Coordination of inventory ordering across merchants

One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

• processing a first plurality of point-of-sale (POS) transactions on behalf of one or more first POS devices of a first merchant, the first POS devices having installed thereon a first instance of a POS application configuring the first POS device as a first POS terminal for generating and transmitting at least the first plurality of POS transactions to a transaction service computing device via a network, the first plurality of POS transactions involving an exchange of an item offered for acquisition by the first merchant;
• processing a second plurality of POS transactions on behalf of one or more second POS devices of a second merchant, the second POS devices having installed thereon a second instance of a POS application configuring the second POS device as a second POS terminal for generating and transmitting at least the second plurality of POS transactions to the transaction service computing device via the network, the second plurality of POS transactions involving an exchange of the item offered for acquisition by the second merchant;
• determining that the first merchant and the second merchant utilize a same supplier for the item;
• determining, based at least in part on the first POS transactions for the first merchant, that a first inventory of the item for the first merchant will reach a first lower threshold limit at a first time;
• determining, based at least in part on the second POS transactions for the second merchant, that a second inventory of the item for the second merchant will reach a second lower threshold limit at a second time;
• determining, based at least in part on historical-order data indicating amounts of time for the supplier to fulfill previous orders of the item, a threshold amount of time between orders of the item to provide the supplier with time to obtain further supply of the item in order to fulfill orders of the item, wherein the threshold amount of time comprises a predetermined number of days;
• and
• based at least in part on the first time at which the first inventory of the item for the first merchant will reach the first lower threshold limit and the second time at which the second inventory of the item for second merchant will reach the second lower threshold limit, causing a computing device associated with the supplier to automatically place orders of the item so that a first order for the item is placed for the first merchant at a first order time that is more than the threshold amount of time away from a second order time associated with a second order for the item placed for the second merchant.

A method comprising:

• processing a first plurality of POS transactions between a first merchant and buyers, the first plurality of POS transactions being processed via a first merchant POS device associated with the first merchant, the first merchant POS having installed thereon a first instance of a POS application configuring the first merchant computing device as a first POS terminal for generating and transmitting at least the first plurality of POS transactions to the transaction service via the one or more networks, wherein the first plurality of POS transactions involve an exchange of an item;
• processing a second plurality of POS transactions between a second merchant and buyers, the second plurality of POS transactions being processed via a second merchant POS device associated with the second merchant, the second merchant POS having installed thereon a second instance of a POS application configuring the second merchant computing device as a second POS terminal for generating and transmitting at least the second plurality of POS transactions to the transaction service via the one or more networks, wherein the second plurality of POS transactions involve an exchange of the item;
• determining that the first merchant and the second merchant utilize a same supplier for the item;
• determining, based at least in part on the first plurality of POS transactions, a first sales rate of the item for the first merchant;
• determining, based at least in part on the second plurality of POS transactions, a second sales rate of the item for the second merchant;
• determining, based at least in part on the first sales rate, that a first inventory of the item for the first merchant will reach a first threshold lower limit at a first time;
• determining, based at least in part on the second sales rate, that a second inventory of the item for the second merchant will reach a second threshold lower limit at a second time;
• determining a first ordering time for ordering additional inventory of the item for the first merchant, wherein the first ordering time is more than a first amount of time before the first time when the first inventory of the item for the first merchant will reach the first threshold lower limit;
• determining a second ordering time for ordering additional inventory of the item for the second merchant, wherein the second ordering time is more than a second amount of time before the second time when the first inventory of the item for the second merchant will reach the second threshold lower limit;
• automatically causing a computing device associated with the supplier to order additional inventory of the item for the first merchant based at least in part on the first ordering time for ordering additional inventory of the item for the first merchant;
• and
• automatically causing the computing device associated with the supplier to order additional inventory of the item for the second merchant based at least in part on the second ordering time for ordering additional inventory of the item for the second merchant.