The Problem
The brand was rolling out many new colors for core products and wanted to surface them as early-access options. But showing all colors: core, seasonal and early-access, in a single grid made the PDP cluttered and overwhelming. The existing layout didn't distinguish early-access colors visually, and the ship note (pre-order/early-access messaging) needed to stay clear and consistent with the new design. The team also wanted the ability to prepare early-access colors in advance without exposing them on the live site until launch day.
The Solution
We updated the PDP color selector to support a dedicated Early Access color row, with regular and seasonal colors staying easy to scan and early-access options visually grouped and clearly labeled. The ship note block was adjusted with extra spacing to better match the design. A new "Early Access colors" configuration was added in the theme customizer, so the team can define which colors appear in the extra row without developer involvement. The functionality can be pushed to the live theme ahead of time but won't show on the site until the Early Access colors field is populated - giving the team full control over launch timing.
Why It Mattered
The new color row let the brand launch multiple new colors for core products without degrading the PDP experience. Customers now see a clear, organized color selector that separates standard colors from early-access ones, reducing visual overload and making it easier to navigate. For the brand, it created a repeatable pattern for future drops and campaigns, with full merchandising control through theme settings and metafields rather than new development each time.
Technical Details
Built by extending the PDP color selector layout in the Shopify theme to support an additional row for early-access colors. The list of early-access colors is controlled via a new setting in Theme Settings under Product colors, so the team can attach colors to the row without code changes. The ship note block continues to be driven by the existing metafield on relevant SKUs, with spacing and styling updated to align with the new PDP design.
