For those of you running Shopify stores without holding inventory, which model worked best: Dropshipping, print-on-demand, affiliate, FBA, or 3PL?

Ask & Offer
,

Topic summary

A user is exploring inventory-free business models for launching an online Shopify store. They’re seeking community input on which approach has proven most effective across three key criteria:

Models under consideration:

  • Dropshipping
  • Print-on-demand (POD)
  • Affiliate marketing
  • Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)
  • Third-party logistics (3PL)

Evaluation criteria:

  • Initial setup complexity
  • Profit margin potential
  • Scalability for growth

The discussion remains open with no responses yet, awaiting experiences and recommendations from store owners who have tested these models.

Summarized with AI on October 24. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

I’m exploring different ways to start an online store without holding inventory.
Looking forward to know what’s worked best for you in terms of setup, profit margins, and scalability?