Stock followed on the main product, and not on the variations, any solution for that?

Shopify Discussion
1

Hello lovely people!
I want to offer custom charm jewelry:
There is a piece of jewelry, and then buyers can select the number of charms they want on it. The more charms, the more expensive it gets.

My issue is that I need to follow carefully my stock for the jewelry: some pieces are chainmail and take ages to craft, I can’t take an order I’m not sure to fulfill.

If I create variations with Shopify, I can set perfectly the prices depending on the number of charms, but… it gets tricky with the stock, as it’s linked to the variations, and not the “main product”. If I offer a necklace with 0 to 10 charms, I have to put “1” in each variation… but I don’t have 10 necklaces, only one.
I tried not tracking the stocks on variation, but then… nothing at all is tracked as I don’t have the possibility to put a quantity available for the main product.

I tried apps like Easify and Globo, but the “price add on” function I need to take into account the price difference depending on the number of charms is part of their paid plans, and I don’t want to take on any more expense.

If you are dealing with similar situations, how do you do? Is there a way to keep it practical and clean?
I guess I could deactivate the product when it gets sold but it’s still tricky if I sell more than I have when I’m not near a phone or computer to correct.

NB: Please Shopify… just make it an integrated feature. It’s so easy to set on any marketplace, why does it have to be so complicated here? In the end, it’s just having a stock for the main product and variants that don’t have one

Many thanks for reading me! and even more if you have insights for me :slightly_smiling_face:

2

Hi @TheFrenchWitch ,
This is Theodore from PageFly - Shopify Page Builder App.

Managing stock for custom charm jewelry on Shopify can be tricky. Here are some workarounds:

1. Manually Manage Stock:

  • Create a single product with a hidden variant (high price, 1 stock) as a placeholder.
  • Clearly explain customization options in the description.
  • Manually adjust order quantity and reduce hidden variant stock based on chosen charms.

2. Inventory Tags (Limited):

  • Create a single product and use inventory tags for different charm combinations (e.g., “Necklace-NoCharm”).
  • Set stock levels for each tag based on available pieces.
  • Explain how to choose options using tags in the product description (if applicable).

Best regards,
Theodore | PageFly

3

Hi @TheFrenchWitch ,

Thank you for reaching out to the Community.

While I can completely understand the impact of this not being available natively, the Shopify App Store would be the best course of action here. I’d recommend checking out the app called 'Connected Inventory’, as it may work for your business needs. I will however, be sure to pass this feedback along to our Developers. We’re always looking for ways to improve the platform and appreciate these suggestions.

Please let me know if you have any other questions!