness — cost prices and supplier lead times were often never systematically captured. Addressing these two gaps before migration significantly reduces the risk of a failed cutover.

How does the Inventory Platform Evaluation Framework (IPEF) work in practice?

To apply the IPEF, a merchant scores each candidate platform 1–5 on each of 10 capabilities, then multiplies each score by a weight reflecting that capability's importance to their specific operations, and sums the weighted totals. For merchants migrating from Stocky at IOMM Level 2, the three capabilities to weight most heavily are Core Inventory Management, Purchase Order Management, and User Experience and Adoption — these are the table-stakes capabilities that most directly replicate what Stocky provided. Capabilities such as Demand Forecasting and Workflow Automation become more important as the merchant moves toward Level 3 and Level 4 maturity.