There are many possible reasons why past customers stopped buying from you.
Maybe they only bought something as a gift the first time. Perhaps your product mix has changed. Maybe they bought your products during a promotion.
Whatever the reason, they’re gone. Unless you do something, these customers may never buy from you again.
It’s time for an intervention in the form of a win-back campaign: a series of communications that bring inactive customers back to making regular purchases. Here’s how to use these campaigns to drive revenue.
Win-back campaigns are a series of emails, texts, or notifications designed to reengage a previous customer.
For example, if somebody hasn’t purchased in six months, a win-back email campaign (also known as a reactivation campaign) can encourage them to return—instead of losing them forever.
Acquiring new customers is expensive, and the competition for paid reach is intensifying. Global ad spend surpassed $1 trillion in 2024 and is forecast to hit $1.24 trillion by 2026, an 80% increase from pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
Retention continues to punch above its weight. In 2024, Omnisend data from 24 billion emails, 230 million SMS, and 413 million push notifications showed that automated emails drove 37% of email-attributed sales from just 2% of send volume.
One in three clickers on automated messages purchased, versus 1 in 18 for scheduled campaigns. Back-in-stock emails converted at 5.34%. For SMS, automations generated 18% of orders from 9% of sends, and combining SMS and email in the same workflow lifted conversion by 54% compared to email only.
Repeat customers are becoming more valuable. Across a dataset of over 12,000 ecommerce merchants from Gorgias, repeat customers represented 21% of customers but drove approximately 44% of revenue and 46% of orders. This is what win-back programs are designed to exploit, reactivating buyers to increase revenue share without raising customer acquisition costs (CAC).
Here are the 2025 benchmarks for email:
Use email as the base of your win-back strategy by creating email automation flows.
For example, send an email highlighting bestsellers or new arrivals in categories the customer has purchased from. If you sell consumables, send emails with one-click reorders to make replenishment effortless.
In 2025, SMS saw good results for marketing campaigns:
SMS is perfect for urgent messages that require immediate attention. For example, you could send a 24-hour-only “We miss you” discount code to encourage a return visit. Or, if a lapsed customer visits and abandons a cart, send a direct SMS link to their cart to provide an immediate and easy path to purchase.
Automated push notifications saw sizeable returns in 2025:
You can send push notifications to opted-in customers with contextual alerts. If you’re having a price drop promo, you can notify a customer instantly that an item they previously viewed, favorited, or carted has just gone on sale.
A win-back campaign typically consists of four elements—starting with an initial reengagement email and continuing with feedback, incentives, and a last-chance farewell.
A reengagement message is your first check-in with an inactive customer. Since these subscribers likely haven’t interacted with your brand in weeks, open the door to conversion by telling them what they’ve missed.
New-stock alerts, bestselling products, or seasonal sales perform great in the first part of your win-back campaign. Inactive subscribers see what they’ve missed, and the innate social proof of a “bestseller” label induces fear of missing out (FOMO).
Not all customers will respond to your win-back campaign by visiting your storefront. Sometimes they just need an incentive to revisit your website and purchase again.
Reserving the deal for customers further along in the win-back series prevents you from unnecessarily losing profit on inactive subscribers who only needed a small nudge.
Inactive customers who reach this stage in your win-back series likely have something holding them back. Ask them outright in the hopes a sales rep can ease their prepurchase anxieties and get them to make another purchase.
The added benefit of automated feedback systems is that you can use them for other purposes, too. How about contacting your other customer groups and asking them how you can help them, or if there are any problems that could make them stop buying from you in the future?
If past customers say they’re more likely to purchase if renewal subscriptions make it convenient for them, highlight subscription boxes in your win-back messaging. If loyal customers say slow delivery speeds cause them to stop purchasing, communicate how ordering before a certain cut-off time guarantees next-day delivery.
Despite making several attempts to convert an inactive subscriber, by this stage, a conversion is unlikely. This is where you implement a sunsetting flow, or a clean and safe removal of unengaged contacts from your list. If a subscriber hasn’t opened or clicked in 90 to 180 days, or after three to four win-back attempts, it’s time to remove them from your marketing sends.
Removing inactive subscribers can improve future email performance. Higher engagement rates improve email deliverability, while costs associated with email marketing decrease. Do not use your budget to email subscribers who won’t place orders.
But before closing the door altogether, give inactive subscribers one last chance to stay connected—perhaps by clicking a link to show they still want to hear from you, or by offering a better-than-average discount coupon code.
The first step is to protect recipients from malicious messages and safeguard your domain from being impersonated.
If you send more than 5,000 messages per day, your marketing and subscribed messages must support one-click unsubscribe.
Google Postmaster Tools lets email senders see data about the emails they send. It helps you understand if you’re meeting Google’s email sender guidelines. Once it’s set up, Postmaster Tools shows:
Before we can use win-back campaigns to retain otherwise-lost customers, we must first identify the people we’re trying to reach. This is where email list segmentation comes into play.
Define the criteria for customers who are likely to reactivate using the RFM matrix. Segment your existing customers based on:
Start your win-back campaign by prioritizing your highest-value customers first—the ones with a high average order size who haven’t purchased anything recently. Convincing these people to purchase will result in the most revenue for your brand.
From there, tap into subscribers with a high purchase frequency. Much like your first segment, these were once-loyal customers—only they didn’t spend as much as your high-priority group.
Shopify’s customer segmentation tools make this even easier. You can build dynamic lists directly in your Shopify admin, filtering by recent, frequency, or spend level. Use those segments across your email, SMS, and ads. The segments update automatically as shopper behavior changes, so your win-back campaigns always target the right people.
There are endless subgroups within the general group of inactive customers to target in future campaigns. For example, you could use tags inside your email marketing platform to segment people who meet the following criteria:
Depending on how you’ve set up your store, this data is available to you and can all be used to your advantage. The more targeted your win-back campaigns are, the better your chances of turning an otherwise-lost subscriber into a loyal customer.
Much like any marketing campaign, measurement is arguably the most important facet of a win-back campaign. By monitoring performance, you can hone in on elements known to convert inactive subscribers and ditch those that don’t make a difference.
Start with bounce rate—the percentage of email addresses that returned your message. A large gap between a customer’s last order and your win-back campaign can contribute to a high bounce rate.
Subscribers might have deleted their email account or accumulated too many emails throughout that time, preventing your message from getting through. Remove hard-bounced addresses to improve future deliverability.
Other important metrics to pay attention to when monitoring your win-back campaigns include:
Break down metrics by campaign type, message, and format for greater insight. Are inactive customers more likely to convert through a free shipping or coupon incentive? Does including this incentive in the subject line improve open rates?
Use Shopify Analytics to get a full view of performance. With the built-in analytics dashboards, you can track metrics like repeat purchase rate, average order value, and revenue by customer segment.
With a clear win-back strategy in place, the next step is execution. The right technology can automate reengagement campaigns and give you more ways to reach past customers. For brands on Shopify, you get access to two channels for reengagement.
Reaching the right customers on the right ad platform prevents wasted ad spend and makes your ads more effective. Shopify Audiences helps merchants reach likely buyers and disengaged customers by exporting audience lists to major ad platforms.
Audiences analyze shopper behavior to create lists of potential customers for retargeting and prospecting. It uses machine learning to identify buyers and automatically generates lists for your win-back campaign.
Apparel retailer Mac Duggal, for example, used Shopify Audiences after missing their return on ad spend (ROAS) targets. The brand merged their first-party data with Audiences and saw:
“Pulling in data from other sources, such as Shopify, is a key ingredient to Mac Duggal’s success,” says Conor Maurice, head of digital at Prospect Knight, the partner agency leading Mac Duggal’s advertising. “The ROAS from Shopify Audiences was two times better than our existing activity, so we have used it ever since.”
Paid ads are essential here, but direct communication on an owned channel is invaluable for building loyalty. The Shop app lets you contact two of your most valuable segments: those who’ve abandoned their cart and those actively following your brand.
These are two ways the Shop app helps you reengage:
No matter how well-optimized your win-back series is, you’ll have a difficult time converting customers if they don’t open your messages. This is where your subject line comes into play.
Remember: People in your win-back series haven’t purchased in a long time. They may need a reminder about your brand and how you can help them. Meal subscription service Blue Apron communicates this with the subject line “Come on back—we made dinner easier! 😋” in their win-back series.
Other effective approaches with your win-back subject lines include:
Incentives play a key role in reengaging inactive customers. But that doesn’t always mean a cash discount. Other ways to incentivize existing customers to purchase again include:
Segmentation is the key to a successful win-back campaign. Personalize the incentive for each customer segment.
It’s probably not reasonable to offer a $100 coupon code for a customer who only ordered from your store once. But making the same offer to someone who has bought thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise from you might be the nudge they need to return and place an order that remains profitable.
Win-back campaigns work best when they’re well timed. Just as you wouldn’t enter a subscriber into your win-back series just a few days after purchasing, your campaigns won’t be as effective if you’re emailing customers too late.
Analyze historical sales data and customer feedback surveys to understand how often people replenish your products. If you’re a coffee retailer, ecommerce data analysis might uncover that your coffee packs usually run out within four weeks. Repeat customers place new orders each month.
Schedule your win-back campaigns around these repeat order dates. If someone typically orders a new coffee roast every four weeks but they’re edging on six weeks since their last order, enter them into your win-back series. A subject line like, “Are you running out?” could be enough to entice otherwise-lost customers into purchasing again.
What happens to your win-back email series if products have a long sales cycle or typically aren’t replenished regularly? Take electronics, for example. People rarely purchase more than one device each year.
A mobile phone retailer shouldn’t wait more than 12 months before communicating with its customers. By that point, they could’ve forgotten about the brand entirely, making the elusive win-back harder to achieve.
Instead, check in with previous customers and upsell or cross-sell products related to those they’ve already bought before they’re gone. That same mobile phone retailer could recommend phone cases, charging accessories, or clip-on lenses throughout its win-back series.
Not only does it keep the brand top of mind for when they’re looking to upgrade their device, but it’s also positioning your company as the go-to provider for phone-related products that consumers purchase more frequently than once per year.
People in your win-back campaign don’t always stop making repeat purchases just because they’ve fallen out of love with your brand or no longer have a use case for the previous items they’ve bought. Sometimes, customers are lost simply because they forgot.
Forgetfulness strikes in many situations. Perhaps the customer changed their daily routine and forgot how your product slots in. Maybe they intended to make a repeat purchase two weeks ago, but were distracted along the way.
Subscriptions combat forgetfulness by taking the pressure off customers to order again. Use them as the foundation for your win-back series and encourage otherwise-lost customers to automatically replenish their favorite items each month—without setting mental reminders to do so.
Athletic Greens puts this into practice with their email marketing campaign. It prompts existing customers to “upgrade and continue” their ritual. The main call to action (CTA) isn’t to repurchase the same item, but to subscribe to a monthly subscription box and allow the brand to charge their credit card information each month until they cancel.
Email is the preferred communication channel for 70% of customers.
Yet successful DTC brands connect with customers—including those on the verge of being lost forever—across multiple channels. Today’s omnichannel customer experience involves 100 possible touchpoints.
Filter customers approaching the end of your win-back series who haven’t yet purchased. These people either haven’t opened your emails, haven’t found the right product, or don’t feel trusting enough to convert.
Instead of unsubscribing them once they reach the end, send a last-ditch attempt to engage with at-risk customers elsewhere. That could mean:
What connects with one customer segment might not work for another. That’s where A/B testing comes in handy.
When running A/B tests for win-back campaigns, there are a few elements to consider:
Start with a simple hypothesis. For example, for lapsed customers with an average order value over $60, a free shipping offer will generate more revenue than a percentage-off discount.
Run the test for 48 to 72 hours. Look to see which variant performed better, and use that one in your customer win-back campaign going forward.
Better Body’s win-back email example shows how time-sensitive emails can be effective in the win-back series. The brand promises their dumbbells are “disappearing for good.” Only customers who order before stock runs out can get the equipment and take advantage of the discount.
What’s great about this win-back example is that the limited-stock product drop isn’t used in isolation. Inactive subscribers are given subtle nudges to convert elsewhere in the email, like a no-custom-fee promise and buy now, pay later (BNPL) options. High extra fees or upfront payment elements could have deterred one-time customers from purchasing again.
Men’s skincare brand Oars + Alps doesn’t just rely on emails to win back customers. They use SMS marketing to reengage customers who haven’t purchased in a while.
The incentive to repurchase in this text is clear: For a limited time, customers can get a mini deodorant kit with any order. People who haven’t placed another order because they didn’t like the scent they chose, for example, get the opportunity to explore new scents and find their favorite.
Kitchenware retailer Our Place uses Facebook advertising to communicate with customers. They promote several short-form videos alongside text that says, “The Always pan got a major upgrade.”
This messaging appeals to inactive customers who haven’t purchased in a while. For example, if they weren’t impressed with the quality of the product they last ordered, it might explain why they became inactive. By highlighting the new design and why it’s better, the brand gives inactive customers a reason to head back to the ecommerce site and make another purchase.
Your ecommerce platform already houses data about your customers’ buying habits, order size, and more. A few well-timed creative emails could be the difference between losing otherwise repeat customers and generating predictable revenue for your business.
The best part? Win-back series can be completely automated, making them a no-brainer for any scaling store. Tools like Klaviyo, Omnisend, and Yotpo integrate directly with Shopify, so you can tag any customer at risk of never purchasing again and automatically distribute a high-converting win-back email series that turns them into loyal customers. You can even access customer win-back email templates proven to convert.
A win-back campaign is a series of communications between a brand and a previous customer who hasn’t bought recently. Most often, this communication is via email.
Win-back refers to a marketing strategy where you reengage customers who have become inactive. Your win-back efforts are made to connect with churned customers to encourage them to make another purchase. Brands often send personalized messages with special offers, which can be tested and optimized to find the most effective content.
Blue Apron is a great example of how merchants can use win-back campaigns. Its subject line is “Come on back—we made dinner easier! 😋.” The contents of the email reminds people of the benefits of its meal delivery services, concluding with a coupon code to entice inactive customers to resume their subscription.
A win-back campaign is a series of emails sent to previous customers who haven’t purchased in a long time. The goal is to reeducate them on your products and convince them to buy again.
