Stores

• About Stores

About Stores

Overview

This document provides a comprehensive guide to managing your stores and related configurations. Whether you're setting up a new store, customizing its settings, integrating with various channels and plugins, or fine-tuning your notification preferences, this document covers all the essential aspects of store management.

Accessing the Stores Page

To access the orders page, click the "Stores" button located in the left-hand menu.

Creating a New Store

To establish a store, initiate the process by selecting the "+ Add" button in your screen's upper right corner. This action will redirect you to a fresh page where you can input the requisite details for your new store, as detailed below:

• Name: You can choose any name for your store. However, ensuring that the name is meaningful and descriptive is essential.
• Replace Order Line Items with Kit Items:
  • Enabling this option means that when a customer orders individual products that are part of a kit, the platform automatically replaces the individual items with the corresponding kit.
  • A "kit" is a predefined collection of products that are bundled together and sold as a single unit.
  • For example, a camera kit might include a camera body, lens, memory card, and a bag. If a customer orders a camera body, a lens, and a memory card, and you have a "Camera Kit" defined, enabling this option would replace the individual items in the order with the "Camera Kit."
  • It simplifies the order and inventory management process because the kit is treated as a single item rather than multiple individual items.
• Auto Deduct Not Synced Orders:
  • Enabling it means that your platform will automatically reduce the available inventory quantity for a product whenever an order is placed, even if it has yet to be fully processed, ensuring that you don't oversell a product.
  • This option is a feature designed to help you manage your inventory and orders across various sales channels, especially if you sell products through multiple platforms, such as your website, Amazon, eBay, etc.
  • This feature is particularly useful when orders are synchronised or integrated with your inventory management system. It helps prevent overselling, leading to customer dissatisfaction and potential issues with order fulfilment.
  • For example, let's say you have ten product units in stock. If two customers place orders for the same product simultaneously, the system will deduct two units from your inventory, even if both orders are not yet processed at your warehouse. This way, you won't accidentally sell more products than you have in stock.

After providing the necessary information, click the "Save" button to complete the store creation process.

Editing a Store

To modify a store, click on the pen icon in the actions tab on the far right side of the store entry. This will redirect you to the editing screen, where you can incorporate various features into your store.

Channels

You can use the channels tab to actively install any sales channel you prefer for integration with your platform. You can install as many channels as you desire for a store. This empowers you to manage your orders and inventory actively, ensuring synchronization among your established sales channels. This active approach makes it easier for you to track your business operations actively.

The installation guides for each channel are located within our dedicated documentation section here. These documents provide step-by-step guidance on acquiring API credentials and installing them on your store.

Plugins

In the plugins tab, you gain the power to integrate third-party logistics (3PL) services into your e-commerce store, enhancing its capabilities. This integration complements the range of sales channels you can readily configure. It empowers you to transmit essential order information to the platforms you establish via the plugins section, improving the efficiency of your order fulfilment process.

Account Channel

In the accounting channel tab, you can integrate accounting solutions such as Xero, QuickBooks, and Sage with your store. This integration automates the transfer of transaction information for orders to the connected accounting channels, ensuring that your store maintains well-organized and accurate records of order transactions, making it more convenient for you to manage your accounting processes.

Webhooks

Web applications rely on data exchange through API calls and the immediate notifications triggered by webhooks. Unlike periodic data polling associated with API calls, webhooks provide real-time event updates. When configuring a webhook via the webhooks tab, you can establish your notification system and receive timely updates whenever changes occur within the channels you've integrated.

Let's break down the options for configuring your webhook:

• Event: In this section, you can specify the particular events for which you want to receive notifications from the application. Options include:
  • channels.products.updated: This event triggers a webhook notification when updates or changes are made to the products within your integrated channels. For example, you will receive a notification if a product's price or description is modified.
  • confirmation.orders.received: Selecting this event will notify you when new orders are received and confirmed within your integrated channels. It's particularly useful to keep track of incoming orders that require confirmation.
  • orders.fulfilment.created: This event is triggered when an order's fulfilment process is initiated. It can be useful for monitoring the progress of order fulfilment in real-time.
  • orders.fulfilment.updated: This event notifies you when there are updates or changes to the fulfilment status of an order. For example, you will receive a notification if an order's shipping status is updated.
  • invoices.received: This event is relevant for financial tracking. It informs you when invoices are received, providing visibility into your financial transactions as they occur.
  • invoices.updated: Similar to the "invoices.received" event, this one is triggered when there are updates or modifications to existing invoices.
  • orders.excluded: This event is triggered when orders are excluded or removed from the system. It's useful for tracking when orders are no longer in the active workflow.
  • orders.on_hold: Selecting this event will notify you when orders are placed on hold, possibly due to specific circumstances that require attention or resolution.
  • orders.received: This event informs you about the arrival of new orders in real time. It's a valuable event for tracking the influx of orders as they are received.
  • orders.updated: This event notifies you whenever there are updates or changes to existing orders. It can include changes to order details, shipping information, or order status.
  • products.updated: This event is triggered when modifications, updates, or changes are made to the product listings in your integrated channels. It provides real-time information about product catalogue changes.
• Method: Choose the HTTP request method for your webhook, typically either PUT or POST. Most webhooks transmit data using POST.
• Interval: Define how often the webhook should trigger, specifying the time interval in minutes.
• Number of items to be sent: This field lets you determine how many entries should be transmitted within a single webhook trigger.
• URL: To set up the webhook, input the URL to which the Channels API should deliver its requests. Obtain this webhook URL from the destination application where you wish to send data.
• Requires Authorisation: This optional feature enables you to include additional headers and an authentication key if the target application requires it.

Store Notifications

Within this tab, you have the flexibility to input email addresses and choose to receive email notifications via these accounts. You also have the option to define the frequency of these notifications in minutes for each trigger individually. You can enable notifications for the following triggers:

• Pending Orders: Receive notifications for currently pending orders requiring your attention.
• Hold Orders: Get notified about orders that are on hold, possibly due to specific circumstances that need resolution.
• Pending Stock Updates: Stay informed about pending stock updates, ensuring you're aware of inventory changes.
• Pending Products: Receive notifications when products are in the pending status, potentially awaiting review or action.
• Plugin Stock Levels Not Updated: If plugin stock levels remain unchanged for a specified period, this trigger will notify you to ensure accurate stock management.

Once you've personalised the configuration to your preferences, remember to click the "Update" button to save the changes you've made.

Shared Companies

Within this tab, you can input the "Company UUID (Universally Unique Identifier)" of another company you own on Channels. This feature enables you to establish connections between multiple stores across different companies you or someone else have created. By linking these stores, you can efficiently manage and coordinate your operations across multiple business entities, enhancing your ability to oversee and organize your diverse business ventures.

To locate your current Company UUID, navigate to the settings page. For a comprehensive guide on accessing settings and detailed instructions on reaching the settings page, please refer to the dedicated documentation provided on this page. This documentation will offer a step-by-step walkthrough to assist you in finding the essential Company UUID information you need.

Store Settings

The "Store Settings" tab offers the same options when creating your store. You have the flexibility to update the store's name and adjust its configuration whenever the need arises. This means you can modify your store's settings as your requirements evolve, ensuring your store remains aligned with your evolving business needs.

Deleting a Store

To remove a store from your account, locate the trash bin icon under the "Actions" section and click on it. This action triggers a pop-up window that requests confirmation. This two-step process is designed to safeguard your data against accidental deletion. After confirming the deletion, all store data and configurations will be permanently erased, ensuring a thorough cleanup of the store's information.