Inventory glossary
What is Split shipment?
A split shipment is when a single purchase order is delivered in two or more separate deliveries instead of all at once.
Split shipments happen when a supplier cannot fill your whole order right away, or when you ask for part of the order sooner to avoid running out. For a small Shopify store this matters because it changes when stock actually lands and becomes sellable, which affects your reorder timing for other SKUs too.
Track split shipments by keeping the original purchase order open until every unit has arrived, and recording each partial delivery against it. If you only mark the PO as received after the first batch, you will lose track of what is still owed and may reorder too early or too late.
Example
A candle store orders 300 units of a jar candle from one supplier. The supplier ships 180 units now and the remaining 120 units three weeks later because of a wax shortage. The store receives the PO in two parts: 180 units this week, 120 units in three weeks, both counted against the same original order of 300.
Common mistakes
- Closing the purchase order after the first partial delivery and forgetting the remaining units are still owed.
- Not updating the expected arrival date for the second batch, leading to a surprise stockout gap.
- Treating each partial delivery as a new order instead of linking it back to the original PO, which makes supplier performance hard to track.
Split shipment and SteadyShelf
SteadyShelf lets you receive a purchase order in partial amounts as stock arrives, so your on-hand counts and forecasts stay accurate even when a supplier splits a shipment.
SteadyShelf is launching on the Shopify App Store. Join early access to get the install link first.
Related terms
Purchase order · Partial receipt · Receiving · Lead time · Backorder
FAQ
Does a split shipment count as two purchase orders?
No. It is still one purchase order, just received in parts. Both deliveries should be recorded against the same original PO.
Why would a supplier split a shipment on purpose?
Sometimes a supplier ships what is ready now to help you avoid a stockout, then sends the rest once the remaining stock or production is finished.
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