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Dropship Network

Status: Documentation Last Updated: 2025-12-27

Overview

Store operates an inventory-free commerce model through three dropship partners, each optimized for different product types and margins.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                      DROPSHIP NETWORK                                    │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                          │
│   Customer Order                                                         │
│        │                                                                 │
│        ▼                                                                 │
│   ┌─────────────────┐                                                   │
│   │  Fulfillment    │                                                   │
│   │    Router       │                                                   │
│   └────────┬────────┘                                                   │
│            │                                                             │
│   ┌────────┼────────┬────────────┐                                      │
│   ▼        ▼        ▼            ▼                                      │
│ SUPLIFUL  COLLECTIVE  DIGITAL   MANUAL                                  │
│ (POD/WL)  (Curated)  (Instant)  (Custom)                               │
│                                                                          │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Partner Comparison

PartnerProduct TypeMarginFulfillment TimeBest For
SuplifulWhite-label supplements, wellness, CBD40-60%3-7 daysHealth/wellness verticals
CollectiveCurated trending products, apparel15-30%2-5 daysFashion, lifestyle verticals
DigitalCourses, templates, guides90%+InstantEducation, tools verticals

Supliful Integration

Overview

Supliful enables white-label and print-on-demand products with custom branding. Products are manufactured on-demand and shipped directly to customers.

Key Tables

TablePurpose
supliful_productsProduct catalog with formulations
supliful_fulfillmentsOrder tracking and status

Product Types

  • White-label supplements - Custom branded health products
  • Wellness products - CBD, adaptogens, vitamins
  • Print-on-demand - Custom merchandise

API Integration

// Supliful order creation
const createSuplifulOrder = async (shopifyOrder: ShopifyOrder) => {
  const suplifulItems = shopifyOrder.line_items.filter(
    item => item.vendor === 'supliful'
  );

  if (suplifulItems.length === 0) return null;

  // Create order via Supliful API
  const response = await supliful.orders.create({
    external_id: shopifyOrder.id,
    shipping_address: shopifyOrder.shipping_address,
    items: suplifulItems.map(item => ({
      sku: item.sku,
      quantity: item.quantity
    }))
  });

  // Record fulfillment
  await supabase.from('supliful_fulfillments').insert({
    shopify_order_id: shopifyOrder.id,
    supliful_order_id: response.id,
    status: 'pending'
  });

  return response;
};

Shopify Collective Integration

Overview

Shopify Collective connects to other Shopify stores’ inventory, enabling curated product selection without holding inventory.

Key Tables

TablePurpose
collective_productsSynced product catalog
collective_suppliersPartner store connections

Product Curation

Products are curated based on:
  • Vertical alignment - Match content topics
  • Margin requirements - Minimum 15% margin
  • Quality standards - Supplier ratings, reviews
  • Shipping reliability - Delivery time consistency

Sync Process

Collective Partner Store


  Product Catalog API


  ┌─────────────────┐
  │ collective_     │
  │ products        │
  └────────┬────────┘


  Shopify Product Sync


  Published to Store

Digital Products

Overview

Digital products provide instant delivery with highest margins. No physical fulfillment required.

Key Tables

TablePurpose
digital_productsProduct configuration
digital_deliveriesDelivery tracking

Product Types

  • Courses - Video/text educational content
  • Templates - Design, code, business templates
  • Guides - PDF downloads, ebooks
  • Software - License keys, access codes

Delivery Flow

Purchase Complete


┌─────────────────┐
│ digital_        │
│ deliveries      │
│ (create record) │
└────────┬────────┘


  Generate Access
  (URL, license key)


  Email Customer
  (instant delivery)


  Update Shopify
  (fulfilled status)

Margin Analysis

By Product Type

-- Margin analysis by product source
SELECT
  CASE
    WHEN p.vendor = 'supliful' THEN 'Supliful'
    WHEN p.vendor = 'collective' THEN 'Collective'
    WHEN p.product_type = 'digital' THEN 'Digital'
    ELSE 'Other'
  END as source,
  COUNT(*) as orders,
  SUM(o.total_price) as revenue,
  SUM(o.total_price - o.total_cost) as gross_profit,
  ROUND(
    SUM(o.total_price - o.total_cost) / NULLIF(SUM(o.total_price), 0) * 100,
    2
  ) as margin_pct
FROM shopify_orders o
JOIN shopify_products p ON o.product_id = p.id
WHERE o.created_at > NOW() - INTERVAL '30 days'
GROUP BY 1
ORDER BY revenue DESC;

Target Margins

SourceTarget MarginNotes
Digital90%+No COGS, hosting only
Supliful50%+Manufacturing + shipping
Collective20%+Wholesale pricing

Supplier Management

Onboarding New Suppliers

  1. Discovery - Identify products aligned with verticals
  2. Evaluation - Check margins, shipping, quality
  3. Integration - Connect via Collective or direct API
  4. Testing - Place test orders, verify fulfillment
  5. Launch - Add to collections, enable sales

Performance Monitoring

MetricTargetAlert Threshold
Order accuracy> 99%< 97%
Ship time (days)< 3> 5
Return rate< 5%> 8%
Stock availability> 95%< 90%

DocumentPurpose
OVERVIEW.mdStore architecture
shopify-sync.mdShopify integration
fulfillment.mdOrder fulfillment routing
vertical-collections.mdProduct-content matching