How To Sell On Shopify Without Inventory: Easy Methods For 2024

Do you have an interest in selling online but know nothing about inventory management? If so, that's okay. You can run an online store even without shipping out products from your home. This business model is great for anyone that's passionate about selling certain products but doesn't want to handle the shipping aspect.

If that sounds appealing to you, keep reading to find out how to sell on Shopify without inventory.

What is a Shopify store?

Shopify is a platform that makes it easy for sellers to set up their own ecommerce store. Through Shopify, you can build your store, manage products and sales, and accept payments. You can easily start your own storefront website through Shopify without needing an existing site.

Shopify is one of the best ecommerce platforms for new businesses because it's easy to use and popular with customers.

Can you use Shopify without inventory?

Yes, with a Shopify store, you can choose to sell online without having any of your own inventory. There are several great methods for this, which we will discuss in detail in a later section.

What are good products to sell on Shopify?

If you want to create a Shopify store, you need to decide what you want to sell. While a wide variety of products can be sold, some will have more success than others.

For example, t-shirts are a commonly sold product on Shopify because they're easy to produce, ship, and customize. While that means they're popular, that also means there's a lot of competition. The goal is to find a product that is in demand without having too many competitors.

Here are some trending products to sell on a Shopify store:

• Supplements
• Vitamins
• Skincare
• Makeup
• Art/craft materials
• Perfume and cologne
• Drinkware
• Coffee
• Cookware
• Blankets
• Posters
• Pet products
• Nail care
• Candles

These are just a few product types to consider. In general, t-shirts and similar apparel items are becoming less successful while items on the list above, such as supplements and skincare products are becoming in demand with less competition.

Yet, trends are always changing. What works well today may be drastically different than what's trending years from now. So, choose a product that you like and feel passionate about selling, even if it's not on the above list.

Pros and cons of selling without inventory

Do you think selling without inventory is right for you? Take a look at the pros and cons of this business type before making your decision.

Pros

• Prevents you from worrying about storage space and costs
• Leaves packing and shipping to the professionals
• Requires less of an upfront investment (both time and money)
• Gives you more time to focus on other aspects of the business
• Makes the business less stressful for you

Cons

• You won't have control over product quality and shipping timelines
• Limits your options for what you can sell
• You may earn less of the profits

There are pros and cons for all business models. So, consider if shipping without inventory makes sense for you. If it does, do the pros greatly outweigh the cons? For many new business owners, the answer is yes because it's an easy way to start a brand new shop.

Ways to sell on Shopify without inventory

How do you make money on Shopify without any inventory management? There isn't just one way to do it. First, consider what products you want to sell to determine the best-selling method for you. Then, once you know the route you want to take, further research that business model.

Keep reading to find out how to make money on Shopify with no money or inventory invested in it. Shopify makes it easy to start a business from scratch.

Print on demand

Print-on-demand stores allow you to create designs for blank products. For example, your design can be printed on a t-shirt, mug, canvas, etc. When someone buys one of these products, it's printed for that order and shipped out. There's no need for anyone to hold an inventory of pre-printed products.

These print-on-demand services are great because they're easy to set up and you won't have to worry about paying for supplies that don't get used. However, you won't have control over the printing company, so keep that in mind.

If you're planning to put a unique design on a simple product, print on demand services could work well for you. Otherwise, this isn't the route to take if you have other product types in mind.

Digital products

If you sell digital products, no one has to carry any inventory. Everything about your business will be online. As long as you have access to a reliable computer, you can easily set up an online store with only digital products.

Some examples of digital products include digital artwork, videos, photos, ebooks, and online courses. You will need to take some time to create this content, but your business model won't involve any physical items. If any of those product types appeal to you, a store with digital products is the right path.

Dropshipping without inventory

A dropshipping business allows you to source products from wholesale manufacturers and then sell them for more through your ecommerce business. It's an easy way to get started with a Shopify store, but many online businesses use this method, so there's a lot of competition.

When someone buys a product from your Shopify store, the information goes to the manufacturers, who will package and ship the order for you. You're in charge of setting up the storefront and making the products look and sound appealing, but you won't have to handle the products at all.

A great way to create a unique dropshipping business is to put your custom label on existing products. At Supliful, we make it easy to sell private label products through a dropshipping app. We offer products like supplements, skincare, coffee, and pet products.

Third-party logistics company (3PL)

Third-party logistics is a method similar to dropshipping. Yet, rather than the manufacturer storing and shipping the products, a fulfillment warehouse handles it. The products will be stored, packaged, and sent out from the warehouse so you don't have to worry about that part of the process.

However, since you're not working directly with the manufacturer, you may need to do more research to find a 3PL company you trust.

Affiliate program

A lot of websites, such as Amazon, have affiliate programs where people can earn money by recommending products and using affiliate links. This can be a great way for people to earn money online without having to sell and ship their own products.

While Shopify doesn't have a system exactly like this, they do have a unique affiliate program. When participating in this program, people can earn money by referring new merchants to Shopify plans. So, if you're a fan of Shopify, you can use this program to earn some extra cash.

How to sell on Shopify without inventory: step-by-step process

Now that you've considered your options, does selling on Shopify seem right for you? There are plenty of ways to sell products without managing inventory. So, if you're ready to move forward with your business, check out the following steps.

1. Decide what you're selling

The most important part of an ecommerce store is the type of products that will appear in the shop. As mentioned above, consider products that sell well but don't have too much competition.

When choosing your products, also think about what sets them apart from similar products online. Since you're not storing any products yourself, it might be difficult to make them unique. Yet, even without inventory management, there are still ways to be creative.

For example, digital products can have your unique artwork on them. You may even be able to personalize them. As for physical products, see if you can find a supplier that has products with special features that the competition doesn't have. Finding little things to help your Shopify store stand out can make a huge difference.

2. Determine the best way to sell without inventory

Once you know what you're selling, narrow down your options for how to sell it without inventory. If it's a digital product, that decision should be pretty easy. If it's a design that you want to print on objects, a print-on-demand service is the route to take.

However, if you want to sell existing products, that's where it can get tricky. You'll need to decide if dropshipping or third-party logistics sounds better for you. From there, you'll also need to figure out which company to work with.

Find a company that's able to store and ship out the product you need while also having positive reviews. A lot of your online store is going to be in the hands of the company producing and shipping your products, so make sure you're working with businesses you trust.

3. Think about your brand details

Before you set up your Shopify store, figure out the details of your brand. First, think of a name for your brand. The name should be memorable and stand out while also representing your products. It should be easy to search, so make sure no competing brands have the same name.

Next, think about pricing. You'll want to have competitive pricing. Making it slightly more affordable than the competition could appeal to some customers. However, don't make the prices too low because then you won't earn enough of a profit (and it could make people assume the products are lower quality).

Also, before you get started with your Shopify online store, make sure you understand the local laws and taxes associated with your account. If you need help with that process, Shopify Partners provides a database of experts to help you.

4. Create a Shopify account

Once you have the details figured out, it's time to create your Shopify storefront. You can get started with a 14-day free trial and then get your first month for $1. That way, you can make sure this is the right platform for you before pouring too much money into it. After the trial period, you'll need to decide which plan works best for you, and the basic one starts at $29 per month.

To get started, all you have to do is type in your email, come up with a password, and answer a few basic questions about your business. After completing that, you'll be able to view your Shopify store dashboard.

5. Build an online store

Before you can start selling online, you need to build your online store. Many people love Shopify because it allows you to build your own ecommerce store website without needing an existing site.

If you already have a personal website, you can link to your Shopify store from the site, but Shopify will create a new website for your storefront. So, you will still need to set up a Shopify store.

You can start by choosing a free theme for your storefront. Choose a theme that fits the vibes of your brand and products. You're able to customize your template as needed to make it unique to your business.

6. Customize your online business template

Customizing your Shopify store's template is crucial for helping your site look professional while standing out from the competition. Shopify's website-building technology is easy for even beginners to figure out.

During customization, you can add or remove sections, edit text and images, and reorganize existing content. When editing your template, make sure to check how it looks in on different devices, such as desktop vs mobile. It's important to ensure that your shop is user-friendly no matter what device your customers are using.

If you want to be certain that your Shopify site stands out from competitors, you can create a new page template to make your site customized even further. Follow this step-by-step guide to help make your Shopify storefront special.

While Shopify is easy to use, it's important that your website looks as high-quality as possible. If you're struggling to make it look how you want, consider hiring a website designer to help you.

7. Add products to your store

Once your site looks how you want it to, you can add your products. You can do this by going to the products section of your Shopify dashboard. For each product, add high-quality images, a detailed description, and a price.

Remember, your product pages are what will help customers decide if they want to buy your product or not. If your products don't look appealing in the pictures or if the product description is hard to read, customers may decide not to purchase anything.

When writing your product descriptions, focus on search engine optimization (SEO). This involves incorporating keywords that your target market is likely to search. That way, they may stumble across your store on Google. If you need help with this, you may want to hire a writer and/or SEO expert for help.

Luckily, Shopify makes it easy to set up products in your store. Even so, you should spend a lot of time perfecting your product pages for the best results. If you need help working on your product pages, check out our guide for how to add products to Shopify for more details.

8. Double check your settings before you sell online

Before moving forward with promoting your ecommerce store, make sure all the Shopify settings fit your needs. Double check your payment information to ensure you'll be able to receive your earnings.

Also, make sure your shipping settings are correct. In your settings, you can choose how much you want to charge for shipping based on where you're shipping to.

You can also update your store's domain in your settings. The default domain has "myshopify" at the end of it, but some people consider that unprofessional. If you have your own domain or decide to buy your own, you can easily do that. You can either click "connect an existing domain" or "buy domain" to make the site's URL easier to remember and more professional.

9. Market your products

Once you have a shop set up, customers won't magically find you. You need to market your product to help it reach your target market. Come up with a marketing strategy to help you set your store up for success.

Start by creating a social media presence on platforms you know your potential customers use. For example, younger audiences may be more likely to use TikTok and Instagram while older age groups are more likely to use Facebook. Frequently post about your shop to help it gain attention.

In many cases, paid advertising might be the best way to get your products noticed at first. Run ads on social media or search engines to help build an audience. Respond to emails and social media comments to help improve your brand's reputation.

Start selling on Shopify without inventory

You don't need to have an inventory in your home to sell on Shopify. There are lots of other options, such as selling digital products, using a dropshipping business, and providing print-on-demand products.

Selling without inventory is a great option for many new sellers because it makes the process easier to manage. You don't have to worry about the upfront costs of holding an inventory, and someone else will handle all the packaging and shipping.

If you don't mind having someone else take care of the inventory aspect of your business, then selling on Shopify without inventory is likely the right move for you. It's an excellent way to dip your toe into the world of ecommerce stores.

Once you're ready, go ahead and bring your business idea to life by creating a Shopify store! If you need help deciding what to sell, consider private label supplements, skincare items, coffee, or pet products from Supliful.