Split Shipping: Winter 2025 Update Explained

Shopify has officially leveled up split shipping, giving merchants more flexibility and control over how orders are fulfilled. Whether you’re juggling inventory across multiple warehouses, working with third-party suppliers, or leveraging dropshipping to expand your catalog, split shipping now integrates seamlessly into your checkout and fulfillment workflows.

This update means you can ship parts of a single order separately—without the headaches—to keep your customers happy and your operations running smoothly. Items no longer have to wait for the slowest product to catch up; instead, what’s ready ships first.

With Shopify’s latest enhancements, businesses can reduce fulfillment delays, improve customer satisfaction, and use split shipping as a tool to grow revenue, scale operations, and test new product strategies. It’s a quiet upgrade, but one with the power to unlock smarter fulfillment and bigger opportunities.

Here’s what split shipping is, why it matters, and how you can use it to save money, expand your product offerings, and boost your bottom line.

What Is Split Shipping (And Why Should You Care)?

Split shipping means shipping part of a customer’s order separately when the items come from different locations, suppliers, or stock statuses. For example:

• A customer orders three items: one is in your warehouse, another is with a supplier, and the third is dropshipped. Split shipping allows each item to ship directly to the customer, reducing delays while keeping everything organized.

This matters big time for Shopify merchants who:

1. Work with multiple fulfillment centers (to reach customers faster).
2. Dropship from multiple suppliers (to expand product offerings).
3. Sell custom, back-ordered, or pre-sale items alongside ready-to-ship inventory.

Instead of forcing your customers to wait for the entire order, split shipping lets you get available items out the door, keeping customers happy and orders flowing.

How Split Shipping Can Help Your Business Grow

1. Expand Your Product Catalog with Multiple Suppliers
   Working with multiple suppliers—especially for dropshipping—means you can offer a wider range of products without the overhead of holding all the inventory yourself. Split shipping ensures you can fulfill orders, no matter where the product originates.
   • Example: A customer orders candles from your warehouse and a throw blanket that’s dropshipped. Split shipping handles both seamlessly, opening the door to more product offerings.
2. Faster Fulfillment, Happier Customers
   By fulfilling items from multiple locations or suppliers, you can ship products faster, reducing delivery times. If one item is delayed, the rest of the order still moves forward.
   • Why It Matters: Customers value speed, and split shipping ensures they receive at least part of their order ASAP.
3. Reduce Fulfillment Costs by Using Local Warehouses
   Split shipping allows you to optimize fulfillment by sending items from the closest warehouse or supplier to the customer. Instead of consolidating inventory at a central location (and increasing shipping distances), you fulfill from wherever makes the most sense.
   • Result: Lower shipping costs and faster delivery.
4. Scale Without Stocking Everything Yourself
   Partnering with multiple dropshipping suppliers lets you expand your product range while keeping costs low. Split shipping bridges the gap between items you stock and items sent directly from your suppliers.
   • Why It Matters: You can add new categories, seasonal products, or niche items without upfront inventory investments.
5. Minimize Cart Abandonment Due to Backorders
   If an item in a customer’s order is back-ordered or delayed, split shipping ensures the rest of the order ships on time. This reduces frustration and prevents customers from abandoning their carts altogether.
   • Example: A customer buys three items, but one won’t be ready for two weeks. Instead of waiting, they get the other two products immediately.

5 Examples of How Split Shipping Increases Revenue

1. Fashion Retailers Adding Dropshipped Accessories
   A clothing brand stocks apparel but dropships shoes and accessories from a third-party supplier. Split shipping lets the customer receive their outfit quickly while the accessories arrive separately, encouraging larger purchases.
2. Home Goods Stores Offering Furniture and Decor
   Large furniture might ship from one supplier while decor items ship from your warehouse. Split shipping lets customers enjoy their smaller items immediately, reducing frustration with larger-item delays.
3. Health and Wellness Brands Adding New Suppliers
   A brand stocking supplements can partner with a dropshipper to offer fitness equipment. Split shipping ensures supplements arrive quickly while equipment follows separately, encouraging cross-category sales.
4. Custom Print-On-Demand Products
   Merchants offering print-on-demand items (like custom t-shirts) can split the order if part of the purchase includes stocked items. Customers get what’s ready now, and their custom goods arrive later.
5. Electronics Retailers Combining Stocked and Third-Party Products
   A customer buys a stocked tablet and a dropshipped accessory. Split shipping ensures they get the main product quickly, even if the add-on takes longer. This removes hesitation around delayed products and encourages bigger orders.

How Split Shipping Boosts Profitability

1. Increased Average Order Value (AOV): Customers are more likely to bundle items into a single purchase when they know delays won’t hold up the entire order.
2. Reduced Cart Abandonment: Out-of-stock or delayed items no longer scare shoppers away. They can still get part of their order on time.
3. More Product Variety, More Sales: Working with multiple suppliers or dropshipping partners means you can sell more products without increasing inventory costs.
4. Lower Shipping Costs: Split shipping enables you to fulfill orders from the closest location, reducing overall shipping distances.
5. Improved Customer Satisfaction: Faster, flexible fulfillment improves trust, leading to repeat purchases and stronger loyalty.

How to Leverage Split Shipping for Growth

1. Partner with Multiple Suppliers: Work with dropshipping partners or third-party warehouses to expand your product range without increasing inventory risk.
2. Promote Faster Delivery: Let customers know that “in-stock items ship immediately” to build confidence and reduce cart abandonment.
3. Optimize Shipping Strategies: Use split shipping to fulfill orders from multiple locations to reduce costs and delivery times.
4. Highlight Flexibility: Make it clear on product pages or checkout that items might ship separately for faster delivery.
5. Test New Products: Add new product categories or niche items without investing in physical inventory upfront.

Conclusion: Growth Isn’t Always About Glam

Split shipping isn’t just about glamming up your website with a frilly feature—it’s about growth. Whether you’re partnering with dropshipping suppliers, adding new warehouses, or testing new products, split shipping makes it easier to scale, cut fulfillment costs, and meet customer expectations.

It’s flexible, customer-focused, and a revenue driver that modern merchants can’t afford to overlook. Because when your operations work smarter, your business grows faster – nice one Shopify.