Why Fulfilling Bundled Products in Shopify Can Be a Challenge
Bundled products are a common tactic in eCommerce - offering a “Chair + Pillow” or “Skincare Set” as a single item creates a smoother experience for customers and increases average order value. But behind the scenes, these bundles often consist of multiple SKUs that need to be fulfilled separately.
For Shopify merchants, this creates a disconnect. What appears as one product in the storefront becomes multiple products in inventory and fulfillment. Without automation, staff must manually split the order into separate ones, coordinate with fulfillment partners or 3PLs, and ensure each item is shipped correctly. This manual process increases operational overhead, leads to errors, and can delay shipments - especially as order volume grows.
How to Automatically Split Bundle Orders in Shopify
Our tangible solves the bundle fulfillment problem by automatically splitting Shopify orders that include bundled products. As soon as a qualifying order is placed, Tangible steps in and separates the bundled items into individual line items - each one treated as its own, clean order within Shopify.
This makes downstream fulfillment seamless. Whether you’re using a 3PL, shipping directly, or managing inventory across multiple locations, each item is now clearly defined, properly routed, and ready to ship without manual intervention. Tangible bridges the gap between how products are sold and how they need to be fulfilled.
How Does Tangible Split Shopify Orders After Purchase?
When a customer places an order that includes a bundled product, Tangible steps in automatically. Our custom Shopify app listens for new orders and instantly processes them in the background - no action needed from your team.
The original bundle is replaced with its individual components, each treated as a separate product for fulfillment. Prices, discounts, and inventory levels are adjusted accordingly to match the original order total. You can choose whether the customer is notified about the change, or keep the process completely silent and seamless.
The result? Clean, accurate orders that match how your operations actually work - without the manual effort.
Real Example: Splitting a “Chair + Pillow” Bundle in Shopify
A customer visits your store and purchases a bundled product: a “Chair + Pillow” set. On the storefront, it looks like one product. But in reality, these are two separate items stored and shipped from different locations.
As soon as the order is placed, Tangible takes over. The bundle is automatically split into two individual orders - one for the chair, one for the pillow. Each item retains the customer’s details, shipping method, and any applied discounts.
This means the chair can be fulfilled by your main warehouse, while the pillow ships from a partner location or 3PL - without any manual adjustments or delays.
Managing Shopify Bundle Deals with Inventory-Aware Logic
A merchant offers a promotional bundle - three products sold together at a discounted price. A customer purchases the bundle, but each product needs to be tracked individually for inventory, shipping, and fulfillment purposes.
Tangible automatically splits the order into three separate items, ensuring your inventory system reflects exactly what was sold. Even though the items are handled individually, the original promotional pricing from the bundle is preserved, so the customer experience stays intact.
On top of that, Tangible monitors inventory levels for each product in the bundle. If even one item goes out of stock, the bundle is automatically marked as unavailable in the storefront, preventing overselling and fulfillment issues.
Handling Edge Cases in Shopify Order Splitting
Tangible is built to handle real-world complexity - not just ideal scenarios. Here’s how it deals with the trickier edge cases:
- Unshippable or Out-of-Stock Items: If a customer purchases a bundle that includes an item no longer available, Tangible can automatically cancel the order or notify your team, preventing partial fulfillment or customer frustration.
- Unknown Pricing at Checkout: For custom or made-to-order bundles - like sofas with custom fabrics - Tangible can connect with third-party services to fetch the actual price after checkout. If needed, the customer can be prompted to pay the balance before the order is processed.
- Advanced Discount Logic: Tangible can handle complex promotions, like “Buy X, Get Y” where both items are sold at a special price. It ensures correct pricing is applied even after the bundle is split.
- Shopify API & Webhook Failures: Shopify webhooks aren’t always reliable. That’s why Tangible also runs periodic checks on recent orders to ensure nothing is missed. If a webhook fails, Tangible still catches and processes the order shortly after.
These protections ensure your operations stay smooth - even when things get messy.
Who Is Order Splitting For?
Order splitting is especially valuable for Shopify merchants who sell bundled or multi-item products but fulfill them separately. It’s ideal for:
- Beauty & Skincare Brands: Bundles of creams, serums, and tools often ship from different suppliers or need individual tracking.
- Furniture Stores: A “Chair + Pillow” or “Table + Assembly Kit” bundle may involve separate warehouse locations or delivery methods.
- Food & Beverage Sellers: Subscription boxes or meal kits made of multiple SKUs need item-level tracking and inventory sync.
- Electronics & Accessories: Bundling a device with add-ons like chargers or cases, which ship from different stock.
- Apparel & Fashion: Outfit sets or promotional packs that include products with separate SKUs, sizes, or stock locations.
- Health & Wellness: Supplement packs or kits with individual products that must be managed separately in fulfillment.
Smarter Order Management for Shopify Bundles and Promotions
Tangible simplifies one of the most overlooked challenges in eCommerce: fulfilling bundled products. By automatically splitting Shopify orders into individual items, preserving pricing, and syncing inventory, it bridges the gap between what the customer sees and what your operations need.
Whether you’re managing promotional bundles, complex discounts, or custom products, Tangible handles the logic behind the scenes - so you can focus on selling, not sorting out orders.
Interested? Get in touch at [email protected] or call us at +1 (415) 910-2498.
