Inventory glossary

What is Pick list?

A pick list is a document that tells a warehouse worker or store owner which items, and how many of each, to pull from stock to fulfill one or more orders.

For a small Shopify store, a pick list keeps order packing accurate and fast. If you pack orders by memory or by scrolling through the Shopify admin one order at a time, you waste time and make more mistakes, like sending the wrong variant or short-shipping an item.

Use a pick list to batch multiple orders together, especially during busy periods. Sort it by bin location or shelf if you have one, so you walk your stockroom once instead of back and forth. Check off each line as you pull it, then pack against the same list to catch errors before the order ships.

Example

A candle store gets 12 orders in one morning. The pick list combines them and shows 9 units of the lavender 8oz jar, 5 units of the vanilla 8oz jar, and 3 units of the gift box set. The owner pulls all 17 units in one trip, then sorts them back into the 12 individual orders for packing.

Common mistakes

  • Picking straight from the Shopify order screen one order at a time instead of batching, which wastes trips to the shelf.
  • Not updating the pick list when an order is cancelled or edited after it was printed, leading to extra or wrong items pulled.
  • No bin or shelf reference on the list, so picking takes longer than it should.

Pick list and SteadyShelf

SteadyShelf does not generate pick lists for customer orders, it focuses on forecasting demand and sending purchase orders to suppliers so you have stock to pick from in the first place.

SteadyShelf is launching on the Shopify App Store. Join early access to get the install link first.

Related terms

Receiving · Committed inventory · Bin location · Order fulfillment · Packing slip

Full inventory glossary

FAQ

Is a pick list the same as a packing slip?

No. A pick list is used internally to gather items from stock before packing. A packing slip goes inside or with the shipped order and lists what the customer bought.

Do small stores need a formal pick list system?

Even a simple spreadsheet or printed list helps once you are packing more than a handful of orders a day, since it reduces mis-picks and speeds up packing.

Let SteadyShelf do this math for every SKU

Order-by dates per supplier, seasonal forecasts and draft POs for your Shopify store. $29/month after a 30-day free trial.

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