We’ve been modifying the wp-shoppingcart plugin which can be found at “instinct.co.nz”. We are making it so that it can be used for our purposes which the standard version isn’t. We have a few purposes which we need a shopping cart for.

One is to sell domains. Part of what we do is sell geo-generic domains and we imagine others like us have the same specific need to sell geo-generic domain names so if we create a specific configuration of the plug in to accommodate selling them it should get some use of assist with our overall goals.

Another purpose is to allow a real, physical store to bring some sales presence to the online arena. We envision that a domain like “NanaimoHardware.com” might be operated by a real hardware store in Nanaimo, that “NewYorkComputers.com” might be operated by a computer store in New York that wishes to sell online as well as from their storefront.

Of course there is also the requirements of a pure internet store. Typically this requires less features than a dual online/physical (”clicks and mortar”) type store so we assume that if it works for the physical store then it will work for the pure online store as well.

We also want to allow the potential for using the same administrative store interface and to take advantage of the various store display features but as applies to auctions. Ideally there will be a smooth transition between auctioned and store items. Certainly some of our domains will be auctioned and some will be sold for specific prices (as discussed elsewhere, there is a possibility to be able to estimate price reasonably well if the domains are geo-generics).

So that is where we are going with our modifications of the original cart. We are trying to keep it as close to the original as we can but … it isn’t easy, without getting into the reasons right now. How close are we to having a working demonstrable version? A few weeks at the rate we work, the second week of October perhaps around Thanksgiving.