The back-in-stock flow isn't the first email flow business owners think about. The welcome series, abandoned cart and post-purchase flows are higher priorities when you're setting up Klaviyo for the first time. But once the groundwork is done, circling back to a back-in-stock flow is a must. And before you ask, it's for so much more than telling customers products are back on the shelves.
Want to know why it's a necessity in your email strategy? Here's where it fits, how it works, and the benefits that make it worth setting up.
What is a back-in-stock flow?
Let's start with the basics. A back-in-stock flow is an automated email sent to customers when a product that has been out of stock finally makes a return. It works with a sign-up form, so when your product's inventory hits zero, a 'notify me when available' button appears on the product page. That stores interested customer data on file until it's time to let them know the product is available once more. Here's the full loop:
A product sells out
Inventory hits zero. Normally that's a dead end, and the interested customer simply leaves.
A 'notify me' button appears
The sign-up form captures the shopper's details so their interest is stored on file, not lost.
The product restocks
When inventory returns, the flow knows, so there's no manual list to check or remember.
The alert fires automatically
A designed email lands with the good news. With the right urgency-driving copy, you'll soon need another restock.
Depending on how in-demand your products are, you can customise the form to collect email and/or SMS, then target customers accordingly:
A restock alert: back-in-stock hero, the product, a nudge of urgency, one clear button.
What are the benefits?
With a back-in-stock flow, you don't send manual emails every time a product replenishes. It does it for you:
Sales on autopilot
No manual sends every time stock returns. The flow alerts every interested customer automatically, the moment the product is live.
A weekly demand report
Sign up for a back-in-stock report and see how many people are waiting for each out-of-stock product, straight to your inbox.
We especially love that demand report when perishables are involved. Knowing exactly how many customers are waiting can prevent costly over-ordering.
A sold-out product isn't a lost sale. It's a customer waiting to be told it's back.
Let's turn sold out into sold again.
Not sure how to set up a back-in-stock flow and its sign-up form? Book development hours with the Email By Design team and we'll use our expertise to support your growth.
Book a free 15-minute consult
