A streetwear label built hype it couldn't harvest — restocks sold unevenly and oversold constantly. We turned sold-out pages into waitlists that release WhatsApp reserve links in batches matched to stock. 38% of the waitlist now converts, with zero oversells.
Typical results
86%
Restock sold in 48h
0
Oversells once live
24h
Reserved checkout window
Figures reflect typical results for this kind of automation.
The challenge
Limited drops sold out in hours, then the story went quiet. Restocks were announced to everyone on Instagram at once: checkout raced, a typical drop oversold by 14 units, and refunds followed. Quieter restocks sold barely 45% in the first 48 hours, and only 4% of fans who asked about a restock came back to buy.
Before and after
Waitlist-to-order conversion
9.5×Restock sold in first 48h
+91%Oversold units per drop
−100%The automation
We replaced the dead sold-out page with a one-field waitlist and wired it to inventory. The moment a restock is scanned into the warehouse, the flow releases WhatsApp alerts in batches sized to actual stock, each carrying a checkout link that reserves the item for 24 hours. Unclaimed reservations roll to the next batch automatically, and every drop closes with a performance report — signups, releases, conversions — in the team's inbox.
How it works
- 01
Capture the demand
Sold-out pages swap the buy button for a one-field waitlist signup.
- 02
Stock lands
Warehouse scans sync new inventory the moment a restock is received.
- 03
Batch release
WhatsApp alerts go out in batches sized to the units actually available.
- 04
Reserved checkout
Each alert carries a link that holds the item for 24 hours.
- 05
Auto-recycle
Unclaimed reservations release to the next batch until the restock sells out.
Starts from
- Sold-out product pages
- Warehouse restocks
Delivers
- WhatsApp reserve alerts
- 24h held checkout
- Drop report
The impact
Around 38% of waitlist signups typically convert to paid orders, and restocks sell about 86% through within 48 hours instead of dripping out over weeks. Because releases are capped to stock, nothing oversells, and every drop starts with hundreds of warm buyers already queued.
Questions about this automation
How does batching prevent overselling?
Alerts go out in batches sized to the units actually received, rather than to the whole waitlist at once. Each alert reserves one item for 24 hours through its checkout link. Because reservations never exceed available stock, two buyers cannot pay for the same last unit, and refunds for oversold items stop.
What happens to reservations nobody claims?
When a 24-hour hold expires unpaid, the item returns to available stock and the next batch of waitlist signups gets the alert. The cycle repeats until the restock sells out or the waitlist runs out. Signups who missed out stay on the list for the next restock automatically.
What does the store need to run this?
The store needs a product page where the sold-out button can be swapped for a waitlist field, inventory that syncs when warehouse scans are received, and the official WhatsApp Business API with approved templates. A drop report goes to the team's inbox after each release. This is a multi-step build, usually rolled out in stages.