Understanding Category Restrictions
Flower Store In a Box provides powerful tools to help florists manage stock, control availability, and maximise profitability during high-demand periods such as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.
One of the most effective of these tools is Category Restrictions.
Category Restrictions allow you to control exactly which products customers can purchase for specific delivery dates, helping you avoid overselling, manage rising costs, and guide customers toward the right product ranges.
Why Use Category Restrictions?
During peak periods, flower availability and pricing can fluctuate significantly. Products like roses, for example, often increase in cost leading up to major events.
To protect your margins, you’ll typically create dedicated collections such as:
- Mother’s Day Range
- Valentine’s Day Collection
These collections are carefully priced to reflect the true cost of flowers during these periods.
Category Restrictions ensure that customers only order from these curated collections for selected delivery dates—so you stay profitable and in control.
How Do Category Restrictions Work?
Let’s take a common example:
Mother’s Day is approaching, and you only want customers to order from your Mother’s Day category for key delivery dates.
Using Category Restrictions, you can:
- Select specific delivery dates such as Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th
- Restrict orders so customers must choose products from your Mother’s Day collection
This ensures all orders placed for those dates align with your pricing and availability.
Strict vs Non-Strict Restrictions
Flower Store In a Box gives you flexibility in how restrictions are applied:
Strict Mode
- Customers can only purchase products from the selected category
- No other products can be added to the order
Non-Strict Mode (Recommended)
- Customers must select a product from the restricted category
- They can still add extras or add-ons from other categories
In most cases, we recommend using Non-Strict Mode. This allows you to maintain control over core products while still increasing order value through add-ons.
What Does the Customer See?
Your customers are guided clearly throughout the ordering process:
On the product page: If a product is not available for a selected delivery date, a message is displayed explaining this, along with a link to the correct category such as your Mother’s Day collection.
At checkout: If a customer attempts to proceed with an invalid product, they will receive a clear warning before completing their order.
This helps create a smooth ordering experience while reinforcing your business rules.
How to Set Up a Category Restriction
Setting up a Category Restriction is quick and easy:
- Go to Settings → Delivery Options
- Select Category Restrictions
- Click Add Category Restriction
- Choose the delivery date, or multiple dates if required
- Select the category you want to restrict orders to
- Choose Strict if you want to limit orders only to that category, otherwise leave it non-strict so customers can still add extras and add-ons
- Click Save Changes
Final Thoughts
Category Restrictions are a simple but powerful way to:
- Protect your margins during peak periods
- Prevent overselling
- Guide customers toward the right products
- Maintain a smooth and professional ordering experience
If you’re preparing for an upcoming event like Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day, this feature should be an important part of your website setup.
