What is the difference between Shopify pre-orders and back-orders?

Understanding Pre-orders and its benefits

A pre-order product is one which you have a clear expected production/ship timeline for and are offering customers the chance to reserve their product in advance. These products have usually never been stocked on your Shopify store before.

This can be useful for gauging/forecasting inventory demand for products and specific variants, before you release a new drop, or for meeting higher MOQs (minimum order quantity) to negotiate with your supplier to reduce the cost per unit.

Understanding Back-orders and its benefits

A back-order product is one which has sold out, and doesn't necessarily have a set restock date. You can offer customers the option to purchase out of stock items and fulfil them once stock comes in, or is ordered from your supplier.

This is useful to ensure you never miss a sale even when your products have sold out before you're able to restock them. You should let your customers know when these back-orders might be fulfilled. Customer expectation management is key.

If you have a reliable supplier and a quick, consistent turnaround time for back-orders, you could also present these as regular products, with perhaps a slightly longer shipping time.

Case studies featuring our Early Bird app's customers' successful pre-order and back-order strategies coming soon.