Decide whether to restock a returned item in Shopify
Not every returned item goes back on sale. This tutorial works through a 5-item return: 3 sellable items are restocked, 1 damaged item is kept out, and 1 item that never arrived is removed from the return.
Written · Shopify admin, desktop steps · 5 minutes read
The worked example
| Received | 5 items |
| Restocked | 3 items |
| Damaged, not restocked | 1 item |
| Missing, removed | 1 item |
| Inventory before / after | 10 / 13 |
Download the log: restock-decision-log.csv (196 bytes).
A decision log for the 5-item return in this tutorial: 3 restocked, 1 damaged, 1 missing. It is a record, not an import file.
1Open the return and check what arrived
From your Shopify admin, go to Orders, click the order, and find the Return in progress section. Match the parcel against the return before you process anything.
2Restock the sellable items
Click Process return. In the Return items to receive section, select the 3 sellable items, and for each one select Restock at and choose the location where you want to restock it.
3Leave the damaged item out
Do not select Restock at for the damaged item. It stays out of inventory, and it is not refunded in this step unless you decide to handle it as a damaged return.
4Remove the item that never arrived
On the Return in progress card, open the menu and click Remove return items. Select the missing item, click Remove item, and then click Remove item again to confirm. After you remove a return item, your order balance is adjusted accordingly.
5Close the return
The return closes automatically when every item is processed and every return item is restocked. If anything is still open, use the menu on the Return in progress card and click Close return.
The arithmetic
Five items were on the return. Three were restocked, one was damaged, and one never arrived, so inventory rose by 3.
| Decision | Items |
|---|---|
| Items on the return | 5 |
| Restocked at the store | 3 |
| Damaged, not restocked | 1 |
| Missing, removed from the return | 1 |
| Inventory before | 10 |
| Inventory after | 13 |
3 plus 1 plus 1 is 5, so every item on the return has a decision. 10 plus 3 is 13. Three of 5 items restocked is 60%.
Held at the counter
You cannot remove items already refunded or restocked. Once an item is refunded or restocked, it cannot be removed from the return. Remove a missing item before you process anything.
A damaged item restocked by mistake can be sold again. Restock is a location choice, not a quality check. Inspect the item first, then decide the restock per item, not per return.
The restocking fee follows the items you process. When you process a return, the restocking fee is calculated by how many items you choose to process in a return, so the fee follows the items you select.
Sources
- Processing and managing returns — Shopify's help pages: the process-return steps, the restock choice, the refund-shipping section, the refund-method choices, and the cancel / remove / close rules.