Back in Stock isn’t the same hook it used to be (here's what is)
If that’s the whole message, you’re missing the better opportunity: giving shoppers a reason to want the product again.
This morning it's a battle of the brands to look at how Sierra Madre and SABO handle restock emails in two very different ways.
→ MUSS ran email on a hope and a prayer. One change later: +13% revenue per recipient.
→ Taima Titanium made nearly $42K calling customers who had already paid.
→ A meme that is sure to keep you up at night...
→ Drop zone: the Cann
MUSS ran email on a hope and a prayer. One change later: +13% revenue per recipient.
What to send, how often, why open rates stayed low: nobody on the team really knew.
After switching from Klaviyo to Omnisend, that changed. The migration took one day, Omnisend's team fixed deliverability issues MUSS didn't know existed, and email and SMS finally lived in one platform.
The results, same two months a year apart:
• Open rates up 41% year-over-year
• Revenue per recipient up 13%
• SMS now runs as a follow-up, sent only to people who didn't open the email
The biggest win wasn't a metric, though. It was finally making decisions with real answers behind them.
*Sponsored
Back in Stock isn’t the same hook it used to be (here's what is)
Back-in-stock emails seem like they should be easy.
The product was gone. Now it’s back. Tell people. Add a button. Done.
But the inventory update isn't the hook; the hook is what made the product worth waiting for. The best back-in-stock emails bring that story back to the surface instead of assuming availability alone will drive the click.
To see how different brands approach that, let’s look at two fashion restock emails: one from Sierra Madre, a women’s golf apparel brand, and one from SABO, an Australian women’s apparel brand.
Sierra Madre: Make the Restock Feel Like a Second Chance
Sierra Madre’s email is built around one clear idea: this dress sold out fast, and now you have another shot at it.
The subject line does a lot of the heavy lifting:
The Dress That Sold Out in 24 Hours
That’s stronger than a standard “Back in Stock” subject line because it gives the restock context. It’s not just available again, it was wanted enough to disappear.
The email keeps that focus all the way through. The hero section opens with a huge “Restocked.” headline over a lifestyle image of the Ready Zip Dress, followed by a direct CTA to shop the product. Below that, the email shows the two color options and reinforces the urgency with another line:
Sold out in 24 hours. Back for now.
That phrasing works because it creates pressure without needing a discount, countdown timer, or overworked scarcity language. The product’s past demand becomes the reason to act.
The whole email is tight: one product, one message, one main CTA.
That’s the strength of this approach. Sierra Madre doesn’t ask the reader to browse a whole collection or interpret what matters. It picks the hero product and gives shoppers a clear reason to act before it sells out again.
What brands can take from it: If one product drove the demand, don’t bury that story; lead with the proof. “Back in stock” is the update, but “sold out in 24 hours” is the reason people keep reading.
SABO: Turn the Restock Into a Mini Drop
SABO takes a broader approach.
Instead of focusing on one hero item, the email presents the restock like a small collection drop. The subject line is simple:
Back in Stock Soon
Inside the email, the message is time-based:
Restocking 3PM Wednesday PDT.
This creates anticipation. It isn't framed as “go buy this one thing now.” It feels more like, “Set your alarm. The pieces you wanted are coming back.”
The visual direction supports that. SABO opens with a collage-style hero image featuring multiple pieces, then moves into individual product sections with styled lifestyle photography, product names, star ratings, short descriptions, and “shop” links.
It’s less direct than Sierra Madre’s email, but more expansive. SABO is selling the mood of the restock, not just the inventory update.
That has a tradeoff.
The email gives shoppers more to explore, which is useful when several products are returning at once. But because the attention is split across multiple items, the urgency isn’t as concentrated. The reader has to decide which piece matters most to them.
Still, the structure makes sense for the brand. SABO’s email feels editorial and aspirational. It gives the restock a styled world, then lets the shopper move through it.
What brands can take from it: If you’re restocking multiple products, the email needs more than a polished grid. Give the drop a point of view, whether that’s a clear theme, a specific restock time, or a visual story that makes the whole thing feel intentional.
The Real Difference: Hero Product vs. Curated Drop
The real difference is how each brand creates urgency.
Sierra Madre makes urgency feel narrow and immediate: this specific dress sold out fast, and if you wanted it, this is your second chance.
SABO makes urgency feel scheduled and collective: several favorites are coming back at a set time, so the email feels less like a reminder and more like a small drop.
Neither approach is automatically better. They’re built for different jobs.
Use the Sierra Madre approach when:
One product is clearly the star
The item has already proven demand
The shopper needs a fast, specific CTA
Scarcity is part of the product story
Use the SABO approach when:
Multiple pieces are coming back
The brand’s styling or mood helps sell the products
The shopper may want to browse
The restock feels closer to a mini launch or drop
Remember: It’s all about giving your shoppers a reason to care all over again.
Taima Titanium made nearly $42K calling customers who had already paid.
Every retention dollar points at the cart that didn't close.
Taima Titanium, a Wyoming titanium cookware brand, pointed theirs at the customers who did.
Here's the play: a customer checks out, and while the order is still exciting, Outcraft's voice agent calls. A quick thank-you, answers to any questions they have, and a coupon for their next order before hanging up.
The timing is key. Someone who just spent three figures on cookware is already sold on you, they just need a reason to come back before the feeling fades.
For Taima, those calls brought in nearly $42K in extra revenue, with over a third of buyers engaging with the outreach. (The same setup also recovered over $180K from abandoned checkouts, by the way.)
A coupon in an email is a discount. A coupon at the end of a friendly call is a thank-you.
Hear it for yourself →outcraft.ai
*Sponsored
Meme drop:
Sleep tight... don't let your deliverability BITE.
The drop zone:
Cocoon is giving justice to blanket branding
Three founders out of Montana launched Cocoon around a simple idea: blankets shouldn’t feel like an afterthought. The DTC-only brand debuts with 18 colorways across neutrals, seasonal tones, and stripes, priced from $180 to $270.
With the blanket market projected to nearly double to $45.9 billion by 2034, Cocoon is betting shoppers will pay more when the “cozy essential” actually looks good in their space.
For the non-Cann(abis) crowd
Cann built its name on low-dose cannabis drinks, but its new 0mg line skips the THC and goes all in on functional ingredients like electrolytes, L-theanine, magnesium, and passion flower. The first two flavors, Blood Orange Cardamom and Lemon Lavender, are sweetened with agave and ship to all 50 states.
It’s Cann’s clearest play yet for people who want the ritual, flavor, and brand without the high.
