A good wholesale reorder email is three or four sentences: name what the store bought, ask how it sold, mention one thing that's new or running low, and give a one-click way to reorder. Send a thank-you in week one, a check-in around 30–45 days, and a reorder note when the store is near its usual reorder gap.
The second order is where a wholesale account is won or lost. A store that buys once has said "let's try it." A store that buys twice has said "this works here."
Most brands don't lose that second order to another brand. They lose it to silence. The product sells, the shelf empties, and nobody writes. Below are five copy-and-paste emails, when to send each one, and how to stop guessing at the timing.
When to send each email
Here's a common rhythm many small brands use. It's practitioner guidance, not a rule. Adjust it to how fast your category sells.
When | Goal | |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 after delivery | Thank-you | Help the product sell (photos, shelf copy) |
About 30–45 days | "How is it selling?" check-in | Learn what moved; not a sales note |
At the store's usual reorder gap | Reorder nudge | Name specific products and link to reorder |
About 2× the usual gap | Win-back | Find out what changed and offer a fix |
Any time you have real news | New arrival + restock | An honest reason to write |
If you change prices, a short price notice that gives stores a window to reorder at current prices is also fair, as long as the date is real.
Calendar vs. stock
Calendar timing is a guess. Two stores that opened the same week can sell through at very different speeds. The better trigger is the store's stock of your products running low, because that's when a reorder email is actually helpful.
If you want to get better at spotting that moment, here's how to tell which retailers are due to reorder.
Want reorder emails to go out when stock runs low instead of when the calendar says so? Create a free brand account.
The 5 templates
Each template uses [brackets] for the parts you fill in. Keep them plain text, short, and signed by a real person.
Template 1: The week-one thank-you
Subject: Thanks for bringing in [product line], [store name]
Hi [buyer first name],
Thanks again for your first order. I've attached product photos and a few lines of shelf-talker copy you're welcome to use. If anything arrived damaged or short, reply here and I'll fix it this week.
[Your name]
[Reorder link]When to send: within a week of delivery.
Why it works: it gives the store something useful that helps the product sell, and it catches problems early.
Personalize it: mention where they said they'd place it ("by the register," "next to the camp stoves").
Template 2: The "how is it selling?" check-in
Subject: How is [product] doing at [store name]?
Hi [buyer first name],
It's been about a month since [product line] landed. What's moving, and what's sitting? Even "not great" is useful to hear, since placement or a different size often fixes it.
[Your name]When to send: around 30–45 days after delivery.
Why it works: it's a real question, not a pitch. The answer tells you whether to plan a reorder or fix placement, price, or fit.
Personalize it: name one or two specific SKUs instead of the whole line.
Template 3: The reorder nudge
Subject: [SKU 1] and [SKU 2] may be running low
Hi [buyer first name],
Based on your last order on [date], [SKU 1] and [SKU 2] are probably getting thin on the shelf. Here's a link with your last order ready to adjust: [reorder link]. Happy to change sizes or colors if something else sold better.
[Your name]When to send: when the store reaches its usual reorder gap, or better, when you know its stock is low.
Why it works: if you know which SKUs are low, name them. That's the difference between a reminder and a useful alert.
Personalize it: for fast-moving categories, mention that you ship in-stock items quickly. See at-once reorders in outdoor wholesale for why that matters in-season.
Template 4: The win-back for a quiet account
Subject: Did [product line] work for [store name]?
Hi [buyer first name],
I noticed we haven't heard from you since [month]. Was it price, placement, slow sell-through, or did it sell out and slip off the list? If a smaller reorder or a different item makes more sense, I'm glad to put that together: [reorder link].
[Your name]When to send: around twice the store's usual reorder gap.
Why it works: it asks plainly what changed and gives an easy, lower-risk way back in.
Personalize it: offer a specific smaller bundle, not a vague "let me know."
Template 5: The new arrival + restock
Subject: New [product] for [season], plus a restock link
Hi [buyer first name],
We just released [new product], which pairs well with the [SKU] you carry. If you'd like to add it, you can top up your current items in the same order: [reorder link]. Photos and wholesale pricing are in the catalog.
[Your name]When to send: when you genuinely have something new.
Why it works: it gives you an honest reason to write and makes the restock part of the same step.
Personalize it: tie the new item to something the store already sells well.
Every template needs a real reorder link. A PDF order form slows people down. If you don't have a link yet, here's how to set up a wholesale ordering portal. It also helps to know what retailers expect when they reorder: they want it to be easy too.
Rules that keep reorder emails from sounding pushy
One question per email. Two questions get half an answer.
Name the product. "How's the [SKU] doing?" beats "checking in."
Never invent urgency. Don't write "only 3 left" or "order by Friday" unless it's true.
Two follow-ups, then a call. After two specific emails with no reply, pick up the phone.
Use the store's real rhythm. Once you know how often a store reorders, time your emails to that instead of a fixed calendar.
Keep it from a person. A short note from a name the buyer knows gets read.
The legal basics for B2B emails
In the US, the CAN-SPAM Act covers commercial email, and it makes no exception for business-to-business messages. On promotional sends, include your physical postal address and a clear way to opt out, and honor opt-outs promptly. The FTC's CAN-SPAM Act compliance guide for business lays out the requirements. This isn't legal advice; check with counsel for your situation.
What a missed reorder costs (and why timing matters)
Every account that goes quiet is at least one reorder you didn't get. The simple math:
Retailers who ordered once and never again × a typical reorder value = wholesale left on the table.
Hypothetical example: if 10 stores never came back and a typical reorder is $5,000, that's $50,000. Those numbers are made up for illustration, not from any brand. And it's a floor, since it counts only one more order per store.
That's why timing matters. An email that lands after the shelf has been empty for a month often lands after the space went to something else.
See what quiet accounts cost you: try the free missed reorder calculator. It asks for retailers you opened in the last 12 months, how many ordered again, and a typical reorder value.
Stop guessing when to send
The templates above work. The hard part is knowing when to send Template 3 to each store. With 5 accounts you can track it in your head. With 50, someone gets missed.
Instead of guessing from the calendar, Ordrly emails a connected retailer when your products are running low, lists the SKUs, and links straight to a reorder.
You invite retailers who already ordered from you. They join free and order from your live wholesale catalog, price, and stock.
A forecast names SKUs heading toward a stockout. The retailer gets an email listing those SKUs, the earliest projected stockout, and a reorder link.
You see the same list with a recommended quantity. The retailer submits the order from the link, or you start it for them.
To be clear about what's not live yet: today the next order starts from a low-stock forecast and a reorder the retailer, or you, can place. Ordrly doesn't yet start a purchase order from register or POS sales, and vendor-managed inventory is on the roadmap, not available. And no tool makes every quiet store reorder.
Ordrly Core has no monthly fee (a 1.5% network fee applies to orders), and retailers stay free. See pricing for details.
For the bigger picture of why accounts go quiet and a 90-day plan for the second order, read how to get retailers to reorder.
FAQ
What should I write in an email asking a retailer to reorder?
Keep it to three or four sentences. Name what the store bought last time, ask how it sold, mention one item that's new or likely running low, and include a direct link to reorder. Skip fake urgency; a real question gets more replies than a sales pitch.
When should a brand follow up after a store's first wholesale order?
A common rhythm is a thank-you in the first week after delivery, a check-in about 30–45 days later, and a reorder note when the store reaches its usual reorder gap. Once you know a store's real cadence, use it instead of a fixed calendar.
How do I ask a store to reorder without sounding pushy?
Give them something to respond to besides "buy more": ask how a specific product sold, share a new item or display idea, and make reordering one click. Send at most two follow-ups, then call.
What's the difference between a reorder reminder and a low-stock alert?
A reorder reminder is based on time since the last order. A low-stock alert is based on the store's stock running out and names the specific products to restock. The alert is more useful to the retailer because it tells them what to order, not just that it's been a while.
How do I win back a wholesale account that went quiet?
Ask plainly what changed: price, placement, slow sell-through, or they simply sold out and forgot. Offer a fix, such as a smaller reorder or a new item, and make reordering easy. If two specific emails get no reply, pick up the phone.
Do B2B reorder emails need an unsubscribe link?
In the US, promotional emails fall under the CAN-SPAM Act, which has no exception for business-to-business email. Include your postal address and a clear opt-out on marketing sends. Check with counsel for your situation.
How much does a missed wholesale reorder cost a brand?
At minimum, one typical reorder per account that never came back. Multiply the number of retailers who ordered once and never again by your typical reorder value. Ordrly's free missed reorder calculator does this math for you.
Start with the retailers who already ordered
Create a free brand account, invite the retailers who already ordered, and let low-stock alerts start the next order. Retailers join free, and Ordrly Core has no monthly fee.