Pre-launch with a Scheduling Products Caveat!
under review
C
Chris
The new schedule products features is missing a trick (or I am!). We're often allowed to make use of the pre-launch AKA Coming Soon feature but face an embargo date.
We would like to be able to set a product to prelaunch that isn't available to buy until the embargo date comes to pass.
Currently we're unable to do that because as soon as the stock is booked in, regardless of the pre-launch date, it goes live and we get in a spot of bother. So we're having to create and place physical barriers to go against the normal flow of stock; Do not book on, do not keep this stock etc.
Our current options:
- Use Pre-launch and wait up until midnight the evening before we're allowed to sell the product, or list late when we clock on the next day.
- Use scheduling which shows nothing until the scheduled date is met. Bad for a number of reasons.
What we propose is two options
a. Combined Pre-Launch Scheduled Date - Product(s) display as coming soon when pre-launch checked UNTIL the Scheduled Date is met and stock is greater than zero.
b. Pre-Launch ASAP - Product(s) display as coming soon when pre-launch checked, once stock is greater than zero Product(s) available to buy.
We'd need both options as some brands are happy with ASAP, where others aren't. This would greatly improve our listing potentials and streamline our workflows, reducing the need to backtrack, revisit listings and check boxes at unhealthy hours of the night.
E
Emma - Citrus-Lime
updated the status to
under review
Hi Chris, Adam and Frazer,
Thank you all for your considered feedback on the Pre-launch feature.
It sounds like Chris and Adam are proposing two different solutions:
Adam: Pre-launch products should not be available for purchase until the set date/time, regardless of whether stock arrives in the Back Office or not
Chris: Offer the option of either the current behaviour (stock will clear the Pre-launch setting and make the product available to purchase online) OR Adam's option
How would you feel about a checkbox implementation, e.g. a box beneath the Pre-launch setting: "Allow available stock in Cloud POS to clear Pre-launch." If checked, this would be Chris's "ASAP" approach. If not checked, it would be Adam's expectation.
(As a side note, we are already planning a new feature that will allow specific embargo dates set by suppliers to flow into Cloud MT via the SIM feeds. Worth mentioning here for other voters who make wider use of SIM.)
C
Chris
Emma - Citrus-Lime Hi Emma, thanks for looking at this.
For Embargo stock Online - The ideal option for us would be activating the product on the website (as we're often allowed to use product images in advance of the date) book the stock in, show as coming soon with the embargo date, and the "Notify Me" button, but not allow stock for sale until the Embargo date which we enter when creating the listing.
For Embargo Stock in Store - We are often allowed to sell Ebargo stock in-store prior to the release date. If that can be an option too, it will be used.
For non Embargo stock - we can activate at our discretion, with a pre-launch date so customers have an ETA and a "Notify Me" button. If the date passes with no stock it changes to coming soon. If the stock arrives early it's immediately live to sell.
For Out of Stock items - No dates shown, ghost stock, clearly state out of stock without having to select choose your option to discover this, button reads "Notify Me" not "Add to Basket" when out of stock. There's confusing signals on the Out of Stock PDPs as is.
I hope that helps.
F
Frazer Shand
We have the same issue. We at times have products in stock which we are able to sell instore but not online till a specific date. Having the two options would be really helpful!
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Chris
Frazer Shand I noticed on the pre-launch it doesn't have the expected date or the ability to notify me like the out of stock variation.
A
Adam Kappa
We’ve run into the same limitation.
Our expectation of the pre-launch feature was:
- Set a launch date and time.
- Product is visible on site as “Coming Soon.”
- Customers can sign up for back-in-stock notifications.
- Stock becomes purchasable automatically at the scheduled date/time.
At the moment, once stock is booked in, the product becomes available regardless of the pre-launch setting. It seems like more of an early access feature. (unless we're doing something wrong)
C
Chris
Adam Kappa Exactly. It's not quite real word suitable hey. Hopefully we can get a few votes and they'll take a look.