How to Remove Sold Out Items from Shopify.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Importance of Hiding Sold-Out Products
3. Methods to Remove Sold-Out Items from Shopify
4. Alternative Strategies for Managing Sold-Out Products
5. Conclusion
6. FAQs

Introduction

Imagine you’re browsing an online store, excited to find a product you love, only to discover that it’s sold out. Frustrating, isn’t it? In fact, studies show that displaying sold-out items can lead to a substantial drop in customer satisfaction and potentially drive away sales. For Shopify store owners, managing inventory effectively is crucial not only for sales but also for maintaining a positive customer experience.

This article focuses on a critical aspect of inventory management: how to remove sold out items from Shopify. We will explore various methods to ensure that your store only showcases available products, enhancing the shopping experience for your customers. By the end of this post, you will have a comprehensive understanding of the strategies available to hide or manage sold-out products on Shopify.

We will cover different approaches, including using Shopify's built-in features, utilizing third-party apps, and employing automation tools. This knowledge is essential for maintaining an organized store and ensuring that your customers can easily find what they’re looking for without encountering frustration.

In addition to practical methods, we’ll also discuss the broader implications of hiding sold-out items, alternative strategies, and how Praella's services can support your store's growth and efficiency. So, let’s delve into the steps you can take to manage your Shopify inventory effectively.

The Importance of Hiding Sold-Out Products

Displaying sold-out products can clutter your online store and confuse customers. When visitors encounter items that are no longer available, they may feel disappointment and frustration, which can lead to a negative shopping experience. Here are a few reasons why hiding sold-out products is advantageous:

1. Enhanced User Experience: By showing only available products, you create a smoother shopping experience, allowing customers to navigate your store seamlessly.
2. Improved Conversion Rates: When customers only see items that they can purchase, the likelihood of completing a sale increases.
3. Better Inventory Management: Hiding sold-out products helps you maintain a more organized catalog, making it easier to manage inventory levels effectively.

Given these benefits, it’s essential to implement strategies to remove or hide sold-out items from your Shopify store.

Methods to Remove Sold-Out Items from Shopify

1. Enable Inventory Tracking

Before you can effectively hide sold-out items, you need to enable inventory tracking for your products. This feature allows Shopify to automatically keep track of your inventory levels and helps you manage what is visible to customers. Here’s how to do it:

• From your Shopify admin, go to Products.
• Select a product from your list.
• Scroll down to the Inventory section.
• Check the box labeled Track quantity.

Once inventory tracking is enabled, Shopify will automatically update the product availability based on sales.

2. Use Automatic Collection Rules

Shopify allows you to create collections based on specific conditions, which can include inventory status. By setting up automatic collection rules, you can ensure that only products in stock are displayed. Here’s how to do it:

• Go to Products > Collections in your Shopify admin.
• Select the collection you want to edit.
• In the Conditions section, click on Add another condition.
• From the drop-down menu, select Inventory stock and set it to is greater than 0.
• Click Save.

With this setup, all products with zero inventory will automatically be hidden from this collection.

3. Unpublish Sold-Out Products

If you prefer to completely remove sold-out products from your store, you can unpublish them from your sales channels. This will hide the product from your storefront and site search. However, keep in mind that unpublishing can lead to 404 errors, impacting your SEO. Here’s how to do it:

• Go to Products and select the sold-out product.
• In the Sales Channels and Apps section, click on Manage.
• Uncheck the sales channel(s) you want to remove it from and click Done.
• Click Save.

While this method is effective in hiding products, it requires you to remember to republish them once they’re back in stock.

4. Set Product Status to Draft

Another option is to change the product status to Draft. This will make the product invisible across all sales channels. Here’s how to do it:

• Navigate to your product catalog and select the sold-out product.
• In the top-right corner of the product details page, find the Product status section.
• Change the status from Active to Draft and click Save.

This method effectively hides the product but, like unpublishing, requires manual management when restocking.

5. Utilize Shopify Apps

For those who prefer automation, using third-party apps can simplify the process of hiding sold-out items. There are several apps available in the Shopify App Store that can automatically hide sold-out products or manage inventory for you. Here are a few popular options:

• Auto Hide Soldout Products by Zoocommerce: This app automatically hides sold-out products from your store, ensuring a clean and user-friendly interface.
• Nada: Sort & Hide Out-of-Stock: This app not only hides sold-out products but also republish them when they return to stock, preventing 404 errors.
• Stoclean: Out-of-stock Cleaner: This app automates the unpublishing process for sold-out products, making inventory management efficient.

These tools can save you time and help maintain an organized product catalog, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business.

6. Implement Shopify Flow

If you are on Shopify’s Advanced or Plus plans, you can take advantage of Shopify Flow to automate actions based on inventory levels. Flow allows you to create custom workflows, such as automatically hiding products when they go out of stock. To set this up:

• Install Shopify Flow from the app store if you haven’t already.
• Create a new workflow using the Inventory quantity changed trigger.
• Set conditions to check for products that become out of stock and include the Hide product action.

This automation can significantly streamline your inventory management process.

7. Custom Coding for Variant-Specific Hiding

If you want to hide only specific variants of a product that are sold out, you may need to employ some custom coding. Unfortunately, Shopify does not provide a built-in feature for hiding individual variants when others are available. However, you can modify your theme code to achieve this. Here’s an overview of the process:

1. Access your theme code by going to Online Store > Themes in your Shopify admin.
2. Find the product template file (usually named product-template.liquid).
3. Add code to check the inventory levels of specific variants and hide them accordingly.

If you are not comfortable with coding, consider reaching out to a professional or utilizing Praella’s Web & App Development services to assist with this customization.

Alternative Strategies for Managing Sold-Out Products

While hiding sold-out products can enhance user experience, consider these alternative strategies that can turn potential disappointments into opportunities:

• Back-in-Stock Notifications: Instead of hiding sold-out products, enable back-in-stock alerts. This feature allows customers to sign up for notifications when products become available again, keeping them engaged and encouraging them to return to your store.
• Similar Product Recommendations: When a customer encounters a sold-out item, consider displaying similar or alternative products. This can keep customers on your site and lead to additional sales.
• Offer Pre-Orders: If you anticipate restocking certain items, offering pre-orders can help secure sales in advance, providing customers with a way to purchase items that are currently out of stock.

These strategies not only address the issue of sold-out items but also enhance customer engagement and loyalty.

Conclusion

Managing sold-out items on Shopify is a vital aspect of maintaining a successful online store. By implementing strategies to hide or manage these products effectively, you can enhance the shopping experience, improve conversion rates, and maintain a clean, organized inventory.

Whether you choose to use Shopify’s built-in features, third-party apps, or automation tools like Shopify Flow, there are numerous ways to ensure that your customers only see products that are available for purchase. Additionally, considering alternative strategies like back-in-stock notifications and product recommendations can further improve customer engagement and satisfaction.

At Praella, we understand the complexities of e-commerce and are committed to helping businesses thrive. Our User Experience & Design and Web & App Development services can assist you in optimizing your Shopify store for better inventory management and user engagement. For more detailed guidance on how to grow your online presence and streamline your operations, explore our services at Praella.

FAQs

Q: How do I hide out-of-stock items on Shopify?
A: You can hide out-of-stock items by enabling inventory tracking, using automatic collection rules, unpublishing the products, or utilizing third-party apps designed for inventory management.

Q: Will hiding sold-out products affect my SEO?
A: Yes, if you unpublish products, you may encounter 404 errors, which can negatively impact your SEO. It’s better to use methods that keep the product pages live, such as automatic collection rules.

Q: Can I automate the hiding of sold-out products?
A: Yes, using Shopify Flow or third-party apps can automate the process of hiding products based on inventory levels, saving you time and effort.

Q: What are back-in-stock notifications?
A: Back-in-stock notifications allow customers to sign up for alerts when sold-out products become available again, helping retain customer interest and encouraging future purchases.

Q: How can Praella assist with my Shopify store?
A: Praella offers a range of services, including user experience design, web and app development, and strategic consultation to help you optimize your Shopify store and drive growth. Visit Praella for more information.