Best Apps for Pre-orders on Shopify: Boost Sales and Manage Demand

Pre-ordering is a powerful strategy for Shopify store owners looking to boost sales, gauge demand, and manage inventory effectively. Pre-orders are particularly beneficial for stores launching limited-edition items, seasonal collections, or products that are in high demand. However, managing pre-orders can be tricky without the right tools. That’s where pre-order apps for Shopify come in.

These apps help streamline the process by allowing customers to place orders before the product is ready, providing you with advanced insight into customer interest, and demand, and the ability to manage stock accordingly.

In this article, we’ll explore the best pre-order apps for Shopify, each offering unique features to help you enhance your pre-order strategy, optimize sales, and manage inventory effectively.

Why Pre-orders Are Important for Your Shopify Store

Pre-orders are a powerful strategy for Shopify store owners that offer numerous benefits, including better inventory management, early revenue generation, and customer engagement. Allowing customers to order products before they are available in your store can help you test the market, gauge demand, and secure sales in advance. Here’s why pre-orders are so important for your Shopify store:

1. Gauge Demand and Forecast Inventory Needs

Pre-orders give you an early indication of how much demand there is for a product before it’s officially released. This insight allows you to make data-driven decisions on inventory levels and production quantities, reducing the risk of overstocking or understocking. By knowing how many pre-orders you’ve received, you can better plan your stock and production timelines, ensuring that you don’t waste resources or miss out on potential sales.

2. Generate Early Revenue

Offering pre-orders enables you to generate revenue before the product even launches. This early income can help you fund production, marketing campaigns, or operational costs, alleviating some financial pressure and improving cash flow. For new product releases or limited edition items, this upfront cash can make a significant difference in helping you scale without relying on other forms of financing.

3. Create Buzz and Excitement Around New Products

Pre-ordering can build excitement and anticipation for your upcoming products. When customers see that they can secure an item before it officially launches, it often leads to a sense of exclusivity. This creates a buzz around the product, making it feel like a must-have item that not everyone can access immediately. This hype can increase demand and drive even more sales once the product is released.

4. Increase Customer Loyalty and Engagement

Offering pre-orders can foster customer loyalty by giving them a chance to access products before they’re available to the general public. Customers who feel they’ve secured an exclusive item may feel a stronger connection to your brand and become repeat buyers. Additionally, promoting pre-orders through email campaigns or social media gives you an opportunity to engage with your audience and build a community of excited customers.

5. Test New Products Without Risk

Pre-orders allow you to test a new product or product line with minimal financial risk. Instead of ordering large quantities upfront and hoping they sell, pre-orders give you the confidence that there’s demand for the product. If pre-orders aren’t as strong as expected, you can adjust your marketing or consider pulling back on production to avoid overcommitting to an item that might not perform well.

6. Improve Marketing and Customer Relationships

The pre-order process provides another touchpoint for customer engagement. You can tailor marketing efforts to pre-order customers by offering early-bird discounts, exclusive content, or updates about the product's release. This helps build a stronger relationship with your customers, showing them that you value their commitment and support. Customers who pre-order often feel more involved with your brand and are more likely to share their excitement, further promoting your product through word-of-mouth.

Top 10 Pre-order Apps for Shopify: Streamline Your Sales and Inventory

Implementing a pre-order system in your Shopify store can help you manage demand, secure early sales, and optimize your inventory. These top 10 pre-order apps for Shopify offer features to streamline your pre-order process, from managing customer expectations to keeping track of stock levels. 

1. PreOrder Manager: The Ultimate Pre-order Solution for Shopify

PreOrder Manager is one of the most popular pre-order apps for Shopify. It allows store owners to offer pre-orders for out-of-stock items and provide a seamless shopping experience for customers.

Key Features

• Easy Setup: Quick and easy installation with no technical skills required.
• Customizable Pre-order Buttons: Customize pre-order buttons with your own text, colors, and styles.
• Inventory Management: Track pre-orders and manage stock easily through the Shopify admin.
• Advanced Notifications: Notify customers when pre-ordered items are ready to ship.

PreOrder Manager is ideal for Shopify store owners who want a simple yet effective pre-order solution with full customization options.

2. Bold Pre-Orders: Pre-order and Back-in-Stock Solution

Bold Pre-Orders is an excellent app for Shopify stores that want to offer pre-orders and back-in-stock notifications. This app provides a seamless experience for customers while helping you manage product launches and demand effectively.

Key Features

• Pre-order and Back-in-Stock Options: Enable pre-orders and back-in-stock notifications for out-of-stock products.
• Customizable Pre-order Page: Customize your pre-order page with product descriptions, pricing, and availability information.
• Automatic Inventory Updates: Track and manage inventory effortlessly, reducing the risk of overselling.
• Seamless Shopify Integration: Syncs seamlessly with your Shopify store, so everything stays up to date.

Bold Pre-Orders is a great option for Shopify merchants who want to handle both pre-orders and back-in-stock notifications in one app.

3. Pre-order Now: Simplified Pre-order Management

Pre-order Now is a simple app that allows Shopify store owners to offer pre-orders for out-of-stock products and manage their inventory efficiently.

Key Features

• Pre-order Button Customization: Easily customize pre-order buttons to match your store’s branding.
• Inventory Alerts: Get alerts when pre-order stock is running low to prevent overselling.
• Automatic Shipping Notifications: Automatically notify customers when their pre-ordered items are ready for shipment.
• Seamless Shopify Integration: Easily integrates with your Shopify store and syncs inventory in real-time.

Pre-order Now is ideal for merchants who want an easy-to-use pre-order system that offers essential features without unnecessary complexity.

4. Seal Subscriptions & Pre-orders: Pre-orders with Subscription Features

Seal Subscriptions & Pre-orders offers a powerful combination of subscriptions and pre-orders. This app is perfect for Shopify stores offering subscription-based products alongside pre-order options.

Key Features

• Subscription and Pre-order Options: Offer pre-orders and subscription models together.
• Pre-order Management: Easily track and manage pre-orders with real-time updates.
• Automated Notifications: Notify customers about their pre-orders and subscription renewals automatically.
• Customizable Pre-order Pages: Tailor your pre-order pages to fit your store’s branding.

Seal Subscriptions & Pre-orders is ideal for stores that want to offer both pre-order and subscription models in a single app.

5. Pre-Order Product by Webkul: Manage Pre-orders with Ease

Pre-Order Product by Webkul is another powerful pre-order app that allows Shopify store owners to manage product pre-orders easily. This app helps you set up pre-orders for specific products or entire product categories, streamlining the order process.

Key Features

• Set Pre-order Dates: Set specific pre-order dates and manage pre-order availability.
• Pre-order Product Visibility: Control whether pre-order products are visible to customers.
• Automatic Stock Update: Automatically update inventory once pre-order items are available.
• Pre-order Customization: Customize pre-order messages and buttons to fit your brand’s style.

Pre-Order Product by Webkul is perfect for Shopify store owners who want full control over their pre-order products and inventory.

6. Advanced Pre-Orders: Manage Pre-orders and Back-in-Stock Alerts

Advanced Pre-Orders is a comprehensive app that enables Shopify store owners to offer pre-orders for out-of-stock products and manage back-in-stock alerts efficiently.

Key Features

• Pre-order and Back-in-Stock Alerts: Set up pre-order options and automatically notify customers when products are back in stock.
• Pre-order Buttons and Messages: Customize pre-order buttons and messages for clarity.
• Order Management: Track and manage pre-orders, ensuring you meet demand without overselling.
• Automatic Inventory Updates: Sync inventory and automatically update stock levels when pre-ordered products are available.

Advanced Pre-Orders is ideal for Shopify merchants who want a comprehensive solution for pre-orders and stock alerts.

7. Shopify Pre-Orders: Simple Pre-order Setup

Shopify Pre-Orders is a straightforward app that enables Shopify store owners to manage pre-orders for their products. This app is easy to set up and is perfect for those who want a simple pre-order solution without extra complexities.

Key Features

• Simple Pre-order Button: Easily add a pre-order button to your product pages.
• Inventory Management: Monitor inventory and prevent overselling with pre-order stock tracking.
• Automatic Shipping Updates: Keep customers informed when their pre-order items are ready for shipping.

Shopify Pre-Orders is perfect for merchants who want a quick and easy way to add pre-order functionality to their Shopify store.

8. Pre-order Plus: Enhance Pre-order Management

Pre-order Plus offers a comprehensive solution for Shopify store owners looking to manage pre-orders effectively. The app allows you to manage pre-order dates, offer automatic updates, and provide a smoother customer experience.

Key Features

• Pre-order Dates and Availability: Set clear pre-order dates and manage product availability.
• Seamless Checkout Integration: Add pre-order options directly to the checkout process.
• Stock Level Notifications: Receive notifications when pre-order stock is running low.

Pre-order Plus is ideal for Shopify store owners who need a streamlined and organized solution for managing pre-orders.

9. Back in Stock: Pre-orders with Back-in-Stock Alerts

Back in Stock is a popular app for managing back-in-stock alerts and pre-orders. It allows customers to sign up for alerts when products are restocked and enables pre-orders for items that are currently out of stock.

Key Features

• Pre-order and Back-in-Stock Alerts: Enable both pre-order options and alerts when products are back in stock.
• Customer Notifications: Automatically notify customers when pre-ordered products are ready for shipping.
• Customization Options: Customize pre-order messages, buttons, and email notifications.

Back in Stock is perfect for Shopify merchants who want a dual solution for pre-orders and back-in-stock notifications.

10. EZ Pre-Orders: Simple and Effective Pre-order App

EZ Pre-Orders is a simple app that enables Shopify store owners to easily add pre-order functionality to their store. It offers an intuitive interface, making it easy to set up and manage pre-orders without any technical hassle.

Key Features

• Pre-order Button Customization: Easily customize pre-order buttons for a seamless shopping experience.
• Simple Setup: Quick installation and easy setup to start accepting pre-orders immediately.
• Pre-order Management: Track pre-orders and manage stock without any additional effort.

EZ Pre-Orders is ideal for Shopify store owners looking for a simple and efficient pre-order solution.

Conclusion: Boost Your Shopify Sales with Pre-order Apps

Pre-ordering is an excellent strategy for boosting sales, managing demand, and providing customers with early access to your products. The right pre-order app can help you automate the process, streamline your inventory management, and enhance the overall shopping experience for your customers. Start implementing one of these best pre-order apps for Shopify today and take your store to the next level.

Additionally, consider integrating Spocket to find high-quality products from global suppliers, complementing your pre-order strategy with top-notch offerings.