12 Expert Tricks You Can Use to Track Online Restocks

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Black Friday seems like a lifetime ago yet the next one is still many months away. Spring is right on the horizon, but somehow we are still dealing with “beating down doors for the last 70% off 8K TV”-level scarcity when it comes to big-ticket electronics — especially next-gen video game consoles like the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X. Supply chains have been disrupted at every level due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are still dealing with its effects a full year after the lockdowns first began.

As frustrating as this may be, a vibrant community of online restock seekers has emerged. There are more ways to keep up with retailer inventory than ever before, and you’re doing yourself a disservice if you haven’t tried mixing up your approach. You might not succeed right away, but there are a few tips and tricks that will significantly increase your odds.

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The Best Ways to Track Online Restocks

1. Sign Up for Stock Alerts

laptop graphic with nowinstock.net
Credit: Slickdeals

Signing up for alerts is the lowest effort way to lock down popular merchandise, as you don’t have to refresh constantly. Many items on Amazon display an “Alert Me” message when an item is out of stock, and a lot of major retailers offer email updates for high-demand items, like next-gen consoles and 4K TVs.

You can also use third-party sites like NowInStock if your store of choice doesn’t provide this service, but they might not always be accurate. Ultimately, your success rate is contingent on how often you check your emails and text messages.

2. Get Familiar With Restock Schedules

You are more likely to lock down that white whale PS5 when you know the best times to look. It’s never guaranteed — supply chain issues caused by COVID-19 are the main reason why it’s hard to find some of the latest electronics, and freight shipping is right near the end of the line. Online retailers often have irregular schedules, so they tend to advertise “drop days” instead.

For example, Best Buy tends to release its latest wave of PS5 consoles on Fridays. It might not happen every consecutive Friday, but it’s still the most reliable time to camp out on the site. Brick-and-mortar retailers have slightly more regular stocking schedules, but it may vary regionally. It’s worth calling your local Target or Micro Center to see when their delivery trucks usually arrive.

3. Diversify Your Options

screenshot of xbox series x walmart
Credit: Walmart

There are more deal-hunting tools at your disposal than ever before, so use them! If you spend all of your time refreshing restock sites but never bother with setting up Deal Alerts or checking local stores, you’re ill-equipped to compete with thousands of other people using their entire arsenals of tracking tricks.

If you’ve been after the same laptop for three months with no returns, consider trying a different approach. At the very least, you’ll keep yourself busy until the next drop.

4. Some Things are Best Bought Direct

With so many different stores to choose from, it’s easy to overlook the original manufacturer’s own storefront. This is especially true of video game console brands like Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo.

Logically, a product’s creator has the most direct access to stock, and the fact that these stores aren’t as ubiquitous as Amazon or Walmart means you may have less competition when a restock drops.

Shoppers with accounts on PlayStation Direct and the Microsoft Store receive regular restock updates, and even first-come, first-served queue systems reserved only for members. Even if you aren’t keeping up with restocks, these sites are super handy for finding discounted refurbished models and open-box deals.

5. Shop Online and In-Store

best buy with ps5 box
Credit: Slickdeals

Restock hunting online is more efficient than shopping in-store, as you can easily switch from one retailer’s site to the next. However, your success rate might be hindered by the large volume of competition as well as incorrect stock numbers.

Calling up local stores and digging through their shelves offers the benefit of more accurate stock numbers as well as instant gratification (if you succeed), but the process is time-consuming and laborious. Neither method is better or worse than the other, so why limit yourself?

6. Use a Tracking Tool

Don’t wear out your precious gaming thumbs on refreshing that dreadful “Out of Stock” page all day long. You can automate the process using a restock tracking tool. This still requires thorough tracking habits and frequent monitoring, so it does require a bit of diligence. Distill.io is a Chrome extension that monitors web pages for changes.

By “distilling” the Amazon page for AirPods Max, you’ll receive a ping on your toolbar whenever something changes, including prices and restocks. Apps like HotStock provide a service similar to retailer restock alerts, all consolidated onto one convenient dashboard. This level of engagement is slightly more involved than setting up a stock alert and walking away, but it’s still easier than bouncing from one site or store to the next.

7. Wake Up Early, Stay Up Late

woman online shopping at night
Credit: Canva

If a retailer tells you when they plan to restock a specific item, you should be grateful for the gift and make sure you don’t squander it. Anyone who has been after a PS5 since the fall of 2020 knows how quickly a brand new drop sells out.

Staying up late or setting an early morning alarm could be worth your while — you might not get the luxury of a guaranteed restock for a while. If the site says midnight, you should be locked and loaded no later than 11:55 p.m. What’s a few minutes of waiting, anyways?

8. Take Advantage of Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store

Even if the pandemic is largely to blame for the latest tech shortage, COVID-19 safety protocols have graciously provided the luxury of curbside pickup and even home-delivery options. If you see the QLED TV of your dreams back in stock at Best Buy but don’t get off work for another seven hours, there’s a decent chance someone might scoop it up before your lunch break.

By placing an order as soon as you get a restock alert, you can spend the rest of the day getting excited about your new media setup instead of wondering about what could have been.

9. Always Stay Prepared

speedtest screenshot with laptop and tablet graphics
Credit: Speedtest

Being mindful of product release times and dates is one way to stay ready, but there are oft-overlooked steps that might be the difference between sweet victory and losing your chance at scoring an Xbox Series S because you were fumbling for your credit card.

First, you can run a speed test to figure out which of your devices has the fastest internet connection. Once you’ve done that, make sure that you are logged into any relevant websites — you’ll avoid time-consuming “guest checkout” pages and the agony of typing in your card information quickly and accurately. Finally, be sure to have the product page pulled up and ready for the click that decides your fate.

10. Steer Clear of Resellers (for Now)

The resale market is a terrific place to find pre-owned and refurbished goods, but it is also a major factor contributing to the scarcity affecting consoles and other electronics. Unsavory resellers use scalping bots to purchase a large volume of the exact same product as soon as it becomes available and list their spoils on eBay and similar marketplace sites at a tremendous markup. A

fter months of no success, it might be tempting to suck it up and give in on a $1,200 PS5. If you’re unlucky, it might be a complete scam. Even if the listing is legitimate, handing revenue to scalpers only perpetuates this problem.

11. Look for Bundle Inclusions

ps5 bundle on Amazon
Credit: Amazon

When stores replenish their stock of in-demand products, standalone versions of the product are usually the first to disappear. It might involve paying a little extra, but you might have better luck by searching for bundle deals that include whatever you’re looking for.

Video game consoles and TVs are particularly likely to have bundles, sometimes multiple variations offered by different retailers. If you’re using a tracking site or app, it’s a good idea to set up alerts for as many bundles as you can find.

12. Get Involved in the Restock Community

As many Slickdeals users know, you can celebrate your victories, commiserate over losses and get up-to-date information by joining the rapidly growing community of online restock trackers. Twitter, Reddit and Discord have a wide assortment of restock tracking hobbyists and user-operated community spaces dedicated to stock updates and predictions, many of which manage to stay ahead of retailer websites and news media. On top of that, you’ll never have to feel alone in the absence of a Nintendo Switch.

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