Featuring Craig Barnell (Director of Customer Insights, Inventory Optimizer; COO, Fishers Finery) and Ryan Carbone (Director of Support & Product Implementation, Inventory Optimizer).
As ecommerce brands grow beyond Amazon, staying in stock becomes increasingly complex—especially when Amazon serves as the fulfillment engine for multiple sales channels. In this episode of “If You Don’t Have It, You Can’t Sell It,” Ryan and Craig dive into how Fishers Finery leverages Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) and Inventory Optimizer to manage Shopify, Amazon, and other sales channels from a single, centralized inventory pool.
The Challenge
Fishers Finery’s inventory flows through Amazon AWD, FBA, and MCF, creating several visibility and forecasting challenges:
- Shopify cannot sell inventory unless it’s physically slotted in an Amazon fulfillment center (FC)
- Amazon shows inventory as “buyable” while it’s still moving between AWD and FCs
- Platform-native Amazon forecasts ignore non-FBA (MCF) demand
- High-selling Shopify SKUs occasionally went out of stock even though inventory existed in-network
Without a unified system, Fishers Finery struggled to translate real demand into actionable replenishment decisions.
“There were times where we’d show 2,000 of our best-selling individual ASIN on Amazon, and yet our Shopify store does not have the ability to take sales because none of that product is actually slotted in FC.” Craig Barnell
The Solution
Inventory Optimizer bridges these gaps by unifying sales and inventory data across channels, fulfillment centers, and MCF, through:
- Comprehensive tracking of inbound, outbound, and transferred inventory across AWD, FBA, and MCF
- AI-driven forecasting that incorporates total demand—not just Amazon FBA sales
- Multi-channel replenishment recommendations using Restock AMZ to ensure inventory is in the right place at the right time
- Automated alerts for inventory that hasn’t been slotted for MCF, avoiding hidden stockouts
By aligning AWD-to-FBA transfers with real-time multi-channel demand, Fishers Finery can proactively pre-stage inventory for peak periods.
“Our forecasting often recommends two to three times what Amazon does, because we factor in Shopify and other MCF sales that Amazon overlooks.” Ryan Carbone
The Results
Once Inventory Optimizer unified forecasting and visibility, Fishers Finery experienced:
- Significant reduction in Shopify stockouts
- Accurate FBA replenishment based on total demand
- Improved AWD-to-FBA slotting and inventory flow
- Greater confidence in multi-channel planning and purchasing decisions
- Enhanced customer experience and repeat purchases on Shopify, which now outpace Amazon in repeat rate
“The tool lets us see the entire Amazon ecosystem holistically—from AWD to FBA to MCF—so we can restock appropriately and avoid surprises.” Craig Barnell
Why It Matters
For brands using Amazon as a multi-channel fulfillment network, relying solely on Amazon’s native forecasting leaves revenue on the table. MCF requires full visibility into inventory and demand across all channels, along with a replenishment strategy that accounts for both FBA and non-FBA orders.
- Inventory Optimizer gives sellers the tools to:
- Forecast total demand across every channel
- Automate replenishment and pre-stage inventory intelligently
- Optimize slotting and transfers to prevent lost sales
- Reduce stockouts and overstock risk simultaneously
Watch the episode or schedule a demo to see how Inventory Optimizer helps Fishers Finery stay in stock across Amazon, Shopify, and multi-channel networks.
