Multi-channel stock: buffer rules for Shopify, Amazon and eBay
Choosing per-channel buffers, handling allocation order, and measuring whether your oversell rate is actually improving.
Why a single number oversells
Publishing the same available quantity to three channels means three customers can buy the last unit in the seconds before any of them syncs back. The faster the channels, the worse it gets.
Per-channel buffers
Hold back a small quantity per channel, sized to that channel’s sales velocity and sync latency. A fast marketplace with a slow feed needs a larger buffer than your own storefront with a webhook.
Allocation order and measurement
Decide explicitly which channel is allocated first when stock is tight, and track oversell rate as a metric per channel so you can tell whether a buffer change actually helped rather than just feeling safer.
Planning an integration?
Send us the two systems and the record types involved. We will come back with an outline scope and the approach we would recommend, within one working day.