Suggestions - Food Option

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Food Option

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Forum Name: Suggestions
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URL: https://forum.productcart.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=2
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Topic: Food Option

Posted By: katharina
Subject: Food Option
Date Posted: 25-October-2005 at 4:32pm

It would be nice to have a food option. We need it for shipping of some food items. Chocolates need be shipped fast in Summer so they don't melt. This does not apply to dry or canned food items, or our gift items. So far no ecommerce package has this option, and it can be of great value to product cart. I envision it to work this way: Have a check box for perishable in the backend when you add a new product. Define the shipping speed for perishable items in the shipping section. The option of adding packaging cost or extra shipping weight would be nice. I'm thinking about ice packs, and that as a flat rate per shipment not item. In my case it would be second day air in summer, which can change seasonable because it is not needed in winter. The customer will see an icon on the product page telling them that this item is perishable and has to be shipped with the pre-set shipping. At checkout the system would have to check for items that are perishable and items that aren't. It will let the customer know that one box is perishable with a predefined shipping option (2nd day air), and the second non-perishable box can be shipped according to their choice.
Thanks Katharina

Replies:

Posted By: GB IT Solutions
Date Posted: 28-October-2005 at 5:20am

I have an idea for you. If you are never going to make use of the Free Shipping option you could use this field in the database and back end as a flag for 'perishable' - a little customisation in the basket stage and you could make the items with no shipping have fixed shipping?

Might work, but might require a little more thought too.

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Posted By: JoltDigital
Date Posted: 28-October-2005 at 6:16am

This is not too complex of a mod to do.

First you need to set up in your admin area
1. A parent category for your perishable items and place all your pershiable items in it
2. Seperate shipping providers for each if need be
3. Live and offline CC processing

You then need to mod your code through out your checkout process to look for any item in the parishable category. This can be done by scanning the cart array when someone goes to checkout. If an item is found in the category then you will want to set a variable to show this. You will then use this variable on your shipping and payment pages to decide which of the options you setup in steps 2 and 3 above to use (or to force the use of only one option in shipping). You would also want to use the variable to shoot the cart admin an email when an order comes in that requires offline processing.

If an item is pershable then you go in to the admin area when you are ready to ship the item and modify your weight and shipping price for the item then use your virtual teminal at your merchant account to process the order. It would also be advisable to make sure the client realizes the price shown when they order the item does not reflect possible changes in the shipping price of the item.

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Posted By: katharina
Date Posted: 28-October-2005 at 4:48pm

It's not a bad idea, but not working for us the way you visualize it. Not all food items require the perishable statement. Only chocolates. Hardcandy or baking mixes do not need it. Just this fact makes it to complicated, they way you've described it. So far I haven't seen any ecommerce package offering it. The way I envision it would be the best solution. It just fits right in there where the free shipping is sitting. I hope Early Impact will pick up on it. Perhaps as an add on, which I would buy. I can see many other retailer's being interested in it. Not just food seller, but retailers who also sell gift items. In thought of my previous envision and that I would even revise the idea with not only a perishable check box, but perhaps a drop box with: Non-Perishable item (default will use the regular shipping settings), Frozen-Perishable item, Refrigerated-Perishable item, and Keep Cool-Perishable item. Predetermine the shipping method for each in the shipping section with the option of a packaging surcharge. I'm thinking of ice packs and styrofoam boxes (expensive item) etc. Just a flat rate for each perishable solution. This would give early impact the real edge in the market. I don't think it is to complicated to program, unfortunately I'm not good enough in ASP. I do have some programming background from College, so I understand the process behind it.

Katharina