LONDOM – Out of Stock Alternatives

by Domenico Longo

Description

Stop losing sales when products sell out.
LONDOM – Out of Stock Alternatives automatically replaces the Add to Cart button with smart product recommendations when an item is completely out of stock.

Key Features

Smart Recommendations – Shows upsells first, then products from the same category
Variable Product Support – Correctly handles products with multiple variations
Mobile-First Design – Clean, responsive interface that works on all devices
Performance Optimized – Intelligent caching system with soft-refresh validation
Multilingual Ready – Compatible with Polylang and WPML
Cache Plugin Support – Works with WP Rocket, W3TC, LiteSpeed, and WP Fastest Cache
Accessible – Full ARIA support and keyboard navigation
Dark Mode Aware – Automatically adapts to user’s color scheme preference

How It Works

Detection – Automatically detects when a product (simple or variable) is completely out of stock
Replacement – Removes the Add to Cart button and shows an alternatives block
Recommendations – Displays 4 in-stock products: upsells first, then same-category items
Smart Caching – Validates cached products on each page load to ensure accuracy

Perfect For

WooCommerce stores with frequent stock changes
Fashion and apparel shops with seasonal inventory
Electronics stores with limited stock items
Any e-commerce site that wants to reduce lost sales from stockouts

Developer Friendly

Multiple filters and actions available for customization:

londom_alternatives_count – Change number of alternatives shown
londom_alternatives_title – Customize the heading text
londom_alternative_products_query_args – Modify the query for finding alternatives
londom_should_replace_add_to_cart – Control when replacement happens
londom_use_context_aware_cache – Enable context-aware caching
And many more…

Requirements

WordPress 6.0 or higher
WooCommerce 6.0 or higher
PHP 8.0 or higher

Support

For support, please use the WordPress.org support forum.

Additional Information

About LondomLab

LondomLab creates practical WooCommerce tools that help online stores increase sales and improve customer experience. Visit londomlab.com for more plugins and solutions.

Privacy & Data

This plugin does not:
* Collect any user data
* Use cookies or tracking
* Send data to external servers
* Store personal information

All data processing happens locally on your WordPress installation.

Contributing

Found a bug or have a feature request? Please report it on the support forum.

Credits

Developed with ❤️ by the LondomLab team.

Installation

Automatic Installation

Log into your WordPress admin panel
Navigate to Plugins Add New
Search for “LONDOM Out of Stock Alternatives”
Click “Install Now” and then “Activate”

Manual Installation

Download the plugin ZIP file
Log into your WordPress admin panel
Navigate to Plugins Add New Upload Plugin
Choose the ZIP file and click “Install Now”
Activate the plugin

After Activation

The plugin works automatically! Visit any out-of-stock product page to see the alternatives block in action.

Optional Configuration:

You can customize behavior using WordPress filters in your theme’s functions.php:

// Change number of alternatives shown (default: 4)
add_filter( 'londom_alternatives_count', function() { 
    return 6; 
});

// Customize the heading text
add_filter( 'londom_alternatives_title', function() { 
    return 'You might also like these'; 
});

// Enable context-aware caching (for multilingual/multi-currency sites)
add_filter( 'londom_use_context_aware_cache', '__return_true' );

Faq

Why isn’t the alternatives block showing?

The plugin only displays alternatives when a product is completely out of stock:
* For simple products: stock must be 0 and backorders disabled
* For variable products: ALL variations must be out of stock or unavailable

Check your product’s stock settings in WooCommerce.

Can I change how many alternative products are shown?

Yes! Use this filter in your theme’s functions.php:

add_filter( 'londom_alternatives_count', function() { return 6; });

How are alternative products selected?

The plugin uses a smart two-step process:
1. First priority: Upsell products (that are in stock)
2. Fallback: Products from the same categories, ordered by sales performance

This ensures relevant recommendations every time.

Is it compatible with my theme?

Yes! The plugin uses standard WooCommerce hooks and includes mobile-first CSS that adapts to most themes. The styles are minimal and designed to blend with your existing design.

Does it work with variable products?

Absolutely! The plugin intelligently checks all variations. If even ONE variation is available (in stock or with backorders enabled), the normal Add to Cart remains visible.

Will it slow down my site?

No. The plugin includes an intelligent caching system that stores alternative product IDs and validates them on each page load. This “soft-refresh” approach keeps data accurate while maintaining performance.

Is it compatible with caching plugins?

Yes! Built-in compatibility with:
* WP Rocket
* W3 Total Cache
* LiteSpeed Cache
* WP Fastest Cache

The plugin automatically purges relevant cache when products are updated.

Can I translate the plugin?

Yes! The plugin is fully translation-ready:
* Text domain: londom-out-of-stock-alternatives
* Compatible with Polylang and WPML
* All user-facing strings are translatable

How do I clear the plugin’s cache?

The cache clears automatically when:
* A product is updated
* Stock status changes
* Prices change
* Upsells are modified

For manual clearing, deactivate and reactivate the plugin.

Can I customize the appearance?

Yes! The plugin includes CSS classes you can target:
* .londom-oos-banner – The “out of stock” notice
* .londom-oos-box – The alternatives container
* .londom-oos-grid – The product grid
* .londom-oos-item – Individual product cards

Add custom CSS in Customizer Additional CSS.

Does it support HPOS (High-Performance Order Storage)?

Yes! The plugin declares full compatibility with WooCommerce HPOS.

Is there a PRO version?

Not yet, but we’re working on advanced features for a PRO version. The FREE version will always remain feature-complete for basic needs.

Reviews

Changelog

1.3.5 – 2026-02-10

Fixed: Plugin file name aligned with WordPress.org slug
Fixed: Text domain consistency across all files
Improved: Full compliance with WordPress.org requirements
Updated: Plugin URI and documentation links

1.3.4 – 2026-02-10

Fixed: Text domain aligned with WordPress.org assigned slug
Fixed: Plugin name formatting consistency across all files
Updated: Minimum requirements – WordPress 6.0+ and PHP 8.0+
Improved: Full compliance with WordPress.org plugin guidelines

1.3.2 – 2025-01-22

Fixed: Text domain alignment with plugin slug for WordPress.org compliance
Fixed: Replaced _e() with esc_html_e() for safe output
Fixed: Added missing translators comments for sprintf placeholders
Improved: Cache index system without direct SQL queries
Improved: Enhanced code documentation and inline comments
Improved: Better error handling for edge cases
Tested: WordPress 6.9 compatibility
Tested: WooCommerce 9.0 compatibility

1.3.1 – 2024-12-10

Added: eBay-like placement at top of product page
Added: Soft-refresh cache validation on page hits
Added: Context-aware cache support (opt-in)
Improved: Extended cache invalidation hooks
Improved: Better variable product detection
Fixed: Cache clearing on variation updates

1.3.0 – 2024-11-15

Initial public release
Feature: Automatic out-of-stock detection
Feature: Smart alternatives via upsells category fallback
Feature: Mobile-first responsive design
Feature: Accessible markup with ARIA labels
Feature: Cache system with transients
Feature: Multilingual support (Polylang/WPML)
Feature: HPOS compatibility