Multi-Location Inventory
Manage inventory across multiple warehouses, shops, and stores with intelligent location assignment and centralized visibility.
Important: Multi-location inventory (multi-warehouse) is a Production plan feature (also included on Enterprise). On Free, Commerce, and Build plans you operate from a single location. To track separate stock at multiple warehouses, transfer stock between them, and use location assignment strategies, you'll need to be on Production or higher. See Subscriptions & Plans to compare tiers.
Overview
TimberCloud's multi-location system enables you to:
- Track separate stock levels for each location
- Automatically assign orders to the best location
- View combined or location-specific inventory
- Transfer stock between locations
- Receive purchases at specific locations
Locations are configured under Settings → Company → Locations (see Company Settings). Per-location stock views appear in the read-only Shop → Inventory dashboard, while the actual per-location editing and transfers happen in the Location Inventory modal in the Product Attribute builder — see Managing Inventory.
Location Setup
Adding Locations
- Go to Settings → Company → Locations
- Click Add Location
- Fill in location details:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Display name (e.g., "Main Warehouse") |
| Description | Optional notes |
| Address | Full address (required for proximity features) |
| Timezone | Local timezone for the location |
| Operating Hours | When the location operates |
| Primary | Is this the main/default location? |
| Active | Is the location currently operational? |
| Service Radius | Maximum distance for proximity-based assignment (miles) |
- Click Save
Primary Location
One location should be marked as Primary:
- Used when the "Primary Default" strategy is selected
- Fallback when no other location qualifies
- Only one location can be primary at a time
Active vs. Inactive
- Active locations participate in:
- Location assignment for orders
- Inventory views
- Purchasing operations
- Inactive locations are excluded from operations but retain data
Location Types
TimberCloud supports various location types for different operational needs:
Warehouses
Main storage and distribution facilities:
- Bulk inventory storage
- Receiving from vendors
- Order fulfillment and shipping
- Production/fabrication
Retail Stores
Customer-facing locations:
- Point of sale
- Customer pickup
- Limited inventory display
- Direct sales
Shops / Fabrication
Production facilities:
- Manufacturing operations
- Work-in-progress inventory
- Material consumption
- Finished goods output
Location Assignment Strategies
When an order is created, TimberCloud automatically assigns a fulfillment location based on your configured strategy.
Primary Default
All orders are assigned to your primary location.
Best for:
- Single-location operations
- Centralized fulfillment
- Simple operations
Configuration:
- Go to Settings → Company
- Set Location Strategy to "Primary Default"
Proximity-Based
Orders are assigned to the nearest location within service range based on the customer's shipping address.
Best for:
- Multiple warehouses serving different regions
- Minimizing shipping costs and transit times
- Regional distribution networks
Requirements:
- Complete addresses on all locations
- Service radius set for each location
Configuration:
- Go to Settings → Company
- Set Location Strategy to "Proximity"
- Ensure locations have full addresses
- Set an appropriate service radius for each location
Inventory Available
Orders are assigned to the location with the best availability of the ordered products.
Best for:
- Ensuring orders can be fulfilled
- Reducing backorders and split shipments
- Balancing inventory across locations
Configuration:
- Go to Settings → Company
- Set Location Strategy to "Inventory Available"
Viewing Multi-Location Inventory
All Locations View
- Go to Shop → Inventory
- Select All Locations from the dropdown
- See combined inventory across all locations:
- Total stock levels (sum of all locations)
- Low stock indicators (any location below threshold)
- Aggregated metrics
Single Location View
- Go to Shop → Inventory
- Select a specific location
- See inventory for that location only:
- Stock levels at that location
- Location-specific low stock indicators
- Local metrics
Location Selector
The location selector shows:
- All active locations
- Current location details (address, hours)
- Quick switch between locations
Location-Specific Operations
Receiving at a Location
When receiving inventory:
- Create a Receipt from a Purchase Order
- Select the Location where goods are arriving
- Post the receipt
- Inventory is added to that specific location
Receiving relies on Purchasing, which is a Build+ feature. See Receiving & Receipts.
Orders from a Location
Orders are fulfilled from their assigned location:
- The order is assigned to a location (automatically or manually)
- Inventory is deducted from that location
- Shipping originates from that location's address
Adjustments at a Location
Manual inventory adjustments are made in the Location Inventory modal, opened from the Product Attribute builder — not from the Shop → Inventory dashboard (which is read-only):
- Go to Products → Attributes and open the attribute.
- Click the inventory item's stock cell to open the Location Inventory modal.
- Edit Current Stock for the relevant location's row, then Save Changes.
- The change applies only to that location.
See Managing Inventory for the full walkthrough.
Inventory Transfers
Move stock between locations from the Transfer Inventory section of the Location Inventory modal. This section only appears when you have two or more locations.
Where transfers live
Transfers are not done from the Shop → Inventory dashboard. They happen in the Product Attribute builder:
- Go to Products → Attributes and open the attribute.
- Click the inventory item's stock cell to open the Location Inventory modal.
- Scroll to the Transfer Inventory section.
Transfer Process
- Choose the Field to move.
- Choose the From Location (where stock is now) and the To Location (where it should go).
- Enter the Amount.
- Click Transfer.
Stock is immediately deducted from the source and added to the destination.
Transfer Considerations
- No in-transit state: Transfers are immediate in the system.
- Physical shipping: For a tracked movement between sites, consider raising an internal purchase order instead.
Location Configuration
Service Radius
For proximity-based assignment, each location can have a service radius:
- Distance in miles
- Orders beyond this distance won't be assigned to this location
- Leave empty or 0 for an unlimited service area
Example:
- East Coast Warehouse: 500-mile radius
- West Coast Warehouse: 500-mile radius
- Central Warehouse: Unlimited (catches everything else)
Operating Hours
Configure when each location operates:
- Shipping hours: When orders can be shipped
- Receiving hours: When deliveries are accepted
- Production hours: When manufacturing occurs
Timezone
Set the local timezone for each location:
- Affects order due-time calculations
- Affects schedule displays
- Affects shipping cutoff times
Products at Locations
You can optionally restrict which products are available at each location:
Location-Product Assignment
- Go to the Product Attribute settings
- In the Locations section, select which locations carry this attribute
- Save
When configured:
- Inventory records are created only at assigned locations
- Assignment strategies consider product availability
When not configured (default):
- All active locations can carry any product
- Inventory records are created for all locations
Best Practices
Address Configuration
- Complete addresses — Include street, city, state, ZIP, country
- Verify accuracy — Test to ensure correct geocoding
- Update promptly — Change addresses immediately if locations move
Service Radius Strategy
- No overlap — Avoid overlapping service areas to prevent ambiguity
- Complete coverage — Ensure at least one location covers each area you serve
- Consider shipping zones — Align radius with carrier zone pricing
Inventory Distribution
- Stock popular items everywhere — Fast movers should be available at all locations
- Specialize locations — Some locations may focus on specific product lines
- Monitor imbalances — Transfer stock before locations run out
Performance Monitoring
Track metrics by location:
- Order volume
- Fulfillment time
- Stock turnover
- Out-of-stock incidents
Troubleshooting
Orders Not Going to Expected Location
Problem: Orders aren't being assigned to the location you expect.
Check:
- Is the expected location Active?
- Is the strategy set correctly in Company settings?
- For proximity: Is the location's address complete and valid?
- For proximity: Is the customer within the service radius?
- For inventory: Does the location have the ordered products in stock?
Proximity Not Working
Problem: Proximity-based assignment isn't working correctly.
Check:
- Are location addresses complete?
- Are customer shipping addresses complete?
- Contact support if issues persist
Inventory Not Showing for a Location
Problem: Products don't appear when viewing a specific location.
Check:
- Is the location Active?
- Have inventory records been synced for this location?
- Is the product attribute assigned to this location?
- Try clicking Sync Inventory on the product attribute
Transfer Failed
Problem: A transfer between locations didn't work.
Check:
- Does the source location have enough stock?
- Are both locations active?
- Is the product option valid at both locations?
Multi-Location Options Are Missing
Problem: You don't see location selectors, transfers, or the All Locations view.
Check:
- Confirm your plan — multi-location inventory requires the Production plan (or Enterprise). On lower tiers you operate from a single location. See Subscriptions & Plans.
- Confirm you're looking under Shop → Inventory (the Shop section is Production-gated).