When I do a transfer between store locations I will often use a picklist that is marked by hand (we do not have wifi capability due to remoteness). When I go to enter the information into Shopify using the transfer feature, the items will go out of order for no reason I’ve been able to ascertain (they don’t stay in SKU order, in barcode order, entered data order or product title order)
I would like to see a way to sort within a transfer by either SKU or barcode so we can match our picklists to the transfer (our picklists are in SKU order).
I believe the issue is that Shopify does not currently preserve a consistent line-item order inside transfers. The system appears to automatically reorder products in the background, which is why they no longer match your SKU-sorted picklists.
A few practical workarounds that may help immediately:
• Export or print your transfer list in SKU order before entering it into Shopify
• Add products to the transfer in smaller SKU ranges/batches to make verification easier
• Use the search bar to enter items by SKU instead of scanning mixed products
• Include the SKU on your paper picklists in large, easy-to-follow sections to reduce matching errors during receiving
• If possible, use a transfer reference number and keep the original handwritten picklist attached for reconciliation
Longer term, this would be a strong feature request for Shopify:
Ability to sort transfer items by SKU or barcode
Preserve manual entry order inside transfers
Printable transfer picklists in SKU order
This would greatly improve workflows for stores operating in remote locations without reliable Wi-Fi.
I am using most of these workarounds already, unfortunately.
Exporting / importing my transfer (via CSV) means extra work that I’m trying to avoid
Adding in smaller batches doesn’t make a difference; they still get sorted randomly at random times
I use the search bar most of the time to add products to the transfer rather than scanning (scanning was an attempt to avoid this random sorting, but it didn’t make a difference)
I use the SKU (and product title to confirm) on both my paper picklist and the transfer in Shopify
I use both a transfer reference # and the original picklist as references. I also add names to the transfers (in notes/tags/ names) so I can find them quickly. This doesn’t change the item add/order issue.
I appreciate the thoughtfulness of the workarounds; I have really tried to figure this out before posting to the community. I contacted Shopify and they didn’t have any better idea as to why the random sorting was occurring. They suggested I post here, in forum, so that Shopify will see the feature request. You put it succinctly:
Workaround: since transfer line sorting in admin is still broken, you can export the relevant inventory or transfers data to a spreadsheet and sort by SKU or barcode there. Many merchants use Google Sheets to create a mirror of their picklist, to keep everything in line with their manual workflow. Another option is to have a standardized SKU so alphabetical sorting is the same as the order of the picklist. You might also consider some simple inventory or picking apps that allow you to produce SKU sorted pick lists before you work on transfers, this will help prevent reorder issues within Shopify.