How to launch your hottest retail products: FCFS, queues, raffles and more

When it comes to the world of retail, few moments hold more importance than a launch for an in-demand product. These kinds of launches might see thousands or tens of thousands of entrants clamoring for only a few hundred available products. 

It’s the way we buy the things that we’re most excited for, but historically, it’s a process associated more with frustration and heartbreak than joy. 

Why is launching so complicated? Well, it largely comes down to the massive inbound of demand. Huge numbers of would-be buyers arriving to a site at once to make a purchase puts an enormous strain on the servers that retailer sites run off of, so site crashes occur all too often. 

Then, there’s the issue of bad actors — people who don’t play by the rules, either in the interest of giving themselves a better shot at the coveted product, or with the intention of reselling for profit.

Bad actors have a few methods of gaming the system, but the use of bots (simple computer programs designed to access a site and make as many purchases as possible) is the most common, and most difficult for brands to work around.

Brands with in-demand products want to offer fans a better way to buy the products they’re most passionate about. But unfortunately, many of the solutions to the challenges we’ve mentioned come with their own set of problems. Let’s take a look at the three most popular mechanics for powering launches and compare the pros and cons. 

#1: First Come First Serve

First-come-first-serve style launches — which we’ll call FCFS from here on — have been perceived as the simplest way to address this complicated issue. In an FCFS launch, brands start selling the product as soon as the launch opens, and as soon as inventory runs out, the launch is done. That means that the fastest fans are the ones that get lucky (in theory, anyway).

One major issue with FCFS launches is that all interested buyers will be attempting to purchase at the same moment. That means a huge spike in web traffic arriving to the site at once, which most servers are not designed to accommodate. When a server is overwhelmed, the site crashes… and then no one gets to buy. It’s a bummer for the fans, and even worse for the brands. 

FCFS launches are also extremely vulnerable to bots. It’s especially tempting for bad actors to use bots for these launches because it all comes down to speed — and real human users simply cannot compete with programs built for the express purpose of adding to cart and checking out in seconds.

These types of launches, while common, ask a lot of fans. They must drop what they’re doing and make sure they can be online at the exact moment of launch, credit cards in hand. This isn’t always easy for people who have tight schedules to contend with or who live in a different time zone. And all too often, they’ll go to all that effort just to watch the entire inventory disappear before their eyes, wiped out by bots before the real human fans can make their first click. If the site even loads at all.

Bottom line: Under ideal circumstances, FCFS launches might feel fair… but they’re incredibly frustrating. And circumstances are so rarely ideal, thanks to bot attacks and other shady practices. FCFS launches are hard on fans and often end in disappointment. 

#2: Queues

The queue system was created as a way to address the technology problems that arose from first come first serve launches. A bandaid of sorts. When a user reaches a site, they are placed in a virtual waiting room, and the queue program slowly filters visitors onto the website at a rate that won’t overwhelm the servers and cause a crash.

While certainly preferable to a crashed site that can’t be accessed at all, this option creates its own negative user experiences. 

No one likes waiting in line! Worse, there is still stress and urgency for the fan, because, just like for a FCFS launch, they still need to make sure they are ready to load the site at the exact moment of the launch in order to get a favorable place in line. Hurry up… then wait. It’s like the airport, but worse, because there’s no guarantee that you’ll be successful — you just have to wait and see if you’ll manage to get your chance to purchase before inventory is gone.

Queues are also still susceptible to bots. Because a user can run many bots at once, one person can theoretically occupy multiple places in line. That means that all those poor actual fans could just be waiting in line behind a bunch of bots who will buy up all the product before it’s their turn. 

The lack of transparency with queues is a major UX issue. How long will you wait? How many users are ahead of you? Are they humans or bots? Do you even stand a chance at making it onto the site before sellout occurs? It’s often impossible to say. 

Bottom line: On the plus side, queues are quite simple for brands to implement, and easy although unenjoyable) for fans to navigate. But they still create a lot of frustration, and while they’ve become very common, that’s not necessarily a good thing — we think brands can still do better.

#3: Raffles

A raffle system is fundamentally different from first come first serve and queues in that it can accept many entrants and then randomly select the winners from that pool. This is easier for fans because entries can be collected over a wider period of time, so there’s no major rush to be among the first to enter. 

That slower pace also means that raffles can help keep sites up and running because there is no sudden traffic spike. The site will still see an increase in traffic during the entry period, but it won’t necessarily all take place within a few minutes or seconds, as is common with FCFS and queue-based launches. As long as the brand’s tech infrastructure is reasonably flexible to accommodate more traffic than usual, there shouldn’t be any issues with crashing.

The issue with raffles some software solutions to power them are actually built for giveaways and sweepstakes, not selling high-heat products, and they are not robust enough to fully meet the needs of an in-demand product launch. Essentially, the software is just a randomizer. It assigns a number to every entrant, then pulls a random number for every product that is available. But without bot protection, there’s nothing to say a bad actor won’t enter a bajillion times using bots, and still walk away with a majority of the inventory.

And because randomizer raffle software usually doesn’t handle payments or communications, there’s a lot of manual work that has to be done behind the scenes by the retailer. Once the winners are selected, they must be notified. Then, retailers have to find a way to get their payment information and shipping details. If a winner changes their mind, they can simply drop off and not complete the purchase, leaving the retailer with unsold inventory.

Bottom line: Raffles are a better general approach to launches than FCFS or queues when it comes to the fan experience, but they are generally less efficient for brands. Above all, the technology needs to go further to deliver a fully baked launch solution.

#4: EQL

This brings us to EQL, a software solution that was designed explicitly to address the challenges of launches (and to take advantage of the unique opportunities). 

At its core, EQL entries are gathered similar to a raffle: entries are collected over a set window of time, then winners are chosen. But rather than choosing winners at random, opening the door to bots and resellers, a complex verification process filters out any entry that shows suspicious signs or which came in from a user who wasn’t playing by the rules.

This verification system is the most advanced way to block bots. It also stays one step ahead of the botters by accepting all entries up front, then verifying them on the back end. That means that botters don't know they’ve been caught, or the reason they didn’t win. It allows EQL to collect data on bot behavior to get even better at blocking them, without the bot programmers learning anything to help them make their bots more powerful.

EQL also collects payment information up front, so there’s no chance of entrants dropping off before the point of purchase. It’s a complete end-to-end solution that handles every element of the launch on behalf of brands.

It’s not hard for brands to implement either, seamlessly integrating into their existing ecommerce stack. Getting a new launch up and running just requires quickly setting up a branded landing page. And because the launch runs through that landing page rather than the brand’s main ecommerce site, all traffic is handled by EQL’s infinitely scalable servers — offering foolproof protection against crashes.

Most importantly, EQL prioritizes the fan experience and earns their trust. EQL’s signature Run Fair® technology is recognized by fan communities as an indicator that the launch is managed equitably. It means that as long as everyone plays by the rules, they’ll have a fair and equal shot at getting their coveted item. This system also disincentivizes the type of bad behavior that’s created so many of these problems in the first place.

Bottom line: EQL is setting a new standard for launches: one that prioritizes fans and fairness. And by collecting entry data from everyone, not just those who won, EQL opens up new opportunities for brands to continue engaging with fans long after the launch has ended.

Ready to launch? Get to know EQL

Launch technology has evolved over the years, but as you can see, most of the common solutions still fall far short of what’s needed to deliver a good user experience and fair results, while working efficiently on the brand’s side.

EQL was created by fans who were disappointed in their options and what had become the status quo for high-demand retail. Those fans built the launch system that they wanted to see for themselves — and brands love it, too.

If you’re getting ready to launch a product that you know your fans will be clamoring for, it’s worth devoting some serious thought to your launch mechanics and what type of experience you want your fans to have. 

To learn more about EQL and how we can power your next launch, get in touch today.