Running a limited-time sale is one of the most effective strategies for stimulating customer purchase intent and boosting revenue when operating a Shopify store. However, many store owners struggle with how to actually implement and set one up.
In this article, we'll introduce an app that lets you easily run limited-time sales on Shopify, along with the specific setup steps. We'll also explain in detail how to run limited-time promotions. By using this information, you'll be able to run effective limited-time sales on your own Shopify store as well.
What is a limited-time sale?
As the name suggests, a limited-time sale is a method of selling a product only during a specific period. Selling at a discount only during a specific period is called a limited-time promotion or limited-time discount.
By limiting the time period, you can create a sense of "you can only get this now" or "this is only a great deal right now," which can stimulate consumer purchase intent.
Recently, it has become increasingly common to combine this with live streaming, selling for just a few hours or even a few dozen minutes.
Benefits of running a limited-time sale on Shopify
Stimulates purchase intent
The message "this product is only available for a limited time" makes users feel they need to "get it right now," which stimulates purchase intent. Being time-limited gives the product a special appeal.
Expands buzz around your brand or product
Limited-time products tend to generate buzz, getting shared on social media and spread by word of mouth, drawing interest from many people. As a result, brand and product awareness increases, making it easier to reach new customers.
Makes inventory management easier
With a limited-time sale, you sell products within a predetermined period. This reduces the likelihood of leftover stock and lowers the risk of companies having to hold onto inventory.
Builds a strong bond with customers
Customers who manage to get a limited-time product feel that the experience was extremely valuable. Feeling "I was really lucky to get this" creates a special connection between the customer and the brand.
Lets you gauge reaction to a new product
A limited-time sale is also effective as a test when launching a new product on the market. You can check how much interest people show and what kind of reaction you get. If the reaction is good, you might consider selling the product regularly; if not, you can discontinue it to avoid a larger loss.
Increases the perceived value of the product
Simply being limited-time makes a product feel more appealing. Thinking "this is something special that other people don't have" increases the perceived value of the product.
As shown above, limited-time sales offer a variety of benefits. By making a product feel special, they can capture consumer interest and are expected to boost sales.
How to run a limited-time sale
Recommended Shopify apps for limited-time sales
RuffRuff Selling Periods is a Shopify app that makes it easy to run "coming soon announcements" for new products and "limited-time sales."
When a product is outside its selling period, the cart button is automatically hidden, and during the selling period it's automatically shown. It can also display different product messages before, during, and after the sale.
As the first selling-period app in Japan to use the Cart and Checkout Validation API, it can also prevent purchases of products outside their selling period in cases that existing apps cannot handle.
It has also earned "Built for Shopify" status, the official mark of the highest-quality apps from Shopify, meeting standards for speed, ease of use, and reliability.
Output
In this example, we'll show you how to set up a limited-time sale that runs from January 1, 2025 to January 31, 2025.
By following the setup shown here, the product will behave as follows.
Until December 31, 2024
- The cart button and dynamic checkout button are hidden
- The message "This product goes on sale January 1, 2025" is displayed
From January 1, 2025 to January 31, 2025
- The cart button and dynamic checkout button are shown
- The message "On sale for a limited time from January 1, 2025 to January 31, 2025" is displayed
From February 1, 2025
- The cart button and dynamic checkout button are hidden
- The message "This product's sale ended on January 31, 2025" is displayed
The page below is a demo product actually running a limited-time sale using RuffRuff Selling Periods. Please use it as a reference for the output.
If you haven't completed the initial setup for RuffRuff Selling Periods yet, please refer to the article below.
Setup instructions
The setup process consists of the following 2 steps.
- Step 1: Create a selling period rule for the limited-time sale
- Step 2: Apply the rule created in Step 1 to your products
Let's look at each in detail.
Step 1: Create a selling period rule for the limited-time sale
First, create a selling period rule for the limited-time sale.
(1) Click "Selling Period Rules" in the app's left menu
(2) Click "Create Rule" on the Selling Period Rules screen
(3) On the rule creation screen, enter the following
- Title: any text
-
Selling period
- Start date: set to "2025-01-01 00:00"
- Check the box to set an end date
- End date: set to "2025-01-31 23:59"
- Start date: set to "2025-01-01 00:00"
-
Before the sale starts
- Product message: enter "This product goes on sale January 1, 2025"
- Alert message: enter "This product's sale has not started yet"
- Product message: enter "This product goes on sale January 1, 2025"
-
During the sale
- Product message: enter "On sale for a limited time from January 1, 2025 to January 31, 2025"
- Product message: enter "On sale for a limited time from January 1, 2025 to January 31, 2025"
-
After the sale ends
- Product message: enter "This product's sale ended on January 31, 2025"
- Alert message: enter "This product's sale has ended"
- Product message: enter "This product's sale ended on January 31, 2025"
(4) Click "Save" at the top right of the screen
Step 2: Apply the rule created in Step 1 to your products
Apply the selling period rule you created in "(Step 1) Create a selling period rule for the limited-time sale" to the products you want to run the limited-time sale on.
(1) Click "Product List" in the app's left menu
(2) Check the products you want to apply the rule to on the Product List page
(3) Click the "Apply Rule" button
(4) Select the rule you created in Step 1 from the displayed dialog
(5) Click "Apply" in the dialog
That completes the setup.
How to run a limited-time promotion
Recommended Shopify apps for limited-time promotions
"RuffRuff 予約販売" is a Shopify app that makes it easy to run pre-orders on your Shopify store. By making good use of this app, you can also run various types of sales such as "limited-time promotions," "recurring sales," "member-only sales," "VIP-only sales," and "deferred payment."
It also has many unique features not found in other pre-order apps, such as a "deferred payment" function that lets you collect payment before shipping the product, and a "countdown timer" function that displays the time remaining until a sale starts, ends, or a promotion ends.
It has also earned "Built for Shopify" status, the official mark of the highest-quality apps from Shopify, meeting standards for speed, ease of use, and reliability.
Output
In this example, we'll show you how to set up a limited-time promotion running throughout December 2023. With this setup, the product will behave as follows.
- Until November 30, 2023, sold at the regular price with no discount
- From December 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023, sold at a 10% discount
- From January 1, 2024, sold at the regular price with no discount
The page below is a demo product actually running a limited-time promotion using RuffRuff 予約販売. Please use it as a reference for the output.
If you haven't completed the initial setup for RuffRuff 予約販売 yet, please refer to the help page below.
Setup instructions
The setup process consists of the following 2 steps.
- Step 1: Create a pre-order rule
- Step 2: Apply the pre-order rule to your products
Let's look at each in detail.
Step 1: Create a pre-order rule
(1) Click "Pre-Order Rule List" in the left menu
(2) Click "Create Rule" on the Pre-Order Rule List page
(3) Select "Pre-order using purchase options" from the displayed popup
(4) Configure each item of the pre-order rule
Condition settings
- Stock: leave blank
- Start date/time: 2023-12-01 00:00
- End date/time: 2023-12-31 23:59
- Repeat: daily
Action (when pre-ordering)
- Cart text: Add to cart
- Product message: This product is on sale for a limited time from December 1 to December 31
Purchase options
- Enable purchase options: checked
- Pre-order plan name: any text
- Pre-order plan description: any text
- Discount: select a discount rate and set 10%
(5) Click "Save" at the top right of the screen
Step 2: Apply the pre-order rule to your products
(1) Click "Product List" in the left menu
(2) Check the products you want to apply the pre-order rule to
(3) Click "Apply Rule"
(4) Select the rule you want to apply
(5) Click "Apply"
That completes the setup.
Differences between RuffRuff Selling Periods and RuffRuff 予約販売
The table below summarizes the differences between RuffRuff Selling Periods and RuffRuff 予約販売. Check which features your store needs.
| App Name | RuffRuff Selling Periods | RuffRuff 予約販売 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing plans | ||
| Monthly fee | From $9.90/month | ・Starter plan: $9/month + 3% pre-order fee ・Basic plan: $52/month + 1% pre-order fee ・Pro plan: $199/month |
| What the app can do | ||
| Coming soon announcements | ◯ | ◯ |
| Limited-time sales | ◯ | ◯ |
| Countdown timer display | - | ◯ |
| Limited-time promotions | - | ◯ |
| Recurring sales | - | ◯ |
| Recurring discounts | - | ◯ |
| Pre-orders | - | ◯ |
| Member-only sales | - | ◯ |
| Member-only discounts | - | ◯ |
| VIP member-only discounts | - | ◯ |
| Deferred payment sales | - | ◯ |
| Sales with discounts | - | ◯ |
| Sales with quantity limits | - | ◯ |
| Sales with bundling restrictions | - | ◯ |
| Other features | ||
| Cart and Checkout Validation API support | ◯ | ◯ |
| Selling period settings per variant | ◯ | ◯ |
| Bulk apply selling periods to products | ◯ | ◯ |
| Cart button control per selling period | - | ◯ |
| Design customization | ◯ | ◯ |
| Product message customization | ◯ | ◯ |
| Automatic order tagging | - | ◯ |
| Translation feature | ◯ | ◯ |
| Compatible app comparison | ||
| RuffRuff Order Limits | ◯ | ◯ |
| Plus Shipping | - | ◯ |
| Delivery Date & Time Picker .amp | - | ◯ |
| Calendar Master | - | ◯ |
| Shipping & Order Supporter | - | ◯ |
| Shipping Manager | - | ◯ |
| Japan Order CSV | - | ◯ |
| Poinpon | - | ◯ |
| Klaviyo | - | ◯ |
| Omnisend | - | ◯ |
※ Using the Cart and Checkout Validation API enables more robust validation. It can prevent purchases outside the selling period in cases that existing selling-period apps couldn't handle.
Conclusion
Limited-time sales and limited-time promotions are effective strategies for boosting revenue on your Shopify store. The "RuffRuff Selling Periods" and "RuffRuff 予約販売" apps introduced in this article each let you implement sales methods that leverage their respective strengths.
"RuffRuff Selling Periods" specializes in pure limited-time sales and coming soon announcements for new products, while "RuffRuff 予約販売" supports a wider range of sales methods, including limited-time promotions with discount features and pre-orders. By using these apps, you can run compelling sales campaigns that stimulate customer purchase intent.
