Track Consignment Inventory From Intake to Payout
See how a connected consignment inventory workflow keeps every item tied to its consignor, sale status and payout record from the moment it enters your store.
Track Every Consignment Item From Intake to Payout
Every consignment item has a story your store must be able to follow.
Who brought it in? What price was agreed upon? Is it available in the store, listed online or connected to Shopify POS? Has it sold? How much is the consignor owed? Has that amount actually been paid?
When those answers are spread across paper tags, Shopify products and multiple spreadsheets, it becomes easy to lose track of an item somewhere between intake and payout.
A dependable consignment inventory system should keep the item, its owner, its sale and its final payout connected from beginning to end. That complete workflow is what JustConsignIn was built to provide.
Why consignment inventory requires more tracking
Traditional retailers generally purchase their inventory before selling it. Consignment stores operate differently because the merchandise still belongs to the consignor until it sells.
That means every item carries information that a regular Shopify product does not automatically manage:
- The consignor who owns the item
- The store's commission percentage
- The consignor's share of the sale
- Whether the item has sold
- Whether the consignor has been paid
- The payment method and payout date
Shopify is excellent for products, inventory, online orders and point-of-sale transactions. JustConsignIn adds the consignment relationship that needs to remain attached to those products and sales.
Step 1: Register the consignor
The workflow begins with the consignor, not the product.
Each consignor receives an organized record containing their contact information, consignor number, commission percentage and relevant notes. Every item they bring into the store is then connected to that record.
This creates one reliable place to view a consignor's available items, sold items, unpaid balance and payout history.
Instead of searching several files to answer a simple question, the store can open the consignor's record and see the information together.
Step 2: Enter the consignment item
During intake, the store records the details needed to identify, price and sell the item. Depending on the merchandise, that can include:
- Item number
- Product title and description
- Brand
- Category
- Size
- Condition
- Price
- Product photographs
- Store notes
The item is immediately connected to the correct consignor. That connection stays with it throughout the rest of the workflow.
JustConsignIn is designed for mobile-friendly intake, allowing staff to record products while working near the incoming merchandise instead of relying on handwritten notes that must be entered again later.
Step 3: Decide where the item will be sold
Not every consignment product needs the same sales strategy.
Some items may be sold only inside the physical store. Others should appear online. Many stores want products available through both Shopify POS and their Shopify Online Store.
JustConsignIn supports manual consignment items as well as Shopify-connected products. Stores can choose whether a Shopify product should be available through POS, online or both.
This is especially useful for consignment, thrift and resale stores handling large quantities of one-of-a-kind merchandise. An item can be recorded during intake and prepared for Shopify when the store is ready, without losing its connection to the consignor.
Step 4: Keep available inventory organized
After intake, the item remains marked as available until a sale is recorded.
Store owners can review inventory by item or by consignor instead of trying to match product titles with names on another spreadsheet. Clear item numbers and status labels help staff understand what is currently available and how it is being sold.
This makes everyday questions easier to answer:
- Which items belong to this consignor?
- Is this product still available?
- Is it a manual item or a Shopify product?
- Is it available on Shopify POS, online or both?
- Which items have already sold?
Keeping this information connected also reduces the risk of paying the wrong person or overlooking an item during a future payout.
Step 5: Move sold items into an unpaid status
A sold item is not the same as a paid consignor.
When a consignment item sells, JustConsignIn moves it from available inventory into a sold and unpaid status. The sale record can include the sale price, sale date, sales channel and Shopify order information when applicable.
The consignor's share is calculated from the recorded commission percentage.
Keeping sold-but-unpaid items separate is essential. If an item is marked as completely finished as soon as it sells, the store can lose track of whether the consignor actually received their money.
JustConsignIn keeps that responsibility visible until the payout is completed.
Step 6: Review exactly what each consignor is owed
The payout area groups unpaid sold items by consignor and shows the total amount currently owed.
Before paying anyone, the store can review the products included in the payout and confirm the amount. This eliminates the need to rebuild totals manually from Shopify orders and spreadsheet rows.
Depending on the store's process, payouts can be recorded using methods such as:
- Cash
- E-transfer
- Store credit
Once the payout is recorded, the included items move into a paid status.
Step 7: Preserve a complete payout history
Consignment records should not disappear after someone is paid.
JustConsignIn keeps a payout history showing which items were included, the amount paid, the payment method and the date. This gives the store a dependable record when a consignor asks about a previous sale or payment.
A complete history also helps store owners review past activity without changing current unpaid balances.
One connected consignment workflow
The complete JustConsignIn item workflow is straightforward:
Available → Sold and Unpaid → Paid
Behind those three stages is a connected record of the consignor, inventory item, Shopify product, sale and payout.
The goal is not simply to create another inventory list. It is to prevent the ownership and payment information from becoming separated as an item moves through the store.
Built from the needs of a real consignment store
JustConsignIn began as a way to organize the day-to-day consignment process at Jill & the Beanstalk, a Toronto consignment store.
The original goal was practical: replace scattered records with a clearer way to manage consignors, inventory, sales and payouts. That store-specific solution eventually developed into a Shopify consignment app for other resale businesses facing the same problems.
JustConsignIn is designed for businesses including:
- Clothing consignment stores
- Children's resale stores
- Furniture consignment stores
- Thrift stores
- Vintage shops
- Antique and collectible stores
- Sporting-goods consignment stores
- Specialty resale businesses
Get ready for a better consignment workflow
JustConsignIn is currently under review for the Shopify App Store.
If your store uses Shopify and you want a more organized way to track consignment inventory from intake through final payout, visit https://www.justconsignin.com/ to learn more and request a free demonstration.
Every consignment item has a story your store must be able to follow.
Who brought it in? What price was agreed upon? Is it available in the store, listed online or connected to Shopify POS? Has it sold? How much is the consignor owed? Has that amount actually been paid?
When those answers are spread across paper tags, Shopify products and multiple spreadsheets, it becomes easy to lose track of an item somewhere between intake and payout.
A dependable consignment inventory system should keep the item, its owner, its sale and its final payout connected from beginning to end. That complete workflow is what JustConsignIn was built to provide.
Why consignment inventory requires more tracking
Traditional retailers generally purchase their inventory before selling it. Consignment stores operate differently because the merchandise still belongs to the consignor until it sells.
That means every item carries information that a regular Shopify product does not automatically manage:
- The consignor who owns the item
- The store's commission percentage
- The consignor's share of the sale
- Whether the item has sold
- Whether the consignor has been paid
- The payment method and payout date
Shopify is excellent for products, inventory, online orders and point-of-sale transactions. JustConsignIn adds the consignment relationship that needs to remain attached to those products and sales.
Step 1: Register the consignor
The workflow begins with the consignor, not the product.
Each consignor receives an organized record containing their contact information, consignor number, commission percentage and relevant notes. Every item they bring into the store is then connected to that record.
This creates one reliable place to view a consignor's available items, sold items, unpaid balance and payout history.
Instead of searching several files to answer a simple question, the store can open the consignor's record and see the information together.
Step 2: Enter the consignment item
During intake, the store records the details needed to identify, price and sell the item. Depending on the merchandise, that can include:
- Item number
- Product title and description
- Brand
- Category
- Size
- Condition
- Price
- Product photographs
- Store notes
The item is immediately connected to the correct consignor. That connection stays with it throughout the rest of the workflow.
JustConsignIn is designed for mobile-friendly intake, allowing staff to record products while working near the incoming merchandise instead of relying on handwritten notes that must be entered again later.
Step 3: Decide where the item will be sold
Not every consignment product needs the same sales strategy.
Some items may be sold only inside the physical store. Others should appear online. Many stores want products available through both Shopify POS and their Shopify Online Store.
JustConsignIn supports manual consignment items as well as Shopify-connected products. Stores can choose whether a Shopify product should be available through POS, online or both.
This is especially useful for consignment, thrift and resale stores handling large quantities of one-of-a-kind merchandise. An item can be recorded during intake and prepared for Shopify when the store is ready, without losing its connection to the consignor.
Step 4: Keep available inventory organized
After intake, the item remains marked as available until a sale is recorded.
Store owners can review inventory by item or by consignor instead of trying to match product titles with names on another spreadsheet. Clear item numbers and status labels help staff understand what is currently available and how it is being sold.
This makes everyday questions easier to answer:
- Which items belong to this consignor?
- Is this product still available?
- Is it a manual item or a Shopify product?
- Is it available on Shopify POS, online or both?
- Which items have already sold?
Keeping this information connected also reduces the risk of paying the wrong person or overlooking an item during a future payout.
Step 5: Move sold items into an unpaid status
A sold item is not the same as a paid consignor.
When a consignment item sells, JustConsignIn moves it from available inventory into a sold and unpaid status. The sale record can include the sale price, sale date, sales channel and Shopify order information when applicable.
The consignor's share is calculated from the recorded commission percentage.
Keeping sold-but-unpaid items separate is essential. If an item is marked as completely finished as soon as it sells, the store can lose track of whether the consignor actually received their money.
JustConsignIn keeps that responsibility visible until the payout is completed.
Step 6: Review exactly what each consignor is owed
The payout area groups unpaid sold items by consignor and shows the total amount currently owed.
Before paying anyone, the store can review the products included in the payout and confirm the amount. This eliminates the need to rebuild totals manually from Shopify orders and spreadsheet rows.
Depending on the store's process, payouts can be recorded using methods such as:
- Cash
- E-transfer
- Store credit
Once the payout is recorded, the included items move into a paid status.
Step 7: Preserve a complete payout history
Consignment records should not disappear after someone is paid.
JustConsignIn keeps a payout history showing which items were included, the amount paid, the payment method and the date. This gives the store a dependable record when a consignor asks about a previous sale or payment.
A complete history also helps store owners review past activity without changing current unpaid balances.
One connected consignment workflow
The complete JustConsignIn item workflow is straightforward:
Available → Sold and Unpaid → Paid
Behind those three stages is a connected record of the consignor, inventory item, Shopify product, sale and payout.
The goal is not simply to create another inventory list. It is to prevent the ownership and payment information from becoming separated as an item moves through the store.
Built from the needs of a real consignment store
JustConsignIn began as a way to organize the day-to-day consignment process at Jill & the Beanstalk, a Toronto consignment store.
The original goal was practical: replace scattered records with a clearer way to manage consignors, inventory, sales and payouts. That store-specific solution eventually developed into a Shopify consignment app for other resale businesses facing the same problems.
JustConsignIn is designed for businesses including:
- Clothing consignment stores
- Children's resale stores
- Furniture consignment stores
- Thrift stores
- Vintage shops
- Antique and collectible stores
- Sporting-goods consignment stores
- Specialty resale businesses
Get ready for a better consignment workflow
JustConsignIn is currently under review for the Shopify App Store.
If your store uses Shopify and you want a more organized way to track consignment inventory from intake through final payout, visit https://www.justconsignin.com/ to learn more and request a free demonstration.