Shopify Local Pickup: Fix Missing Address & Wrong Delivery Dates in Confirmation Emails

Hey there, fellow store owners!

At Shopping Cart Mover, we often see merchants grappling with the nuances of their Shopify stores, especially when it comes to refining the customer journey. One common area that can cause confusion, but is easily fixable, revolves around local pickup orders and their corresponding confirmation emails.

The Local Pickup Email Conundrum: Missing Info & Misleading Dates

Imagine this: a customer eagerly places an order, opting for the convenience of local pickup. Moments later, their order confirmation email arrives, but instead of clear instructions, they're met with:

• No store pickup location: The email simply states, "You'll receive an email when your order is ready for pickup." No address, no map, no immediate clarity.
• An "Estimated delivery date": Confusingly, the email might also display something like, "Estimated delivery Sunday, Jul 19–Tuesday, Jul 21." This directly contradicts their choice for pickup and can lead to unnecessary customer service inquiries.

This exact scenario was recently highlighted by SaphtaBakery in the Shopify community forum, sparking a valuable discussion among merchants and experts alike. The core issue is a blend of Shopify's default notification design and a slight template oversight.

Understanding Shopify's Default Behavior for Pickup Notifications

As some of our community experts, like Lumine, pointed out, Shopify's standard practice is to include the store's pickup address in the *separate* "Ready for pickup" email. This email is triggered when you mark the order as ready for collection. The initial order confirmation is designed to be a general acknowledgment, with specific pickup details deferred to a later stage.

While this approach has its logic, many merchants find it less than ideal. Providing the pickup location upfront in the confirmation email significantly enhances the customer experience. It reduces anxiety, provides immediate clarity, and prevents customers from having to search for information or wait for a second email.

The "Estimated delivery date" appearing on a pickup order, however, is a clear misstep in the default template. It's a remnant of shipping-focused logic bleeding into local pickup notifications and definitely needs to be addressed for a seamless customer experience.

The Community Steps In: Actionable Solutions

The beauty of the Shopify community lies in its collaborative spirit. Several members, including rshrivastava63 and devcoders, correctly advised checking the order's processing type (Local Pickup vs. Local Delivery) and reviewing notification templates. But it was ajaycodewiz who provided the precise, actionable Liquid code modifications that ultimately solved SaphtaBakery's problem.

Here’s how you can implement these fixes to perfect your Shopify local pickup order confirmation emails:

Step 1: Accessing Your Email Notification Templates

Before making any changes, remember that you're editing code. Always proceed with caution, and know that Shopify provides a "Revert to default" button if you make a mistake. We recommend backing up your current template code by copying it into a text file before you start.

To begin, navigate to your Shopify admin:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Click on Notifications.
3. Under the "Customer notifications" section, find and click on Order confirmation.
4. Scroll down and click on Edit code.

This will open the Liquid code editor for your order confirmation email template.

Step 2: Adding the Pickup Location to the Confirmation Email

The goal here is to insert your store's pickup address directly into the section of the email that addresses local pickup. You'll need to find specific Liquid code blocks and add your details.

Find this code snippet: (Note: there are typically two instances of this block – one under split_cart_delivery_method and another under delivery_method. You should apply the change to both.)

{% when 'pick-up' %}
  You'll receive an email when your order is ready for pickup.

Add your address right under it, like so:

{% when 'pick-up' %}
  You'll receive an email when your order is ready for pickup.
  


  Pickup location

  Saphta Bakery

  12 Example Street

  Tel Aviv 6100000

  Usually ready in 2 hours.

Important Considerations:

• Static Address: This method inserts a static address. If you have multiple pickup locations and the customer selects a specific one, this approach will need to be adapted. For dynamic addresses based on the selected location, you would need a more advanced Liquid `case` statement using `delivery_agreement.delivery_method_name` or similar variables. This often requires more complex logic to pull the correct address based on the checkout selection.
• Pickup Ready Timeframe: Adding a line like "Usually ready in 2 hours" is an excellent touch for managing customer expectations.

Step 3: Removing the "Estimated Delivery" Line

This fix targets the misleading delivery estimate that appears for pickup orders. You'll modify a conditional statement to prevent this block from rendering when the order is for pickup.

In the same `Order confirmation` email code editor, find this line:

{% unless delivery_method_types.size > 1 %}

Change it to:

{% unless delivery_method_types.size > 1 or delivery_method == 'pick-up' %}

This modification tells the template: "Unless there's more than one delivery method *or* the delivery method is 'pick-up', then show this block." By adding `or delivery_method == 'pick-up'`, you're explicitly telling it to skip the estimated delivery block for pickup orders.

Additional Fix for Mixed Pickup/Shipping (Less Common):

If you find that estimated delivery dates are still appearing within line item groups, especially in more complex scenarios where pickup and shipping might be mixed, locate and delete the inner `{% if %}...{% endif %}` block within this section:

{% if delivery_agreement.delivery_method_type == 'pick-up' %}
  {% if delivery_agreement.estimated_delivery_date %}
    

      Estimated delivery · {{ delivery_agreement.estimated_delivery_date }}
    
  {% endif %}

By removing the inner `{% if delivery_agreement.estimated_delivery_date %}` block, you ensure that the estimated delivery date is never displayed for pickup items, even if other conditions are met.

Best Practices for Local Pickup on Shopify

• Always Test: After making any code changes, always place a test order as a customer to ensure your notifications are displaying correctly.
• Review All Notifications: Don't just focus on the order confirmation. Review your "Ready for pickup" and "Pickup instructions" emails to ensure they are clear, concise, and contain all necessary information (hours, parking, contact info).
• Proper Configuration: Double-check that Local Pickup is correctly configured under Settings > Shipping and delivery in your Shopify admin. Ensure your locations are set up, and pickup is enabled for the relevant locations.
• Consider Apps for Complexity: If you have multiple locations, complex pickup schedules, or need advanced features like customer-selected pickup times, consider exploring Shopify apps designed for local pickup. These can provide more robust functionality without requiring extensive code customization.

Enhancing Customer Experience, One Email at a Time

Clear communication is paramount in e-commerce. By taking these steps to customize your Shopify order confirmation emails for local pickup, you're not just fixing a technical glitch; you're significantly improving your customers' experience. They'll appreciate the clarity, reducing their need to contact you for basic information and building trust in your brand.

Whether you're fine-tuning your existing Shopify store or considering a migration to Shopify to leverage its powerful e-commerce capabilities, attention to detail in your customer communications can make all the difference. If you need assistance with complex Shopify customizations, migrations, or optimizing your store, don't hesitate to reach out to the experts at Shopping Cart Mover!