Creating a “Last Chance” Section for Low-Stock Products in WooCommerce

In a recent Business Bloomer Club thread, a member wanted to feature products in low stock to create a “last chance” section on their WooCommerce site, sparking urgency among customers.

Surprisingly, there seems to be no ready-made plugin specifically for this, leading to a discussion on how to efficiently display low-stock products.

Here, we’ll explore two main approaches to achieve this effect—either by customizing the [products] shortcode or modifying product queries.

Approach 1: Extend the [products] Shortcode for Low Stock

One simple way to showcase low-stock products is to create a custom shortcode based on WooCommerce’s [products] shortcode. This approach lets you display low-stock items on specific pages or sections.

Steps to Implement

1. Define Low Stock Threshold: If all low-stock products share a consistent threshold (e.g., stock is 1), this can be set in your custom query.
2. Customize Shortcode:

   function bbloomer_low_stock_products() {
       $args = array(
           'meta_key' => '_stock',
           'meta_value' => 1, // Set your low stock threshold here
           'meta_compare' => '<=',
           'post_type' => 'product',
           'posts_per_page' => 10,
       );
       $low_stock_products = new WP_Query( $args );

       if ( $low_stock_products->have_posts() ) :
           while ( $low_stock_products->have_posts() ) : $low_stock_products->the_post();
               wc_get_template_part( 'content', 'product' );
           endwhile;
           wp_reset_postdata();
       else :
           echo '<p>No low-stock products found.</p>';
       endif;
   }
   add_shortcode( 'low_stock_products', 'bbloomer_low_stock_products' );

By adding this shortcode, you can display low-stock products dynamically on any page, perfect for creating a dedicated “Last Chance” section.

Approach 2: Modify WooCommerce Query to Prioritize Low-Stock Products

If your goal is to highlight low-stock products at the top of category or shop pages, you’ll need to tweak the main WooCommerce product query.

Important Note:

Inventory data in WooCommerce is stored in post meta, which can impact performance. This method may suit smaller stores or those with optimized database setups.

Conclusion

Using a custom shortcode or modifying product queries can both effectively highlight low-stock products in WooCommerce. For a fully customized experience, consider extending the shortcode to control product selection criteria like stock level or priority placement within categories. These steps will help increase customer engagement, driving urgency around products with limited availability.