name: shopify-admin-inventory-aging-report role: merchandising description: "Read-only: categorizes inventory into aging buckets (0-30, 31-60, 61-90, 90+ days) based on time since last sale or receipt." toolkit: shopify-admin, shopify-admin-execution api_version: "2025-01" graphql_operations: - productVariants:query - orders:query - inventoryItems:query status: stable compatibility: Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Gemini CLI
Purpose
Categorizes all inventory into aging buckets based on how long items have been sitting without selling. Calculates carrying cost exposure by bucket to prioritize markdown or liquidation decisions. Goes deeper than dead-stock identification by providing aging granularity. Read-only — no mutations.
Prerequisites
- Authenticated Shopify CLI session:
shopify store auth --store <domain> --scopes read_orders,read_products,read_inventory - API scopes:
read_orders,read_products,read_inventory
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| store | string | yes | — | Store domain |
| buckets | string | no | 0-30,31-60,61-90,91-180,181+ | Comma-separated aging buckets in days |
| carrying_cost_pct | float | no | 25 | Annual carrying cost as % of inventory value (industry avg 20-30%) |
| vendor_filter | string | no | — | Scope to specific vendor |
| format | string | no | human | Output format: human or json |
Safety
ℹ️ Read-only skill — no mutations are executed. Safe to run at any time.
Workflow Steps
OPERATION:
productVariants— query Inputs:first: 250, selectid,sku,inventoryQuantity,inventoryItem { id, unitCost },product { title, vendor, status }, pagination cursor Expected output: All variants with stock and cost dataFilter to variants with
inventoryQuantity > 0OPERATION:
orders— query Inputs:query: "created_at:>='<NOW - 365 days>'",first: 250, selectcreatedAt,lineItems { variant { id }, quantity }, pagination cursor Expected output: Sales history to determine last-sold date per variantFor each stocked variant, determine aging:
- Find most recent order containing this variant → last_sold_date
- If never sold, use product creation date as proxy
- Age = today - last_sold_date
- Assign to aging bucket
OPERATION:
inventoryItems— query Inputs: Inventory item IDs for cost data Expected output: Unit costs for value calculationCalculate per bucket:
- Total units
- Total value (units × unitCost)
- Monthly carrying cost = (value × carrying_cost_pct / 100) / 12
- % of total inventory value
GraphQL Operations
# productVariants:query — validated against api_version 2025-01
query VariantsWithStock($query: String, $after: String) {
productVariants(first: 250, after: $after, query: $query) {
edges {
node {
id
sku
inventoryQuantity
product { id title vendor status createdAt }
inventoryItem {
id
unitCost { amount currencyCode }
}
}
}
pageInfo { hasNextPage endCursor }
}
}
# orders:query — validated against api_version 2025-01
query RecentSales($query: String!, $after: String) {
orders(first: 250, after: $after, query: $query) {
edges {
node {
createdAt
lineItems(first: 50) {
edges {
node {
quantity
variant { id }
}
}
}
}
}
pageInfo { hasNextPage endCursor }
}
}
# inventoryItems:query — validated against api_version 2025-01
query InventoryItemCosts($ids: [ID!]!) {
nodes(ids: $ids) {
... on InventoryItem {
id
unitCost { amount currencyCode }
}
}
}
Session Tracking
Claude MUST emit the following output at each stage. This is mandatory.
On start, emit:
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ SKILL: Inventory Aging Report ║
║ Store: <store domain> ║
║ Started: <YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM UTC> ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝
After each step, emit:
[N/TOTAL] <QUERY|MUTATION> <OperationName>
→ Params: <brief summary of key inputs>
→ Result: <count or outcome>
On completion, emit:
For format: human (default):
══════════════════════════════════════════════
INVENTORY AGING REPORT
Total SKUs with stock: <n>
Total inventory value: $<amount>
─────────────────────────────
AGING BUCKETS:
0-30 days: <n> SKUs $<value> (<pct>%) ✅ Fresh
31-60 days: <n> SKUs $<value> (<pct>%) ⚠️ Watch
61-90 days: <n> SKUs $<value> (<pct>%) ⚠️ Aging
91-180 days: <n> SKUs $<value> (<pct>%) 🔴 Stale
181+ days: <n> SKUs $<value> (<pct>%) 🔴 Dead
Monthly carrying cost: $<amount>
Annual carrying cost: $<amount>
Top aging items by value:
"<product>" SKU:<sku> Age:<n>d Qty:<n> Value:$<n>
Output: inventory_aging_<date>.csv
══════════════════════════════════════════════
Output Format
CSV file inventory_aging_<YYYY-MM-DD>.csv with columns:
variant_id, sku, product_title, vendor, quantity, unit_cost, total_value, last_sold_date, age_days, aging_bucket, monthly_carrying_cost
Error Handling
| Error | Cause | Recovery |
|---|---|---|
THROTTLED |
API rate limit exceeded | Wait 2 seconds, retry up to 3 times |
| Missing unitCost | No COGS data | Use $0 for value — flag as "cost unknown" |
| No sales history | New product or never sold | Use product creation date as aging start |
Best Practices
- Use
carrying_cost_pct: 25as default (includes storage, insurance, opportunity cost, shrinkage). - Items in 90+ day buckets are strong candidates for markdowns — use
bulk-price-adjustment. - Cross-reference with
dead-stock-identifierandstock-velocity-reportfor a complete inventory health picture. - Run monthly to track aging trends and measure liquidation effectiveness.