Squarespace is launching a set of tools that can help entrepreneurs drum up demand for their limited releases.
The release-based selling tools span checkout carts that have their own built-in countdowns to badges that signal scarcity.
“We’re seeing entrepreneurs shifting away from always-on discount models and toward highly curated, exclusive releases that celebrate the value of their work,” said Kevin Doerr, president of Squarespace.
“With our new limited release selling tools, we are putting entrepreneurs in control of when and how they sell—reducing the operational burden and giving them everything they need to build hype, handle surges in demand, and deliver a seamless checkout experience,” he said.
Limited releases use scarcity to drive demand and urgency, but not everyone buys the hype. Only 31 percent of consumers are more likely to buy clothes, shoes or accessories when they are advertised as “limited edition,” according to a 2024 YouGov survey in 17 countries.
The difference in interest is sharper by country. For example, the same survey showed that 46 percent of respondents in the U.S. are not interested in limited offers, the highest among the countries surveyed. This was followed by Great Britain, which had 42 percent expressing disinterest.
On the other hand, 63 percent of consumers in India and in Indonesia said they are more likely to buy a product with a limited edition label.
Whether or not limited releases can still excite consumers depends on a case-to-case basis for over the 14 million entrepreneurs that Squarespace is serving worldwide. Nevertheless, Squarespace is saying it is giving the market a good offer because of its convenience. Its comprehensive set of tools is packaged in a single platform, as opposed to other companies that require merchants to patch together different plugins for landing pages, inventory and checkout.
These tools include a new reserved cart which only holds items for checkout for a limited time before releasing them back into the storefront. Merchants will also be able to set quantity limits to prevent a single buyer from hoarding the limited release items.
Another tool is the Mini Cart, which serves as a shortcut to checkout so costumers don’t not have to switch to a different page to make the final payment. Squarespace is also giving out “low inventory badges” and helping retailers with their email campaigns.
The tools are now available worldwide, although their availability depends on the retailer’s subscription plan.
