General Information

1. You can have multiple Stores.
   
2. There is no limit to the number of items in each Store.
   
3. Items will be displayed in a grid of blocks.
   
4. The page automatically updates based on your selection of specific SKUs or a category of SKUs.
   
5. Access to Stores can be limited by a user being logged in, not logged in, membership, member of a group, etc.
   
6. You can link to a Store by URL or by linking to it in the Navigation.
   
7. On the cart/check out screen, line items that were selected from a Store rather than a form will be listed as such.
   
8. There is a macro which allows you to insert an item for sale anywhere you can publish content.
   

For example, you could have a block in the left rail of your home page that features a new spirit wear shirt. Orders can be placed directly from there without having to visit the spirit wear page or finding the product on a form.

Pros & Cons of Using a Store

1. Stores are best used when you are selling products with images and you want to "display" the products on a website page. They are good for one-time purchases where you can sell to the general public, generate a list of buyers, and have a designated pick-up window where buyers can pick-up their goods. Some examples are flower/plant sales, holiday wreaths, baked goods, etc. 
   
2. Forms are best used when you need more flexibility such as collecting/editing data and better reporting. Some examples are membership sales, donations, spirit wear sales, ticket sales, etc.
   
3. If you want to use a Store for spirit wear items, it is best if it is a limited item that will be sold and picked up at a particular time. We do not recommend you use a Store for ongoing spirit wear sales that require delivery to a student.

1. Improved presentation for guest orders. No Guest Form needed.
   
2. You can add links directly to a Store into your navigation.
   
3. The macro allows orders to be placed directly from a specific product without having to visit the content page or finding the product on a form.
   
4. You can add products to a Store based on their financial category with one simple click rather than selecting each item individually. New products in the same category will automatically be added.
   
5. Deactivated products are automatically removed from a Store.
   
6. You can customize the URL slug used to link to the Store.
   

1. Products purchased from a Store will not be presented on any Form Report.
   
2. Stores will not present in your list of Open Forms.
   
3. You can't add data fields to a Store.
   
4. You can't edit or override the sales information for a product, so whatever is listed in the catalog is how the product will be shown, priced, etc.
   
5. Purchases from a store can't be tied directly to a student for classroom delivery.
   
6. The Required Form Setting will NOT apply in cases where users are checking out for an individual Store. Meaning, if a user has items their cart from a Store, they will be able to check out even if a required form has not been completed.
   

Checkout and Reporting

Checkout

1. You can remove items from your cart directly from the cart screen by clicking the “remove” link to the right of each line item.
   
2. You can edit any purchase from a Store by clicking the "visit store" link.
   

Reporting

1. You can view the sales of products in a Store from the Ordered Items and Fulfillment Worksheet reports. *These are the best reports to use for ALL product fulfillment since products can be ordered from several places.
   
2. Sales from a store are tracked back to the member that made the purchase. No students are specifically assigned to the sales, so that has to be retrieved from the member record.
   
3. If you allow purchases by people not logged in (i.e. guest purchases) only purchaser information is captured.