Future Cart Report¶
Menu Location: Reports > Future Cart Report Last Updated: 2026-08-05
Overview¶
The Future Cart Report page allows you to monitor and manage the "Shop Anytime" feature, which enables customers to add items to a cart even when shopping is normally closed. This feature captures customer intent and automatically adds their selections to their next available order.
Primary Functions: - Enable/disable the Future Cart (Shop Anytime) feature - View statistics on pending items and conversion rates - Track which products customers want when shopping is closed - Monitor week-by-week demand forecasting - Review detailed history of all future cart activity - Identify guest leads who saved items but haven't signed up
Page Layout¶
Settings Section¶
At the top of the page is a settings panel where you can: - Enable Future Cart (Shop Anytime): Turn the feature on or off for your store - Max Items Per Cart: Set a limit on how many items one customer can save (default: 50)
Summary Statistics (Dashboard Cards)¶
Four key metrics displayed in colorful callout boxes: - Pending Items: Total count and units awaiting next order - Added to Orders: Successfully converted items - Unavailable: Items that couldn't be added (out of stock, deleted, etc.) - Guest Leads: Count of guest shoppers who saved email addresses
Top Products by Future Demand¶
Table showing which products customers request most frequently when shopping is closed.
Future Demand by Delivery Week¶
Week-by-week breakdown showing estimated demand for upcoming deliveries, helping with inventory planning.
Detail Report¶
Comprehensive table showing every future cart entry with filters for status, customer, and date range.
Future Cart Settings¶
Enable Future Cart (Shop Anytime)¶
Purpose: Controls whether customers can add items to cart when shopping is normally closed (outside their ordering window).
Use the dropdown to switch between Enabled and Disabled.
Max Items Per Cart¶
Purpose: Prevents abuse and sets reasonable limits on future cart usage.
Recommended Values: - 50 items (default): Good balance for most businesses - 25-30 items: For smaller catalogs or stricter control - 100+ items: For large catalogs where customers might shop extensively
Summary Statistics Explained¶
Pending Items¶
Shows items currently saved in future carts that haven't been processed yet. The unit count shows the total quantity (since customers can add multiple of the same item).
What it means: - Higher numbers indicate strong demand outside ordering windows - Track this over time to see if the feature is being used
Added to Orders¶
Count of items that were successfully transferred from future carts to actual orders. This is your conversion metric.
What it means: - Shows the feature is working and capturing real demand - Compare to "Pending" to see conversion rate
Unavailable¶
Items that couldn't be added to orders because: - Product was deleted or discontinued - Product was out of stock - Product wasn't available for that customer's delivery week - Pricing or availability changed
What it means: - High numbers may indicate inventory issues or catalog changes - Review these items to see if you need to notify customers
Guest Leads¶
Guests (non-logged-in shoppers) who saved items and optionally provided an email address.
What it means: - Marketing opportunity - these are warm leads who showed purchase intent - Consider following up with these emails to encourage signup
Top Products by Future Demand¶
This table shows which products customers most frequently add when shopping is closed.
Columns: - Product: Product name - Total Qty: Sum of all quantities requested - Customers: Number of unique customers requesting this item
How to Use This Data: 1. Inventory Planning: Ensure top-requested items are well-stocked 2. Product Positioning: Consider promoting these popular items 3. Seasonal Trends: Watch for changes in what customers want 4. New Product Validation: See if recently added products have demand
Example: If "Organic Strawberries" shows 45 units from 12 customers, this tells you: - Strong consistent demand (12 different customers) - Stock at least 45+ units for upcoming weeks - Consider featuring strawberries prominently in marketing
Future Demand by Delivery Week¶
Shows estimated future demand broken down by scheduled delivery week.
Purpose: - Forecast inventory needs for upcoming weeks - Identify which weeks will have higher demand - Plan purchasing and packing accordingly
How It Works: The system estimates which delivery week each customer's next order will be for, then groups future cart items by those weeks.
Use Cases: 1. Weekly Planning: Review Monday morning to plan inventory for the week 2. Vendor Ordering: Use this to inform how much to order from suppliers 3. Capacity Planning: See which weeks might need extra packing staff
Example Workflow: 1. Check "Future Demand by Delivery Week" on Monday 2. See that next week shows 30 units of apples requested 3. Adjust your vendor order to ensure you have enough apples 4. Repeat weekly for optimal inventory management
Detail Report Filters¶
Status Filter¶
- All Statuses: Show everything
- Pending: Items waiting to be added to an order
- Added to Order: Successfully processed items
- Unavailable: Items that couldn't be added (see reasons above)
- Expired: Items that aged out before being processed
- Removed: Customer manually removed from their future cart
Customer ID Filter¶
Enter a specific customer ID to see only their future cart activity.
When to use: - Customer calls asking about items they saved - Investigating why items weren't added to their order - Reviewing a specific customer's shopping behavior
Date Range Filters¶
- Date From: Show entries created on or after this date
- Date To: Show entries created on or before this date
Common Date Filters: - Last 7 days: Recent activity snapshot - Last 30 days: Monthly trends - Last quarter: Seasonal analysis - Specific week: Investigate a particular week's issues
Detail Report Columns¶
| Column | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ID | Unique entry ID | For reference when troubleshooting |
| Customer | Name (with link) or email | Click to view customer details |
| Product | Product name | Shows what was requested |
| Qty | Quantity requested | How many units |
| Price (when added) | Price at time item was saved | Helps track price changes |
| Current Price | Live price from catalog | Shows if price changed |
| Status | Current status with color badge | Blue=Pending, Green=Added, Red=Unavailable, etc. |
| Note | Status note or reason | Explains why unavailable/removed |
| Est. Delivery | Estimated delivery date | When we think it will be fulfilled |
| Created | When item was added | Timestamp of original request |
Price Comparison Feature: When "Current Price" differs from "Price (when added)", you'll see an indicator: - ↑ Red arrow: Price increased since item was saved - ↓ Green arrow: Price decreased since item was saved
This helps you: - Spot pricing discrepancies - Understand customer expectations - Identify products with volatile pricing
Common Use Cases¶
Use Case 1: Weekly Inventory Planning¶
Goal: Use future cart demand to plan upcoming inventory purchases
Steps: 1. Navigate to Future Cart Report 2. Review "Future Demand by Delivery Week" section 3. Note high-demand products for next week's delivery 4. Cross-reference with current inventory levels 5. Adjust vendor orders to meet anticipated demand 6. Check back after orders process to see actual conversion
Example: Monday morning you check the report and see: - Next week (3/10): 40 units of blueberries, 25 units of kale - Following week (3/17): 15 units of blueberries, 35 units of tomatoes
Action: Increase blueberry order for 3/10 delivery, ensure tomato supply for 3/17.
Tips: - Do this every Monday as part of your planning routine - Compare to actual demand after orders process - Adjust safety stock based on future cart trends
Use Case 2: Investigating Customer Complaint¶
Goal: Customer says they added items but they didn't appear in their order
Steps: 1. Get customer ID from customer_info page 2. Go to Future Cart Report 3. Enter customer ID in "Customer ID" filter 4. Click "Filter" to see only their entries 5. Review status column to see what happened 6. Check "Note" column for specific reason if status is "Unavailable" 7. Explain to customer what happened
Example: Customer #1234 calls saying their organic eggs didn't arrive. Filter shows: - Entry #5678: Organic Eggs, Qty: 12, Status: Unavailable - Note: "Product out of stock when order was processed"
You can now explain: "I see you added eggs when shopping was closed. Unfortunately, we ran out before your order was packed. I'll add them to your next order with a discount."
Use Case 3: Following Up with Guest Leads¶
Goal: Convert guest shoppers into paying customers
Steps: 1. Note the "Guest Leads" count in summary stats 2. Filter detail report to Status: "Pending" 3. Look for entries with guest emails but no customer account 4. Export or note these email addresses 5. Create a targeted email campaign: "Complete your order! The items you saved are waiting..." 6. Include a signup link and perhaps a first-order discount
Example: You see 15 guest leads. Review shows: - guest@example.com saved 3 items worth $45 - Send personalized email: "Hi! You saved organic tomatoes, kale, and apples on our site. Sign up today and we'll add them to your first delivery!"
Tips: - Act quickly - leads go cold fast - Mention specific items they saved (shows personalization) - Offer incentive for first order - Track conversion rate to measure ROI
Use Case 4: Evaluating New Products¶
Goal: See if newly added products have demand before heavily stocking them
Steps: 1. Add new product to catalog 2. Wait 2-4 weeks 3. Check "Top Products by Future Demand" 4. See if the new product appears and how many customers requested it 5. If high demand: increase stock and promote 6. If no demand: reconsider the product or improve positioning
Example: You added "Dragon Fruit" two weeks ago. Future Cart Report shows: - 8 customers saved it in future cart - 15 total units requested
This validates demand before you commit to large inventory.
Use Case 5: Troubleshooting High "Unavailable" Rate¶
Goal: Reduce the number of items that can't be fulfilled
Steps: 1. Check summary stats - note "Unavailable" count 2. Filter detail report to Status: "Unavailable" 3. Review "Note" column to identify patterns 4. Common issues to look for: - Same products repeatedly unavailable → inventory problem - "Product deleted" → catalog churn too high - "Out of stock" → forecasting issue 5. Take corrective action based on patterns
Example: Unavailable count jumped to 45 this week. Filter shows: - 30 entries: "Organic Strawberries - Out of stock" - Pattern: Every week strawberries are unavailable
Action: Improve strawberry inventory forecasting, increase safety stock, or find more reliable supplier.
Actions & Operations¶
Saving Settings¶
Purpose: Update Future Cart feature configuration
Steps: 1. Modify "Enable Future Cart" dropdown (Enabled/Disabled) 2. Adjust "Max Items Per Cart" number field 3. Click "Save Settings" button 4. Confirmation message appears 5. Settings take effect immediately site-wide
Filtering the Detail Report¶
Purpose: Narrow down the detail report to specific criteria
Steps: 1. Select desired status from dropdown (or leave "All Statuses") 2. Enter customer ID if searching for specific customer (optional) 3. Enter date range if needed (optional) 4. Click "Filter" button 5. Report refreshes showing only matching entries 6. Click "Reset" to clear all filters
Tips: - Combine filters (e.g., Status: Pending + last 7 days) - Use date ranges for historical analysis - Reset filters when switching tasks
Viewing Customer Details¶
Purpose: Jump to customer account from future cart entry
Steps: 1. Find the entry in detail report 2. Click the customer name link in "Customer" column 3. Customer info page opens in same or new tab 4. Review their account, orders, and history
Note: Guest entries won't have clickable links, only email addresses (if provided).
Report Data & Columns¶
| Column | Description | Calculation/Source |
|---|---|---|
| ID | Entry ID | Auto-increment from future_cart table |
| Customer | Name or email | Joined from custy table or guest session |
| Product | Product name | From menu table at time of viewing |
| Qty | Quantity | User-selected quantity |
| Price (when added) | Historical price | Snapshot price when item was saved |
| Current Price | Live price | Current price from menu table |
| Status | Processing status | 0=Pending, 1=Added, 2=Unavailable, 3=Expired, 4=Removed |
| Note | Status explanation | System-generated or manual note |
| Est. Delivery | Predicted delivery | Calculated based on customer's next delivery date |
| Created | Creation timestamp | Unix timestamp when entry was created |
Status Badges: - Pending (Blue): Awaiting next order processing - Added to Order (Green): Successfully transferred to order - Unavailable (Red): Could not be fulfilled - Expired (Gray): Aged out before processing - Removed (Yellow): Customer removed manually
Troubleshooting¶
Issue 1: Future Cart Setting Won't Save¶
Symptoms: - Click "Save Settings" but page doesn't update - No confirmation message appears - Settings revert to previous values
Solutions: 1. Check browser console for JavaScript errors 2. Ensure you have admin privileges 3. Try clearing browser cache and reloading 4. Check if form is submitting (Network tab in browser dev tools) 5. Verify database connection is working
Common Causes: - Browser caching old page version - Session timeout (need to log in again) - JavaScript conflict with browser extensions
Issue 2: No Data Showing in Report¶
Symptoms: - Summary stats all show zero - Detail report shows "No future cart entries found" - Feature appears to not be working
Solutions:
1. Verify "Enable Future Cart" is set to "Enabled"
2. Check that customers actually tried to shop when closed
3. Confirm shopping windows are configured (customers need "closed" periods)
4. Test the feature yourself:
- Log out or use incognito mode
- Try to shop outside ordering window
- Add item and check if it appears in report
5. Check database table future_cart has records
Check: 1. Business Settings > Weekly Cycle - are ordering windows configured? 2. Try adding an item yourself when "shopping closed" to test 3. Look at creation dates - is data just old?
If Problem Persists: Contact Kiva Logic support - there may be a database or configuration issue.
Issue 3: High "Unavailable" Rate¶
Symptoms: - Many items showing status "Unavailable" - Customers complain saved items aren't in their orders - Conversion rate (Added vs. Unavailable) is poor
Solutions: 1. Filter to Status: "Unavailable" and review notes 2. Look for patterns: - Same products repeatedly unavailable: Inventory forecasting issue - "Out of stock" common: Increase safety stock or improve ordering - "Product deleted": Reduce catalog churn, don't delete products customers want - "Not available for delivery week": Check product season/availability settings 3. Take targeted action based on pattern 4. Consider sending apology emails to affected customers
Common Causes: - Inadequate inventory management - Products marked unavailable after customers save them - Seasonal products removed too early - Forecasting doesn't account for future cart demand
Best Practice: Integrate future cart demand into your inventory forecasting to prevent stockouts.
Issue 4: Guest Leads Not Capturing Emails¶
Symptoms: - Guest entries show "Guest" but no email - Missing opportunity to follow up with leads - Guest Leads count is lower than expected
Check: 1. Is the guest email capture form displaying correctly? 2. Test as a guest - does the form appear and work? 3. Check browser console for JavaScript errors 4. Verify form submission is working (Network tab)
Solutions: 1. Ensure JavaScript is loading correctly on shop pages 2. Check for conflicts with other scripts 3. Verify guest cart template has email capture field 4. Test in multiple browsers
Note: Email is optional for guests - they can skip it. Low capture rate may just mean guests don't want to share email.
Issue 5: Items Not Auto-Adding to Orders¶
Symptoms: - Items stay "Pending" forever - Orders process but future cart items don't transfer - Customers report items missing from orders
Solutions:
1. Check cron job is running: kiv/cron.php processes future cart transfers
2. Verify customer has an open order when shopping window opens
3. Confirm products still exist and are active
4. Check product availability for customer's delivery week
5. Review error logs for processing failures
Check:
1. Cron job logs - is cleanupExpiredGuestCarts() running?
2. Weekly cycle configuration - do customers have next delivery scheduled?
3. Product settings - inventory, active status, seasonal availability
If Problem Persists: There may be a bug in the auto-add logic. Contact Kiva Logic support with specific examples (entry IDs).
Related Pages¶
- Business Settings (
business-settings.php) - Configure overall site settings - Weekly Cycle (
weekly-cycle.php) - Set ordering and delivery windows that control when future cart activates - Products (
menu.php) - Manage the products customers can add to future carts - Customer Info (
customer_info.php) - View individual customer details and order history - Inventory Dashboard (
inventory-dashboard.php) - Monitor stock levels to fulfill future cart demand
Typical Workflow: 1. Setup: Business Settings → Enable Future Cart → Set max items 2. Monitor: Future Cart Report → Review demand → Plan inventory 3. Process: Cron automatically transfers items → Orders page → Pack and ship 4. Follow-up: Future Cart Report → Export guest leads → Marketing campaign
Best Practices¶
Inventory Management¶
- Check Future Demand by Week every Monday as part of inventory planning
- Compare future cart demand to historical sales patterns
- Add future cart quantities to your safety stock calculations
- Track conversion rate - if items go from Pending to Added consistently, trust the forecast
Customer Experience¶
- Keep "Max Items Per Cart" reasonable (30-75) to prevent abuse
- Monitor "Unavailable" rate - aim for under 10%
- Send proactive emails when saved items can't be fulfilled
- Consider offering a discount or alternative when items are unavailable
Data Analysis¶
- Review "Top Products by Future Demand" monthly to identify trends
- Compare future cart data to actual sales - are they aligned?
- Use guest leads for targeted marketing campaigns
- Track seasonal patterns - does demand shift with seasons?
Feature Management¶
- Enable the feature during slower periods first to test impact
- Communicate the "Shop Anytime" feature in marketing materials
- Train customer service on how it works
- Monitor customer feedback in first 30 days
Things to Avoid¶
- ❌ Setting max items too low (customers will hit limit and get frustrated)
- ❌ Ignoring high "Unavailable" rates (damages trust)
- ❌ Disabling the feature without warning (customers may have pending items)
- ❌ Not following up with guest leads (missed sales opportunity)
- ❌ Failing to integrate future demand into inventory planning (defeats the purpose)
Quick Reference Card¶
| Task | Action/Location |
|---|---|
| Enable/disable feature | Settings section → Enable Future Cart dropdown → Save |
| Check pending demand | View "Pending Items" summary stat |
| Plan weekly inventory | Review "Future Demand by Delivery Week" section |
| Find customer's saved items | Detail Report → Filter by Customer ID |
| See most popular products | "Top Products by Future Demand" table |
| Investigate unavailable items | Filter Status: "Unavailable" → Review notes |
| Export guest leads | Filter to guests → Note emails → Create campaign |
| Change item limit | Settings → Max Items Per Cart field → Save |
| Check conversion rate | Compare "Added to Orders" vs "Unavailable" stats |
| View historical data | Use date range filters in detail report |
| Troubleshoot missing items | Filter by customer → Check status and notes |
| Reset all filters | Click "Reset" button in filter section |
FAQs¶
How does the future cart feature work from a customer perspective?¶
When a customer tries to shop outside their normal ordering window, instead of seeing "shopping closed", they see a "Shop Anytime" interface. They can browse and add items to a future cart. When their next ordering window opens and they have an active order, those items are automatically added. They can review and modify before checkout.
What happens if a product price changes between when it's saved and when it's added?¶
The system uses the current price when adding to the order, not the saved price. However, the report shows both prices so you can identify discrepancies. Consider your policy - some businesses honor the saved price, others use current pricing.
Can customers remove items from their future cart?¶
Yes, customers can manage their future cart items before they're processed. Once removed, the item status changes to "Removed" in this report.
Why would I want to limit max items per cart?¶
Prevents abuse (someone saving hundreds of items), keeps the feature manageable, and ensures faster processing. Most legitimate customers won't hit a reasonable 50-item limit.
How often should I check this report?¶
Weekly at minimum for inventory planning. Daily if you're running promotions or during high-demand periods. After any catalog changes (new products, deletions, price changes).
What's the difference between "Expired" and "Unavailable"?¶
"Expired" means the item aged out (sat in future cart too long without being processed - perhaps customer skipped deliveries). "Unavailable" means the system tried to add it but couldn't due to stock, product status, or other issues.
Can I export this data?¶
Currently the page doesn't have a built-in export button, but you can copy/paste the table or take screenshots. For programmatic access, contact Kiva Logic support about API options.
How do guest carts work?¶
Guests (not logged in) can also use future cart. Their items are tied to their session/device. If they provide an email, you can follow up. If they later create an account with that email, their saved items can transfer.
Recent Updates¶
2026-08-05: - The "Enable Future Cart" setting can now be turned on directly from this page; the earlier off-only restriction and active-testing banner have been removed
2026-08-03: - Future Cart is in active testing. The "Enable Future Cart" setting is now off-only: stores already running it can switch it off, but stores with it off cannot turn it on from this page until the feature is officially announced - A banner at the top of the page notes the active-testing status
2026-03-03: - Initial launch of Future Cart Report page - Settings panel for enabling/disabling feature - Summary statistics dashboard - Top products by demand table - Week-by-week demand forecasting - Detailed filterable report - Guest lead tracking
Change Log¶
2026-03-03¶
- Initial documentation created
- All core sections completed
- Ready for production use
End of Documentation
For additional help, contact your system administrator or Kiva Logic support.