Here’s the IndieCommunication e-newsletter for Thursday, October 24:

Lots of New Things for You This Week

A few bug fixes and other new items were pushed to IndieCommerce websites this week. All of the changes have been tested, but if you see any issues with them, please report them to [email protected] [4]:

1. Error with credit card information: The error message was displayed in the credit card payment pane but the pane itself did not open (was collapsed) so customers could not see the error message and were stuck in checkout. This has been fixed now.

2. “Add to wish list” button alignment fix: The button was not properly aligned on the page. The fix we have put in place could possibly cause issues on some sites that have customized versions of themes or custom themes. Please let us know if you see or hear of any issues.

3. Changes and upgrades to “Pick-up Options”:
-The Pick-up Option and Store Outlet panes have been combined (applicable for stores with multiple locations)
-Stores can customize the header, label, and description. Go to: Store -> Configuration -> Checkout -> Pick-up options
-Store admins will be able to select pick-up options from the admin view while creating or editing orders
-Outlet selection is now required (applicable for stores with multiple locations)
-This should not affect existing orders; tax rules will continue to work the same.

4. Cart Redirect: Keeps customers on the search results page or book list after they add an item to their cart. This will make it easy for customers to continue shopping and add more items to their cart. Available on IndieCommerce and now available on IndieLite. To use this feature, the setting should be changed on this page: Store-->Configuration-->Cart. Set “Add to cart redirect” setting to “<none>.”

If you have any questions about these updates or notice any issues with your website that may be related to them, please contact [email protected] [4].

20% Increase in Gift Card Sales on IndieCommerce

In the first three quarters of 2019, IndieCommerce stores saw a 20% increase in gift card sales compared to the same period in 2018. The average purchase price of a gift card also increased, from $48 to $50. With the majority of gift card purchases taking place between November 1 and December 31, now is the time for your store to promote gift card sales to your customers by email, prominent banners on your website, and social media promotions. This is the perfect way for your customers to support independent booksellers.

IndieCommerce offers bookstore gift cards as well as online-only gift codes that can be emailed to customers. You can enable one or both of these options. If your store does not currently have these services enabled, use this help page for instructions [5] or email [email protected] [4].

Updates and Maintenance Schedule for Week of October 28

We have some urgent maintenance that we want to complete next week, before the holiday shopping season gets into full swing. The next maintenance window is Thursday, October 31, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. ET. No downtime is expected, but some sites may see intermittent issues. If you see any issues following maintenance windows, please contact [email protected] [4].

Please also keep an eye on the message center regarding software updates. We’ve been pushing a lot of new code to finalize updates before the holiday shopping season hits. The message center is the best way to keep up on these updates.

Booksellers are encouraged to send their thoughts, questions, or suggestions via e-mail to IndieCommerce staff [4] at any time.

Past editions of IndieCommunication are available on the IndieCommerce Updates page on BookWeb.org. [6]