Shopify Dawn Theme: Why Your 'Compare At' Price Isn't Showing (and How to Fix It!)

Hey fellow store owners! As someone who spends a lot of time diving into the Shopify community forums, I often come across common headaches that many of you face. One topic that recently popped up and generated some really helpful discussion was around the 'compare-at price' not showing up on the Dawn theme. You know, that satisfying strikethrough price that screams 'SALE!' to your customers?

Our friend Stock-Units kicked off a thread because they were using Dawn 15.0.2, had set a compare-at price, but only the current selling price was showing. They wanted to see something like €32,500 €36,300, but were only getting the €32,500. This is a super common issue, and the community really rallied to provide some fantastic insights. Let's break down what we learned and how you can get those sweet sale prices to display correctly.

The #1 Reason Your 'Compare At' Price Isn't Showing: Incorrect Price Configuration

This was hands down the most common and often overlooked reason, as highlighted by community members like Ploqo and Bhavesh_Monk. It sounds simple, but it's a detail that's easy to miss:

• Shopify only displays a 'compare-at price' if it is HIGHER than the current 'price'.

If your compare-at price is lower than or equal to your current selling price, Shopify won't show it as a strikethrough. It just doesn't make sense to tell a customer they're getting a discount if the 'original' price was actually less!

Ploqo even shared a perfect example from Stock-Units's own store:

• Product where it worked: Woonunit, showing €54.950,00 crossed out next to €49.450,00.
• Product where it didn't: Woonunit 42m², with a current price of €42.950 and a compare-at price of €42.000. Because €42.000 is lower than €42.950, no compare-at price was shown.

Here are the visuals Ploqo shared:

How to Fix Incorrect Price Configuration:

It's pretty straightforward!

1. For individual products:
   • Go to your Shopify Admin.
   • Navigate to Products > All products.
   • Click on the affected product.
   • Scroll down to the Pricing section.
   • Ensure the Compare-at price is set to a value higher than the Price.
   • Click Save.
   

2. For multiple products (bulk update):
   • From your Shopify Admin, go to Products > All products.
   • Select the products you want to update.
   • Click Export and choose to export selected products (or all, if you prefer).
   • Open the exported CSV file in a spreadsheet editor (like Excel or Google Sheets).
   • Locate the Price and Compare-at Price columns.
   • Adjust the Compare-at Price values to be higher than their corresponding Price values for all your sale items.
   • Save the CSV file.
   • Back in your Shopify Admin, go to Products > All products and click Import.
   • Upload your updated CSV file. Make sure to check the option to overwrite existing products that have the same handle.

When Page Builders and Custom Code Take Over

While the pricing logic is often the primary culprit, several community members, including Zyblue and Maximus3, pointed out another significant factor: page builders or custom sections overriding Dawn's native price components.

Maximus3 specifically noted that Stock-Units's product display didn't look like a standard Dawn theme structure, even guessing a page builder like Ecomposer might be at play. They shared this image:

This is a super important point! If you've installed a page builder app (like PageFly, Shogun, GemPages, Ecomposer, etc.) or had custom code added that modifies how product sections are rendered, it might be using its own 'price block' that doesn't include the logic for displaying the compare-at price. In such cases, even if your product data is perfectly set up, the theme just won't know to show it.

How to Diagnose and Fix Page Builder/Custom Code Issues:

1. Identify the culprit: Think back to when the issue started. Did you install a new app or make theme code changes around that time? Check your theme's Apps and sales channels settings in your Shopify admin.
2. Test on a clean theme duplicate: As GabGPT-Labs suggested, a quick way to isolate the problem is to test one affected product on a clean duplicate of your Dawn theme (or even a fresh, unpublished Dawn theme). If the compare-at price appears there, then you know the issue is with your live theme's code or a customization/app.
3. Check your page builder settings: If you're using a page builder, dive into its editor for the product pages or sections. Look for settings related to 'price blocks' or 'product cards'. There might be a toggle or option to enable the 'compare-at price' display that's currently off, as Joshua827 mentioned.
4. Consult the app developer: If you've confirmed it's a page builder or another app, reach out to their support. They can guide you on how to enable the compare-at price or help you adjust the custom code within their app's framework.

Don't Forget Your Theme Editor Settings!

Sometimes the simplest solution is right in front of us. Joshua827 reminded us to check the theme editor itself. It's possible that the product card block or product page section in your Dawn theme has an option to toggle the compare-at price display, and it might just be turned off.

How to Check Theme Editor Settings:

1. From your Shopify Admin, go to Online Store > Themes.
2. Find your Dawn theme and click Customize.
3. Navigate to a product page or a section where product cards are displayed (e.g., a featured collection section on your homepage).
4. Click on the relevant section or block (e.g., 'Product information' on a product page, or 'Product card' within a collection section).
5. Look through the sidebar settings for any options related to 'price', 'compare-at price', or 'sale badge'. Ensure they are enabled.

Ultimately, getting your compare-at prices to show is crucial for conveying value and driving sales. It's a fundamental part of running a successful online store, whether you're just starting out on Shopify or have been selling for years. The discussion around Stock-Units's issue really highlighted that it's often a combination of simple data entry rules and potential theme/app overrides. By systematically checking your product pricing, theme editor settings, and any third-party page builders, you should be able to get those enticing sale prices displayed exactly as you intend. And remember, the Shopify community is always there to help if you get stuck!