Why Every Magento Store Needs an Out of Stock Notification Solution

Quick Summary: Online shopping keeps growing and growing, but there's one thing that keeps impacting store owners - out-of-stock items. When customers can't buy what they want, they usually leave your site and shop somewhere else. This blog is about why every Magento store needs an out-of-stock notification system. We'll check out the true cost of lost sales, the way out-of-stock notifications work, and the advantages of having notifications for your store.

Running out of stock is a common issue for e-commerce businesses, and Magento stores are no exception. Studies show that 70% of online shoppers will abandon a purchase if a product is unavailable, and 67% of those will go to a competitor’s site to find it. This translates to significant lost revenue, especially for stores with high-demand items. Without a way to keep customers informed, you’re not just losing a sale; you’re potentially losing a loyal customer.

Key Takeaways

• Out-of-stock items cause 40% of lost sales in e-commerce
• Retailers lose $1.75 trillion yearly due to inventory issues
• 59% of US shoppers are affected by out-of-stock problems
• Magento 2 out-of-stock notification extensions can recover 15-25% of lost sales
• Stock alert systems improve customer satisfaction and build loyalty
• Automated notifications reduce manual work and save time
• Back in stock alerts help maintain search rankings and visibility

When a product page shows "Out of Stock", it's often frustrating for customers, who have probably taken time to search through your catalog until they got to that product. This is not a great experience for visitors to your site and could damage your brand's reputation or customer retention. The best solution? A Magento 2 Out of Stock Notification system, which allows you to turn a potentially lost opportunity into an option to keep them interested.

How Stockouts Impact Sales

• Lost Revenue: A 2023 Adobe report states that stockouts result in a $1 trillion global loss in e-commerce revenue each year due to abandoned carts.
• Customer Churn: A Statista survey found that 43% of shoppers are less likely to return to a store in the future if they encounter an Out-Of-Stock.
• Missed Opportunities: Without a way to capture interest, you are losing data as to what customers want and want you to have in stock, while not making it any easier to plan your inventory.

What Is an Out of Stock Notification Solution?

An Out of Stock Notification allows customers to sign up to be alerted when a product is restocked. This way, instead of leaving your site disappointed, they can input their email or phone number, and receive a Magento 2 Back in Stock Notification once the item becomes available again. Out of Stock Notification appeal is usually provided by Magento's native functionality, or improved with third-party apps like the out of stock notification extension for Magento 2.

How It Works

• Customer Subscriptions: When the customer views the product page of an out-of-stock item, they will see a “Notify Me When Available” button. The customer enters their information to subscribe.
• Automatic Notifications: Then, when the product is back in stock, the system alerts the customer that the product is available. The notification can be sent via email or SMS (text message) and is a Magento 2 product availability notification.
• Administrative Reporting: The store owner can view subscriptions, have access to product demand, and improve product inventory management through the analytics dashboard.

Magento's default functionality contains baseline stock alerts. And you can use third-party extensions like Amasty, Webkul, and Mageplaza to enhance basic Magento stock alerts into advanced functionality such as templates, SMS notifications, and guest users, while automating the process with the customer experience, all the while looking professional.

Features of Magento 2 Out of Stock Notification Extensions

The best Magento 2 back in stock notification extension options give us plenty of features to work with to help customer usability and store usability. This is what we can expect:

1. Support for All Product Types

Magento 2 stock alert extension works with all product types! There are simple, configurable, grouped, virtual, bundle, and downloadable products on Magento 2, and these extensions will make sure you capture all your customers exposed to these product types. No customer will feel left out of a stock alert, no matter the product they chose to wait for!

2. Guest and Registered User Support

A great benefit of a Magento 2 stock alert extension is – you often may not even have to rely on people logging into your website to get a stock alert. Most guests can click Subscribe to Back in Stock Alerts Magento 2. Since 60% of online shoppers want to opt out of an account before purchasing (Baymard Institute, 2024), this is another great opportunity to capture leads!

3. Customizable Email and SMS Templates

Extensions like Magecomp and Amasty allow you to customize the notification message to fit your brand! Adding promotional offers, such as “Thank you for waiting” discounts, the opportunity for upselling is endless!

4. Analytics Dashboard

The Magento 2 inventory alert extension often includes a dashboard showing:

• Number of subscriptions created
• Alerts sent
• Orders generated from notifications
• Most-wanted products based on subscription data

This data helps you understand customer preferences and prioritize restocking high-demand items.

5. Automatic and Manual Notifications

Admins can send alerts automatically, or they can send them manually for more control. For example, you might limit notifications to reflect stock on hand, meaning only the first subscribers get notified if you have very limited quantities available.

6. Multi-Store Inventory (MSI) Support

If your store has multiple locations, extensions such as Webkul’s support MSI, so you can manage your stock alerts from different warehouses.

7. Price Drop Alerts

Some extensions, such as Mageplaza’s, allow you to send notifications not only for stock alerts but also for price change notifications. This includes informing customers about price drops for stock alerts, which may increase your conversions, with the customer now fully aware of their discounts.

Benefits of Using Out-of-Stock Notification Solutions

There are notable benefits to having a Magento 2 extension that provides product restock alerts, which will positively impact your customers and bottom line.

1. Reduce Lost Sales with Magento 2 Stock Alerts

According to Amasty's 2024 data, retailers may recover as much as 20% of sales that would have otherwise been lost by notifying customers when products are back in stock. This is especially crucial for high-interest products where customers are more likely to wait to buy from you rather than looking for a specific product or interest.

2. Improve Customer Experience

A Magento 2 extension for notifying me when available will show your customer base that you genuinely care about your customers' needs. Instead of repeatedly checking your site, the customer gets timely information, reducing the mystery and uncertainty of not knowing when a product will be back, and allowing you to earn the customer's trust as they hear from you with split orders. A Forrester study conducted in 2023 found that 68% of customers value proactive communication from the retailer.

3. Gain Insights into Customer Demand

Magento 2 customer back-in-stock subscription tools offer analytics to show which products are in most demand. In other words, if you get a subscription from 100 customers for an item, you can justify restocking it with a sense of urgency based on clear data. This data-driven process allows you to ensure you are not overstocking or understocking your products.

4. Increase Customer Retention

Continually keeping your customers updated on product availability spurs them to come back to your store. According to a 2024 Shopify report, companies with a proactive notification process have 15% greater customer retention than companies that don't utilize proactive notifications.

5. Boost Marketing Opportunities

This customer subscription list, collected from the Out of Stock Notification Extension for Magento 2, can be used in many ways for your email marketing efforts. For example, Magespark suggests adding a "Subscribe for Newsletter" checkbox next to the "Notify Me" button. This allows you to build your email list for future campaigns in line with what the customer is interested in.

6. Support for Guest Users

Permitting guest accounts to register expands the pool of potential customers. This is important because, according to a 2025 survey by eMarketer, 34% of online shoppers will abandon their cart if they are being forced to open an account.

How to Enable Out of Stock Notification in Magento 2

Magento 2 has a built-in stock alert function, but it is limited. Here is how to set it up and then why you might consider a third-party Magento 2 stock alert extension to achieve better results.

Steps to Enable Native Magento 2 Stock Alerts

• Log in to Admin Panel: Go to Stores > Configuration > Catalog > Catalog.
• Enable Product Alerts: Under Product Alerts, set “Allow Alert When Product Comes Back in Stock” to Yes.
• Choose Email Template: Select a template for stock alerts and set the email sender.
• Set Frequency: In Product Alerts Run Settings, choose how often alerts are sent (daily, weekly, or monthly) and specify a start time.
• Save Config: Apply the changes, and a “Notify Me” button will appear on out-of-stock product pages.

Limitations of Native Feature:

• Only works for logged-in users.
• Lacks advanced analytics or SMS support.
• Limited customization for email templates.

Why Choose a Third-Party Extension?

Extensions like those from Setubridge, Webkul, or Mageplaza overcome these limitations with features like:

• Guest user support
• SMS notifications
• Detailed analytics
• Customizable templates
• Compatibility with Hyvä themes and GraphQL

To install the extension, follow the instructions from the provider (e.g., Setubridge or Webkul) via either Magento Marketplace or Composer.

Best Magento 2 Back in Stock Notification Extensions

Here are some top extensions to consider, based on features and user reviews:

Setubridge Magento 2 Out of Stock Notification Extension

• Features: Analytics dashboard, guest user support, GDPR compliance, price drop alerts.
• Benefits: Easy to use, detailed insights, supports Hyvä themes.
• Price: Check https://www.store.setubridge.com/ for pricing.

Webkul Magento 2 Out of Stock Notification:

• Features: MSI support, customizable templates, SMS integration.
• Benefits: Works for all product types, allows manual or automatic notifications.
• Price: Check the Official Website.

Mageplaza Product Alerts:

• Features: Price change alerts, data reports, and PWA compatibility.
• Benefits: Enhances mobile shopping, provides detailed analytics.
• Price: Check the Official Website.

MageSpark Out of Stock Notification:

• Features: Supports category and search pages, guest subscriptions, and analytics.
• Benefits: Helps estimate demand, user-friendly setup.
• Price: Check the Official Website.

MageDelight Out of Stock Notification:

• Features: Visual dashboard, SMS support, free lifetime updates.
• Benefits: Simplifies inventory management, boosts engagement.
• Price: Check the Official Website.

How Out of Stock Notifications Reduce Lost Sales

Stockouts don't have to equal lost sales anymore. By enabling the stock alert feature in Magento 2, you can:

• Recover Sales: Remind customers when products are restocked and provide a link to complete their purchase.
• Upsell and Cross Sell: Insert links to related items suggested by Setubridge into the restocked alert, enabling you to generate a secondary amount of sales.
• Build Loyalty: Build customer loyalty by showing that you appreciate their interest in your products, thus creating beneficial circumstances for repeat purchases.

For example, a Magento store that was using Setubridge's extension experienced an increase of 15% in conversions for restocked products after they enabled stock alerts. This is a powerful way to keep your customers engaged with your store.

Conclusion

An out-of-stock notification solution is an invaluable tool for any Magento store that is looking to reduce lost sales, improve customer satisfaction, smarter data-driven decisions about inventory management. Implementing a Magento 2 Back in Stock Notification system can keep customers engaged, maybe recover as much as 20% of lost sales potential, and give you a better idea of demand.

It is pretty clear, whether you use Magento’s native function or a more comprehensive Magento 2 extension for product restock alerts, you can expect benefits such as happier customers, improved retention, and ultimately better sales. Find an extension that suits your needs, enable it today, and grow your store.

FAQs

1. Why do I need an Out of Stock Notification solution for my Magento store?

Without an out-of-stock system, you risk losing customers who see you are out of stock. An out-of-stock notification system will keep them engaged by notifying them when items are back in stock, which will minimize lost sales and improve retention.

2. Can guest users subscribe to stock alerts?

Magento's default option requires front-end customers to log in, but many third-party Magento 2 stock alert extensions (Setubridge, Webkul) will require a guest user to subscribe, which opens the door to more lead capture.

3. How do I enable out-of-stock notifications in Magento 2?

Go to Stores > Configuration > Catalog > Product Alerts, enable the stock alert option, choose an email template, set the frequency, and save. For advanced features, consider a Magento 2 inventory alert extension.

4. What are the benefits of using a third-party extension over Magento’s native feature?

Third-party extensions provide many advantages, such as guest user support, SMS notifications, analytics, and customization templates, which ultimately can help reduce lost sales and enhance customer experience.

5. Which is the best Magento 2 back-in-stock notification extension?

This element varies depending on your needs. Setubridge and Mageplaza were excellent in terms of analytics and customization, while Webkul knows MSI support. Please check the pricing and features on the website links.