A lot of what sells on Spicerack is made by hand, sometimes to order. That is the charm, and it is also why lead times matter. They tell buyers how long you need before a piece can ship, so nobody is refreshing their tracking page in a panic.
What buyers see
On every product page, buyers see Ships within, Ships from and an Estimated delivery date. The "Ships within" part comes straight from the lead time you set on that product.
How to set it
- Open the product in your seller dashboard.
- Find Lead Time. It is required on every product.
- Pick a range: 1 day, 1-2 days, 1-3 days, 3-5 days, 5-7 days, or Custom range if you need longer.
- Save.
Lead time means the time it takes you to make or prepare the product before it can ship. It does not include time in transit; the delivery estimate adds that on top.
Pick a number you can actually hit
- Be honest, not optimistic. A made-to-order harness that takes a week should say 5-7 days or a custom range. Buyers are happy to wait when they know. They get upset when a promise slips.
- Ready-to-ship stock? Short lead times help you win the sale. Use them when the item is sitting on your shelf.
- Revisit it when things change. Busy season, supply delays, a backlog after a big weekend: bump the lead time up, then bring it back down later.
When you run late anyway
It happens. Message your buyer before they message you, give them a new date, and add tracking the moment it ships. Our support team sees when an order is past the lead time you quoted, so a quick heads-up to your buyer keeps it from turning into a ticket.
Taking time off?
Instead of stretching every lead time, turn on Vacation mode in Shop settings → Shop info. While it is on, your listings are hidden and cannot be found in search, so no one orders something you cannot make.
