Stitch Labs - Detailed Review
E-Commerce Tools
Stitch Labs - Product Overview
Stitch Labs Overview
Stitch Labs is a comprehensive operations management platform specifically crafted for modern, high-growth, multi-channel retail brands. Here’s a brief overview of its primary function, target audience, and key features:
Primary Function
Stitch Labs serves as an integrated, cloud-based inventory and order management solution. Its main purpose is to simplify and streamline the operational aspects of multi-channel retail businesses by automating and centralizing inventory, orders, and sales across various channels.
Target Audience
The platform is primarily targeted at mid-size to large multi-channel retail brands. These include e-commerce sellers, brick-and-mortar stores, and businesses that operate across multiple sales channels such as Amazon, Magento, Shopify, and more.
Key Features
- Inventory Management: Stitch Labs allows retailers to track their inventory across all channels in one centralized dashboard. It syncs inventory levels regularly, ensuring real-time insights and preventing overselling.
- Order Management: The platform automates order entry and tracking. It supports splitting orders, routing orders from the nearest warehouse, and setting shipping criteria based on order status. This helps in efficient order fulfillment and reduces the time spent on reordering products.
- Purchase and Fulfillment: Retailers can draft and send purchase orders immediately upon receiving low stock alerts, ensuring timely restocking and minimizing storage costs. The platform also supports managing backorders, preorders, and allocating specific inventory for different channels or VIP customers.
- Reporting and Financials: Stitch Labs offers advanced reporting capabilities, enabling businesses to monitor their financials, track invoices, and manage supplier profiles. This helps in making informed decisions quickly.
- Multi-Channel Support: The platform supports multiple stores within a single sales platform, allowing retailers to customize different storefronts on various marketplaces like Amazon, Magento, or Shopify. This flexibility helps in boosting sales by catering to different customer types.
By integrating these features, Stitch Labs helps retailers save time, make better decisions, and drive business growth by streamlining and automating their operational processes.
Stitch Labs - User Interface and Experience
User Interface
The user interface of Stitch Labs is widely praised for its user-friendly and intuitive design, making it accessible to a broad range of users, especially those in the e-commerce sector. The interface is described as clean, consistent, and informative. The new UI, particularly the Stitch 2.0 version, has been highlighted for its improvements in speed and overall usability. Users appreciate the nice-looking templates and documents that the system generates, which are both aesthetically pleasing and functional.
Ease of Use
Stitch Labs is noted for its ease of use, with many users finding it simple and self-explanatory. The help sheets provided are a good starting point, and the customer service team is commendable for answering detailed questions effectively. This ease of use allows almost anybody to learn and use the software to its full potential in a short amount of time.
Overall User Experience
The overall user experience with Stitch Labs is generally positive. Users appreciate the quick integration with various other software tools such as BigCommerce, Shipping Easy, and Square. The system’s ability to automatically sync inventory, orders, and sales across multiple channels simplifies multichannel retail operations, saving time and enabling better decision-making.
Drawbacks
However, some users have noted a few minor drawbacks. For instance, the web app can be browser-intensive and may run a bit slow on devices like iPads, although this issue has improved over time. Additionally, there have been some server issues and bugs during major updates, but the support team has been proactive in addressing these problems.
Conclusion
In summary, Stitch Labs offers a user-friendly interface that is easy to use and integrates well with other e-commerce tools, providing a positive overall user experience. Despite some minor technical issues, the support and continuous improvements make it a valuable tool for managing e-commerce operations.
Stitch Labs - Key Features and Functionality
Stitch Labs Overview
Stitch Labs is a comprehensive inventory management and order fulfillment platform that offers several key features, although it does not heavily integrate AI in the same way some other eCommerce tools do. Here are the main features and how they work:
Inventory Management
Stitch Labs provides robust inventory management capabilities, allowing businesses to track and manage their stock levels across multiple sales channels. This includes real-time inventory syncing, which helps prevent backorders and ensures accurate stock levels are reflected across all platforms.
Order Management
The platform offers automated order management, enabling businesses to streamline their order processing, fulfillment, and shipping operations. This includes features like order routing, shipping updates, and integration with various eCommerce channels to ensure a seamless customer experience.
Integration Capabilities
Stitch Labs integrates with several other platforms, such as Square, to enable sellers to sync inventory and view detailed sales reports, item quantities, and channel performance. This integration allows for quicker and more efficient business decisions regarding selling, purchasing, stocking, and shipping products.
Real-Time Reporting and Analytics
Using Google BigQuery, Stitch Labs can provide advanced reporting and analytics. This allows businesses to slice and dice data in various ways, generating reports quickly and efficiently. For instance, network performance logs are sent to Google BigQuery, making it easier to identify and troubleshoot issues in minutes rather than days.
API and Automation
Stitch Labs offers APIs that enable customers to integrate their systems with the Stitch Labs platform. This allows for automated processes such as data integration, marketing, and customer service. The platform also includes a business rules engine that can automate repetitive tasks and improve customer experience.
Alerts and Notifications
The platform includes alerts and notifications to keep businesses informed about various events, such as low stock levels or order status updates. This ensures that businesses can react promptly to any issues that arise.
Shipping and Fulfillment
Stitch Labs streamlines shipping and fulfillment processes by sending updates back to the cart, facilitating a smoother customer experience. It also supports label printing, freight shipping, and ground shipping, making the logistics of order fulfillment more efficient.
AI Integration
While Stitch Labs does not specifically highlight AI-driven features in the same way as some other eCommerce tools, its integration with Google Cloud Platform and use of advanced analytics tools like Google BigQuery do leverage advanced technologies to improve operational efficiency and data analysis. However, AI-specific functionalities like AI-generated product descriptions or AI-driven inventory management are not prominently featured in the available information about Stitch Labs.
Stitch Labs - Performance and Accuracy
Evaluating the Performance and Accuracy of Stitch Labs
Performance
Stitch Labs was known for its capabilities in multichannel selling and inventory control, including order and fulfillment management. It provided real-time inventory visibility, automated reordering, and supplier management, which helped businesses streamline their operations and reduce costs. For example, a home decor brand using Stitch Labs on both Amazon and Shopify saw a 15% reduction in carrying costs and improved cash flow management. However, users encountered several performance issues. One significant problem was the software’s inability to handle eBay listings efficiently, particularly those with Good Till Cancelled (GTC) durations. This led to the loss of sales history and other operational issues. Additionally, there were server issues and system downtimes that affected the updating of order statuses on marketplaces, causing confusion about whether orders were shipped or not. These technical problems were frustrating for users and impacted the overall reliability of the system.Accuracy
The accuracy of Stitch Labs was also a point of concern. While it integrated with various ecommerce platforms and QuickBooks, the integrations were not always seamless. Users often had to manually monitor and correct errors, especially during month-end transactions to ensure accurate posting to the general ledger. This manual labor was time-consuming and prone to errors, particularly as the order volume increased. Users reported inconsistencies in data, such as discrepancies in inventory levels and order management. For instance, Topo Designs, an outdoor living apparel brand, experienced significant growth in their wholesale channel but found that Stitch Labs lacked the necessary integration with QuickBooks and real-time KPIs to support this growth. This resulted in difficulties in scaling their operations accurately.Limitations and Areas for Improvement
One of the main limitations was the lack of real-time integrations with ecommerce solutions and financial software like QuickBooks. This led to a lot of manual work in maintaining spreadsheets, hunting for information in emails, and ensuring data accuracy. Another area of improvement was the handling of large orders and EDI compliance. Businesses that experienced rapid growth, like Topo Designs, found that Stitch Labs was not capable of supporting the size and complexity of their orders. In summary, while Stitch Labs offered some beneficial features for inventory management, it had significant limitations in terms of performance, accuracy, and scalability. These issues often led to manual workarounds and errors, highlighting the need for a more integrated and reliable system, such as those offered by platforms like NetSuite. Stitch Labs - Pricing and Plans
Pricing
- The starting price for Stitch Labs is $799 per month. This is the base cost, and the price can increase depending on the specific needs of your business.
Plans and Tiers
- While the exact tiers are not detailed, the pricing is scalable based on your business requirements. There are no predefined lower-tier plans mentioned; the $799 per month is the entry point.
Features
- Stitch Labs offers a comprehensive set of features including:
- Inventory and order management across multiple channels.
- Automatic syncing of inventory, orders, and sales.
- Integration with various sales platforms such as Amazon, Shopify, and Etsy.
- Inventory financial reports and cost of goods sold (CoGS) analysis.
- Great customer support through multiple channels like chat, email, and phone.
Free Trial and Free Version
- There is no free trial or free version available for Stitch Labs. You need to commit to the $799 per month plan to use the service.
Support and Training
- Stitch Labs provides various support options including FAQs/Forum, Knowledge Base, Chat, Email/Help Desk, and Phone Support. Training is available through in-person sessions, documentation, live online sessions, videos, and webinars.
Summary
In summary, Stitch Labs is a premium inventory and order management solution with a starting price of $799 per month, tailored for medium-sized multichannel retailers who need advanced features and strong support. There are no free or lower-cost tiers available.
Stitch Labs - Integration and Compatibility
Stitch Labs Overview
Stitch Labs, a comprehensive inventory management solution, integrates seamlessly with a variety of tools and platforms to streamline e-commerce operations. Here are some key integration points and compatibility features:
Integration with Envoy B2B
Stitch Labs has a turnkey integration with Envoy B2B, which allows users to set up their wholesale channel within Stitch Labs. This integration enables the capture of wholesale orders in Envoy B2B and submits them to Stitch Labs for advanced order management and fulfillment. It provides real-time visibility into Available-to-Sell (ATS) and Available-to-Promise (ATP) inventory, as well as shipping status updates.
Integration with Square
Stitch Labs integrates with Square, enabling sellers to sync inventory across Square and other sales channels. This integration allows business owners to log in to the Stitch Labs dashboard to view detailed sales reports, item quantities, and channel performance. It facilitates quicker and more efficient business decisions related to selling, purchasing, stocking, and shipping products.
Integration with Shipwire
The integration with Shipwire automates the syncing of inventory, orders, and sales across channels. It includes features such as order entry, where orders are submitted to Shipwire from Stitch Labs, and order tracking, where tracking information is automatically pulled by Stitch Labs. Additionally, it syncs combined inventory levels across all Shipwire warehouses with Stitch Labs.
Integration with Google Cloud Platform
Stitch Labs utilizes Google Cloud Platform to improve reliability, scalability, and security. This integration allows for real-time troubleshooting of infrastructure issues and proactive detection of potential problems. It also leverages Google BigQuery to analyze network performance logs, significantly reducing the time needed to troubleshoot issues.
General API Compatibility
Stitch Labs provides Application Program Interfaces (APIs) that enable customers to integrate their systems with the Stitch Labs platform. This allows for flexible and customizable integrations with various other tools and services, ensuring that customers can manage their operations efficiently across multiple channels.
Compatibility Across Devices and Platforms
Given its cloud-based nature and API-driven architecture, Stitch Labs is compatible with a wide range of devices and platforms. It can be accessed via web browsers on different devices, and its integrations with other cloud services like Google Cloud Platform ensure scalability and reliability across various environments.
Conclusion
In summary, Stitch Labs offers a highly integrable solution that can be seamlessly connected with various e-commerce tools, wholesale platforms, and logistics services, making it a versatile choice for managing inventory and orders across multiple sales channels.
Stitch Labs - Customer Support and Resources
Customer Support
- Stitch Labs provides multiple channels for customer support, including FAQs/Forum, Knowledge Base, Chat, Email/Help Desk, and Phone Support. This ensures that users can get assistance through the method that is most convenient for them.
- The support team is highly praised by users, with many noting the excellent service they receive from the support staff.
Training and Resources
- Users have access to various training methods, including In Person training, Documentation, Live Online sessions, Videos, and Webinars. This variety helps cater to different learning preferences and needs.
- The platform offers a wealth of documentation and guides to help users set up and use the system effectively.
Integration Support
- Stitch Labs integrates with numerous e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Etsy, BigCommerce, Shopify, and more. The support resources include detailed information on how to set up and manage these integrations to ensure seamless operation across multiple channels.
Reporting and Analytics
- The platform provides colorful and informative reports based on the data it collects, helping users see where and when they are making money. These reports are a valuable resource for making informed business decisions.
Community and Reviews
- Users can benefit from reviews and feedback from other customers, which are available on platforms like Capterra. These reviews often highlight the pros and cons of using Stitch Labs, providing valuable insights for potential users.
Overall, Stitch Labs is committed to providing comprehensive support and resources to help its users manage their inventory, orders, and sales efficiently across multiple channels.
Stitch Labs - Pros and Cons
Advantages of Stitch Labs
Stitch Labs offered several significant advantages, particularly for multichannel ecommerce sellers and just-in-time retail operations.Centralized Inventory Management
Stitch Labs provided a centralized dashboard where you could manage your products across multiple sales channels and warehouse locations. This allowed for a comprehensive view of your inventory, invoicing, shipping, and purchase orders in one place.
Multi-Channel Support
The software supported multiple stores within the same marketplace, such as Amazon, Magento, or Shopify. This enabled you to customize different storefronts and allocate specific amounts of inventory for each channel, enhancing your sales flexibility.
Advanced Stock Management
Features like multi-location tracking, bundling, and currency conversion were available. Additionally, Stitch Labs offered advanced stocktaking options, including reconciliation reports to resolve discrepancies between physical and software-counted inventory.
Real-Time Insights and Automation
The platform provided real-time insights into your inventory, allowing you to avoid overselling and manage backorders efficiently. It also featured automated order routing and splitting, ensuring that in-stock items were shipped promptly while backordered items were held until more stock arrived.
Customer Support
Stitch Labs was known for its excellent customer service. Users reported positive experiences with the support team, which was highly responsive and helpful.
Integration and Scalability
Stitch X, a later version of the software, introduced over 25 new and improved features, including advanced multi-warehouse purchasing, automated order splitting, and new API integrations. This version was designed to support high-growth brands with enhanced scalability and flexibility.
Disadvantages of Stitch Labs
Despite its advantages, Stitch Labs had several significant drawbacks.Cost
One of the major cons was the high cost. The entry-level Essentials plan was priced at $799 per month, making it unaffordable for many small businesses. Additionally, some integrations required extra costs, further increasing the overall expense.
Integration-Dependent
The platform relied heavily on integrations with other services like Amazon, Shopify, and Xero, which could complicate the setup process and add to the cost.
Performance Issues
Users occasionally experienced slow response times, particularly during critical operations like reordering products quickly to maintain just-in-time inventory systems.
Reporting Limitations
The reporting features were less detailed compared to other inventory management software, which could be a drawback for businesses needing more comprehensive analytics.
Limited Global Functionality
While technically available worldwide, Stitch Labs was optimized for use in the United States, which meant businesses outside the US might experience limited functionality.
Compatibility Issues
Some users reported specific compatibility problems, such as issues with eBay listings that required all listings to be 30-day duration, leading to potential losses in sales history.
Current Status
It’s important to note that Stitch Labs is no longer available as a standalone product, having been acquired by Square. The team behind Stitch Labs is now contributing to Square’s inventory management offerings.
Stitch Labs - Comparison with Competitors
When Comparing Stitch Labs
When comparing Stitch Labs to other products in the e-commerce tools and inventory management category, several key points and alternatives stand out.
Unique Features of Stitch Labs
- Stitch Labs is an inventory and order management platform specifically built for modern, high-growth brands that operate primarily in the e-commerce space. It serves as a “single source of truth” for managing inventory across various online sites and marketplaces, such as eBay and Amazon.
- It is particularly effective for businesses with no brick-and-mortar footprint or plans for one, providing comprehensive inventory management and order tracking capabilities.
Competitors and Alternatives
QuickBooks
- QuickBooks is one of the top competitors in the billing and invoicing category, holding a 29.46% market share. While it offers multi-channel selling capabilities, its support for brick-and-mortar operations is limited, especially compared to Stitch Labs’ focus on online-only operations.
- QuickBooks Commerce, for instance, follows Shopify’s order routing rules but lacks support for critical strategies like routing by distance or source.
Square Point of Sale
- Square Point of Sale is another significant competitor, with a 10.29% market share. It acquired Stitch Labs, indicating a strong presence in the e-commerce and point-of-sale market. However, Square Point of Sale may not offer the same level of inventory management sophistication as Stitch Labs for purely online operations.
NetSuite
- NetSuite holds a 6.77% market share and is known for its comprehensive ERP solutions. While it offers strong inventory management, it might be more expensive and complex than what some e-commerce businesses need, especially those focused solely on online sales.
Accumula
- Accumula is a notable alternative for businesses that need to integrate both e-commerce and brick-and-mortar operations. It provides 100% visibility between in-store POS and e-commerce platforms, addressing a blind spot in Stitch Labs for retailers with physical stores.
Skubana
- Skubana is a cloud-based multi-channel operations platform that allows users to sell across various channels, including direct-to-consumer, wholesale, and marketplaces. It is particularly strong for businesses with a significant presence on platforms like Amazon, thanks to its founder’s expertise in marketplace selling.
Industry Focus and Limitations
- Stitch Labs is optimized for e-commerce businesses without a brick-and-mortar presence. If a business has or plans to have physical retail locations, alternatives like Accumula or Skubana might be more suitable due to their broader integration capabilities.
Market Share and Adoption
- Stitch Labs has a growing user base, with over 128 companies starting to use it as a billing and invoicing tool in 2024. However, its market share in the billing and invoicing category is not as dominant as that of QuickBooks or Square Point of Sale.
Conclusion
In summary, while Stitch Labs excels in managing inventory and orders for purely online e-commerce operations, businesses with a mix of online and offline sales may find alternatives like Accumula or Skubana more fitting. Each platform has its unique strengths and limitations, making it important to choose based on the specific needs of your business.
Stitch Labs - Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about Stitch Labs
What is Stitch Labs and what does it do?
Stitch Labs is an online inventory control solution that simplifies multichannel retail business operations. It automatically syncs inventory, orders, and sales across various channels, providing a holistic view of business operations. This helps retailers save time, make better decisions, and grow their businesses.
Who developed Stitch Labs and what is its current status?
Stitch Labs was developed by its own team, but it has since been acquired by Square. As of 2020, Stitch Labs is no longer accepting new customers, and its products are scheduled to be phased out as the team focuses on building out Square tools. Existing customers are being supported until they can transition to other solutions.
What are the key features of Stitch Labs?
Key features include:
- Order Entry: Orders are submitted to integrated services like Shipwire from Stitch Labs.
- Order Tracking: Tracking information for completed shipments is automatically pulled by Stitch Labs.
- Product Catalog: Stitch Labs retrieves product information from integrated services and creates listings, either linking to existing variants or generating new products.
- Inventory Management: Stitch Labs syncs combined inventory levels across all warehouses, providing real-time inventory tracking.
- Channel Management: Integration with multiple sales channels such as Amazon, Etsy, eBay, Shopify, and more.
- Fulfillment Solutions: Supports various fulfillment options, including dropshipping and third-party logistics (3PL).
How does Stitch Labs integrate with other platforms?
Stitch Labs integrates with a variety of e-commerce platforms, including Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and more. It also integrates with shipping providers like UPS, USPS, and Easy Post, as well as payment gateways such as PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.Net. Additionally, it supports CRM systems like Zoho CRM and Salesforce.
What are the pricing plans for Stitch Labs?
Stitch Labs offered several pricing plans based on the number of orders per month. The plans included:
- Basic Plan: $499/month for 0-2000 orders per month (billed annually).
- Standard Plan: $699/month for 2001-5000 orders per month (billed annually).
- High-Growth Plan: $799/month for 0-2000 orders per month (billed annually), with higher order volumes requiring custom pricing.
- Premium and Elite Plans: Higher-tier plans with increasing order limits and additional features, priced accordingly.
How user-friendly is Stitch Labs?
Users have reported that Stitch Labs has a very easy-to-use interface. The integration process is quick, and customer support is highly rated for solving any issues that arise. However, some users have noted that the initial setup could be slightly easier and quicker.
What kind of support does Stitch Labs offer?
Stitch Labs is known for its top-notch customer support. The team is available to solve any small nuances or problems that users encounter. However, since the acquisition by Square, support is focused on transitioning existing customers to other solutions.
Can new customers still sign up for Stitch Labs?
No, new customers cannot sign up for Stitch Labs as it is no longer accepting new customers following its acquisition by Square. Existing customers are being supported until they can transition to other solutions.
How does Stitch Labs handle inventory tracking and management?
Stitch Labs offers comprehensive inventory tracking and management features, including multi-level stock tracking, stock alerts, batch tracking, expiry date tracking, and serial number tracking. It also supports various methods of stock valuation such as FIFO, LIFO, and average cost.
Does Stitch Labs support multiple warehouses and locations?
Yes, Stitch Labs supports multiple warehouses and locations. It allows for stock tracking by location, stock alerts by location, and warehouse-level reorder cycles. It also enables stock transfers between different locations.
Stitch Labs - Conclusion and Recommendation
Final Assessment of Stitch Labs
Stitch Labs is a comprehensive commerce operations platform that centralizes inventory, sales, purchasing, and fulfillment, making it an invaluable tool for retailers and wholesalers, particularly those in the e-commerce sector.
Key Benefits
- Centralized Inventory Management: Stitch Labs offers a unified dashboard where you can track inventory across all your sales channels, including Shopify, Amazon, eBay, and more. This centralized approach helps in making quick and informed decisions about inventory levels and reordering products.
- Multi-Channel Support: The platform supports multiple sales channels and allows you to manage multiple stores within a single sales platform. This is particularly beneficial for multichannel ecommerce sellers who need to track and manage inventory, sales, and orders across various platforms.
- Automated Processes: Stitch Labs automates many operational tasks such as updating inventory levels, synchronizing orders, and integrating with accounting and shipping software like Xero, QuickBooks, and ShipStation. This automation reduces the risk of overselling and streamlines business operations.
- Reporting and Analytics: The platform provides over 60 reports to help users plan ahead and make educated business decisions. It also enables the comparison and assessment of sales data across different sales networks.
Who Would Benefit Most
Stitch Labs is most beneficial for small to medium-sized businesses, particularly those in the retail and apparel & fashion industries. Here are some key demographics that would benefit:
- Business Size: A majority of Stitch Labs customers are small businesses with fewer than 50 employees and revenues under $50 million. However, it also supports medium and large businesses.
- Industry: Retail (18%) and Apparel & Fashion (14%) are the largest segments using Stitch Labs.
- Geographic Location: The majority of customers are based in the United States (86%).
Recommendation
For businesses looking to streamline their inventory management, sales operations, and fulfillment processes across multiple channels, Stitch Labs is a strong option. Here are some scenarios where it would be particularly useful:
- Just-in-Time Retail: Businesses that operate on a just-in-time inventory model will appreciate the centralized inventory management and automated reordering features.
- Multichannel Sellers: Companies selling through multiple online and offline channels will benefit from the platform’s ability to consolidate and manage all sales channels in one place.
- Small to Medium-Sized Businesses: These businesses will find the automation and integration features helpful in reducing manual work and increasing operational efficiency.
However, it’s important to note that as businesses grow and scale, they may encounter limitations with Stitch Labs, such as the need for more advanced integration with systems like QuickBooks or the inability to handle very large orders efficiently. In such cases, transitioning to a more comprehensive ERP system like NetSuite might be necessary.