The same survey asked what keeps people buying from a brand (they could pick more than one):
Don't discount too often, sell an amazing product, give people a stellar experience and collect good reviews. You do NOT need all nine of these, so pick a couple that suit your brand and start there.
A powerful post-purchase flow
A post-purchase flow is so much more than a thank-you email. I'd build at least 5 to 7 emails, so every new customer hears from you well past the day their order lands.
In Klaviyo, build a flow triggered by Placed Order, then split it with Placed Order equals 1 over all time so first-time buyers get their own path. Then:
- A thank-you, straight away
- What to expect and how to get the best from the product, so they're excited while they wait and it's even better when it arrives
- A review ask, once it's been delivered AND they've had a chance to use it
- Personalized recommendations: what pairs with the thing they bought
- A replenishment reminder, if it's something that runs out
- An offer to bring them back, if they still haven't bought again
- A "last chance" reminder of that offer
The offer doesn't have to be a discount. A gift with their next order or a bundle can do the job (numbers 5 and 6 below).
Real brand example: Graza's first-purchase email welcomes new customers into the gang and hands over recipes, with no discount in sight. Jones Road Beauty sends its review request several weeks after the order arrives, and Fly By Jing puts a customer support contact inside its review email, so an unhappy customer has somewhere to go first.
Those reviews keep working for you, too. 49.2% of shoppers put reviews and reputation in their top three factors when buying from a brand for the first time. 📈
An unboxing experience they'll remember
Your packaging is the one bit of marketing every single customer opens! And this doesn't mean a fancy or expensive unboxing. It could be something super simple, like a cardboard box that turns into a kid's robot costume, or some funny labeling on the box about how the box could become a toy for your cat. Anything that makes people laugh and engages with them is good.
It'll look different from brand to brand. The point is that opening your parcel feels like a really positive experience.
Real brand examples
Adore Beauty
Adore Beauty in Australia made this one famous by popping a Tim Tam (a chocolate biscuit) into its orders. Its own site promises samples "and a delicious Tim Tam treat with every order", and its CEO told SmartCompany customers in its new physical stores would be "getting Tim Tams" too.
SmartCompany →Who Gives A Crap
It's toilet paper, and people photograph it. Every roll comes individually wrapped in playful paper designs, and one reviewer said opening the box felt more like opening "a box full of cylindrical presents". There's a gold roll you can save for last, so you know when you're running low.
The Good Trade →Who Gives A Crap
One of its limited editions had wrappers designed to look like wrapped presents, with a little "To/From" tag on each.
Who Gives A Crap →Go-To
Go-To skincare ships in a peach box, the same peach as its products, printed with lines like "The Internets made my Go-To be here!" and "Squeeeee!". Before the customer has even seen the product, they know exactly who they bought from.
WWD, on Go-To's site →The Sill
The Sill sends care instructions in the package for gift recipients, and keeps a Plant Care Library on its site where you look up your plant by name.
Your version, on a small budget
How the product turns up and how well they use it are both part of how good it feels. So your parcel keeps selling long after the sale. 📈
A refill reminder
If your product runs out, remind people a few days before it does. This is for ALL your customers, and your one-off buyers most of all, because nobody is reordering for them automatically. It can be its own flow or part of your post-purchase flow.
The timing comes from how long one unit lasts a normal customer, so work that number out first. For example, a 30-day supply might get its first reminder around day 25. In Klaviyo, go to Flows > Create flow and search "replenishment" for a flow you can start from.
Real brand example: Who Gives A Crap emails its subscribers a reminder before each order and lets them reschedule or skip it. You can borrow the same idea for people who bought once and never subscribed.
A surprise in the second order
A little something they weren't expecting makes a second order feel special. A handwritten "welcome back" note with their name on it, or a sample of a product they haven't tried yet, does the job on a small-brand budget. Keep the cost tiny next to your margin (example: a $1.50 sample in a $60 order).
Real brand example: Chewy is the famous one. New customers get a handwritten card, and some get a surprise hand-painted portrait of their pet that nobody can request.
A gift with their next order
A gift gives a past customer a reason to come back NOW, and your price stays where it is. Good gifts for a second order: a mini of something they haven't tried, an accessory that goes with what they bought, or something only returning customers can get.
Real brand example: Three Ships Beauty runs "FREE MINI TOTE WITH ORDERS +$85" in its announcement bar.
The number: asked which incentives win them over, 48.2% of shoppers picked a gift with purchase.
In your own sums, the gift is worth what it COSTS you, and setting a minimum spend on it protects your margin. 💸
A bundle built around what they already bought
Their first order tells you what to offer next: a refill pack of the same thing, or the product they bought plus the one that pairs with it. A bundle makes the decision easy, and it doesn't have to be cheaper than buying the pieces separately.
Real brand example: Graza's two-bottle starter duo is $37, exactly what the two oils cost separately ($21 and $16). Fishwife's Starter Pack is seven tins for $78, and free shipping starts at $75, so the bundle clears the threshold by itself.
The number: 29.2% of shoppers said bundles, or a better deal for buying more, win them over.
Early access and loyalty perks for past customers
Before your next launch or sale, email the people who've already bought from you first. An example head start is 24 hours. It costs you nothing in margin and it makes being a customer feel like it counts for something.
Real brand example: Gymshark gives its app users early access to major drops and sales. Princess Polly opens early access to sales once a member reaches 300 points, gives 1 point for every $1 spent, and adds a bonus 50 points on every third purchase. I love that third-purchase bonus because it rewards the habit.
The number: rewards or points keep 46.8% of shoppers buying from a brand, and 20.9% picked VIP perks or early access.
You don't need a points app to do this. An early access email to past customers needs nothing more than a segment of everyone who has ordered at least once.
Fast, friendly customer service replies
This one is a no-brainer, but it actually makes a HUGE difference.
- Make your support easy to find and easy to reach, with email and live chat.
- Offer timely support, so nobody is left waiting and wondering.
- Put a reply time you can ACTUALLY keep on your contact page and in your auto-reply, then stick to it.
The number: a good experience or service was the second biggest reason shoppers gave for buying again, picked by 63.6%.
A new product drop
Give people something new to come back for. A new product, a new bundle or a limited run all work, and your past customers hear about it first. You can do this any time of year, and it's particularly effective straight after a sale to keep your momentum up.
Real brand example: Olipop launched a limited Shirley Temple flavor in early January 2026, available until the end of March.