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Stock Alerts

Stock alerts notify you when a book you want becomes available at your home store or another bookstore you're watching. Never miss out on a book you've been searching for.

What Are Stock Alerts?​

Stock alerts are notifications that tell you when a specific book comes into stock at a participating bookstore. This is especially useful for:

  • Rare or hard-to-find books
  • Books that sell out quickly
  • Books you want to purchase locally rather than online
  • Supporting your favorite independent bookstore

Setting Up Stock Alerts​

From a Book Page​

  1. Navigate to any book page (tap a book from search, wishlist, or feed)
  2. Scroll to the Availability section
  3. If the book is out of stock at your home store, you'll see a Get Notified button
  4. Tap Get Notified to subscribe to stock alerts for this book

Prerequisites​

To receive stock alerts, you need:

  • A home store set: Stock alerts are tied to your home store by default
  • Push notifications enabled: Alerts are sent as push notifications
  • An active account: You must be signed in to BookWish

Setting Your Home Store​

If you haven't set a home store yet:

  1. Tap your avatar in the top-right corner
  2. Select Settings
  3. In the Account tab, find Home Store
  4. Tap Choose Home Store
  5. Search for and select your preferred bookstore

Your home store helps us show you local inventory and send you relevant stock alerts.

Alert Sources​

Stock alerts can be triggered from several sources:

Store Inventory Updates​

When bookstores update their inventory in BookWish:

  • New books added to stock
  • Used books traded in or donated
  • Restocked items from distributor orders

Real-Time Square Sync​

For stores using Square POS integrated with BookWish:

  • Inventory updates sync automatically
  • Stock changes are reflected in near real-time
  • Alerts are sent as soon as stock is confirmed

Manual Entry​

Some bookstores manually add inventory:

  • Trade-ins processed through BookWish
  • Special orders that arrive
  • Consignment items

Managing Your Alerts​

View and manage all your active stock alerts:

  1. Tap your avatar in the top-right corner
  2. Select Settings
  3. Switch to the Preferences tab
  4. Scroll to the Stock Alerts section

Active Alerts List​

You'll see a list of all books you're watching, including:

  • Book cover thumbnail
  • Book title
  • Store name (if specified)
  • Option to remove the alert

Removing an Alert​

To stop watching a book:

  1. Find the book in your Stock Alerts list
  2. Tap the bell with slash icon
  3. The alert will be removed immediately

Alternatively, from a book page:

  1. Navigate to the book you're watching
  2. Find the Get Notified button (now showing as active)
  3. Tap it to unsubscribe from alerts

When You'll Be Notified​

You'll receive a notification when:

  1. The book comes into stock at your home store (or specified store)
  2. Inventory is confirmed in the BookWish system
  3. The book is available for purchase (not on hold for another customer)

Notification Details​

Stock alert notifications include:

  • Book title and author
  • Store name and location
  • Link to view the book and purchase
  • Price (if available)

Timing​

  • Notifications are sent as soon as stock is confirmed
  • Delivery is typically within seconds to minutes
  • May be delayed during high-traffic periods

Alert Expiration​

Stock alerts have some automatic expiration rules:

When Alerts End​

Your stock alert automatically ends when:

  • You purchase the book: Once you buy the book from any store through BookWish
  • You remove the alert: When you manually unsubscribe
  • The book is removed from your wishlist: If applicable

No Time Limit​

Unlike some services:

  • Stock alerts don't expire after a set period
  • They remain active until one of the above conditions is met
  • You can have unlimited active stock alerts

Alert Strategies​

Multiple Stores​

Want to maximize your chances? You can:

  • Set up alerts for the same book at different stores
  • Watch both new and used availability
  • Get notified wherever the book appears first

Wishlist Integration​

For books on your wishlist:

  • Consider setting up stock alerts for wishlist items you really want
  • Stock alerts work independently of wishlists
  • You can have a book on your wishlist without a stock alert, and vice versa

Home Store Priority​

Your home store gets priority for stock alerts:

  • Default alerts use your home store
  • Helps support your local bookstore
  • You can see all inventory, but alerts focus on your home store

Troubleshooting​

Not Receiving Alerts​

If you're not getting stock alerts:

  1. Verify push notifications are enabled:

    • Settings > Preferences > Push Notifications should be ON
    • Check device notification permissions

  2. Confirm your home store is set:

    • Settings > Account > Home Store should show a store

  3. Check your alerts list:

    • Settings > Preferences > Stock Alerts
    • Verify the book is still in your list

  4. Ensure the book is in stock:

    • The store may not have received the book yet
    • Check the book page periodically

Alert Delays​

If alerts seem delayed:

  • Stock updates depend on the store's inventory management
  • Some stores update daily, others in real-time
  • Network issues can cause notification delays

Wrong Store Alerts​

If you receive alerts for the wrong store:

  • Check your home store setting
  • You may have set up the alert for a specific store
  • Review your Stock Alerts list to see which store each alert targets

Best Practices​

When to Use Stock Alerts​

Stock alerts are most useful for:

  • Books that are frequently out of stock
  • Limited edition or special releases
  • Books from small publishers with limited distribution
  • Supporting your local independent bookstore

When Not to Use Them​

You might not need a stock alert if:

  • The book is widely available
  • You're flexible about where you purchase
  • You're not in a hurry to get the book

Combining with Wishlist​

For the best experience:

  1. Add books you want to your wishlist
  2. Set up stock alerts for high-priority wishlist items
  3. Enable push notifications
  4. Set a home store you can easily visit

This way, you'll be notified immediately when your most-wanted books become available locally.

Privacy​

Stock alerts respect your privacy:

  • Stores see only that someone is interested in a book
  • Your personal information is not shared with stores
  • You can remove alerts at any time
  • Alert data is encrypted and stored securely