How much is too much to keep in stock for online shoppers? An online store is different from traditional craft shows in the sense that sales are usually slower at first. You do not need to keep as much inventory on hand as you would for a busy holiday retail event. However, you do need to have enough finished products on hand to provide fast shipments. People expect online orders to be shipped quickly! Be sure to put information on your Web site to let people know how fast orders are usually shipped. This is especially true when it comes to custom pieces that may take a long time for fulfillment of orders.