The public storefront is the entry point for new customers to your facility. It lets them browse available units, filter by size or features, start online sign-up, or join the waiting list when no unit is available. No authentication is required to browse it.
Who this article is for
This article describes what your customers see on your public storefront. Browsing the storefront requires no role. Configuring the storefront (visible types, filters, pricing) requires the Owner or Manager role.
What the customer sees on arrival
On arriving at your facility's storefront, the customer sees: the facility name as the title (for example "Kirkland"), the list of available unit types with their dimensions (4x5, 5x5, 10x10, etc.), Size filters (All, Small, Medium, Large, with counters), Features filters (Climate-controlled, Drive-up access, with counters), a language toggle (FR / EN), a Customer portal link to the existing sign-in, and a Back to locations link if the storefront covers multiple sites.
Filtering units
Size: one tab per category. The customer clicks to see only units in that category. Features: the customer checks Climate-controlled or Drive-up access to see only matching units. Counters (in parentheses) show how many units match the filter.
Choosing a unit
For each unit type shown: the Rent Unit button is visible when at least one physical unit is available — clicking it starts checkout. The Join the waiting list button appears instead when none are available; the customer leaves their details to be notified.
Cookie banner
On the first visit, a Cookies banner appears with: Customize (choose by category: necessary, analytics, support), Decline (accept only necessary cookies), Accept all (accept every category). The customer can change their preferences later via the Cookie preferences link in the footer.
Advance booking limit
Each unit type has a configurable advance booking limit. If the limit is 0 days, the customer can only book for today. If the customer picks a move-in date further out than the limit, checkout shows: "The selected date is too far out. You can book up to {N} days in advance." This limit protects your inventory from long, non-committal bookings that lock up units.
What happens automatically
The storefront doesn't set tracking cookies until the customer accepts beyond the necessary ones. Clicking Rent Unit opens checkout with the move-in date and unit type pre-filled. Clicking Join the waiting list opens the waiting list form — see Waiting List. Clicking Customer portal redirects existing customers to their portal sign-in.
Important fields and statuses
Item | Meaning |
All / Small / Medium / Large | Filter by size category, configured on the unit type. |
Climate-controlled | The unit is climate-controlled (indoor with heating/AC). |
Drive-up access | The unit is reachable by vehicle (drive-up or wide aisle). |
Rent Unit | Visible when at least one unit is available. Starts checkout. |
Join the waiting list | Visible when no unit of the chosen type is available. |
FR / EN | Toggles the interface language. |
Customer portal | Redirects existing customers to their portal. |
Troubleshooting
No units show up on the storefront. Check: does the facility have unit types with active pricing and public visibility? Fix: configure the unit types. See Unit Types.
The Drive-up access filter shows nothing. Check: do the unit types have that feature checked? Fix: edit the unit types to check the right feature.
The customer only sees Join the waiting list on every type. Check: every unit is occupied. Fix: free up a unit (by finalizing a move-out) or add new units. See Units.
The customer sees a date error at checkout. Check: the type's advance booking limit is shorter than the chosen date. Fix: ask the customer to pick a closer date, or adjust the limit on the unit type.
The customer wants a language other than FR or EN. Check: Stortech currently only supports FR and EN. Fix: don't promise other languages.
Common questions
How does a customer reach my facility's storefront? — Via the link you place on your website. Stortech generates a unique URL per storefront and facility; check the operator portal (Settings > Storefront) to get the link to share.
Why aren't any units showing? — Either no unit type has active pricing, none is marked publicly visible, or every unit is occupied. Check the unit type configuration.
How do I configure the Small / Medium / Large filters? — Each unit type has a Size category field. The filters group types by that field. See Unit Types.
The customer sees "Join the waiting list" instead of "Rent Unit." Why? — No physical unit is available for that type. The customer can sign up to be notified when one frees up.
The customer picks a move-in date far in the future and sees an error. Why? — The unit type has a configured advance booking limit. The customer needs to pick a closer date.
Why does the customer see a cookie banner? — GDPR/PIPEDA compliance. The customer can Customize, Decline (necessary cookies only), or Accept all.
Does Stortech support languages other than French and English? — No. The storefront only offers FR and EN.