Alphabetical sorting: Allow owners to specify sorting order for categories (on the public front)

[Dandy]

Alphabetical orders are critical for many products related to proper names, such as baby names, personal names, school names, town names, etc.  Currently, products within a category on the public front can be only sorted by:

• Popularity (default)
• Newest
• Price

For a category with names being the critical element of the title, shoppers can't find the products by scrolling through a random mix without sorting products by alphabetical order.  Even if you create a super narrow category such as "Names starting with A", potentially there will be hundreds of names with A.  In reality, we can't have 26 categories, each with one letter.  If we have a category such as "A - D", for example, there will be so many products in chaotic order it not sorted by "Title A - Z".

Currently, shop owners can sort these products by alphabetical order but only in the back end.  On the public front, products are sorted by popularity by default, making the store such a random mess, discouraging shoppers to browse as they can't find the exact names.  Then, after seeing the random mix (sorted by popularity), there is no option for them to sort by alphabetical order.

Even if shoppers know the exact names they are shopping for, the search box would be their only means to find products in such a random mix.  And it's not ideal, as it eliminates the opportunity for shoppers to browse.

I hope Zazzle would implement 2 features:

1. Allow shoppers to sort products by alphabetical order.
2. Most effective solution:  Allow shop owners to set which sorting order to be the default, including the alphabetical order.  I understanding sorting by popularity is a business strategy for many stores.  But this strategy does not work for products where proper names are critical.  Only shop owners would know which category needs the alphabetical order as they know their products and their intended shoppers best.  Zazzle can still leave the Popularity sorting as a default in the back end, as it is a good practice; but please allow an option for us to present our category in alphabetical order to the public when it makes sense.  As of now, we have no such option.

Please take this suggestion into consideration!  Messy stores are not attractive to shoppers.  Many thanks!

Best regards,

Dandy

[Mark]

Hi @Dandy,

I will be happy to pass your suggestion on to the team. Thank you.

[Dandy]

@Mark, thank you very much!

Best,

Dandy