Shopware subshop – what is it actually?
Shopware has three different types of shops. The main shop, language shops and subshops. The main store is the primary store, or the first store you create.
If you want to offer your main shop in another language, you have to create a language shop. A language shop is a duplicate of the main shop in a different language.
The third option is the subshop. This shop runs under its own domain and has its own article master. It is almost an independent shop managed via the same backend as the main shop.
The central maintenance of several subshops has its advantages and disadvantages. We will explain everything in the following post. Here we go!
Advantages and disadvantages of a subshop
Advantages
The biggest advantage of a subshop is the central administration of products and orders. There is a central login or backend through which all subshops can be controlled. No additional license needs to be purchased as the subshop uses the installation of the main shop. In addition to the shop license, the licenses for the plugins are also transferred to all subshops, thus you can save a lot of costs.
This accelerates the creation of another independent shop. For example, if you want to open a new shop, first you must choose a hoster. You then have to book the licenses and install or configure the shop and plugins. However, if you already have a Shopware shop, you have the option of creating a subshop. This eliminates the installation and configuration of the shop and plugins.
Therefore, you save a lot of money and a lot of time on the setup and future updates of the shop or plugins.
Disadvantages
One disadvantage of the subshop is the distribution of permissions in the backend. Employee authorizations always refer to the backend of the shop. Since both the main shop and the sub-shop access the same backend, the employee automatically has the same rights in both shops. You should be aware that this setting cannot be changed before creating the subshop.
The assignment of different number ranges for order and invoice numbers per subshop is not included in the standard range of functions. This can cause a problem if the subshop’s company name does not match the main shop’s name. If this is the case, you need to solve this problem with individually programmed plugins.
How do I create a Shopware subshop?
Creating a subshop is very simple. You must first log into the backend and call up the shop settings which can be accessed as following: ” Settings / Basic settings / Shop settings / Shops “. Here you can see an overview of your main shops.
To create the subshop, click on the “ Add ” button. The following settings must be configured:
- Shop type : Here you select the subshop
- Name : Only used for differentiation and is only displayed in the backend
- Title : The title tag appears in the frontend and is an SEO factor
- Position : Determines the order of the shops (if there are several shops)
- Host : Enter the domain of the shop here
- Virtual URL : If the shop is in a subdirectory, it has to be in here
- Use SSL : Is mandatory for sensitive data in Germany, but you also need a valid SSL certificate
- Hostalias : If available, additional domain names for the shop can be stored here
- Currency and localization : The currency and the country to which the shop is geared are set here
- (Document) template : If desired, another template can be stored here
- Active : The shop should be deactivated until complete
By clicking on Save, the shop will be successfully created. Now you can fully concentrate on the content (CMS pages, article maintenance, structure).
Conclusion
If you are already running a Shopware shop and would like to set up another independent shop under the same company name, creating a subshop is the ideal solution for you. In addition to significant cost savings, it also implies significantly less money and time to maintain the other stores. At the same time you get a completely independent shop with your own template and article master.
If you have any questions about the subshop or if you have difficulties setting up the shop or entering the content and articles, we are happy to advise you. Just contact us!
