How to restrict local pickups on holidays in WooCommerce
Avoid confusion and missed pickups by disabling local pickups on public holidays. You can easily block specific dates globally or for individual store locations using the Holiday Dates setting.
💰 Real revenue impact: what you lose without this rule
When customers try to pick up orders on holidays, it can lead to delays, dissatisfaction, and extra customer support workload. Blocking pickups on closed days prevents these issues.
| 🚫 Without rules | ✅ With rules |
|---|---|
| Customers show up when the store is closed | Reduced customer complaints by 40% during the holiday season |
| Staff are overwhelmed managing post-holiday pickups | Improved order scheduling accuracy by 25% |
In The Article
How to restrict local pickups on holidays
Use this feature to disable local pickups for holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, or New Year’s Day — automatically preventing customers from selecting those dates during checkout.
Benefits of restricting local pickups on holidays
- Prevent customers from scheduling pickups on closed days
- Automate holiday-based restrictions globally or per store
- Maintain a smooth workflow during peak festive periods
- Improve customer satisfaction with clear pickup scheduling
- Reduce refund or rescheduling requests
How to configure — step guide
- Go to dashboard → Dotstore → local pickup settings
- Navigate to Pickup Appointments Settings
Scroll down to the Holiday Dates section
Click the date picker to select the holidays you want to disable
- Example: December 25 (Christmas), January 1 (New Year’s Day)
Save changes
Public holiday settings - (Optional) To apply holidays for a specific store:
- Go to Local Pickup → Edit Location
- Under the Holiday Dates field, add store-specific holiday closures
- Save again
The system will now automatically block these dates from appearing in the pickup calendar at checkout.
Real examples
Example 1
A bakery disabled pickups for December 24–26 to manage staff holidays.
Result: reduced post-holiday confusion and improved planning efficiency.
Example 2
A gift shop allowed pickups only until December 23 before closing for Christmas.
Result: prevented over 15 late pickup requests and increased pre-holiday sales.
Expected outcome
Customers will not be able to select your defined holiday dates for pickup, ensuring smoother operations and better customer communication during holiday seasons.
FAQs
1. Can I set holiday dates for all stores at once?
Yes, add them under Global Pickup Appointments Settings → Holiday Dates.
2. Can each store have its own holiday list?
Yes, you can define unique holidays for each store location.
3. What happens if a holiday date is already booked?
Existing orders remain valid, but new orders cannot select that date.
4. Will the holiday dates repeat every year?
You’ll need to manually update them each year for accuracy.