Dropshipping
Dropshipping is a popular fulfillment method that allows vendors to sell products without maintaining physical stock. In this method, goods are shipped directly from the supplier or manufacturer to the customer, bypassing the need for the vendor to handle inventory or warehousing. This model is especially advantageous for merchants looking to minimize overhead costs, as it eliminates the requirement for storage space and complex inventory management. Instead, vendors can focus on sales and customer relationships, while their suppliers manage the logistics of delivery.
In Odoo 18, dropshipping is seamlessly integrated within the Purchase and Sales modules, making it an efficient solution for businesses. To enable dropshipping, users must activate the feature in the Purchase module’s settings.
Once enabled, the dropshipping functionality can be applied to specific products, allowing users to set the necessary operational routes directly from the product configuration.
When configuring a product for dropshipping in Odoo 18, users can navigate to the Inventory tab within the product’s detail form.
Here, the route for dropshipping can be assigned, ensuring that all sales of this particular product follow the dropshipping workflow.
In the Odoo 18 Purchase module, adding a vendor to the Purchase section of the product form under the Purchase tab is essential for dropshipping, as it specifies the supplier from whom the product will be directly sourced and delivered to the customer.
After setting up the product for dropshipping, the Sales module takes over when an order is placed. Upon creating a sales order for the drop-shipped product, the vendor inputs the customer details and confirms the sales order.
As soon as the sales order is confirmed, Odoo 18 automatically generates a purchase order to the relevant supplier or vendor, requesting the product be shipped directly to the customer.
This purchase order will display the dropship address and the inbound operation type, showing that the product is set to be delivered straight from the supplier to the customer’s location.
Once the purchase order is approved, the supplier begins the shipment process. Odoo 18’s intelligent system records and tracks the shipment, ensuring that the dropshipping process is monitored from start to finish.
Users can validate the dropship by clicking the Dropship Validation button, which confirms that the product has been dispatched directly to the customer.
This dropshipping functionality in Odoo 18 not only simplifies fulfillment but also enables businesses to expand their product offerings without worrying about storage constraints, making it a highly scalable solution for growing enterprises.