Shop Now: In App versus On-Store
OVERVIEW
This article explains Loop's Shop Now feature, as well as the differences between its In App and On-Store varieties.
Note: On-Store has both a) a manual setup version and b) a more automated version embedded within the Loop admin for easier configuration. For merchants that customized their store's front-end and do not use Shopify's theme builder, there is also a headless setup article for On-Store.
Only the setup process differs; all On-Store versions have the same flow.
In this article:
Shop Now
Shop Now allows shoppers to exchange an item they bought for other products in the store catalog. Shoppers thus have more options to choose from when selecting a new item or new items. This feature:
- Helps to retain revenue and capture upsell, potentially increasing merchant revenue.
- Uses existing Shopify product collections.
- Allows shoppers to return and purchase multiple items at once.
- Incentivizes shoppers to keep their revenue with the merchant by way of a Shop Now bonus credit.
How it works
Below are descriptions of the two Shop Now varieties. However, the general flow and shopper experience are similar for both. In each, the shopper:
- Looks up their order in the merchant's returns portal.
- Chooses which item(s) to return, if there are multiple products in the order.
- Fills out the return reason(s).
- Clicks the option to return or exchange the product(s) for a new item or new items.
- Clicks the option to Shop Now instead of receiving a return.
- Selects a new item or new items from the merchant's catalog.
- Checks out with their new cart.
- Reviews the complete transaction including the return(s) and any Shop Now bonus credit.
- Provides payment information, if the transaction is capturing upsell.
- Submits the return.
Shop Now varieties
In App and On-Store are the two Shop Now varieties. The chart below identifies their key differences:
| In App | On-Store | |
| Collections | Merchants must manually upload collections to their Shop Now settings in the Loop admin. | Loop automatically pulls merchants' collections for the shopper on behalf of the merchant. |
| Maintenance | Merchants must manually maintain their uploaded collections when products are deleted or changed. | Loop automatically pulls merchants' inventory real-time to prevent shopper confusion. |
| Store interface | Shoppers see a Loop version of the merchant's site with limited branding or store look. Repeat shoppers may find navigation a challenge without normal store feel. | Merchants can customize to add branding and store look to the inventory that shoppers see. Repeat shoppers see what they're used to seeing. |
| No search bar in the inventory. | Shoppers can use a search bar to look for specific items or variants. | |
| Can show multiple unnumbered pages of products. | Shows numbered pages for navigating multiple products. | |
| Product descriptions are capped out, meaning shoppers can't always read lengthy descriptions. | Shoppers can view full product descriptions. | |
| Discounts | Merchants can set up bonus credits and pre-discount credits, but script discounts are not automatically applied. | Merchants can set up bonus credits and pre-discount credits, as well as automatically enable script discounts. |
FAQ
What plan do I need to be on to utilize Shop Now: In App or On-Store? To check to see if this feature is included in your Loop plan, please review the Pricing page on Loop's website. If interested in this adding this feature, please contact your Merchant Success Manager or support@loopreturns.com.
Where do I find more information about In App and On-Store? Please refer to Loop's separate articles for In App and On-Store (manual, embedded, and headless setup), which go into more detail about each. These articles are also visible at the bottom of this page as Related Articles.
How does Loop choose which Products to display in the Shop Now preview?
For Shop Now: In-App, the preview displays products available in the top level menu item that match the original products' Product Type. If no products match the original product's Product Type, Loop will display the next available products in the top level menu item.
For Shop Now: On-Store, the preview will not display any product images unless you select "Import Collections" in the Shop Now tab of your admin. Once selected, add a menu item and then the preview will display products that match the original products' Product Type.
Please reach out to support@loopreturns.com with any additional questions.