Artist/Maker selling online (with Shopify) confused about "locations" in regards to craft shows

[A__Lorena_Halde]

Hey! I did search but couldn't find anyone else having my problem - so I guess I'm reaching out hoping someone can maybe explain this to me in, I don't know, very small words, or something. 

I was under the impression that "locations" had to be enabled on our online shops. I primarily sell online, but I do sell in person at a couple of craft shows a year, I already had those on my phone/POS app as locations, so that I could easily ring people up at craft shows. I loved the way that stock synced easily throughout the day at a craft show - sales in person were immediately reflected in stock online, so that online shoppers couldn't over-buy a small batch item that I had brought with me to the craft show. 

But now, having enabled locations, it looks like... each location has different stock? Or, rather, all of the stock is shown to be at my primary online store, and all stock is zero at my "locations" (craft shows - I don't have a brick and mortar shop). Am I understanding that correctly? Because now it looks like, if I want to pack some things to take to a craft show, I have to go into Shopify, mark all the things I pack down in inventory at my online location, and then mark them into inventory at my craft show location?

That seems like... a lot of extra work. Work that I didn't have to do before. Is that... right? Or am I misunderstanding inventory counts at locations? If I keep everything at a craft show location as zero, but sell it in person anyway (because selling in person trumps online stock numbers, and it will let you sell, in person, more than what it thinks you have online but will not let you sell more online than it thinks you have - I'm sorry this is so confusing), ANYWAY, if my craft show location says zero, but my online location says 2, and someone buys 2, will it automagically reduce the inventory level in my online store, like it did before enabling locations? 

Thanks for reading this, and I hope someone has something constructive to say. I've been with Shopify about ten years, and this absolutely confounding "location" business is the first thing that's making me think about looking elsewhere for a platform. I don't know why I can't understand it, but I have that same panicked, not-getting-it feeling I had back in my college statistics class!

[ConnectPOS]

Hi @A__Lorena_Halde,

You should take a look at ConnectPOS 'cause we've served many clients who sell on craft shows or pop-up stores, so we know how to handle this problem.

As a leading POS app for Shopify, ConnectPOS supports you manage multiple locations at ease. In your situation, ConnectPOS allows you to assign each Shopify location to a POS outlet. When you use that outlet to sell on the craft show, it will only interact with the items within that outlet. More than that, we ensure 100% real-time synchronization between POS and Shopify so you don't have to deal with any overlap data.

You can book a free demo with us or visit our app here. Hope this information can help!

[CraftyJuniper1]

ok, what if you don't want to pay a monthly fee?  what is the answer to syncing all your inventory to the location of a craft fair?