Many Shopify stores keep inventory across multiple warehouses to reduce shipping time and avoid stock shortages. It becomes difficult if there is a situation where the same product can be available at various places. Most of the time, the delivery date is calculated according to a certain warehouse that has been given priority. As a result, a customer in Texas might see a 7-day delivery estimate even though the item is available in a nearby warehouse that could deliver in 2 days. This creates inaccurate expectations and can impact conversion rates.
The problem
“We have inventory in multiple warehouses, but every customer still sees the same delivery date.”
This is one of the most common questions we hear from Shopify merchants.
As businesses grow, they often store the same product in different warehouse locations. A customer in Texas may get their orders in only two days from a warehouse that is nearer, but a customer in New York may need five days. The problem is that many ETA solutions continue using a fixed warehouse or warehouse priority, even after the customer enters their ZIP code. But then the delivery time doesn’t take into consideration the nearest warehouse to the client.
Why it happens
A customer’s ZIP code doesn’t automatically tell Shopify which warehouse should be used to calculate the estimated delivery date. The app only checks the location that contains the stock and not the warehouse that would be able to deliver the fastest. With additional processing not done, the time of arrival remains constant regardless of the user’s location.
Who usually faces this?
- Merchants shipping from multiple warehouses.
- Stores with the same product stocked in different locations.
- Businesses using regional fulfillment centers.
- Merchants trying to provide more accurate delivery promises before checkout.
Common ways merchants solve it
Some merchants simply show the same ETA to everyone. Others prioritize one warehouse for all orders. This could be done by determining the nearest warehouse with the required product using the ZIP code of the customer and calculating the time accordingly.
How we solved it
After receiving this request from several Shopify merchants, we added a custom solution to our Estimated Delivery Date app . When the ZIP code of the customer is entered, the app locates the nearest warehouse and calculates the ETA based on the delivery policies of the respective warehouse. The result is a delivery estimate that better matches the merchant’s actual fulfillment process and gives customers a more realistic expectation before they place an order.
Is your store facing a similar challenge? Contact us to discuss your fulfillment workflow. We’re happy to suggest the most suitable approach.
Shopify Expert
Dipen Panchal, Shopify Tech Lead at Setubridge Technolabs, brings over a decade of expertise as a Shopify Expert. Passionate about e-commerce growth, he specializes in UI/UX design, crafting intuitive, engaging solutions tailored for merchants and B2B clients to enhance user experiences.
