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How the InStyle for Wholesale App Helps Apparel Companies Sell Through Shopify

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Apparel wholesale selling is built around styles, colors, sizes, customer-specific pricing, and large multi-item orders. The InStyle for Wholesale Shopify app brings those requirements into a familiar Shopify experience while keeping product, inventory, customer, and order information connected with InStyle Apparel Software.

A wholesale storefront designed for apparel

Instead of adding one variant at a time, authorized buyers can work from an apparel-friendly color-and-size grid. Product pages can display color swatches, available inventory, and multiple sizes together, making it faster for retailers and sales representatives to build complete orders.

The storefront can support both regular and wholesale shopping experiences. Wholesale capabilities can be presented to approved customers while the retail storefront continues to serve consumers.

Customer-specific pricing and terms

Apparel companies often organize accounts into customer groups with different price lists, discounts, and payment terms. InStyle for Wholesale uses customer information from InStyle to provide the appropriate pricing experience in Shopify. This helps brands serve different retailer tiers without maintaining separate product catalogs.

Customer records can include company information, group assignments, payment terms, order history, and sales totals. Search, filtering, and export tools help staff manage large wholesale account lists.

Connected products, inventory, and collections

InStyle remains the operational source for apparel product data. Styles, colors, sizes, variants, collections, and inventory can be synchronized with Shopify, reducing duplicate entry and helping the storefront reflect current availability.

This connection is especially useful for seasonal collections and products with many color-size combinations. Merchandising data can be maintained in InStyle and delivered to Shopify in the structure buyers expect.

Efficient bulk ordering

The wholesale grid lets buyers enter quantities across colors and sizes and add the complete selection to the cart in one action. This shortens the ordering process, reduces variant-selection errors, and makes repeat orders easier.

Sales teams can also use the embedded administrative tools to locate a customer, apply the correct customer-group pricing, build an order with the same size-grid workflow, and create a Shopify draft order for review and completion.

Sales insights for customer accounts

The app can present useful account information such as current- and prior-year orders, sales, units, average order value, top styles, and performance by brand. These insights help sales representatives prepare for account conversations and identify reorder opportunities.

Customization workflows

For companies offering decorated or customized apparel, the application supports workflows that connect product ordering with customization requirements. This gives apparel teams a foundation for managing specialized wholesale programs within the same connected environment.

A practical bridge between ERP and ecommerce

InStyle for Wholesale combines Shopify’s ecommerce platform with apparel-specific workflows from InStyle. Brands gain a modern wholesale buying experience, while operations teams retain structured control of products, inventory, customers, pricing, and orders.

For apparel companies selling to retailers, distributors, teams, or corporate programs, the result is a more efficient path from product setup and customer pricing through ordering and fulfillment.

Connecting InStyle and Faire: Simplifying Wholesale Marketplace Operations

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Faire gives apparel brands access to a broad network of independent retailers, but every new sales channel also introduces operational work. Products must be maintained, inventory needs to remain accurate, orders must enter the company’s normal workflow, and shipment information has to reach the customer. The interface between InStyle apparel software and Faire connects these marketplace activities with the company’s back-office operations.

Instead of managing Faire as an isolated system, the interface allows product, inventory, order, and fulfillment information to move between Faire and InStyle. This reduces repetitive data entry and helps the sales, customer service, and warehouse teams work from consistent information.

Connecting an Apparel Catalog to Faire

An apparel catalog contains more than product names and descriptions. Styles often include multiple colors, sizes, SKUs, prices, images, and selling configurations. These relationships must remain clear when merchandise is offered to wholesale buyers on Faire.

The InStyle–Faire interface can use the brand’s established item data to support product and variant information such as:

  • Style numbers, product names, and descriptions
  • Color and size options
  • Variant SKUs and barcodes
  • Wholesale and suggested retail pricing
  • Product images and merchandising details
  • Minimum quantities, case packs, or prepacks when applicable
  • Current product availability

Maintaining these connections makes it easier to match each Faire product variant with the correct item in InStyle. It also reduces the risk of inconsistent SKUs, prices, or size and color combinations across systems.

Keeping Wholesale Inventory Current

Faire buyers expect the quantities shown in the marketplace to be dependable. At the same time, the same inventory may be committed through other wholesale accounts, eCommerce stores, sales representatives, or retail channels.

The interface can update Faire with available quantities from InStyle according to the company’s configured schedule and inventory rules. When inventory is received, allocated, or sold through another channel, refreshed availability helps reduce backorders and overselling. The business can also determine which warehouse quantities or allocation rules should contribute to the inventory exposed on Faire.

Bringing Faire Orders into InStyle

When a retailer places an order through Faire and the order reaches the appropriate accepted or processing stage, the order can be imported into InStyle. Information used by the operational workflow can include:

  • Faire order and purchase order references
  • Retailer and shipping-address information
  • Ordered styles, variants, SKUs, and quantities
  • Wholesale prices, discounts, and order totals
  • Requested shipping dates and order notes
  • Other marketplace details required by the configured process

Imported Faire orders can then be reviewed, allocated, and fulfilled together with the company’s other wholesale orders. Customer service no longer needs to recreate every order line manually, and the warehouse receives consistent item and shipping information.

Sending Fulfillment Information Back to Faire

After the order is processed in InStyle, shipment details can be communicated back to Faire. Carrier, tracking number, shipped quantities, and fulfillment status help keep the marketplace order current and give the retailer visibility into the delivery.

This creates a coordinated cycle: Faire captures the wholesale order, InStyle supports allocation and fulfillment, and the shipment result is returned to Faire. Teams can spend less time copying status information between systems and more time handling exceptions and serving customers.

Operational Benefits for Apparel Brands

  • Less manual product and order entry
  • More consistent style, color, size, and SKU data
  • Improved inventory accuracy across wholesale channels
  • Fewer order-entry mistakes
  • Faster movement from marketplace order to fulfillment
  • Better tracking visibility for retailers
  • A scalable process as Faire order volume grows

An Interface Configured Around Your Workflow

Each apparel company has its own product hierarchy, price lists, inventory policies, warehouses, order-approval rules, and shipping processes. The InStyle–Faire interface can be configured around those requirements, including which items are shared, how product variants are matched, when inventory is updated, which orders are imported, and how fulfillment information is returned.

Faire provides the marketplace reach, while InStyle helps organize the operational work behind each wholesale order. Connecting the two creates a more efficient path from catalog management and retailer ordering through allocation, shipping, and delivery tracking.

To discuss an InStyle and Faire interface for your apparel business, contact InStyle Software for a consultation.

Connecting InStyle and Shopify: A Streamlined Apparel ECommerce Interface

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For an apparel company, opening a Shopify store is only one part of building an efficient eCommerce operation. The online storefront also needs to stay connected to the system that manages styles, colors, sizes, pricing, inventory, customers, orders, and fulfillment. The interface between InStyle apparel software and Shopify creates that connection.

With the two systems working together, InStyle can remain the operational source of truth while Shopify provides a convenient, customer-facing sales channel. Information moves between the platforms automatically, reducing repetitive work and helping every department operate from consistent data.

Product and Variant Information Sent to Shopify

Apparel products are more complex than a single item number. A style may include many color and size combinations, each with its own SKU, price, image, and available quantity. The InStyle–Shopify interface is designed to preserve this structure when merchandise is prepared for the online store.

Depending on the company’s configuration and business rules, information sent from InStyle to Shopify can include:

  • Style numbers, product names, and descriptions
  • Color and size variants
  • SKUs, barcodes, and other item identifiers
  • Retail prices and promotional pricing
  • Product images and merchandising information
  • Available inventory by product variant

This eliminates the need to create every product and variant twice. It also gives the eCommerce team a more dependable starting point when arranging collections, refining descriptions, and merchandising the Shopify storefront.

Accurate Inventory Across Sales Channels

Inventory accuracy is critical when the same merchandise is sold through wholesale, retail, and online channels. If Shopify displays units that are no longer available, customers may place orders that cannot be fulfilled. If online inventory is understated, the company may miss valid sales opportunities.

The interface can update Shopify with the quantities available in InStyle on an automated schedule appropriate for the business. As new inventory is received, orders are allocated, or shipments are processed, refreshed availability helps Shopify present more accurate information and lowers the risk of overselling.

Shopify Orders Imported into InStyle

When a customer completes a purchase in Shopify, the order can be brought into InStyle for normal processing. The imported information can include the customer and shipping details, Shopify order number, ordered SKUs and variants, quantities, prices, discounts, shipping charges, and other information required by the configured workflow.

Instead of retyping online orders, customer service and warehouse teams can work with them alongside orders from the company’s other channels. This reduces keying errors and makes it easier to allocate inventory, review exceptions, prepare pick tickets, and coordinate fulfillment.

Fulfillment and Tracking Returned to Shopify

After an order is picked, packed, and shipped through the company’s normal InStyle workflow, shipment information can be returned to Shopify. Tracking numbers, carriers, and fulfillment status help keep the online order current and give customers the delivery information they expect.

This completes the operational loop: Shopify captures the online sale, InStyle manages the back-office process, and Shopify communicates the fulfillment result to the customer.

Benefits of the InStyle–Shopify Interface

  • Less duplicate product and order entry
  • Fewer errors caused by manual data entry
  • More accurate online inventory availability
  • Faster movement of eCommerce orders into fulfillment
  • Consistent style, SKU, color, and size information
  • Improved visibility across online and back-office operations
  • A scalable foundation as online order volume grows

Configured for the Way Your Business Operates

Every apparel company has different rules for pricing, inventory allocation, product selection, warehouses, taxes, shipping, and order review. The InStyle–Shopify interface can be configured around those requirements, including which products are published, how variants are matched, when inventory is updated, and how incoming orders are processed.

The result is not simply a connection between two applications. It is a coordinated workflow that lets Shopify focus on the customer experience while InStyle supports the operational details behind each sale.

To learn how an InStyle and Shopify integration can support your company, contact InStyle Software for a consultation.

transition from retail to ecommerce

How To Make the Transition from Retail to ECommerce

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With time and cultural shifts, consumer buying habits have changed significantly.

Already, brick and mortar retailers saw dips in sales as online shopping made a bigger debut. But after the Covid-19 pandemic, the retail industry has been changed forever.

As buyers’ needs change, your business needs to adjust to meet them. Otherwise, you will lose out on potential and returning customers.

Online shopping has risen exponentially over the past couple of years and we will continue to see it rise. With less overhead than retailing in the middle of economic uncertainty, e-commerce has become a better option for companies.

So, you know that you need to start making the transition from retail to e-commerce. But how do you start?

Let’s dive in to why you need to make the switch, how to transition, and the benefits of investing in apparel inventory software to help.

E-Commerce Is the Future of Shopping

In order to meet new customer needs, you need to be switching to e-commerce. Online shopping is a booming industry, and if you aren’t taking advantage of it, then your business might get lost to all the competition.

While your company might not be the next Amazon, your customers want an easy-to-use and reliable online platform to purchase from. This means:

  • Clean, straightforward, and fast website
  • Simple and easy checkout process
  • Deals on shipping
  • Reliable customer support
  • Easy returns

You need to ensure that your company provides this. Switching to e-commerce is the first step to retaining customers and enticing new ones.

A digital presence will also put you right in front of your target audience. You will catch more customers to bring in through digital marketing efforts, but if your audience is scrolling their phone, where will you send them?

Having an online space to lead them to will secure their purchase. This is why switching to e-commerce is so important.

And apparel inventory software can help you do this more accurately! With technology behind you, making the transition will be easy.

Let’s explore how an apparel inventory software can help you make the switch.

Get Them Buying with Fast Site Speed

Online consumers are all about getting things done quickly. They want to scroll quickly, consume media quickly, and they want to buy things quickly. This makes them easy to target, because online purchases have convenience behind them.

Make sure that you can keep up with your customers’ speeds and have an e-commerce platform that keeps things moving fast.

Technologically-Advanced Customer Support

You need better technology to keep up with e-commerce and using it for customer support will be vital for your company. Customers like to be taken care of and know that they can count on support for their needs.

Reliable Software to Help You Manage

As you start the shift from retail to e-commerce, you are going to need something to help you with the transition. There are so many new challenges you’ll face as you make the move, and new solutions to uncover.

Apparel inventory software can help you succeed!

Stay on top of your competitors and find success in your new e-commerce space when you have apparel inventory software. When you meet buyer needs by transitioning to e-commerce easily, you’ll retain more customers and bring more in!

 

Growing Significance of Ecommerce ERP Integration: Why ECommcerce makes sense for Wholesale

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According to a recent study by the Commerce Department, “web sales are rising rapidly every year. This is the fifth consecutive year in which the web sales increased by 15% or more”. Ecommerce has increased even faster during the Covid-19 pandemic. Changes that were probably going to take five to ten years, happened in just one or two years. For small and medium sized companies, it is hard to adapt to this very fast-changing world.

ECommerce is any channel that facilitates you to make online sales. Different channels include your own webstore run by Magento, Amazon, eBay or Shopify.

On the other hand ERP is a system that manages business data or back office operations for example NetSuite or Microsoft Dynamics AX or Microsoft Dynamics GP. ECommerce has become the number one platform that helps businesses increase their sales prospects.

If you are a wholesaler then you shouldn’t miss on eCommerce ERP integration, which is a must have if you want to streamline your sales and distribution.

Most wholesale companies rely on an accounting or ERP system combined or integrated with an inventory management solution to run their daily wholesale operation.

The need for eCommerce ERP integration is usually ignored because these type of integrations usually have a high cost and require careful planning to avoid business interruption caused by the change in existing computer systems. But the integration has a vital impact on your operations and customer experience.

Why it is Crucial for You Organization to Integrate eCommerce and ERP

  • It allow you to function more proficiently as a business. Your main processes – orders, inventory, customers, and shipping/tracking – are communicated effortlessly between your once independent systems. ECommerce and ERP integration has the capability to harmonize information between systems and enables them to co-operate with each other.
  • It trims down the hassles of manually entering data from one system to another. It saves time and lessens the errors, when entering order, inventory, item, and customer and shipping data.
  • ECommerce ERP integration lets you to easily account for new orders and process these orders without delay, regardless of where the sale is made.
  • Through this integration the tasks like products and pricing can be managed from one place which allows you to have precise and reliable information of the product.
  • With streamlined inventory synchronization you can track updates, and give exact inventory levels to customers, avoiding backorders, delays and reducing customer service load.
  • It automatically notifies the customers when orders have shipped and they can easily track the delivery of products.
  • When you run multiple business systems that are not integrated, many times the information does not match, resulting in mis-communication and repetitive bi-directional data entry. The integration of ECommerce and ERP eliminates these problems.

In today’s fast moving and competitive business world the integration of eCommerce and ERP is a requirement to wholesalers, just as it is to retailers. It improves the way in which your data is processed and it ultimately improves the company’s performance.

Are you seeking expert assistance for your fashion brand’s ERP requirements? Get in touch with InStyle today!