Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Forthcast. Can't find the answer you're looking for? Contact our team.
Getting Started
How do I install Forthcast?
Install Forthcast directly from the Shopify App Store. Search for "Forthcast", click Install, and follow the on-screen prompts. Your store data will start syncing immediately after installation. Most merchants see their first forecasts within a few minutes once historical orders have loaded.
How much historical data do I need for forecasting to work?
Forthcast can produce forecasts from your very first orders, but recommendations get more precise as history accumulates. SKUs with fewer than 6 months of sales are tagged with a Limited Data badge — treat those as a starting point rather than a precise number. SKUs with fewer than 2 weeks of sales show a Low Data badge and the forecast is an early estimate only. Forecasts improve automatically as your store keeps selling.
Is there a free trial?
Yes — Forthcast includes a 14-day free trial. No credit card is required to start. You get access to all features during the trial period. After 14 days, you can subscribe for $19.99/month through Shopify's standard billing.
Forecasting
How does Forthcast generate demand forecasts?
Forthcast analyzes your historical order data to detect trends, seasonality, and demand patterns for each product variant. The model calculates a projected daily demand rate and uses that to forecast future sales over your chosen replenishment horizon. Forecasts are updated automatically whenever new orders are synced from your store.
What is the reorder point and how does Forthcast calculate it?
The reorder point is the inventory level at which you should place a new order to avoid running out before the next shipment arrives. Forthcast calculates it as average daily demand × supplier lead time + safety stock, so lead time has the biggest single effect on the number — make sure it's set correctly in Settings. If you order on a fixed cadence instead (containers, MOQ-driven categories, monthly supplier reviews), switch to Scheduled (Fixed Cycle) mode and Forthcast replaces the Reorder Pt column with a Cycle Reorder Pt sized for the whole upcoming cycle — see the Scheduled Replenishment section below.
What is safety stock and how is it calculated?
Safety stock is a buffer of extra inventory that protects against unexpected demand spikes or supplier delays. Forthcast calculates safety stock based on your demand variability and your supplier's lead time variability, using a configurable service level target (e.g. 95%). A higher service level means a larger buffer and fewer stockouts.
Does Forthcast support multi-location inventory?
Yes. Forthcast supports Shopify stores with multiple locations. You can view inventory levels and reorder recommendations per location, and create purchase orders assigned to a specific receiving location.
What are lost sales and how does Forthcast track them?
Lost sales represent demand that went unfulfilled because a product was out of stock. Forthcast estimates lost sales by comparing projected demand against inventory availability during stockout periods. The estimate appears as a banner on the Stock Health report and feeds into reorder prioritisation, so SKUs that have been costing you revenue surface first.
How are bundles, multi-packs, and variety packs handled?
Forthcast lets you map a bundle parent SKU to its component SKUs (a 6-pack is one component at quantity 6; a variety pack is each flavour at quantity 1). Sales of the parent are then allocated against the components in your demand history, and the parent is excluded from reorder suggestions if you assemble it in-house. Forthcast also auto-detects likely bundles from product titles and SKU patterns and proposes mappings for you to review.
How does Forthcast handle subscription and wholesale orders?
Subscription and B2B orders are detected automatically and excluded from the seasonal pattern so a single large wholesale order doesn't inflate your daily reorder point. Detection runs against order tags (Skio, ReCharge, Bold, Smartrr, Loop, Ordergroove, Appstle, Seal, Stay AI, Subify, Paywhirl, wholesale, b2b, trade, etc.), Shopify Selling Plans, the B2B portal and Draft Orders channel, recurring-customer patterns, and statistical outliers in order quantity. No tag setup is required for most stores.
Can I forecast packaging materials too?
Yes. On the Packaging tab you can add mailers, cartons, inserts, or outer boxes, link them to the finished SKUs they ship with, and set how many units of packaging each finished unit consumes. Forthcast then rolls up demand for the linked SKUs into a projected packaging quantity and gives you the same reorder recommendations as a regular product.
Scheduled Replenishment
Does Forthcast support fixed-cycle (scheduled) reordering?
Yes. Alongside the original On Demand mode, Forthcast ships a Scheduled (Fixed Cycle) replenishment model designed for merchants who order on a regular cadence — for example, a quarterly container, a monthly review with a domestic supplier, or any category with high MOQs. Switch it on from Settings → Replenishment model, choose a default cycle in weeks (e.g. 4 = monthly, 13 = quarterly) and a default next order date, and Forthcast will tell you exactly what to put on each PO when the date comes around.
What's the difference between On Demand and Scheduled mode?
On Demand looks at every SKU continuously and flags Order Now the moment available stock drops below the Reorder Point — useful when you can place a PO any day of the week. Scheduled (Fixed Cycle) reverses the logic: you commit to ordering on a fixed cadence per supplier, and Forthcast replaces the Reorder Pt column with a Cycle Reorder Pt that protects the entire upcoming cycle (cycle weeks of demand + optional lead-time add-on + safety buffer). Pick On Demand when supplier access is flexible, and Scheduled when containers, MOQs, or fixed review meetings dictate the rhythm.
Can I set a different cycle per supplier?
Yes. Each supplier can have its own Order cycle (weeks) and Next order date on the Suppliers settings page. A supplier-level value always wins over the shop-wide default; if you leave a supplier blank it falls back to the shop default, and if both are blank the cycle defaults to 4 weeks. The next order date works the same way: set it manually and Forthcast preserves it (and prompts you to review when a PO ships), or let Forthcast manage it and the date advances by one cycle automatically each time you create or receive a PO with that supplier.
Purchase Orders
How do I create a purchase order in Forthcast?
Click New PO on the Purchase Orders page, or start one directly from suggestions in the Replenishment table. Forthcast pre-fills order quantities based on your reorder point and safety stock settings. You can edit quantities, assign a supplier, set an expected arrival date, and add a reference number before saving. POs move through Draft → Ordered → Received, with Cancelled available if the order doesn't proceed.
Does Forthcast update my Shopify inventory when I receive a purchase order?
Yes. When you mark a purchase order as Received in Forthcast, the received quantities are automatically added to your Shopify inventory at the selected location. You can also receive a partial shipment and leave the PO open for the remainder.
Can I forward supplier emails into Forthcast?
Yes. Each store has a private inbound email address shown on the Purchase Orders page. Forward supplier confirmations, invoices, or shipping documents to it and Forthcast will read the message and any PDF attachments and match them to the right open PO automatically — updating reference numbers, confirmed quantities, prices, and ETA. If a forwarded email can't be matched with confidence it's held for review so you can attach it manually.
What are PO Late and PO Low warnings?
A PO Late badge appears on a SKU when an open purchase order has passed its expected arrival date and the stock hasn't been received. PO Low appears when the incoming quantity on a PO is lower than what was originally planned. Both are prompts to follow up with your supplier — and both feed back into your in-transit position so reorder calculations stay accurate.
Are backorders tracked?
Yes. Unfulfilled customer orders are counted as backorders per SKU and shown in an optional Backorders column on the Replenishment table (turn it on via the Customize button). SKUs with customers waiting are prioritised in reorder recommendations, and backorders clear automatically once the order ships.
Can I manage multiple suppliers?
Yes. You can add suppliers in Forthcast and assign products to a default supplier. Forthcast tracks each supplier's average lead time and delivery reliability, and generates a supplier reliability grade so you can identify which vendors are most consistent.
Billing & Plans
How much does Forthcast cost?
Forthcast is $19.99 per month, billed through Shopify. The subscription covers all features with no per-product or per-location limits. The first 14 days are free — no credit card needed to start.
How do I cancel my subscription?
You can cancel at any time by uninstalling Forthcast from your Shopify admin (Apps → Forthcast → Delete). Your subscription will remain active until the end of the current billing period, and you won't be charged again after that.
Data & Privacy
What data does Forthcast access from my Shopify store?
Forthcast reads your product catalog (titles, SKUs, variants), inventory levels, and order history. This data is used solely to power forecasting and replenishment features. We do not access customer personal data beyond what is included in orders (quantities and dates).
Is my data secure?
Yes. All data is transmitted over HTTPS/TLS encryption. Shopify access tokens are encrypted at rest. We use industry-standard cloud infrastructure with restricted access controls. For full details, see our Privacy Policy.
What happens to my data if I uninstall the app?
When you uninstall Forthcast, your data is retained for 30 days and then permanently deleted from our systems. We comply fully with Shopify's GDPR requirements, including responding to shop redact webhooks within the required timeframe.