How to Exclude Products from a Discount on Shopify

So, you’re running a promotion, offering discounts that are sure to boost sales. Fantastic! But what about those high-margin items you can’t afford to discount, or the new arrivals you want to test at full price, or even those limited-edition collectibles that don’t need a discount to fly off the shelves? Excluding specific products from a Shopify discount is crucial for maximizing profitability and maintaining brand value. Let’s dive into exactly how you accomplish this vital e-commerce maneuver.

The most straightforward way to exclude products from a discount on Shopify is by creating specific discount rules. Shopify allows you to target discounts based on several criteria, and by not including certain products in these targeted criteria, you effectively exclude them from the promotion. This is accomplished primarily during the discount creation process within the Shopify admin panel. You can leverage a combination of collections, individual products, and customer segments to achieve the desired outcome. Let’s break it down step-by-step:

1. Navigate to the Discounts Section: From your Shopify admin panel, go to “Discounts.”
2. Create a New Discount: Click the “Create discount” button.
3. Choose a Discount Code or Automatic Discount: Select the type of discount you want to create.
4. Configure Discount Settings: Set the discount code, value (percentage or fixed amount), and duration. This is where the exclusion magic happens.
5. Specify Products or Collections: In the “Applies to” section, choose either “Specific products” or “Specific collections.” This is where you intentionally avoid selecting the products you want to exclude.
6. Targeted Inclusion: Select only the products or collections that should receive the discount. Leave the exclusion products untouched.
7. Customer Eligibility (Optional): If you want to further refine your discount, you can target specific customer segments. This can be used in conjunction with product targeting for more granular control.
8. Save the Discount: Once you’ve carefully configured the settings, click “Save discount.”

By carefully selecting only the included products or collections in the “Applies to” section, you effectively exclude any products that aren’t chosen. This method leverages inclusion by omission, a powerful tool in crafting targeted discounts. You can, if you prefer, exclude products by including ALL products except the products to exclude in your targeted criteria.

Advanced Exclusion Strategies

While the above method covers the basic approach, there are a few more advanced strategies you can employ for even more refined control:

Using Collections for Granular Control

Collections are your best friend when managing discounts. Group your products strategically into collections based on factors like seasonality, profitability, or exclusion status. Then, target your discounts to include only specific collections, leaving the “excluded” collections untouched. This is far easier than managing individual product exclusions, especially for large inventories.

Combining Discounts with Customer Segments

Want to offer a discount on certain products only to loyal customers? You can combine product/collection targeting with customer segmentation to create highly personalized offers. This allows you to exclude certain products from general discounts while still offering them to specific customer groups.

Utilizing Third-Party Apps

The Shopify App Store is brimming with apps designed to enhance discount functionality. Some of these apps offer more sophisticated exclusion options, such as the ability to exclude products based on tags, vendor, or even price range. If you need more control than Shopify’s native features provide, exploring these apps is highly recommended.

Testing Your Discount Setup

Before launching any discount campaign, it is ABSOLUTELY critical to thoroughly test your setup. Create a test order with both included and excluded products to ensure that the discount is applying correctly. This simple step can save you from costly errors and customer dissatisfaction. Remember to double-check everything!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I exclude products based on their price range?

Shopify’s native discount features don’t directly allow exclusion based on price range. However, you can achieve this indirectly by creating collections based on price ranges (e.g., “High-Priced Items”) and then excluding those collections from the discount. Alternatively, explore Shopify apps that offer more advanced filtering options.

2. How do I exclude a specific product variant from a discount?

Shopify’s “Applies to” section only targets entire products, not individual variants. To exclude a specific variant, you’ll need to either create a separate product listing for that variant or utilize a Shopify app that allows for variant-level control over discounts. Tagging variants and using an appropriate app is another potential solution.

3. If a product is in multiple collections, and one collection is excluded from a discount, will the product still receive the discount if another collection it’s in is included?

Yes, it will! If a product belongs to both an included and an excluded collection, the inclusion takes precedence. This is because Shopify discounts are applied based on whether a product meets the inclusion criteria, regardless of whether it also meets exclusion criteria. Therefore, careful collection management is key.

4. Can I exclude products from automatic discounts but not discount codes?

Yes, you can. The logic for excluding products from automatic discounts and discount codes is the same. You use the “Applies to” section to selectively include products or collections, effectively excluding everything else.

5. How do I ensure that discounted products are clearly marked on my website?

Shopify themes typically have built-in features to display sale prices prominently. Ensure your theme is configured to highlight discounted prices. You can also use Shopify apps to further customize the display of sale prices and add sale badges to product images.

6. Is there a limit to the number of products or collections I can exclude from a discount?

While Shopify doesn’t explicitly state a hard limit, excessive exclusions can make discount management cumbersome and potentially impact performance. It’s generally best to organize your products into logical collections and target discounts based on those collections to simplify management.

7. Can I schedule discounts to start and end automatically, including the exclusions?

Yes! Shopify allows you to schedule discounts with specific start and end dates, and these schedules apply to both the included products and the excluded products. The exclusions will remain in effect for the duration of the scheduled discount.

8. What happens if I accidentally include a product that should be excluded?

If you accidentally include a product that should be excluded, the discount will apply to that product. It’s crucial to double-check your settings before launching any discount campaign. If you discover the error after the discount is live, you’ll need to edit the discount and remove the product immediately. Monitor your sales closely in the initial hours after launch to catch any issues.

9. Can I exclude a product that is already on sale from a further discount?

Yes. You can apply a discount that does not include the product that is already on sale by using the methods described above.

10. How do I track the performance of discounts, especially concerning excluded products?

Shopify provides basic discount performance reports. To track the impact of exclusions, you’ll need to analyze sales data for the excluded products separately. This can involve exporting sales data and using spreadsheet software or a dedicated analytics tool. You should look at the change in sales of excluded products relative to before the discounts, during the discount period, and after the discounts.

11. Are there any best practices for naming my discounts to easily identify which products are excluded?

Absolutely! Use descriptive names that clearly indicate the products or collections included (and, by implication, excluded). For example, “20% Off Summer Collection (Excluding New Arrivals)” is much more informative than a generic name like “Summer Sale.”

12. How do I handle situations where a customer wants the discount applied to an excluded product?

This can be tricky. Transparency is key. Clearly communicate which products are excluded from the discount on your website. If a customer insists on receiving the discount for an excluded product, you can offer a compromise, such as a smaller discount or a different promotional offer. However, be mindful of maintaining consistent policies to avoid alienating other customers. Customer service will be tested.

Mastering product exclusions on Shopify is a vital skill for any e-commerce entrepreneur. By understanding the various methods and best practices, you can create targeted discounts that drive sales while protecting your profit margins and brand value. So, go forth and create discounts that are both effective and strategic!