Integrations are a valuable tool that can help you grow your ecommerce business. An ecommerce integration is essentially a data connection between two or more sources that allows companies to gain better visibility and control across their back-end systems and automate their business processes. A recent survey by BCG and World Retail Congress revealed that 60% of retail innovation leaders are prioritizing investments in ecommerce and two of the top investments are third-party marketplaces (42%) and social commerce (39%).
Business owners often look to scale their business by outsourcing their order fulfillment to a third-party logistics (3PL) provider and then integrating their company’s back-end systems with their 3PL’s systems, enabling them to automate their order fulfillment process. Once these integrations are set up, whenever a customer order is placed from any sales channel, it will be instantly routed to the 3PL and the end-to-end multichannel fulfillment process will run automatically and efficiently.
One 3PL that offers an array of integrations is Amazon Supply Chain Services (ASCS), which provides fast, reliable fulfillment for sales channels beyond Amazon, including ecommerce marketplaces, social media platforms, and brand websites. ASCS includes a fulfillment arm with services like Multichannel Fulfillment (MCF), which offers 100+ ecommerce fulfillment integrations that help merchants optimize their order fulfillment from click to delivery for popular ecommerce solutions, like Shopify.
There are multiple options for Amazon MCF Shopify integrations. But how do you decide which integration is best for your business? In this guide, we highlight the benefits of Amazon MCF Shopify integration, discuss the types of integrations available, and tell you how to get started with integrating MCF and Shopify.
Integrating your Shopify website with MCF can enable you to achieve business benefits such as:
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Reduced manual effort
With your integration in place, you won’t have to waste time and effort typing in your customers’ addresses and manually managing order processing. By connecting MCF and your Shopify store you’ll seamlessly automate your order fulfillment process. -
Improved delivery performance
Integrations save time when fulfilling your orders. After you set up an integration, whenever an order is placed on your Shopify website, it’s routed to MCF instantly to start the process of picking, packing, and shipping. This speeds up order processing time, so your customers can receive their packages faster. For example, smart home device retailer Wyze reduced its click-to-delivery speed by 50% after integrating its Shopify website with MCF. -
More time to grow your business
Instead of worrying about your logistics and multichannel fulfillment, you can focus on other growth levers for your business, like product development or marketing.
Once you decide to implement and use an ecommerce fulfillment integration to connect your Shopify website with MCF, you’ll need to evaluate the various integration options available and select the right one for your business needs. Consider these important factors:
Current fulfillment operations
Before choosing an integration, assess your current order fulfillment process and its level of complexity. Depending on your number of sales channels, including your Shopify website, and in which countries you sell, you may need either a single connector between your Shopify store and MCF, or an integration that can handle multiple sales channels connecting directly to MCF.
Level of customization required
Another consideration is the level of customization you need in an ecommerce fulfillment integration. Requirements like sending orders to an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system or using specific MCF features��like unbranded packaging and block Amazon Logistics as a carrier—can impact which integration you’ll choose. Whether you funnel orders through Shopify or use a separate inventory or order management system can also play a role in your integration selection.
Having a clear understanding of both your current and future plans will help you decide on an ecommerce fulfillment integration that can support your business in the long run.
“Built by Amazon” app
The Multichannel Fulfillment (MCF) app for Shopify is a “Built by Amazon” free-to-use app that provides a direct connection between MCF and your Shopify store. Currently only for US orders, it’s available to install in the Shopify app store. It’s best suited for businesses that only sell products in the US and require a single connector between MCF and Shopify.
One app, two powerful ecommerce tools:
Use one app to integrate both Amazon Multichannel Fulfillment and Buy with Prime into your existing Shopify site, and manage both services directly in Shopify admin. With MCF, Amazon picks, packs, ships, and delivers orders using a single pool of inventory from Amazon.com, Buy with Prime, and all your other ecommerce channels.
- Manage your full Shopify business in one place: The app syncs MCF and Buy with Prime with your Shopify site so you can manage your product catalog, orders, and returns all within Shopify admin.
- Streamline fulfillment with back-end efficiencies: The app improves SKU mapping and inventory management, helping reduce manual efforts and avoid duplicate fulfillment.
- Convert more shoppers with Buy with Prime: Help boost conversions and top-line growth with the trust of Prime and Amazon customer reviews directly on your site. Learn more about Buy with Prime
- Activate cart building to help boost sales: When you also use Buy with Prime, the app’s integrated cart lets shoppers add Prime eligible products and any others to your existing cart and check out in one transaction.
- Leverage both solutions to save on fulfillment costs: Save up to 36% on fulfillment costs for multi-unit orders by consolidating shipments for Prime and MCF-fulfilled items. Learn more
- Optimize inventory and fulfillment: If you’re an Amazon seller, you can use your FBA inventory for both solutions, and then activate more SKUs with MCF and Buy with Prime to maximize your potential savings.
Learn more about the Amazon Multichannel Fulfillment (MCF) app for Shopify, watch a recorded demo of the app, or get started by installing the app and following the user guide to complete your setup.
Third-party applications are ecommerce integrations built by independent software vendors (ISVs) that can connect your Shopify website with MCF. These apps provide a single, direct connection between MCF and Shopify that may allow you to leverage additional capabilities or features. For instance, WebBee and ByteStand are third-party apps that can be used in any country MCF is available. They offer virtual bundles, automation for other countries in addition to the US, and access to MCF features like blocking Amazon Logistics as a carrier. It’s important to note that most apps may also require a monthly fee be paid to the ISV based on order volume (but may provide additional services like onboarding support).
Some examples of third-party applications that integrate MCF and Shopify include:
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WebBee
Syncs your Amazon inventory with your Shopify orders for automated multichannel fulfillment and real-time visibility into your inventory and order processing. Read this case study to learn how Dragon Glassware used WebBee to integrate their Shopify website with MCF. Also, you can check out WebBee’s feature list or get started by installing the app and following the set-up instructions. If you use WebBee, your monthly fee will be waived for 3 months using the code “WB6MSPL”. -
ByteStand
Automates your Shopify order fulfillment and shows real-time shipping rates at checkout, in addition to updating your customers with tracking information. Learn how Very Special Games used ByteStand to integrate their Shopify website with MCF and streamline their operations. Sign up for a demo to walk through the ByteStand app setup or get started by installing the app and following the set-up instructions. Use the coupon code “amazon_30” to get a 30-day free trial.
Inventory and order management solutions collect orders from multiple sales channels, including your Shopify website, and send to MCF via ASCS, or other 3PL providers. Some may even connect to enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems for financial reporting or perform custom order routing.
This integration option is best suited for businesses with complex order routing needs, like those requiring connections with multiple 3PL fulfillment providers, sales channels, or back-end systems. There are numerous inventory and order management integrations available, including:
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Veeqo, an Amazon company
Use Veeqo, Amazon’s free shipping and order management software that integrates MCF with your business to organize all your operations in one place. -
Rithum
Connect your Shopify website with MCF using Rithum for streamlined order management and automated fulfillment. -
Listing Mirror
Leverage this multichannel software to assist with listings, fulfillment, and inventory for all your sales channels, including Shopify. Explore how Prime Line Packaging grew their business by using Listing Mirror to integrate their sales channels, like their Shopify website, with MCF. -
Pipe17
Gain control of your ecommerce business through automated order fulfillment with MCF in addition to inventory and order management capabilities. Pipe17 also integrates with Netsuite. -
Sellercloud
Simplify your business management with features like omnichannel setup, custom and pre-made reports, accounting support, in addition to automated multichannel fulfillment. -
ShipStation
Monitor orders across your ecommerce sales channels and automate multichannel fulfillment with MCF. Discover how Aromatan used ShipStation to seamlessly manage inventory and orders across their sales channels, including their Shopify website.
Visit our integrations page for the full list of inventory and order management integrations for MCF and Shopify.
If you want to build your own custom API integration between MCF and your Shopify store, MCF offers developer-friendly APIs. These are typically chosen by large businesses, which often have their own in-house developers or access to external developer resources.
To create a custom API integration between your Shopify website and MCF, follow these steps:
- Register as a developer using the registration guide found in the developer documentation.
- Once you have a developer account, you can use the integration guide in the developer documentation to determine which APIs to use and their functions.
- Once your API is set up, it will establish communication between your Shopify website and MCF to manage and fulfill orders based on your custom integration.
Download the developer documentation to get started on developing a custom Amazon MCF Shopify API integration.
