don’t know if we can delete (or combine) the duplicates of the suppliers we have used in the past- and if we can, will it affect past sales reports?
Also, will it affect past inventory reports?
Topic summary
A Shopify store owner wants to delete or merge duplicate vendor entries created from inconsistent naming (same vendor entered slightly differently) but is concerned about impacts on historical sales and inventory reports.
Key Concerns:
- Whether deleting/merging vendors will alter past sales data
- Potential effects on historical inventory reports
- Need to maintain reporting accuracy
Community Response:
One user explained that modifying vendor data can affect reports since they’re generated from current store data. Deleting vendors may remove supplier information from product records, while merging combines historical data under the new vendor name. They recommend backing up data before making changes and carefully reviewing potential impacts on product listings and purchase orders.
Current Status:
Another user echoed the desire for an actual solution rather than just warnings, noting that merging would actually improve report accuracy by consolidating the same vendor’s data. A developer has proposed creating an app specifically for this purpose—featuring vendor viewing, duplicate detection, one-click merging, and automatic name correction suggestions—and is collecting feedback via survey to guide development.
Hello @FOKlinda
To provide you with the most precise solution in this case, could you please share your page URL ( with pass if your store password is enabled )?
Thank you and hope to hear from you.
Best regards,
GemPages Support Team
Deleting or combining duplicate suppliers in your Shopify store can potentially affect your past sales and inventory reports. This is because your reports are based on the data that exists in your store at the time they are generated. If you delete or merge suppliers, the data associated with those suppliers will also be affected, which may in turn affect your reports.
For example, if you delete a supplier that has been used in the past, any products that were associated with that supplier may no longer show the supplier information in your reports. Similarly, if you merge two suppliers into one, any sales or inventory data associated with the original suppliers may be combined in the new supplier’s report.
To avoid any potential issues with your reports, it is a good idea to review your data carefully and make sure that you are not inadvertently deleting or merging suppliers that have been associated with important sales or inventory data. Additionally, you may want to consider making a backup of your data before making any changes, so that you can restore your data in the event of any issues.
It’s also worth noting that deleting or merging suppliers in Shopify may affect other areas of your store, such as product listings or purchase orders. Before making any changes, it’s a good idea to review your store and ensure that you fully understand the impact of any changes that you make.
This is not a solution, only a caution. I understand the caution and want to proceed with merging a couple of vendor listings with inconsistent names. (Same vendor, but they were entered slightly differently.) Is there a solution for this issue? Doing so would actually make my sales reports more accurate, since this vendor will not be listed in two different places.
This is not a solution, only a caution. I understand the caution and want to proceed with merging a couple of vendor listings with inconsistent names. (Same vendor, but they were entered slightly differently.) Is there a solution for this issue? Doing so would actually make my sales reports more accurate, since this vendor will not be listed in two different places.
Hello everyone,
I’m thinking about developing an app that will merge duplicates and clean up vendor names with ease.
Here’s a quick overview of what the app could do:
- View all vendors in one place
- Search and filter to identify duplicate or similar vendor names
- Merge duplicates with a few clicks
- Automatically suggest corrections for misspelled names
Before proceeding with development, I’d love to get your feedback. If you’d like to help shape this app, please fill out the brief form below.
Your responses will guide us in creating a tool that meets your needs.
The quick survey:
https://forms.gle/AU5uGnTcfn5XoAF39
I’ll review the feedback and decide on the next steps in the next few days.
If you’re interested in testing the app, you’ll have a chance to get early access
Thank you for your time and support.
Looking forward to hearing from you