Hey, Im looking for a shopping cart that i can integrate with my current design, zencart is good, but the template sucks lol I have the site running and using paypal cart, but i wanted something when the stock would auto remove (eg i have 5 rings, someone buys one, the it shows 4 available etc...) So something easy to integrate, maybe with a backend, auto updating and free if possible! Its for my wifes shop, and I have to update all the time which is hard when im trying to work lol So cms is the solution for her i think! Thanks!
I would suggest osCommerce. It has tons of features, add-ons, and you can customize the template really easily.
I would stick with Zen. The templates are a pain in the ass but in the end it is worthwhile. I've used both Zen and osCommerce but always prefer Zen since it has improved upon osCommerce in the last few years. ZenCart also has a great community supporting it. My suggestions would be to start with the default Zen layout and disable everything then build it from the ground up. If you have any specific question feel free to PM as I manage a Zen shop as my day job.
need not chage zencart as it is based on oscommerce .pl see the modules of x-cart(a variation of osc) and get implemented on zencart. support for osc is in plent. any freelancer will do it. yes in long term you will feel a need of CMS in fact everyone will need a CMS . if in doubt use joomla cms with commercial components and mods also support is easy to get. Also try to use ajax as it does not require page reload. In short think of automation and labour saving software. that is the future trend naturally.