In-Stock Recommendations

Automatically suggest alternative products when items are out of stock or have low inventory.

The In-Stock Recommendations feature automatically suggests alternative products when the selected item is out of stock or has low inventory, helping customers find what they need and preventing lost sales.

What It Does

When a product is out of stock or has limited inventory, the widget displays a "Similar in-stock options available" link. Clicking it opens a full-screen modal with up to 5 alternative products that:

  • Are currently in stock
  • Match the original product type/category
  • Show price comparisons
  • Display shipping estimates
  • Offer one-click selection

Benefits

For Your Customers

  • Find alternatives instantly - No need to search your entire catalog
  • Stay informed - Know which similar products are available
  • Compare easily - See price differences and features side-by-side
  • Keep shopping - Don't leave your site when first choice unavailable
  • Save time - Curated suggestions vs. manual searching

For Your Business

  • Prevent lost sales - Turn out-of-stock situations into purchases
  • Reduce bounce rate - Keep customers engaged when products unavailable
  • Increase customer satisfaction - Help customers find solutions
  • Lower support burden - Fewer "when will this be back?" inquiries
  • Improve inventory flow - Move stock from similar products

How It Works

  1. Detection - Widget identifies product is out of stock or low inventory
  2. Link appears - "Similar in-stock options available" link displays
  3. Customer clicks - Full-screen modal opens with alternatives
  4. Browse options - Customer reviews up to 5 similar products
  5. Selection - Click on alternative to view that product page
  6. Continue shopping - Customer proceeds with in-stock alternative

Requirements

To use In-Stock Recommendations:

  • Feature purchase: integration_shopify_in_stock_variant_recommendation
  • Shipping estimates enabled - Basic or Premium plan
  • Backend configuration - Recommendations sourced from product type/category

Configuration

Enabling the Feature

The feature is automatically enabled when:

  1. Feature is purchased in Weevio Cloud
  2. Shipping Estimates feature is active
  3. Backend has recommendation logic configured

No additional configuration required in widget code.

How Recommendations Are Selected

The backend selects alternatives based on:

  • Product type match - Same product type in Shopify
  • Category similarity - Similar product categories
  • Stock availability - Must be in stock
  • Price range - Similar price points preferred
  • Customer tags - B2B filtering if applicable

Customer Experience

Out of Stock Detection

When a product or variant is out of stock:

āœ— Out of Stock

šŸ” Similar in-stock options available

Opening the Modal

Customer clicks "Similar in-stock options available":

  • Modal slides in from bottom (mobile) or center (desktop)
  • Shows up to 5 alternative products
  • Full-screen overlay with close button
  • Clean, distraction-free interface

Alternative Product Display

Each alternative shows:

  • Product image - Clear product photo
  • Product title - Full product name
  • Price - Current price
  • Price comparison - "+$20 more" or "$15 less" vs. original
  • Availability - "In Stock" with quantity
  • Shipping estimate - Delivery timeframe
  • View button - Navigate to product page

Selecting an Alternative

Customer clicks "View" button:

  • Modal closes
  • Navigates to selected product page
  • Widget displays with shipping estimates
  • Customer can add to cart or view more details

Use Cases

Electronics Store

Scenario: Customer wants 512GB iPhone in Blue, but it's out of stock.

Recommendations show:

  • 512GB iPhone in other colors (in stock)
  • 256GB iPhone in Blue (+$100 less)
  • Similar Android phones (if configured)

Apparel Store

Scenario: T-shirt in Size Large and Red is unavailable.

Recommendations show:

  • Same t-shirt in Red, different sizes
  • Same t-shirt in Size Large, different colors
  • Similar t-shirts from other brands

Parts/Industrial Supply

Scenario: Specific part number out of stock.

Recommendations show:

  • Compatible replacement parts
  • Newer model alternatives
  • Related products from other manufacturers

Price Comparison Display

The widget shows price differences clearly:

Original Item: $99.99 (Out of Stock)

Alternatives:
ā””ā”€ Similar Item A: $89.99 ($10 less) āœ“ In Stock
ā””ā”€ Similar Item B: $109.99 ($10 more) āœ“ In Stock
ā””ā”€ Similar Item C: $99.99 (Same price) āœ“ In Stock

Mobile Experience

The modal is fully optimized for mobile:

  • Swipeable interface - Swipe between alternatives
  • Full-screen display - Maximum product visibility
  • Touch-friendly buttons - Large, easy-to-tap controls
  • Fast loading - Optimized images and data
  • Easy close - Swipe down or tap X to dismiss

Integration with Other Features

With B2B Pricing

For logged-in B2B customers:

  • Shows customer-specific pricing on alternatives
  • Filters recommendations by customer tags
  • Displays wholesale prices and discounts
  • Respects customer visibility rules

With Shipping Estimates

Each alternative displays:

  • Delivery estimates based on customer zip
  • Local pickup availability
  • Multi-source inventory status
  • Real-time stock levels

With Cross-Sell

Works together seamlessly:

  • Recommendations for unavailable items
  • Cross-sell after adding alternative to cart
  • Different purposes, complementary features

Customization

Recommendation Count

The widget shows up to 5 alternatives by default. This is optimized for:

  • Not overwhelming customers
  • Loading performance
  • Mobile display
  • Decision-making efficiency

Visual Styling

The modal inherits your theme styles:

  • Fonts match your theme
  • Colors adapt to brand
  • Button styles consistent
  • Responsive design

Custom styling can be added via CSS:

/* Customize recommendations modal */
.weevio-recommendations-modal {
  border-radius: 12px;
}

.weevio-recommendation-card {
  box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);
}

Triggering Conditions

Recommendations appear when:

  • Out of stock - Product or variant unavailable
  • Low inventory - Below configured threshold
  • Discontinued - Product marked as discontinued
  • Preorder - Long lead time before availability

Conditions configured in Weevio Cloud settings.

Best Practices

Product Setup

  • Consistent product types - Use standard product type taxonomy
  • Clear categorization - Tag products appropriately
  • Accurate inventory - Keep stock levels synchronized
  • Quality images - Use high-quality product photos

Merchandising

  • Strategic alternatives - Configure relevant product associations
  • Price positioning - Include range of price points
  • Seasonal rotation - Update recommendations for seasons
  • New products - Feature new arrivals as alternatives

Customer Communication

  • Clear messaging - "Similar options" vs. "exact match"
  • Price transparency - Show price differences clearly
  • Availability honesty - Accurate stock information
  • Easy navigation - Simple path to alternatives

Performance

The feature is optimized for speed:

  • Lazy loading - Modal loads only when clicked
  • Image optimization - Compressed product images
  • API caching - Brief cache of recommendation data
  • Async rendering - Doesn't block page load

Typical performance:

  • Link display: <50ms
  • Modal open: 200-400ms
  • Alternative loading: 300-500ms

Troubleshooting

No Recommendations Showing

Check:

  • Feature is purchased in Weevio Cloud
  • Shipping estimates are enabled
  • Product has product type set in Shopify
  • Similar products exist and are in stock

Wrong Alternatives Displayed

Check:

  • Product types match correctly
  • Categories configured properly
  • Inventory is accurate
  • Recommendation rules in Weevio Cloud

Check:

  • No JavaScript errors in console
  • Link element is clickable (no CSS conflicts)
  • Modal container renders correctly
  • Browser JavaScript is enabled

Slow Loading

Check:

  • Alternative product images optimized
  • API response times acceptable
  • Network conditions
  • Browser performance

See the Troubleshooting Guide for more solutions.

Analytics & Insights

Track recommendation performance:

  • Click-through rate - How often customers click recommendations link
  • Conversion rate - Sales from recommended products
  • Alternative selection - Which alternatives are chosen most
  • Revenue impact - Sales recovered from out-of-stock situations

Available through Weevio Cloud analytics dashboard.

Combining with Inventory Management

Recommendations work best with:

  • Real-time inventory sync - Accurate stock levels
  • Low stock alerts - Proactive restocking
  • Vendor integrations - Multi-source inventory
  • Backorder management - Clear availability messaging

Next Steps

Need Help?

Questions about in-stock recommendations?

Need Help?

For assistance, please send a message to our Support page.