Over the past few years, we’ve watched more and more brands move to a hybrid model:
using print on demand for speed and cash flow, while layering in traditional screen print manufacturing for high-volume, high-margin staples.
It’s a smart strategy—but it introduces new operational headaches:
- How do you presell products you haven’t produced yet… without losing track?
- How do you track incoming inventory from your manufacturers and know exactly what’s available to fulfill?
- How do you handle orders that are waiting on inventory without spreadsheets, sticky notes, and crossed fingers?
- And how do you keep all of this in sync with your Shopify store and Apliiq’s print on demand app?
That’s exactly what the latest upgrades to Apliiq Warehouse are designed to solve.
From “Print When Ordered” To “Plan Like A Brand”
Print on demand is incredible for testing new designs, running micro-drops, and never guessing on sizes or colors. But once you know what works, many brands want to:
- Move winners into bulk production (e.g. screen printing or embroidery)
- Improve margins with larger runs
- Ship faster from on-hand inventory
- Still keep the flexibility and automation of print on demand
The challenge has always been coordinating these two worlds. That’s where Apliiq Warehouse comes in.
Introducing Smarter Presales With Apliiq Warehouse
With the new Apliiq Warehouse capabilities, brands can confidently presell products before inventory lands—with software doing the heavy lifting.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
1. Create Products & Start Selling—Before Inventory Arrives
You can launch products in your Shopify store—even if the physical inventory is still in production or on its way to Apliiq.
Behind the scenes, Apliiq Warehouse:
- Recognizes those products as items that will be stocked inventory
- Tracks them as “incoming” rather than “in stock”
- Allows orders to be placed and queued for fulfillment as soon as inventory hits the shelves
You get all of the upside of presales—cash in, demand validated—without chaos on the back end.
Track Incoming Inventory Like A Real Warehouse (Because It Is)
Once you place a production order (for example, a traditional screen print run), that inventory doesn’t magically appear overnight. It’s:
- Being produced at a factory
- In transit to Apliiq’s warehouse
- Getting received, counted, and put away
The upgraded Apliiq Warehouse system lets you track this entire journey so you’re never guessing:
- See which SKUs are in production and expected.
- Track quantities on the way vs. on hand.
- Understand how much arriving inventory is already allocated to existing orders.
This lets you make smarter decisions:
- Want to keep presales open a bit longer?
- Need to cap quantities because a drop is almost sold out?
- Ready to move a style from presale to “ready to ship”?
You can answer those questions with data, not hope.
Orders Awaiting Inventory: Managed, Not Messy
Presales and hybrid fulfillment naturally create orders that can’t ship yet because they’re waiting on inventory. Instead of living in limbo, those orders are now first-class citizens inside Apliiq Warehouse.
The new workflow helps you:
- Clearly see orders awaiting inventory vs. orders ready to fulfill
- Automatically reserve incoming stock for existing orders
- Release orders to production/fulfillment as soon as inventory is available
This reduces:
- Manual “where’s that order?” digging
- Mistakes like overselling inventory that doesn’t exist
- Customer support tickets driven by confusion or delays
And it improves:
- Predictability for your operations team
- Transparency for your customer experience
- Confidence when running limited drops and campaigns
Deep Integration With Apliiq’s Print On Demand Shopify App
All of this becomes especially powerful because it’s closely integrated with Apliiq’s print on demand Shopify app.
Instead of managing two separate worlds—POD and warehousing—you get:
Unified Product & Order Flow
- Products created in Shopify and fulfilled via Apliiq POD can be upgraded into warehouse-managed SKUs when it makes sense to invest in bulk.
- Orders route intelligently:
- Print on demand when items are made-to-order
- Warehouse fulfillment when items are in stock or incoming
One Source Of Truth Inside Shopify
You don’t have to juggle disconnected tools or complicated setups. Your Shopify store remains the front door for:
- Live products (print on demand or inventory-backed)
- Preorder or presale campaigns
- Limited drops backed by upcoming screen print runs
The Apliiq integration keeps your catalog, inventory status, and fulfillment routing aligned so you can focus on building your brand—not wrestling with systems.
Why This Matters For Modern Apparel Brands
If you’re serious about building a brand, you’re probably already thinking beyond “just POD” or “just bulk production.”
The winning play is often:
- Test with print on demand.
- Scale with screen printing and warehousing.
- Presell drops to generate cash and demand.
- Fulfill from inventory for your core repeat sellers.
The new Apliiq Warehouse upgrades are designed to support exactly that:
- Less risk – Presell before you commit to giant inventory bets.
- Better cash flow – Get paid before inventory lands.
- Operational clarity – Know what’s incoming, what’s in stock, and which orders are waiting.
- Seamless integration – Let Apliiq’s Shopify app orchestrate everything in the background.
Where This Is Going Next
We’re continuing to invest in the tools that help brands:
- Launch faster
- Operate smarter
- Blend print on demand with traditional manufacturing in a way that feels effortless
Apliiq Warehouse is becoming the operational brain behind that strategy—connecting production, inventory, and fulfillment with your online store.
Ready To Start Preselling Smarter?
If you’re already using Apliiq’s print on demand Shopify app and you’re ready to:
- Run presale campaigns with confidence
- Track incoming screen print or bulk inventory
- Cleanly handle orders awaiting inventory
- And gradually build a true warehousing operation around your brand
These new Apliiq Warehouse upgrades are built for you.