Multi-Site Shopify Enhancements for Time-Sensitive Event Launches

Overview

A Shopify merchant managing four stores — two wholesale and two event-based — needed urgent enhancements to support a fast-approaching quarterly event. They reached out to me to resolve several technical issues and deliver a seamless user experience across all storefronts.

The work spanned login tracking, access control based on timezones, dynamic stock handling, and user interface tweaks — all under a tight deadline.

The Challenge

The merchant operated:

• Two B2B stores with classic customer accounts (wholesale.example.com, wholesale-nz.example.com)
• Two upcoming event-focused stores with new customer accounts (event.example.com, event-nz.example.com)

Each storefront had its own requirements, but a major challenge lay in implementing a system that:

• Controlled access to restricted content based on event time windows
• Handled timezone differences across regions like Sydney, Perth, and Auckland
• Tracked customer logins despite Shopify's limitations
• Removed the default account pages while preserving login/logout functionality in New Account environments

Other requests included:

• Displaying Recommended Retail Prices (RRP) on collection and featured collection pages
• Enhancing Sold Out logic to reflect incoming inventory
• Preventing access to hidden collections like /collections/all
• Fixing scroll bugs tied to dynamic cart features

Solution Design

I prioritized the event sites first, implementing reusable components that could be replicated across all four storefronts.

Key implementations included:

• Login Tracking: Built a lightweight Node.js server to capture login events and write to a customer metafield (custom.last_login). Used app proxy endpoints with the Admin API to bypass Shopify's frontend limitations.
• Event Access Logic: Rewrote redirects.liquid to enforce a tiered access check:
  1. Page requires login?
  2. Is the customer tagged for special preview access?
  3. Is the event currently open (using timezone-aware JS)?
  4. Is the customer allowed access based on their tag?
• Timezone Handling: Created a metaobject storing ISO strings for event start/end times, and hardcoded the event's target timezone. Used browser time vs. AEST comparison in milliseconds to ensure accurate local evaluation.
• Account Page Removal: Since new customer accounts can't be edited, I customized theme logic to redirect post-login users back to the page they came from and used the account icon as a logout trigger when already logged in.
• Cart Experience Fixes: Fixed a bug where adding items caused scroll-to-top behavior by isolating the dynamic cart update code from scroll triggers.

Technical Highlights

• Node.js app hosted on a Linux server behind Apache with PM2 for process stability
• HTTPS enforced via Let's Encrypt
• Theme-level metafield reads for RRP and delivery dates
• Dynamic cart logic patched for collection page behavior
• Custom redirect sequences written in Liquid and JavaScript

Tech Stack

Results

• Successfully launched event sites on time
• Eliminated timezone-related access issues across multiple countries
• Provided customers with more transparency on delivery windows and RRP
• Removed redundant account pages while preserving login functionality
• Captured customer login data for the first time — supporting future reactivation campaigns
• Improved usability with bug-free scrolling and intuitive redirects

Why It Matters to eCommerce Managers

Whether you're prepping for a time-sensitive event, managing multiple storefronts, or dealing with Shopify's limitations around customer accounts — this project proves it's possible to:

• Enforce event access using local time logic
• Track engagement from login behavior even without orders
• Replace default Shopify UX with tailored logic
• Deploy consistent experiences across multiple markets — all without relying on third-party apps

If you're planning an event-driven campaign or operating across timezones, these enhancements can save hours of customer support and boost operational confidence.