- Feature
- Process Shopify order changes, exchanges, and refunds
- Availability
- Generally available (October 2026)
- Industry focus
- Footwear retail
In footwear e-commerce, "Can I swap these for a half size up?" may be the most common customer request. Exchanges keep revenue in the business, but they've been awkward to reflect in the ERP. Business Central 29.0 makes Shopify exchanges much easier to process accurately.
The industry challenge
A typical footwear exchange looks simple to the customer, who sends back one pair and receives another. Behind the scenes, three things have to happen:
- The returned pair is received and restocked (or written off if damaged)
- The replacement pair is shipped and leaves stock
- Any price difference is charged or refunded correctly
When Shopify orders were edited or exchanged after they had already become posted invoices in Business Central, keeping both systems aligned was hard. Staff often created manual credit memos and new orders, and sometimes stock or revenue didn't match what actually happened.
What Microsoft delivered in Business Central 29.0
According to Microsoft, the Shopify connector now keeps edited and exchanged orders aligned when creating sales documents and processing refunds:
- When a Shopify return includes a replacement item, the connector imports the returned item and the exchange item together.
- It adds them to a sales credit memo or a sales return order, depending on the Process Returns as setting. The returned item has a positive quantity, and the exchange item a negative quantity.
- You can post both lines on one document, or move the exchange item to a separate sales document. From a credit memo this creates a sales invoice by default. From a return order it creates a sales order by default.
- The new document for the replacement stays linked to the original Shopify order and appears in the Linked Documents FactBox.
- Where the replacement costs more, the connector doesn't add an unnecessary balancing refund line, although a G/L line can still be added for cash rounding.
Where the value shows up
| Business area | Impact for a footwear retailer |
|---|---|
| Inventory accuracy | Returned and replacement sizes both move correctly |
| Warehouse | The replacement can be picked and shipped as its own order |
| Finance | Price differences handled without unnecessary balancing lines |
| Customer service | Every document links back to the original Shopify order |
| Efficiency | Less manual creation of credit memos and new orders |
Size accuracy matters enormously in footwear. If the system thinks a size 8 is in stock when it isn't, the next customer's order fails. Clean exchange processing protects availability for everyone else.
A worked scenario
Consider an online trainer and boot retailer shipping 1,500 pairs a week (an illustrative example). A customer buys running shoes in size 9, receives them, and asks to exchange for a 9.5. The original order is already a posted sales invoice in Business Central.
With Business Central 29.0, the connector imports the updated Shopify order and its linked refund. The retailer has set Process Returns as to sales return orders, so the connector creates a return order with the size 9 on a positive line and the size 9.5 on a negative line.
The warehouse team splits the exchange line into its own sales order so the 9.5 can be picked and shipped straight away. The size 9 is received and restocked through the return order. Both documents link back to the original Shopify order, so customer service can answer "where's my exchange?" in seconds.
Adoption considerations
- Choose your return document type. Return orders support warehouse processing and are usually best for physical exchanges.
- Decide when to split. Agree whether exchanges always become a separate order or stay on one document.
- Train the warehouse. Make sure staff know how to reopen, split and release documents.
- Check pricing differences. Test exchanges where the replacement costs more or less.
- Watch linked documents. Use the Linked Documents FactBox to keep the trail clear.
The bottom line
For footwear retailers, exchanges are part of daily life, and handling them well keeps both customers and revenue. Business Central 29.0 lets Shopify exchanges flow into the ERP accurately, with stock, shipping and finance all reflecting what really happened. It's a practical improvement that removes a lot of manual work and a common source of stock errors.
If exchanges cause manual work or stock discrepancies in your business, it's worth reviewing your Shopify returns set-up with an experienced adviser.
Source: Microsoft roadmap 573343