Pre-sales are a powerful strategy for securing sales before inventory is available. They can generate exclusivity, a sense of urgency, and advance cash flow.
But for it to really work, and not become a confusing experience for the customer, it needs to be implemented strategically and with solid technical integration.
At Getmore we have configured pre-sales flows for brands such as Skindion , Nook & Scent , Emotional Mastery and Crumbark , adapting the solution to the needs and complexity of each business.
Benefits of a well-executed pre-sale
- Advance sales without depending on immediate inventory.
- Clarity for the customer regarding delivery dates and conditions.
- Automation of communication and internal management.
- Possibility of creating batches with different delivery dates to optimize production and logistics.
How it works in customer-facing roles
- The customer sees a product marked as pre-sale.
- Add it to your cart and purchase as normal.
- Receive clear information about when you will receive your order.
- Throughout the entire process, you are reminded that it is a pre-sale, avoiding confusion.
Our technical implementation
To achieve this in Shopify, we connect different layers of personalization and automation:
-
Label the product “Preorder” from the Administrator System:
It automatically activates a badge on the PDP and the collection page that indicates "Pre-order".
-
Automated workflow in Klaviyo :
Inform the customer that the product is a pre-sale and remind them of the estimated delivery date.
-
Custom Metafields :
-
Disclaimer: Appears on the Product Page and explains that this is a pre-order product.
-
Configurable counter with:
-
-
Name (for internal control)
-
Text (visible on the counter)
-
Completion date (the counter is programmed automatically)
-
References (products where the counter is in use)
-
Status (active or inactive)
-
-
-
Configurable counter with:
-
Disclaimer: Appears on the Product Page and explains that this is a pre-order product.
-
Optimization in Shopify Plus :
If the customer is a Shopify Plus member, we add the disclaimer directly at checkout using a Checkout Extension to reinforce clarity before payment.
What happens when the presale ends?
The flow doesn't end when the customer buys.
It is designed to integrate with inventory and fulfillment processes so that the order is shipped as soon as possible, automatically.
- The trigger to start fulfillment is when the order is marked as fulfilled in Shopify.
- This can be done manually or automatically if there is a fulfillment partner (for example, Cubbo):
- When Cubbo receives the product, its ERP updates the inventory in Shopify.
- With available inventory, the packing team or system knows to prepare the order.
- The moment the order is marked as fulfilled , Shopify automatically sends the "Your product is on its way" email to the customer.
Thus, the pre-sale flow is connected from start to finish: from the advance purchase to the final shipping communication, minimizing manual tasks and ensuring a consistent experience.
Conclusion
Setting up a pre-sales flow may sound simple, but to be truly efficient it requires coordination between inventory, PDP, checkout, email marketing and automations.
At Getmore, we design each flow to work seamlessly and with the highest possible level of customization.
Do you want to implement pre-sales that actually sell and maintain your customer's trust?
Contact us and we'll help you set it up.
