How to Show Different Types of Store Locations on One Shopify Map

Quick Answer

Showing different types of store locations on one map means using tags or icons to distinguish owned stores, dealers, and stockists while keeping them all searchable in the same place. SC Store Locator Map supports search tags that let customers tell location types apart at a glance, without needing separate maps for each type.

Short Intro

A brand with more than one kind of physical location faces a design question: build separate maps for each type, or combine them into one. Combining them usually serves customers better, but only if the different types remain clearly distinguishable. Done poorly, a combined map can actually create more confusion than two separate ones would have, particularly when customers expect different services or experiences from each type of location.

This guide focuses specifically on how to display multiple location types clearly on a single map, so customers are never left guessing whether a pin represents an owned store or a third-party dealer. It also covers how filtering can help customers narrow results when only one location type is relevant to them.

What Is Mixed Location Type Display?

Mixed location type display refers to showing more than one kind of physical location, such as owned stores, dealers, and stockists, on the same map while keeping them visually or textually distinct. This typically relies on tags applied to each location, which can then control labeling and filtering on the customer-facing page. The underlying data structure matters just as much as the visual design, since inconsistent tagging undermines even a well designed map.

Who Needs Mixed Location Type Display?

This is relevant for businesses such as:

• Brands with both owned stores and a network of authorized dealers
• Wholesale brands with a small number of owned locations alongside many stockists
• Businesses wanting a single map rather than maintaining several separate ones
• Brands where the type of location affects what a customer can expect, such as service availability
• Brands merging previously separate store and dealer directories into one experience
• Businesses that have received customer complaints about confusing or misleading location listings

Why Showing Multiple Location Types Together Matters for Your Business

Combining location types on one map, done clearly, has a few practical benefits:

• Customers get a single, complete view of the brand's physical presence
• It reduces the maintenance burden of managing separate maps for each location type
• Clear labeling sets accurate expectations, since not every location offers the same experience
• It avoids customers missing relevant nearby options simply because they checked the wrong page
• It supports future growth, since a new location type can be added without building a new page
• It reduces the chance of a customer visiting a location expecting services it does not offer

How to Show Multiple Location Types on One Shopify Map

Step 1: Define Your Location Types

List every distinct type of location your brand has, such as flagship store, authorized dealer, and stockist, and decide on clear, consistent labels for each.

Step 2: Install and Configure SC Store Locator Map

Install the app, which supports search tags that can be used to represent different location types on the same map.

Step 3: Tag Every Location by Type

Apply the appropriate tag to every location as it is added, ensuring no location is left untagged or ambiguous about its type.

Step 4: Customize the Store Locator

Enable filtering by tag so customers can narrow results to a specific location type when that distinction matters to them.

Step 5: Review the Pin Card Content

Check what information appears on the pin card for each location type, and adjust it so customers see the details relevant to that type, such as services offered at a flagship store versus limited hours at a smaller dealer. Small differences in wording here can meaningfully reduce confusion once customers are searching the live map.

Step 6: Test the Customer Experience

Search the map and confirm that location types are clearly distinguishable, whether through labels, icons, or filtering, so no customer is left confused about what a pin represents. Try filtering by each type individually to confirm the results are accurate.

Examples and Use Cases

Industry: Home appliance brand
Problem: Customers could not tell from the map whether a location was a full-service flagship store or a smaller authorized dealer.
Setup: The brand tagged every location by type and enabled filtering so customers could choose what mattered to them.
Result: Customers arrived at locations with accurate expectations about what services were available.

Industry: Musical instrument retailer
Problem: Owned showrooms and independent dealers appeared identically on the map, leading customers to expect repair services that only showrooms offered.
Setup: The team added type tags and icons distinguishing showrooms from dealers, with filtering enabled for both.
Result: Fewer customers arrived at dealer locations expecting services that were only available at showrooms.

Read more app case studies from Shop Circle covering mixed location type maps.

Best Practices

A few habits help keep mixed location types clear on a single map:

• Use a small, consistent set of location type tags rather than an ever-growing list
• Apply a tag to every location as soon as it is added
• Make location type visible on the pin card, not just in a filter menu
• Set accurate expectations about what each location type offers, such as services or product range
• Review tagging periodically as new location types are introduced
• Ask customer support to flag any complaints related to location type confusion
• Keep the tag list short enough that staff can remember what each one means without a lookup

Summary

Showing different location types on one map serves customers better than maintaining separate pages, as long as the types remain clearly distinguishable. Consistent tagging and labeling is what keeps a combined map easy to understand rather than confusing, and reviewing the pin card details for each type is worth the extra time it takes.

SC Store Locator Map supports tagging different location types so your brand can show its full presence on a single, clear map without sacrificing accuracy, even as new location types are added down the road.