What happens if a free gift goes out of stock mid-promotion? (Dr Free Gift, BOGO Buy X Get Y Shopify App)
APP SETUP
CREATE FREE GIFTS
HOW TO'S
PROMOTE YOUR FREE GIFT
GIFT INVENTORY
GIFT FRAUD
FAQS
TROUBLESHOOTING
Understanding how your gift promotions behave when gifts run out of stock is crucial for maintaining a smooth customer experience. This guide explains the system’s behavior when gift inventory is depleted and provides strategies for managing this situation effectively.
How the System Handles Out-of-Stock Gifts
When a gift product’s inventory reaches zero, the Dr Free Gift, BOGO Buy X Get Y system automatically adjusts its behavior to prevent customer disappointment and maintain the integrity of your promotions. Here’s what happens:
The gift goal becomes temporarily inactive. When gifts are out of stock and haven’t been configured to continue selling when out of stock, the system effectively suspends the associated gift goals. This means:
- The goals won’t be visible to customers
- No promotional messages about these gifts will appear
- The gifts won’t be added to carts even if customers meet qualification criteria
- The progress bar won’t show these gift opportunities
- Any floating announcements for these gifts will be temporarily hidden
It’s as if the gift goals were never configured, ensuring customers aren’t promised rewards that can’t be fulfilled.
Managing Out-of-Stock Scenarios
To handle out-of-stock situations effectively, you have several options:
- Enable “Continue selling when out of stock” (set on gift product)
- This setting allows the promotion to continue running even when inventory reaches zero
- Useful for situations where you can quickly replenish stock
- Helps maintain promotion momentum during temporary stock gaps
- Prepare backup gift options
- Have alternative gifts ready to swap in
- Create new gift goals with different products
- Maintains promotional momentum even if primary gifts run out
Recovery Strategies
When gifts come back in stock:
- The system automatically reactivates associated gift goals
- Promotional messages resume
- Progress bars and floating announcements reappear
- Customers can once again earn these gifts
Conclusion
While running out of gift inventory mid-promotion isn’t ideal, the system handles this situation gracefully by automatically suspending affected gift goals. This prevents customer disappointment and maintains the integrity of your promotional program. By implementing proper inventory management strategies and having contingency plans in place, you can minimize the impact of stockouts and ensure your gift promotions continue to drive sales effectively.
Remember that the key to successful gift promotion management lies in proactive inventory monitoring and having flexible backup plans. This ensures that your customers always have access to valuable rewards, even if specific gifts become temporarily unavailable.