Is the only way to do this with Shopify is by paying for a 3rd party app? This seems like it would be highly used by Shopify customers. I would love to know if anyone has a solution in the Shopify admin for this. I need the same function as listed by OP.
Topic summary
A merchant wants to display t-shirt designs as individual products while having all designs pull from a shared inventory of blank shirts by size and color. This would allow production on-demand without updating inventory across multiple product listings.
Core Challenge:
- Shopify’s native system tracks inventory per variant, not across multiple products
- Displaying blank shirts as main products is less appealing than showing designs
- Risk of overselling shared inventory when multiple designs use the same blank shirts
Proposed Solutions:
Bundling Apps: Several users suggest treating designs as bundles that consume blank shirt inventory. Apps mentioned include Bundle Up, Fusion Inventory, and Variants Shared Inventory.
Disable Inventory Tracking: Turn off tracking and fulfill based on orders received, though this doesn’t prevent overselling.
Custom Development: Build a custom app to handle shared inventory across products.
Community Frustration:
- Multiple users express this should be a native Shopify feature, not requiring paid third-party apps
- Concerns about app costs ($30-150+/month), site performance impact, and API latency (14-28 seconds for inventory updates)
- One merchant notes this is critical for time-sensitive sales of limited materials
Status: Discussion remains open with various app recommendations but no consensus on an ideal solution. Many participants seek alternatives to paid apps.
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