Display "backorder" button only for one location's inventory out of several

Store Design
1

Hi!

I want to display the “backorder” button only to products stocked in one of the three locations. For example, we have A, B, C, locations where A is the default location. If inventory for the product “Blue Short” in location A runs out then we want to display a “backorder” button under the product “Blue Short”. Because it will take time for us to bring the product “Blue Short” from locations B and C and sell them online.

Back End Front End

product “Blue Short” product “Blue Short”

Locations Stock / Online shop ＝ “backorder”

A (default) 0. /

B 2 /

C 5 /

Thanks!

Mirlan

2

Hello Mirlan,

Hope you are doing well!!

Thanks for reaching out here, we read your query. In Shopify, we can’t get the inventory on the basis of locations. Let me explain by an example, suppose if a product A is out of stock on Location X, but available at locations Y and Z so the main inventory of that product or variant is the sum of all 3 locations.

So, If you have only one location X and the product is not available at this location you need to enable the “continue selling” option, we can change the “Add To Cart” button to “Back In Order” and display the estimated delivery time as you take time to manage the inventory.

Let us know if you face any problems in your store we will help you out. For further concern, you can connect on E-mail ID:- apps@cedcommerce.com

3

Thank you Cedcommerce!

I very much appreciate your simple explanation and suggestions to solve this issue.

But is it possible to automate this process? I mean the application ( or something else) upon detecting automatically that there nor stock at location X (but available at locations Y and Z ) it changes the “Add To Cart” button to “Back In Order” and displays the estimated delivery time ?

4

This can be automated ,

but first know there are some manual process merchants can handle this with:

  1. If only concerned at the product level use an alternative template assigned customized to only be backorder.
  2. Adding a metafield definition to the variant(orp product) then customizing the theme logic
  3. If your using inventory transfers when this out of stock situation occurs then you could use variant.incoming as a condition of showing a backorder button

https://shopify.dev/api/liquid/objects/variant#variant-incoming

https://shopify.dev/api/liquid/objects/variant#variant-next_incoming_date

For automation that would use methods 1 or 2 as above but just flip the chosen method on/off as it detects the changes in inventory levels.

Such as with a scriptable automation app like mechanic

https://tasks.mechanic.dev/?q=out%20of%20stock

Or lowcode services like zapier/integromat.