There’s nothing like the feeling of creating a product that sells out quickly, in days or maybe even hours of launch.
But the downside is that all your loyal customers might not be able to buy the item before it’s out of stock. So when it's available again, you need a stellar email to tell them the good news.
Restock emails are a great marketing tactic. It lets interested people be the first to know when items are available again and offers them the chance to buy first this time. It makes them feel special, and who doesn’t want that?
Today, I’m going to break down a great restock email I received from the brand TopVintage. We'll discuss how they structured their email, and then I'll show you how to replicate it for your business. (If you want, you can read the full email before we begin.)
Great Email Breakdown: TopVintage Restock Email
Subject Line
The subject line is the first thing that caught my attention. In two quick lines, it let me know that the item I’d been eyeing (a petticoat) was back in stock. The subject line and preview text are both personable while starting to build a feeling of urgency.
Intro Paragraphs
The first two paragraphs do two essential things. The first one reminds me that I signed up to receive updates on the item that is now in stock. Since restocks often take a while, reminding the customer they asked to be notified is great. This email isn't a presumption from the company.
Second, it lets me know that while the item is back in stock, it isn’t reserved for me. This adds to the urgency of the need to buy while it's available. Not every customer will need this push, but it can be helpful if they're still on the fence about purchasing.
CTA
The CTA (Order Item) is a big green button right below the intro. It lets the customer quickly and easily purchase the item without having to hunt through the website. It stands out and leaves no question about what you should do.
Image of the Item
It’s a small thing, but I love how they included an image of the item I wanted right below the CTA button. It can help remind the customer what they loved about the product in the first place.
Upsell
Now that the most important information is out of the way, they include two items as an upsell. I love that they aren’t generic pieces from their website but are relevant items. Since I asked for updates on a petticoat, which is an undergarment, they suggested two more undergarments to go with it.
Closing Paragraphs
They close the email with a few paragraphs telling you what to do if you miss out on purchasing the item again. It lets you know exactly when the item was available, adds a little more urgency by mentioning how popular the item is, and encourages you to re-sign up for updates if it's unavailable again.
How to Replicate This Email
While short, this powerful restock email neatly combines important information, urgency, and branding. So, let’s look at how you can replicate it for your business.
#1: Be On Brand
I adore the branding of this email. From the pink color scheme to how they address the customer as "gorgeous" to little bits of copy like calling the item “your crush”. They even sprinkle in a few emojis that don't feel out of place.
Depending on how you set up your restock email (more on that in a moment), this could be the first time a potential customer hears from you. You want every piece of the email to be on brand, from the subject line to the images you use. Stick to your brand colors. Use your brand voice in the copy. You want to give the reader a good taste of what normal communication from you is like.
#2: Keep It Short
The TopVintage email has four paragraphs and less than two hundred words. It takes 40 seconds to read, according to the Hemmingway app. The first paragraph holds the most important information about the item being back in stock. This is a well-written email.
Again, this might be the first time some people are hearing from you. This isn't the time to write an essay to sell the item. You want to take as little of their time as possible. Rewrite the email as many times as needed to make it short and to the point.
#3: Add an Upsell
Again, I love the upsell TopVintage includes. It’s not pushy or intrusive. It fits perfectly in the flow of the email. "Oh, you liked this petticoat? What about some stockings to go with it?"
Adding a small upsell to your restock email is a good call. Customers who are interested in one item might be interested in something related. If the item they want is out of stock again, they might buy one of your suggested items instead.
Just make sure it doesn’t feel like a car salesman trying to get you to sign up for an extended warranty. It should feel more like a recommendation from a friend.
#4: Write a Strong Subject Line
If I were to change one thing about this email, it’s the subject line. Yes, it catches your attention and conveys the information you need. But it’s too long.
Shortening it wouldn’t be hard. I’d keep the item's name but remove the color and size variation. This would bring it down by four words, which is a lot in the subject line real estate.
The subject line of your email should be as short and to the point as the email itself. Make sure to include what the item is, in case your customer forgot, but don’t make it so long it barely fits on their computer screen.
Bonus: Let Them Choose Their Sign-Up Option
When I signed up to receive updates on this item, TopVintage gave me two options. Sign up for their whole email list and item updates, or get updates only. I chose the second option.
This allowed me not to be spammed with emails while I waited. Even better, the restock email tells me I’ve already been unsubscribed from updates about this item, so I won’t receive any more emails. Since I didn't buy that petticoat, it was especially nice not to be on their complete email list.
I love that they included this option. Not everyone interested in your products will be ready or willing to get all your emails. Most brands sign you up for them anyway. Giving customers a choice shows them you care and understand that their inboxes are already crowded.
Creating a restock email exactly like this requires good automation from a solid email service provider. But even if you send it out manually, you should have a personalized restock email in your marketing toolkit.
Are you looking for someone to write emails like this for your small business so you can build better customer relations? I would love to chat and see if we’re a good fit! Click the button below to set up your free call today.
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