Axeman × STOQ: how back-in-stock and preorders turned a hobby into a growing business

From hobby to a full-time business

Axeman started as a side project. Jeremy thought he might “sell an ax or two a day, or maybe a week even.” Instead, the business snowballed. Once he brought on a couple of big premium brands, more followed. Today, Axeman is constantly onboarding new, high-end products.

Jeremy still works as a firefighter, often on 24-hour shifts. While he’s at the station, his wife packs and ships boxes. Orders usually go out within one to two hours. What began as a hobby has become a profitable family business built on quality products and personal customer service.

“I thought we’d maybe sell an ax or two a day, or maybe a week even.”

The challenge: long lead times and lost demand

Axeman sources products from Sweden, Germany, Japan and beyond. Shipping can take two months. Customers wanted to pay before items arrived, but Shopify alone didn’t make that easy. Jeremy also needed a clear way to:
- Let customers preorder items weeks before they arrive.
- Capture demand signals so he knew which products to order more of.
- Prevent lost customers during long out-of-stock periods.

Before STOQ, the options were limited. Other apps handled notifications but not pre-purchases, and they lacked analytics that could show what people really wanted.

Visual caption: “If 50 people are waiting for one axe, I know those are sold before they arrive.”

Why Axeman chose STOQ

Jeremy found STOQ through Shopify’s recommendations and reviews. It was a gamble, but it paid off. Other apps could only notify; STOQ added both pre-purchases and better analytics.

“It was luck of the draw I found you — and it worked out perfectly.”

The big win: STOQ runs by itself. Jeremy didn’t want to “babysit” an app. Now, preorders and notifications happen automatically, freeing him to focus on firefighting and growing the brand.

Results: restock surges and steady signals

Before each delivery, 1–2% of sales come in as preorders – revenue that would otherwise be lost. Customers can commit weeks before shipments arrive, giving Jeremy confidence when ordering.

The bigger driver is back-in-stock. When a container of axes lands and products go back online, back-in-stock emails create a surge: “That day is definitely a busy day… it probably is 24 hours of tons of orders.” Those reminders not only sell the original product but also bring customers back who often buy other items, like saws.

STOQ’s Notify Me lists have also become a planning tool. If dozens of people are waiting for one axe but only a few for another, Jeremy knows how to adjust future orders. Using date filters in the demand report helps him avoid sending notifications to old signups.

“Back-in-stock emails… it probably is 24 hours of tons of orders.”

What stood out most: support and ease

For Jeremy, support was the biggest surprise. Early on, Anaam helped him through glitches, even adjusting banners to make the site look good. Fixes sometimes came in minutes.

Pull-Quote: “The help was a big part of it. Sometimes I’d email and it was fixed within minutes.”

Today, the app runs smoothly with little input. “One thing less to deal with,” as Jeremy puts it.

“I don’t want to babysit it. I just know it works.”

The ROI from STOQ

Jeremy admits he’s not a technical guy. He doesn’t calculate ROI in spreadsheets. But for him, the return is clear:
- Preorders recover sales that would otherwise be lost.
- Back-in-stock brings customers back and sparks new sales.
- The system runs automatically, saving him time.

For Axeman, that peace of mind is invaluable.

Advice for other merchants

Jeremy’s advice is straightforward: don’t wait.

“Just do it. Don’t sit on the fence.”

He encourages new founders to try apps, lean on support, and not be afraid to learn. Shopify plus the right apps can turn a hobby into a full-time, profitable business. Most importantly, enjoy the process: “If you don’t enjoy it, don’t do it. If you do, the time just disappears.”