Linnworks

What is Linnworks

Linnworks is a comprehensive commerce automation platform designed for multichannel retailers. Its main purpose is to connect, manage, and automate all aspects of the ecommerce operation from a single, centralized system. This includes inventory management, order processing, marketplace listings, warehouse operations, and shipping. By integrating with numerous sales channels and shipping carriers, Linnworks helps businesses to scale efficiently, reduce manual errors, and avoid overselling. The company has been operating for over 15 years, establishing itself as a key player in the ecommerce software industry. It also includes the SkuVault product, now known as SkuVault Core, as part of its solution family, enhancing its warehouse management capabilities.

Linnworks Features

• Inventory Management: Synchronize stock levels in real-time across all your sales channels, including Amazon, eBay, and your own website. This prevents overselling and ensures accurate inventory counts everywhere you sell.
• Order and Shipping Management: Automate the entire order fulfillment process. The system automatically routes orders to the correct warehouse or 3PL, connects with top shipping carriers to print labels, and tracks deliveries from one dashboard.
• Warehouse Management: Improve warehouse efficiency with features like auto-generated picklists, built-in quality control checks, and easy management of product kits and bundles. This helps reduce picking errors and speed up fulfillment.
• Marketplace Listings: Create, manage, and update product listings in bulk across more than 100 marketplaces. You can easily change prices, descriptions, and other details for hundreds of listings at once, ensuring consistency and compliance.
• Reporting and Analytics: Access a central hub for all your ecommerce data. Generate detailed reports on a SKU-level to understand sales performance, forecast product demand, and make informed decisions about inventory levels.

Linnworks Pricing Plans

Linnworks provides customized pricing plans tailored to the specific needs and scale of each business. Pricing is not publicly listed and is determined based on factors such as order volume, the number of SKUs, and the specific features required. Typically, the plans are structured to support businesses at different growth stages:

• A plan for growing businesses: This tier generally includes core features for inventory and order management across multiple channels, suitable for retailers looking to automate their basic operations.
• An advanced plan for established retailers: This plan offers more advanced features, greater automation capabilities, and more extensive integrations for businesses with higher order volumes and more complex needs.
• An enterprise plan: Designed for large-scale, high-volume operations, this tier provides a fully comprehensive solution with dedicated support, advanced analytics, and custom workflows.

To get specific pricing, businesses need to request a demo and consult with a Linnworks specialist.

Linnworks Free Plan

Linnworks does not offer a standard free plan. The platform is a sophisticated solution designed for growing and established retailers, and its complexity and feature set are beyond what a typical free plan would cover. However, they offer a no-obligation, personalized demo. During the demo, a specialist will walk you through the platform, understand your business needs, and show you how Linnworks can help solve your specific challenges.

How to use Linnworks

Getting started with Linnworks involves a structured onboarding process to ensure the system is configured correctly for your business.

1. Request a Demo: The first step is to contact Linnworks for a personalized demonstration to see if the platform is a good fit.
2. Integrate Sales Channels: Connect all your online stores and marketplaces, such as Shopify, Amazon, eBay, and Walmart, to the Linnworks platform.
3. Connect Shipping and Logistics: Integrate your shipping carriers (like FedEx, UPS) and any third-party logistics (3PL) providers you use.
4. Sync Inventory: Import your product catalog and allow Linnworks to become the central source of truth for your inventory, syncing stock levels across all channels.
5. Configure Automation Rules: Set up rules for order routing, shipping label printing, and other repetitive tasks to automate your workflow.
6. Manage Operations: Use the central dashboard to monitor orders, manage inventory, view reports, and handle day-to-day ecommerce operations efficiently.

Pros and Cons of Linnworks

Pros:

• Centralized Control: Manage all your sales channels, inventory, and orders from a single platform.
• Extensive Integrations: Connects with over 100 marketplaces, ecommerce platforms, and shipping carriers.
• Powerful Automation: Saves significant time and reduces human error by automating order processing and fulfillment.
• Prevents Overselling: Real-time inventory synchronization ensures stock levels are always accurate across all channels.
• Scalability: The platform is built to grow with your business, from a small retailer to a large enterprise.

Cons:

• Learning Curve: The platform is feature-rich and can be complex to learn for new users.
• Cost: As an enterprise-level solution, it can be a significant investment, especially for smaller businesses.
• No Transparent Pricing: You must contact sales for a custom quote, which can make it difficult to compare costs upfront.
• Implementation Time: Setting up all integrations and workflows can be time-consuming and may require technical assistance.

Linnworks integrations

Linnworks offers hundreds of native integrations to create a connected commerce ecosystem. Key integration categories include:

• Marketplaces: Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Etsy, TikTok Shop, and many more.
• Ecommerce Platforms: Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento (Adobe Commerce), WooCommerce.
• Shipping Carriers: FedEx, UPS, DHL, Royal Mail, DPD, and other major global and regional carriers.
• 3PLs and Fulfillment Services: Seamlessly connect with third-party logistics partners for outsourced fulfillment.
• Accounting Software: Integrations with platforms like Xero and QuickBooks for streamlined financial management.

These integrations allow data to flow automatically between systems, ensuring that order information, inventory levels, and shipping details are always up-to-date without manual intervention.

Linnworks Alternatives

• ChannelAdvisor: A powerful platform for large enterprises, offering broad marketplace management, digital marketing, and fulfillment solutions. It is generally more complex and expensive than Linnworks.
• Sellbrite: A more user-friendly and affordable option targeted at small to medium-sized businesses. It focuses on core multichannel listing, inventory sync, and order management features.
• Cin7: An inventory management platform that combines online multichannel management with features for physical retail (POS) and B2B wholesale, making it a good choice for businesses with diverse sales models.
• Veeqo: Owned by Amazon, Veeqo offers inventory, shipping, and warehouse management tools. It is often a very cost-effective solution, especially for businesses that sell heavily on Amazon.

Linnworks API

Yes, Linnworks provides a comprehensive REST API that allows developers to build custom integrations, create unique workflows, and extend the platform's functionality. The API gives access to nearly all aspects of the Linnworks system, including orders, inventory, listings, and shipping.

To get started, developers can access the Linnworks developer portal, which provides detailed documentation, guides, and API references. An API key and access credentials are provided to Linnworks customers upon request, allowing them to authorize their custom applications.

Here is a conceptual Python code example for fetching orders:

import requests
import json

# Your Linnworks API credentials
application_id = 'YOUR_APPLICATION_ID'
application_secret = 'YOUR_APPLICATION_SECRET'
token = 'YOUR_SESSION_TOKEN'

# API endpoint for getting open orders
url = 'https://api.linnworks.net/api/Orders/GetOpenOrders'

headers = {
    'Authorization': token,
    'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded'
}

data = {
    'entriesPerPage': 10,
    'pageNumber': 1,
    'filters': '{}'
}

response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, data=data)

if response.status_code == 200:
    orders = response.json()
    print(json.dumps(orders, indent=4))
else:
    print(f"Error: {response.status_code}")
    print(response.text)

Linnworks Affiliate program

Linnworks operates a Partner Program rather than a traditional affiliate program. This program is designed for technology providers, development agencies, and business consultants who work with ecommerce retailers. Partners can collaborate with Linnworks to provide integrated solutions and services to their clients. The benefits and commission structures are typically customized based on the nature of the partnership. To join, interested parties should visit the 'Partners' section on the Linnworks website and contact their partnership team to discuss collaboration opportunities. There is no simple sign-up link for a public affiliate program.