How to Add WooCommerce Product Quantities as a Dropdown List

The digital marketplace is a bustling environment, teeming with opportunities for businesses to enhance their customer’s shopping experience. One such opportunity lies in the way product quantities are displayed on online store websites.

Instead of the typical quantity input field, imagine presenting your customers with a dropdown list – a simple yet effective transformation that can dramatically improve the user experience.

The benefits of this approach are manifold:

1. It simplifies the purchasing process.
2. It offers store owners more control over inventory by setting specific quantity limits. 
3. It can potentially boost the average order value by encouraging the purchase of larger quantities.

Unfortunately, WooCommerce, one of the most popular e-commerce platforms, doesn’t include quantity dropdown lists as a standard feature.

Fortunately, we have a solution!

In this article, we’ll explore the process of adding quantity dropdown lists to your WooCommerce store. We’ll look at the various ways in which this feature can be beneficial, how you can implement it, and introduce you to the best plugin for the job.

Why display product quantities as a dropdown list?

In a world where it takes the consumer only 2.6 seconds to zero in on the critical details of the page, ensuring a positive customer experience is paramount.

When we talk about implementing a WooCommerce quantity dropdown in place of the default quantity input, we are essentially making a small but powerful change that has a ripple effect on the customer’s shopping journey.

Let’s see some clear insights into how this alteration can significantly enhance customer experience:

Improved clarity with clear minimum and maximum quantities for products

When customers are shopping, they appreciate clarity and simplicity. By displaying product quantities as a dropdown list, you can set clear minimum and maximum quantities for each product. This eliminates guesswork from the customer’s end and ensures they are aware of the quantity they are purchasing.

For example, if a product is only sold in quantities of 5, customers see this and adjust their order accordingly. This reduces the likelihood of customer frustration and the potential for order cancellations or returns.

Reducing human error

Another significant benefit of using a dropdown list for product quantities is the reduction of human error. When customers manually input quantities, there is a higher chance for them to make mistakes, such as ordering too much or too little of a product.

Selling products in predefined custom quantities

If you sell products that come in set multiples, such as eggs, bottles of wine, or multipack items like cans of soda, a dropdown list for product quantities is particularly beneficial. This feature allows you to sell your products in predefined custom quantities, ensuring that customers can only order in the multiples you set.

The result? A streamlined inventory and reduced risk of overselling or underselling products.

Displaying product quantities as text

Displaying product quantities as text in a dropdown list provides more clarity on exactly what the customer is ordering.

Instead of just seeing a number, customers can see descriptive text such as “Pack of 5” or “Case of 12”. This gives customers a better understanding of what they are purchasing and can reduce cart abandonment rates.

Encouraging upsells

A dropdown list for product quantities can be an effective tool for encouraging upsells. By leveraging custom text on your quantity dropdown, you can encourage customers to purchase larger quantities.

Dropdown lists can also be customized to show quantities in unique ways, such as bundles or packages. This can add a layer of personalization to the shopping experience.

For example, you could display a message like “Save 10% when you buy 10 or more” next to relevant quantity options. This can motivate customers to buy more, boosting your average order value and increasing revenue.

How to display product quantities in a dropdown list in WooCommerce

Adding a dropdown list is relatively simple and can be accomplished through two primary methods – adding custom code to your child theme functions.php file or using a dedicated WooCommerce product quantity dropdown plugin.

Here’s how!

Method 1: Add custom code to your child theme functions.php file

For those who prefer to take a more hands-on approach or are working on a tight budget, adding custom code to your child theme’s functions.php file is a free option that allows you to display product quantities in a dropdown list.

Here’s the process to do so:

1. Create a child theme: If you haven’t already, create a child theme for your WooCommerce store. This ensures that your customizations will not be overwritten when the parent theme is updated.
2. Access the functions.php file: Navigate to your WordPress dashboard, and go to Appearance → Theme editor. From the theme editor, select the child theme and locate the functions.php file.
3. Insert custom code: You will need to add a custom code snippet to the functions.php file that alters the default quantity input to a dropdown list. Below is an example code snippet that can be used for this purpose:
   

function sw_custom_woocommerce_quantity_select() {
	
    if( ! is_product() ) return;
	
    global $product;
    if ( ! $product || $product->is_sold_individually() || ! $product->is_purchasable() || ! $product->is_in_stock() ) return;

    $max_value = 10; $min_value = 1; $step_value =  1; $classes = [ 'qty' ];
    $options = '';
	
    for ($i = $min_value; $i <= $max_value; $i += $step_value) {
        $selected = ($i == 1) ? 'selected' : '';
        $options .= '<option value="' . esc_attr($i) . '" ' . $selected . '>' . esc_html($i) . '</option>';
    }

    echo '<select class="qty" name="quantity" title="">' . $options . '</select>';
}

add_filter( 'woocommerce_after_quantity_input_field', 'sw_custom_woocommerce_quantity_select' );

function sw_hide_qty() { 
	if ( is_product() ) echo '<style type="text/css">.quantity input.qty { width:0; height:0; display: none; visibility: hidden; }</style>';
}
add_action( 'wp_head', 'sw_hide_qty' );Code language: PHP (php)

After inserting the code snippet, click on “Update file” at the bottom to save the changes.

While this method is cost-effective, there are a few caveats to be mindful of:

• No 3rd-party plugins supported: While this code snippet works, there are many edge cases or integrations with plugins that it doesn’t cover. This code snippet should only be used on basic WooCommerce sites.
• Risk of breaking the site: Editing the functions.php file carries the risk of breaking your site if mistakes are made. It is imperative to be cautious and, ideally, have a backup of your site before you make changes.
• Global change: This method changes the quantity selector globally across all products. This means you won’t have the flexibility to set up custom quantities or labels for individual products. It’s a one-size-fits-all solution, which might not suit all store owners.

Considering the drawbacks of this method, particularly the lack of flexibility and risk involved, we recommend the second option: using a dedicated WooCommerce product quantity dropdown plugin.

Method 2: Using a WooCommerce product quantity dropdown plugin

For store owners who prefer a more robust and user-friendly approach, utilizing a dedicated WooCommerce product quantity dropdown plugin is an excellent alternative.

This method involves installing and configuring a specialized plugin that has been designed to easily change the default quantity input into a dropdown list, providing you with benefits such as:

• Enhanced control over quantities and labels: Using a plugin offers granular control over quantities and labels for different products. Unlike custom coding, which applies changes globally, a plugin allows you to specify different quantity options and labels for each product. This is particularly beneficial if you have a diverse range of products, each requiring its own set of quantity options.
• Ease of setup and configuration: Even if you don’t have coding experience, setting up and configuring your quantity dropdown lists through a plugin is usually a straightforward process. The plugin typically offers an intuitive interface where you can easily adjust settings, add quantities, and customize labels without touching a single line of code.
• Additional features and display options: Dedicated plugins often come packed with a large number of additional features and display options. Whereas amending code manually is a one-off fix for a specific requirement, a plugin can offer much more, such as conditional logic, custom styling, and integration with other WooCommerce extensions.
• Compatibility with other plugins: The biggest advantage of using professional plugins is that they often take into account how to work together with other plugins.

While this option may come at a cost, the value it provides in enhancing your store’s user experience and functionality makes it a worthy investment.

Introducing WooCommerce Quantity Discounts, Rules & Swatches

There is a plethora of plugins available to enhance your online store. However, finding the right plugin that precisely caters to your needs, especially when it comes to adding quantity dropdowns, can be tricky. Among the myriad options, one plugin stands out: WooCommerce Quantity Discounts, Rules & Swatches (QDRS).

QDRS is a comprehensive solution that empowers you to apply different quantity rules to your WooCommerce store. It seamlessly blends functionality with aesthetics, enabling you to set quantity-based discounts, define minimum and maximum quantities, revamp the quantity design, and much more. 

Let’s look at some of the plugin’s stand-out features:

Bulk quantity discounts and tiered pricing

QDRS makes it effortless to offer discounts based on the selected quantity through its tiered pricing feature. You can use it to set up discounts or product pricing for various quantity ranges and offer bulk discounts.

As your customers alter the quantity they wish to purchase, they can instantly see how the price for a product changes accordingly. This transparency can incentivize them to buy in larger quantities, which give them higher discounts.

Quantity swatches

QDRS allows you to replace the default WooCommerce quantity design with attractive quantity buttons, known as swatches. You have full control over the design of these swatches and can easily modify colors and text to align with your store’s branding. 

These visually appealing swatches enhance the shopping experience and are more engaging than traditional dropdowns.

Advanced quantity control

Tailor your quantity options with precision. With QDRS, you can set minimum and maximum quantities per product, define allowed quantity increments, and even change the WooCommerce default quantity.

This granular control ensures that your quantity options are perfectly aligned with your inventory and business strategy.

Tutorial: Setting up a quantity dropdown list with WooCommerce Quantity Discounts, Rules & Swatches

Implementing a quantity dropdown list with WooCommerce Quantity Discounts, Rules & Swatches (QDRS) is a straightforward process. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you set up this feature:

1. Download and install the plugin.
2. From your WordPress dashboard, navigate to “Products”, then select the product you want to set up a quantity dropdown for.
   
3. Under “Product data”, go to “Quantity options”.
4. From here, you can set up:
   • Minimum and maximum quantities for your product.
   • The default quantity that will be selected when a customer visits the product page.
   • Custom step intervals.
     
5. Choose the type of quantity selector you want to display on the product page. As we want a dropdown list, you can either choose the Basic → Dropdown option or the Design your own → Dropdown option, which gives you more flexibility over how your quantity selector is displayed, including:
   • Adding a title to your quantity dropdown.
   • Setting each individual quantity option and adding a label, like “Set of 4” for quantity “4”.
     
6. When you are happy with your dropdown list, click “Update” or “Publish” to push your changes live.
7. Review your quantity dropdown list on the product page on your store’s front end. If you need to make any adjustments, you can easily update the above options at any time.

Here’s the final result on the site:

You can even use the dropdown selector to insert additional pricing information. You can emphasise quantity discounts to further entice your customers to purchase a higher quantity:

Wrapping up

The ability to stand out and offer a seamless and enriching shopping experience is invaluable for an online store.

Implementing quantity dropdown lists on your WooCommerce store is a vital step in this direction as it not only minimizes customer frustration by setting clear quantity options but also reduces human error, sells products in predefined custom quantities, and encourages upselling through visual cues.

WooCommerce Quantity Discounts, Rules & Swatches (QDRS) can be a great ally in helping you achieve these objectives – so get started today!