Background

Our client is a Shopify-based wholesaler of lifestyle goods, operating with a few unique twists:

• Post-shipment invoicing for every order
• Multiple warehouses in LA and Japan
• Frequent backorders and partial fulfillments

Each order required manual checks that took hours a day. It worked—until you were the one stuck doing it. The goal was simple: break free from tedious, repetitive processes without disrupting the entire business.

The Challenge

The workflow was already precisely tuned to the client’s specific needs.
Trying to shoehorn that into a generic third-party app would mean reinventing half the business. Shopify’s official apps are powerful, but they’re broad solutions by design.
When your operation has unique nuances, a “one-size-fits-all” tool may fit nowhere.
Hence the decision: build an app that suits the business, rather than forcing the business to adapt to an app.

Implementation

We built a custom app using a targeted stack:

• Next.js for the UI and core logic
• PostgreSQL to unify data for multi-location inventory and invoicing
• Shopify GraphQL API for real-time order and inventory updates
• Webhooks to trigger specific actions at key moments (order creation, partial fulfillment, etc.)

No unnecessary extras, no forced learning curve. This solution seamlessly mirrors the client’s operations, cutting down manual steps without overhauling the entire workflow.

Outcome

Once the custom app launched:

• Manual tasks that took hours (inventory checks, partial fulfillment scheduling) were automated
• The team could finally focus on revenue-driving activities such as marketing, partnerships, and new product lines
• Operating in a B2B wholesale model with multiple warehouses is complex, but complexity doesn’t have to equal wasted time—if the software is built to handle it

Reusability & Perspective

Shopify is an outstanding platform for general scenarios, but every business has its own “impossible” edges that off-the-shelf apps can’t address.
A custom app might sound extravagant, but it often saves more than it costs, especially when you tally the daily hours spent on repetitive manual tasks.
Why distort your workflow to fit an app, when you can build something that fits you perfectly?

Final Thought

If you’re spending too much time wrestling with your day-to-day operations, ask yourself:

• What’s the real cost of staying the same?
• Could your team be more productive if you eliminated routine data entry or manual checks?

Let’s have a conversation—no pushy sales, just an honest look at where you’re losing time. Sometimes the most sensible fix isn’t to change your process; it’s to let your process shine by giving it the right tool.