The apparel ERP integrations brands turn on first: Shopify, retailer EDI, QuickBooks, ShipStation, Loop Returns
Nearly every apparel and consumer brand that implements AIMS360 connects the same short list before anything else. Not because they are the flashiest, but because they are the ones that stop a brand from selling the same unit twice, invoicing a retailer late, or closing the month by hand.
The five integrations apparel brands connect first in AIMS360 are Shopify for direct-to-consumer orders and inventory, retailer EDI for wholesale purchase orders, ASNs and invoices, QuickBooks for the financial summary, ShipStation for carrier labels and tracking, and Loop Returns for DTC returns. Nordstrom EDI is the most commonly added single-retailer connection on top of those.
Order matters. Connect whichever channel carries the most volume first, because every downstream integration depends on orders and inventory already being right in the ERP.
The six integrations apparel brands turn on first
Ranked by how often they are switched on at go-live. Each one below states exactly what moves, which direction it moves, and what it takes to get live.
Shopify and Shopify Plus
Styles are created once in AIMS360 and published out to every connected Shopify store, so the catalog on the storefront and the catalog in the ERP are the same object rather than two lists that drift apart. Inventory moves the other way in real time, which is what stops a wholesale purchase order and a Black Friday rush from promising the same unit.
| What moves | Direction | When |
|---|---|---|
| Available inventory | AIMS360 → Shopify | Real time |
| Stock by location | AIMS360 → Shopify | Real time |
| Styles, colors, sizes | AIMS360 → Shopify | On publish |
| SKUs and barcodes | AIMS360 → Shopify | On publish |
| Descriptions and images | AIMS360 → Shopify | On publish and edit |
| Orders | Shopify → AIMS360 | Automatic import |
| Customer records | Shopify → AIMS360 | With the order |
| Fulfillment and tracking | Both ways | On ship confirm |
| Returns and restock | Both ways | On processing |
Retailer EDI, bulk and dropship
Most apparel ERPs treat EDI as somebody else's product and resell a third-party service on top. AIMS360 includes retailer EDI in the platform, which changes the operational shape of it: a purchase order arrives as an order in the OMS, not as a file in a portal, and the ASN and invoice generate from the same record the warehouse picked against.
That matters most at the point where retailers charge money. Chargebacks almost always trace back to a mismatch between the purchase order, the carton and the invoice. When all three come out of one system, there is nothing to mismatch.
- 350+ retailer connections across department stores, specialty, mass, club, off-price and marketplace programs.
- Bulk and dropship on the same connection, so a retailer that runs both does not need two integrations.
- No per-transaction fees and no separate EDI vendor to manage.
- GS1-128 carton labels and compliance documents print with the carton.
QuickBooks Online and Desktop Enterprise
The usual reason a growing brand is told to leave QuickBooks is transaction volume, not accounting capability. AIMS360 holds the volume. Only summarized entries reach the ledger, which is why brands stay on QuickBooks far longer than the order count alone would suggest.
| What moves | Direction |
|---|---|
| Customers and vendors | AIMS360 → QuickBooks |
| Invoices | AIMS360 → QuickBooks |
| Payments | AIMS360 → QuickBooks |
| Credit memos | AIMS360 → QuickBooks |
| COGS and inventory | AIMS360 → QuickBooks |
| Sales-rep mapping | AIMS360 → QuickBooks |
Configured by AIMS360 during implementation. No IT team, no outside plugin, no per-sync fees.
ShipStation
Plenty of brands already run ShipStation wired straight to Shopify. Moving that connection to the ERP is a small change with a large effect: the label now prints against a prioritized pick ticket with allocated stock behind it, and every channel lands in the same shipping queue rather than only the DTC ones.
| What moves | Direction |
|---|---|
| Prioritized, allocated pick tickets | AIMS360 → ShipStation |
| Tracking numbers | ShipStation → AIMS360 |
| Shipping cost | ShipStation → AIMS360 |
Orders consolidate from Shopify and Shopify Plus, Shopify POS, retailer EDI, marketplaces including Amazon, B2B wholesale from JOOR, NuORDER and Brandboom, and 3PL warehouses.
Loop Returns
Loop runs the shopper-facing side of a Shopify return. The gap it leaves is everything after the shopper clicks submit: the unit has to come back into stock at the right style, color and size, the credit has to land, and accounts receivable has to reflect it. The AIMS360 connection closes that gap.
- A return submitted in Loop creates a return authorization in AIMS360 automatically.
- Total credit builds on the RMA as your team receives and restocks units.
- The refund is issued from the RMA and travels back through Loop to the original payment method.
- Exchange orders import from Shopify, priced down by the value of the returned item.
Requires a connected Shopify store and the AIMS360 Runway app. Setup is an API key generated in Loop and pasted into Runway, plus a warehouse and RMA reason code.
Nordstrom EDI and Nordstrom Marketplace
Nordstrom shows up here because it is usually the first named retailer a brand asks about, and because it is three programs rather than one. Bulk purchase orders route to Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, Nordstrom Canada and Nordstrom Private Label distribution centers. Dropship runs through Dsco. Nordstrom Marketplace runs on Mirakl, where you set the price and Nordstrom takes a commission. All three allocate against the same inventory.
| Document | What it is | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| 850 | Purchase order | In |
| 855 | PO acknowledgment, accept or backorder | Out |
| 856 | Advance ship notice, carton level | Out |
| 810 | Invoice | Out |
| 846 | Inventory advice, available to sell | Out |
| 860 | PO change, quantity or date | In |
| 864 | Text message | In |
| 997 | Functional acknowledgment | Both |
GS1-128 carton labels on every carton, VICS bill of lading generated alongside the ASN, and the ASN in Nordstrom's systems before the truck reaches the DC. Nordstrom charges $150 per incident on six specific compliance failures and $25 per paper invoice once EDI is live. Typical setup is 2 to 4 weeks depending on whether it covers bulk, dropship or both.
Which of these you actually need, by how you sell
The list above is the aggregate. The set a specific brand needs depends on where its orders come from. This is the pattern we see most often.
| How you sell | Connect first | Connect next | Usually not yet |
|---|---|---|---|
| DTC-led Shopify is most of revenue |
Shopify, ShipStation | QuickBooks, Loop Returns | Retailer EDI |
| Wholesale-led Department and specialty stores |
Retailer EDI, QuickBooks | Named retailers such as Nordstrom, then ShipStation | Loop Returns |
| Both, roughly evenly The hardest operating model |
Shopify and retailer EDI together, on one inventory pool | QuickBooks, ShipStation, Loop Returns | Nothing. This model needs the full stack. |
| Dropship-heavy Retailer sites, vendor fulfilled |
Retailer EDI dropship, ShipStation | Shopify, QuickBooks | Loop Returns |
| Marketplace-heavy Amazon, Nordstrom Marketplace, UB Marketplace |
Marketplace connections, ShipStation | Shopify, QuickBooks | Bulk retailer EDI |
Every one of these allocates against a single inventory pool in AIMS360, which is the point. Two separate systems cannot protect a wholesale commitment from a DTC rush.
The rest of the most popular list
The cards below are the connections in this category. The full catalog, sorted by function, lives on the AIMS360 integrations index, including 3PL warehouses, EDI retailers, B2B and omnichannel, shipping, returns management and accounting.
Built into the ERP, or bought as middleware
Most integration lists look the same from the outside. Two ERPs both claim Shopify, QuickBooks and EDI. The difference is whether the connection is part of the product or a subscription to somebody else's product with a logo on the page.
It is worth knowing which one you are buying, because the failure modes are different.
| Built into the ERP | Middleware or a resold service | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the purchase order lands | In the order management system, as an order | In a portal or a file drop, to be imported |
| Where the ASN comes from | The same record the warehouse picked | A second system that was told what shipped |
| Who you call when a retailer rejects a document | One vendor | Two, and each one points at the other |
| Cost shape | Included | Often per document, per retailer or per kilocharacter |
| Adding a retailer | Configuration | A project, and sometimes a new contract |
| What breaks first at volume | Nothing structural | The seam between the two systems |
AIMS360 sits on the left column. Retailer EDI, the Shopify connection and the QuickBooks sync are part of the platform, configured by the AIMS360 implementation team during onboarding rather than contracted separately. ShipStation and Loop Returns are genuinely third-party products, and we say so plainly: you hold those accounts, AIMS360 connects to them.
What to connect first, and why the order is not arbitrary
Integrations fail in a predictable way. A brand connects the interesting one first, the data underneath it is not clean yet, and the integration faithfully publishes the mess to a retailer or a storefront. The sequence below exists to stop that.
1. Get the item master right before anything leaves the building
Styles, colors, sizes, SKUs and barcodes have to be correct in AIMS360 first, because every integration downstream copies them. A wrong barcode published to Shopify is a customer service problem. The same wrong barcode on a GS1-128 carton label is a chargeback.
2. Connect the channel that carries the most volume
DTC-led brands connect Shopify. Wholesale-led brands connect retailer EDI. Brands doing both connect both at once, on one inventory pool, because connecting them a quarter apart guarantees a period where two systems each think they own the same units.
3. Connect QuickBooks before the first month closes
Invoices, payments, credit memos and COGS should be flowing into the ledger from day one of live operation. Retrofitting a month of financial history afterwards is the single most avoidable piece of work in an ERP implementation.
4. Move shipping onto the ERP, not the storefront
If ShipStation is already wired directly to Shopify, the cutover is short: confirm the connection, pick a date, disconnect Shopify from ShipStation, and switch customer records over so pick tickets flow automatically. After that every channel ships from one queue.
5. Add returns last, because returns need everything else working
A return touches inventory, accounts receivable and the payment processor at once. Connecting Loop Returns before stock and invoicing are reliable just moves the confusion into the RMA.
Orders in, then money out, then labels, then returns. An integration that runs ahead of that order does not save time; it publishes whatever is broken upstream of it.
What each integration actually moves
One table, so the comparison is easy to make and easy to quote.
| Integration | Out of AIMS360 | Into AIMS360 | Time to live |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify / Plus | Inventory and stock by location in real time; styles, colors, sizes, SKUs, barcodes, descriptions, images on publish | Orders, customer records; fulfillment, tracking, returns and restock both ways | Weeks, inside a wider implementation |
| Retailer EDI | 855 acknowledgment, 856 ASN, 810 invoice, 846 inventory advice | 850 purchase order, 860 PO change, 864 text message, 997 acknowledgment | Per retailer, typically 2 to 4 weeks |
| QuickBooks | Customers, vendors, invoices, payments, credit memos, COGS and inventory, sales-rep mapping | Nothing. AIMS360 is the system of record | Configured during implementation |
| ShipStation | Prioritized pick tickets with stock already allocated | Tracking numbers, shipping cost, both posted to the order | Days, once orders are live |
| Loop Returns | Refund issued from the RMA, back through Loop | Return authorization created automatically on shopper submit | An API key and a warehouse setting |
| Nordstrom | 855, 856 with carton detail, 810, 846; GS1-128 labels and VICS bill of lading | 850, 860, 864, 997 across bulk, Dsco dropship and Mirakl marketplace | 2 to 4 weeks |
If the software you use is not on this page
A published integration list is what has already been built. It is not a fence. Most systems that are not on it connect one of three ways.
- Standard EDI. Retailers and warehouses already speak X12. If a trading partner is not on the list, the transaction sets are the same ones every other partner uses, so it is a configuration exercise rather than new engineering.
- The AIMS360 API. For platforms with their own developers, or for an internal tool a brand has already built, the API is the route. Several of the connectors on this site started as exactly that.
- A platform-level connector. Some integrations reach many partners at once. Connecting a warehouse management platform, for example, reaches every 3PL running on it rather than one warehouse at a time. The 3PL integrations page goes through that in detail.
The fastest way to a definite answer is to name the system. Most requests turn out to match a pattern that already exists.
Apparel ERP integration questions, answered
What are the most popular AIMS360 integrations?
The five connections apparel brands turn on first are Shopify, retailer EDI, QuickBooks, ShipStation and Loop Returns. Shopify carries direct-to-consumer orders and inventory, retailer EDI carries wholesale purchase orders and invoices, QuickBooks receives the financial summary, ShipStation prints the labels, and Loop Returns handles DTC returns. Nordstrom EDI is the most common single-retailer connection added on top.
Which integration should an apparel brand set up first?
Set up the channel that carries the most order volume first, because every other integration depends on orders and inventory already being correct in the ERP. For a DTC-led brand that is Shopify. For a wholesale-led brand that is retailer EDI. QuickBooks comes next so the ledger matches from the first closed month, then shipping, then returns.
Is AIMS360 EDI native, or does it use middleware?
EDI is built into AIMS360 rather than bought as a separate middleware subscription. Purchase orders land directly in the order management system, and acknowledgments, advance ship notices and invoices generate from the same records the warehouse and the ledger use. There are no per-transaction fees and no third-party EDI vendor to manage.
Does AIMS360 integrate with Shopify and Shopify Plus?
Yes. AIMS360 supports Shopify Basic, Shopify, Advanced, Shopify Plus and Shopify POS. Available inventory and stock by location sync in real time from AIMS360 to Shopify. Styles, colors, sizes, SKUs, barcodes, descriptions and images publish from AIMS360. Orders and customer records import automatically, and fulfillment, tracking, returns and restock move in both directions. The AIMS360 app is free to install from the Shopify App Store.
Does AIMS360 replace QuickBooks?
No. AIMS360 works alongside QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise. Customers and vendors, invoices, payments, credit memos, COGS and inventory, and sales-rep mapping flow from AIMS360 into QuickBooks. AIMS360 holds the high-volume transaction detail so only summarized entries reach the ledger, which is what lets brands stay on QuickBooks well past the point where order volume alone would break it.
How long does an apparel ERP integration take to go live?
Shopify typically goes live within a few weeks as part of a wider AIMS360 implementation. A single retailer EDI connection such as Nordstrom is typically 2 to 4 weeks depending on whether it covers bulk, dropship or both. ShipStation and Loop Returns are configuration rather than build, so they are usually same-week items once orders and inventory are already correct.
Do I need Shopify to use Loop Returns with AIMS360?
Yes. The Loop Returns integration requires a connected Shopify store, because Loop is the shopper-facing returns portal for Shopify. A return submitted in Loop creates a return authorization in AIMS360 automatically. Your team receives and restocks by style, color and size, credit accrues on the RMA, and the refund is issued from the RMA back through Loop to the original payment method.
How many retailers can AIMS360 connect to by EDI?
AIMS360 maintains 350+ retailer EDI connections covering department stores, specialty, mass, club, off-price and marketplace programs. Most are pre-built, so onboarding a new retailer is a configuration task rather than an integration project. Retailers not already on the list are added as part of implementation.
Which EDI documents does AIMS360 send and receive?
The common set is the 850 purchase order in, the 855 acknowledgment out, the 856 advance ship notice out with carton detail, the 810 invoice out, the 846 inventory advice out, the 860 purchase order change in, the 864 text message, and the 997 functional acknowledgment in both directions. Which documents a given retailer requires is set by that retailer's vendor guide, not by the ERP.
Does AIMS360 support Nordstrom dropship and Nordstrom Marketplace?
Yes, all three Nordstrom models. Bulk purchase orders route to Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, Nordstrom Canada and Nordstrom Private Label distribution centers. Dropship runs through the Dsco platform for consumer orders the vendor fulfills. Nordstrom Marketplace runs on Mirakl, where the vendor sets the price and Nordstrom takes a commission. All three feed the same inventory pool.
What does ShipStation add if orders already come from Shopify?
Connecting ShipStation to the ERP instead of directly to Shopify means the label prints against allocated stock and a prioritized pick ticket, not against a raw web order. It also consolidates shipping for every channel in one queue, including retailer EDI, marketplaces, B2B wholesale from JOOR, NuORDER and Brandboom, and 3PL warehouses. Tracking numbers and shipping cost post back to the order in AIMS360.
Can AIMS360 connect to software that is not on the integration list?
Yes. The published list is what is already built, not a boundary. Anything outside it connects through the AIMS360 API or, for warehouse and retailer partners, through standard EDI transaction sets. Naming the specific system during a scoping call is the fastest way to a definite answer, because most connections fall into a pattern that already exists.
Do integrations cost extra per transaction?
Retailer EDI is included rather than billed per transaction or resold through a third-party EDI vendor. The Shopify app is free to install from the Shopify App Store. Third-party platforms that AIMS360 connects to, such as ShipStation and Loop Returns, are billed by those vendors under your own account with them.
What happens to inventory when a brand sells wholesale and DTC at the same time?
Every channel allocates against one inventory pool in AIMS360, so a wholesale purchase order and a Shopify order cannot both promise the same unit. Allocation rules decide which channel gets protected stock, and the available-to-sell number that reaches Shopify and the 846 inventory advice is what remains after those commitments. This is the specific failure a separate DTC tool plus a separate EDI service cannot prevent.
Where to go next
- Every AIMS360 integration, sorted by function.
- EDI retailer integrations for the full retailer list.
- 3PL integrations for warehouse connections by EDI or API.
- Apparel EDI built into the ERP for how the documents work.
- The complete apparel ERP guide if you are still scoping the category.
- Apparel and fashion ERP for the platform overview.
By Shahrooz Shawn Kohan, CEO, AIMS360 · Reviewed by the AIMS360 implementation team · Last updated August 2026 · Talk to our team
