Who is the merchant in this case study?

The merchant is anonymous. It is described only as an anonymized multi-location sporting goods retailer operating two retail source locations and one designated ecommerce fulfillment location on Shopify.

How much of the catalog was enabled for Virtual Inventory?

Virtual Inventory was selectively enabled on 30 variants across two retail locations. The merchant did not expose its entire catalog.

How many transfers did the merchant's team create manually?

None. During the measured active period, 58 orders required inventory sourced through Virtual Inventory and FC Collects created 58 Auto Transfers automatically.

Anonymized merchant case study

How a Sporting Goods Retailer Put Selected Store Inventory to Work Online

30 selected variants. 58 sourced orders. 58 Auto Transfers. Zero manual transfers.
See how an anonymized multi-location sporting goods retailer used FC Collects Virtual Inventory and Auto Transfers to make selected retail inventory available to support online demand while maintaining one designated ecommerce fulfillment location.

Measured active period: September 5–9, 2026
Two retail source locations, one designated fulfillment location
Virtual Inventory selectively enabled on 30 variants
Auto Transfers running automatically with multi-location sourcing

See Your Virtual Inventory Opportunity Explore Virtual Inventory

Primary results — measured active period September 5–9, 2026

Actual recorded merchant activity, reported exactly as FC Collects measured it.

$7,824.42
Revenue Enabled: 58
Orders Sourced: 58
Units Sourced: 58
Auto Transfers Created: 0
Manual Transfers Required: 30
Selected Variants Participating: 141
VI Units Activated: 2
Retail Source Locations: $22,043.60
Virtual Inventory Enabled Value: 35.5%
Enabled Inventory Conversion: 83
Enabled Units Remaining

$7,824.42 in Revenue Enabled through Virtual Inventory across the measured active period, sourced from two retail locations into one designated ecommerce fulfillment location.

Enabled Inventory Conversion = Revenue Enabled ÷ Virtual Inventory Enabled Value × 100. Virtual Inventory Enabled Value is the retail value of the inventory the merchant enabled for Virtual Inventory during the measured period. Enabled units remaining = 141 VI units activated less the 58 units sourced for transfers.

Results reflect the merchant's actual recorded activity during the September 5–9, 2026 measured active period. Results are not projections or performance guarantees.

The merchant

An anonymized multi-location sporting goods retailer running a Shopify multi-location operation.

Two retail source locations

Both stores remained focused on in-store customers rather than direct ecommerce fulfillment.

One designated fulfillment location

All online orders continued shipping from a single ecommerce fulfillment location.

Selective participation

Virtual Inventory was enabled on 30 variants — not the entire catalog.

Auto Transfers automatic

Transfers were created automatically when qualifying online demand required an enabled unit.

Multi-location sourcing enabled

A single shortage could be covered by either retail location.

Anonymous throughout

No merchant name, store names, domain, products, SKUs, orders, or customer information is disclosed.

The Situation

The merchant needed precise control over which retail inventory could support online demand.

The merchant operates an online store with a dedicated fulfillment warehouse and two physical retail locations. Each location maintains its own inventory in Shopify, while the warehouse serves as the designated fulfillment location for online orders.

Shopify Store Transfers can make inventory from enabled locations available for transfers. The merchant enables the participating locations, then maintains collection-based Transfer Exclusions for products that should not be transferred.

For this merchant, the challenge was more selective. They did not want most retail inventory participating and then maintain exclusions for what should stay out. They wanted to choose exactly which collections, individual products, and specific variants from the retail locations could support online demand.

FC Collects provided an opt-in Virtual Inventory model. Retail inventory was excluded by default, and the merchant selectively enabled only the inventory it wanted participating.

This allowed the merchant to use selected retail inventory to support ecommerce demand while keeping the warehouse as the designated online fulfillment location.

Two Different Approaches to Inventory Participation

Shopify Store Transfers

Enable participating locations

Location inventory participates

Maintain collection-based Transfer Exclusions

Exclude merchandise that should not participate

Location-first / exclusion-based

FC Collects Virtual Inventory

Retail inventory excluded by default

Enable selected collections, products, or variants

Only approved inventory participates

Eligible inventory supports online demand

Selective / opt-in

The deciding factor was how much inventory the merchant wanted participating. Shopify's exclusion-oriented approach can make sense when most store inventory should participate. FC Collects was designed for selective participation, where the merchant wants precise control over what becomes available through Virtual Inventory.

30 Selected Variants. Not the Entire Catalog.

The merchant did not need to expose its entire retail catalog to Virtual Inventory. It selectively enabled 30 variants across two retail locations.

30
Selected Variants: 2
Retail Locations: Selective
Participation Model

1Opportunity
2Merchant selects what participates
330 variants enabled
4Eligible store inventory supports online demand
5Orders convert
6FC Collects sources required units

Opportunity surfaces what could participate. The merchant decides what actually does.

What Was Turned On

A selective Virtual Inventory configuration paired precise merchant control with order-driven execution.

Virtual Inventory

30 selected variants across two retail locations. Selective participation, not the entire catalog.

Granular Eligibility

Collection, product, and variant-level controls. The merchant could determine exactly which retail inventory was allowed to support online demand.

Auto Transfers

Automatic mode. When a qualifying order required eligible retail inventory, FC Collects could source and commit the required units and automatically create the transfer to the designated fulfillment warehouse.

Multi-Location Sourcing

Inventory could be sourced across participating retail locations when required.

Transfer Guardrails

Maximum transfer size of 10 units per transfer.

Sales Channel Scope

Seven online sales channels were included. Point of Sale was excluded, preventing in-store transactions from triggering the Auto Transfer workflow.

The Merchant Chose What Participated. FC Collects Handled What Happened Next.

The configuration translated selective eligibility into an automated, centralized fulfillment workflow.

1Retail inventory
2Merchant selects eligible collections, products, or variants
330 selected variants participating
4Virtual Inventory supports online availability
5Qualifying paid order
6Warehouse inventory shortage
7FC Collects finds eligible retail inventory
8Source + commit required units
9Create Auto Transfer
10Transfer to designated fulfillment warehouse
11Centralized ecommerce fulfillment

Selective control

30 selected variants

The merchant controls exactly what retail inventory can participate.

Automated execution

58 Auto Transfers · 0 Manual Transfers

FC Collects handles sourcing and transfer creation when qualifying demand requires that inventory.

The merchant decides what inventory can participate. FC Collects handles what happens when an order needs it.

58 Auto Transfers. Zero Manual Transfers.

Selective participation was only the first part of the workflow. Once qualifying online demand required the enabled inventory, FC Collects handled the operational sourcing and transfer process.

58
Orders Sourced: 58
Auto Transfers Created: 100%
Sourced Orders Received an Automatic Transfer: 0
Manual Transfers Required

1Qualifying order
2Warehouse shortage detected
3Select eligible source inventory
4Commit required source units
5Create Auto Transfer
6Move to designated fulfillment warehouse
7Centralized fulfillment

This is an important distinction. The merchant selected what inventory was eligible, while FC Collects executed the sourcing and transfer workflow after qualifying demand occurred.

FC Collects didn't just find the inventory. It created the transfer.

The FC Collects lifecycle in practice

Select → Activate → Sell → Source → Commit → Transfer → Fulfill → Measure.

130 selected variants
2141 VI Units Activated
358 units sourced
458 orders sourced
558 Auto Transfers created
60 manual transfers required
7$7,824.42 Revenue Enabled

The merchant selected which inventory could support online demand. FC Collects then handled the operational workflow when that inventory was needed, from sourcing and commitment through automatic transfer creation.

Case study questions

Who is the merchant in this case study?: The merchant is anonymous. It is described only as an anonymized multi-location sporting goods retailer operating two retail source locations and one designated ecommerce fulfillment location on Shopify.
How much of the catalog was enabled for Virtual Inventory?: Virtual Inventory was selectively enabled on 30 variants across two retail locations. The merchant did not expose its entire catalog.
How many transfers did the merchant's team create manually?: None. During the measured active period, 58 orders required inventory sourced through Virtual Inventory and FC Collects created 58 Auto Transfers automatically.
Do these results predict what another merchant would see?: No. Results reflect this merchant's actual recorded activity during the September 5–9, 2026 measured active period and are not projections or performance guarantees.

See what your own locations could support online

Review the eligible inventory across your Shopify locations and decide exactly what should participate.