Itâs no news that acquiring a new customer costs businesses 5x more than retaining one.
A double whammy:Â the customer churn rate stands at 82%.Â
This is why your post-purchase emails need to go the distance in building better relationships. Thankfully, they have a 217% higher open rate than traditional emails.Â
If youâre here today looking for post-purchase email ideas, you'd want to explore:
29 Post-Purchase Email Examples We Love
1. Book of the MonthâKeep it crisp
Book of the Month focuses on brevity in this post-purchase email example. Thanks to its ability to convey the message in a few words, this shipping confirmation email grabs our attention within 5 seconds.
Here are a couple of tips to ensure your post-purchase email copy is concise:
- Use the rule of threeâPacking things up is more powerful than Your order is being shipped
- Add words that have 3 syllablesâany more will make it hard to pronounce
2. Harry'sâLeverage soft upsells
Harry's does a soft upsell in this post-purchase email template. The copy leverages risk aversion(the tendency to choose safer options over the riskier ones) to upsellâa subtle way to increase AOV.
Here's how you can upsell using with an optimized post-purchase email design:
- Add a personal note from the founderâI hand picked our best products for you is pleasing to hear
- Be subtleâSay This might go well with to convey authority
- Timebox your upsellsâadding a countdown timer can increase conversions by 400%
- Reserve your high-selling products for the first and last spots in a seriesâhumans tend to find the first and last items appealing
- Offer a 1-month, 3-month, and a 6-month subscriptionâhighlight the savings to make the value tangible
3. Speak the language of your customersÂ
Benefit Cosmetics' post-purchase email appeals to its customers with a street-smart language. Something that its target market of millennials and Gen Z identify with.
Here's how you can make your post-purchase email flow compelling:
- Tell your customers the next stepsâdirect them to a blog, tag themselves on social media, or join a loyalty program
- Ask them to join your communityâoffer exclusive benefits
Do check this: 25 Tips to Increase Sales Through Email Marketing (+ Amazing Examples)
4. Communicate via visuals
Buckberry's post-purchase email template uses visual cues to drive home to its message. Visual cues help contain the diminishing attention span.
Here's how you can make post-purchase emails powerful:
- Use suggestive cuesâa person wearing or using the product the customer just bought;
- Highlight the important hyperlinks in the brand colorâmake interaction easier
- Use arrows and pointers in CTAâbring in an annotated arrow to reduce attention cost
5. Write copy that makes heads turnÂ
Abercrombie & Fitch tweaks its copy to forge a personal connection in this post purchase email example. Notice how they grab our attention leading to smart upsell.
Try these relevant tips to make your post-purchase email campaigns thrive on copy:
- Build anticipationâHere's what you need to know about shipping tells there's something important your users need to know
- Provide peace of mindâWe've shipped your package reassures us of our destination
- Bring closureâWe've billed it to means your credit card details are in the right hands
- Be confident but leave room for doubtâbe willing to replace or refund to rule out buyer's remorse
6. Make customers feel nobleÂ
Cooks Venture emphasizes its brand values in this referral post-purchase email. It shapes a positive brand perception so much so that 86% of customers buy from purpose-driven brands.
Communicate your brand values in your post-purchase email template using:
- Communicate your purpose with resultsâ5000+ people with Down Syndrome employed is a better way to convey the impact
- Feature testimonials of your partnersâtestimonials from charity organizations can certify your credibility
- Convey your next goalsâCustomers are more likely to act when their simple contribution can help you achieve your goals
7. Offer loyalty specialÂ
 Chalonne offers a loyalty special, a free gift in this post-purchase follow-up email. Works well to convey that a upsell can act as a precursor for your loyalty program email.
Here's how you revamp your post-purchase emails:
- Send a milestone emailâTell Hey, Sam! We're grateful to have you as your customer. As a token of appreciation, here's a small gift on your next purchase
- Do an anniversary emailâfirst product bought and their AOV while giving them a free gift
8. Make reviews more funÂ
Bellroy sets a standard for all the post-purchase review emailsâand paints a mental image via copy.
Here are a couple of things we recommend:
- Ask customers if they got to use the productâthrow in an educational video
- Incentivize reviewsâfeature the best reviews on your website or offer a small reward
- Add 3 persuasion triggersâReview, UGC, and relevant product recommendations
9. Personalize replenishment emailsÂ
Office Depot uses an animated image to supplement this replenishment email example. The persuasion triggers such as deals, search, and 10% off are mental shortcuts that make decision-making easier.
Increase your replenishment email conversions by:
- Agitating the problemâYou can order a takeout, but your dog can't is a simple way to persuade
- Calculate average reorder timeâTake a look at the average time your customer segments have taken to place a reorder; a key behavioral trait
- Leverage Running out of stock emailsâIf a product cycle is 3 months, send an email 10 days before; adding 39 people have them in their carts now drives real urgency
10. ExpediaâCollect feedback without being nosyÂ
Expedia gets feedback without being annoying with a one-question survey in post-purchase marketing email.
Interestingly, one-question surveys have a 36% higher completion rate than regular ones. Â
Hereâs what you need to know before you create one:Â
- Ask close ended questions like âBased on your experience with our company, how likely would you recommend us to a friend or colleague?â
- Be neutralâinstead of asking We think our product is awesome, how awesome do you think it is?, ask On a scale of 1-5, how would you rate our product for safety?
- Use the Likert scale to make answering super easy
- Stick to one idea per questionâfor example, âHow was the <insert product name> that you last ordered?â
You must also check out: 35 Thanksgiving Email Examples For 2024 (eCommerce)
11. CinnabonâOffer a jaw-dropping incentiveÂ
Cinnabon shows how you can make your post-purchase email survey worth your customerâs time. Offer an incentive and see a 15% increase in your response rates.Â
Hereâs some advice before you give incentives:Â
- Offer non-transferrable coupons to avoid fraudÂ
- Always mention the validity periodâinstead of a duration, mention the last date to avail the offerÂ
- You might want to offer store credits instead of other rewards to encourage repeat traffic to the storeÂ
- Gift cards are brilliantâ74% of customers spend an average of $54 more the value of the cardÂ
- Be super specificâmention whether the incentive can only be redeemed online or in-store or bothÂ
- When you offer a discount, mention what styles are off the promotion
12. DecathlonâDrop a quick review emailÂ
Decathlon aces this post-purchase review email by hijacking our mind with TRACKS TREATING YOU GOOD?Â
Customers might hesitate to submit reviews, hereâs what you can do:
- Explain why the review is important and how you plan to use them to improveÂ
- Mirror a personal touchâinstead of a brand as a sender name, say Kristina from XYZÂ
- Give at least a weekâs time before you send an emailâthe best days are Wednesdays and SaturdaysÂ
- As for the best time, the time between 10 AM and 2 PM is idealâthe next best time is post 6 PM
- You might to wait it out depending on the nature of the dayâ for electronics and jewelry, the waiting period is 21 days while clothes and beauty products require 14 daysÂ
- More importantly, donât wait longer than 14 days in case of fruits, flowers, vegetablesâfor seasonal products, shoot an email after 7 daysÂ
13. Charming CharlieâBuild visual proof with UGCÂ
Hereâs a simple post-purchase email example from Charming charlie, asking users to share photos.Â
User-generated content helps you convince your customers minus the heavy liftingâ79% of buyers buy purely after seeing UGC.Â
Hereâs a few pointers to help you:Â
- List the places where youâll be featuring the imagesÂ
- Offer a compelling incentiveâa 10% discount on the next purchase or a free giftÂ
- Encourage your high-value customers to put out reviews on Instagram in exchange for exclusive offers
- Include a link to your privacy policyâhighlight the purpose of collecting these imagesÂ
14. ChewyâSpice up your delivery confirmation emails
Chewy doesnât keep its customers hanging. Their order confirmation email is reassuringâthe timing is precise. Automated emails like these build anticipation.Â
Make the most of shipping confirmation emails by:Â
- Making them mobile responsiveânearly 43% of online purchases are made through mobileÂ
- Include trust signals such as 30-day returns, price match guarantee, free return shippingÂ
- Mention the estimated date of delivery and include customer contact information
- Include an order tracking linkÂ
You might also like to read: eCommerce Email Mobile Optimization: 35 Guidelines For Store Owners
15. IpsyâGive âem a sneak peekÂ
Ipsy doesn't want their order confirmation emails to be plain. They personalize by calling out what shoppers have been wanting to see.Â
Order confirmation emails neednât be boring, change that by:
- Making it interactiveâinclude a GIFÂ
- Subtly mention your rewards programâfor instance, weâre here to support you(by any means necessary). See what rewards youâre eligible forÂ
- Give second chancesâprovide options to cancel or edit ordersÂ
- Stir excitement by adding a referral link, hereâs a templateâShare Goby, Score free brush heads
16. Just EatâWrite catchy subject linesÂ
33% of users open emails after reading catchy email subject lines. From personalization to curiosity, and questions, there are different ways to write catchy subject lines.
Hereâs proven tips for high-converting post-purchase subject lines:
- Reveal a part of the subject line and show the rest in the preview text
- Use emojis either in the beginning or at the end of the subject lines for an increase in open ratesÂ
- Lead with questions to arouse curiosity, use numbers to grab attentionÂ
- A/B test power wordsâfor instance proven vs guaranteedÂ
17. Rifle Paper Co.â Use reverse psychologyÂ
Rifle Paper Co. surprises us with site-wide discounts. While sitewide sales are great for new customers, they are equally loved by existing customers.Â
Follow these tips to make them better:Â
- Mention which categories or products are excludedÂ
- Apply the promo at checkout to bring them into the funnelÂ
- Combine it with flash sales to increase sales in the first hourÂ
Read more: Deliver An Amazing Post Purchase Experience: 17 Ideas (& Examples)
18. SpirithoodsâDrive exclusivity with promo codes
Spirithoods knows how to woo their customers. In this post-purchase email example, they offer us a promo code of 10% for our next purchase valid for the next two weeks. This creates exclusivity for customers. Â
Check out other ways you can use discount coupons:Â
- Include a member-only discount on sign-insÂ
19. MooâMake upselling subtleÂ
Hereâs a post-purchase email example from Moo, thatâs the work of a creative genius. Weâll tell you whyâsmart upselling that is subtle.Â
What can you do to upsell:Â
- Do a product comparison, outline the benefits of upgradingâtell them why they should go for vegan protein instead of wheyÂ
- Offer free refill on purchase of higher priced productÂ
- Roll out product bundlesâallow customers to customize their bundlesÂ
- Offer a free consultation or a quiz to educate customers
20. GrazeâRemind âem to stock upÂ
Graze pops the question running low on snacks? â this kind of question can make repeat customers feel theyâre being met wherever they are post-purchase.Â
With a click-to-open rate of 53.6%, replenishment emails can help you get repeat sales.
For high-converting replenishment emails, do this:
- Calculate the Repeat Purchase Rate to figure out the percentage of repeat buyers during a periodÂ
- To calculate Repeat Purchase Rate, take the total number of repeat purchases and divide it by total number of customers during a specific periodÂ
- Take a look at the frequency of the purchase from your recurring customers and identify a sweet spotâif they order around 23-25th of every month, send it 10 days before the product runs outÂ
- Offer an automated subscription service and offer discounts based on different tiers
21. Gwynnie BeeâMake your emails entertaining
Â
Letâs face it. Static emails over time get bland. Hereâs where the mystery emails come in. Case in point, Gwynnie Beeâs scratch off email.Â
Spruce up your mystery emails:Â
- Be secretiveâreveal a part of information such as gifts not sold to public
- Use a countdown timerâemails having them see a 400% conversion rateÂ
- Send Spin the Wheel emails for customers to try their luck
22. REIâLead by content, sales will followÂ
REI educates its customers through content in its post-purchase email newsletter.
To makes your newsletter drive sales:Â
- Offer practical tips on how to make the most of a productâhow-to guides and videos help customers adopt the productÂ
- Drive authority through expert-led contentâfor example, a seasoned runner offering you tips improve uphill runningÂ
- Host live sessions to boost user engagement and encourage community sign-ups
23. CasperâOffer a compelling referralÂ
Of all post-purchase emails, referral emails are the most underrated. Referral marketing generates 3-5x more than any other channel.Â
For high ROI referral emails:Â
- Get down to business in the subject line, mention the incentiveâfor instance, đ¸ Cha-ching! Youâve earned $10Â
- The incentive should be the first thing users get to seeâmake it the hero textÂ
- Stick to one CTA buttonâdonât overwhelm your users
- Mention the key prerequisiteâmention the number of referral sign ups needed, is it 1 or 2?Â
- Always send it your high-value customersâthey have higher loyalty
24. Riff Raff and Co.âGive âem a challengeÂ
Humans love challenges. You can take inspiration from Riff Raff & Co. where customers get a free toy, but not before getting 5 of their friends to purchase.Â
The takeawayâthe stronger the incentive, the greater the inclination to work for it.Â
To make your contests fun:Â
- Offer giveaways for the first lucky 10 customersâthey have a 35% conversion rate
- Limit the number of the form fieldsâno more than 3Â
- Announce exclusive rewardsâfor instance, $100 gift card and a free invite to events
25. Need SupplyâWow them with birthday surprisesÂ
Birthdays are fun, and so are birthday emails. Need Supply offers a 20% discount.
What do the numbers say?
As per dataâ481% higher transaction rates, 342% higher revenue per email, 179% higher unique click-through rates, and 53% higher open rates.Â
For birthday emails that slay:
- Always send birthday emails on the actual dateâunless the customer is an old timerÂ
- Youâd want to throw the spotlight on the customerâmention the first purchase, highest AOV, you get the drift!Â
- Create a unique promo codeâletâs say, itâs Reeseâs birthday, create a promo code REESE23Â
- If you can, personalize birthday emails by revealing their ageâyou have the date, just donât be creepy
26. StarbucksâPrioritize low-effort signups
Sure, rewards programs are appealing, but why are your signups low? Itâs not because of the lack of incentives but the number of steps required to sign up.Â
Apart from easy sign-ups, you can offer:Â
- Perks like member-only benefits, early access deals, exclusive access to pre-launch products and moreÂ
- Offer free product samples to loyalty program members
We recommend you to check out: 25 Product Launch Email Examples That Drove Massive Sales (+Templates)
27. MelloâShow your humane sideÂ
Mello sends a post-purchase follow up email to their customers explaining that $1 from every purchase is donated to a nonprofit organization.Â
Here are a few tips:
- You might want to segment your cause marketing emails according to demographicsâ84% of Gen Z(13-25) believe that brands should support social and environmental issues
- Add resources where users can read on the causeâfor instance, guides on dementia Â
- Use trust signals such as Made with 100% recycled fibers, B Corp certified for environmental impact. and 50% of profits donated to global sanitationÂ
- Donât be afraid to show your reviews from beneficiary organizationsâChewy includes testimonials from its partner shelters
You'd also like to read: 12 eCommerce Brands Acing Cause Marketing in 2024
28. Munk PackâSend a founderâs noteÂ
In the post-purchase email series, your customers need reminders about why they chose you in the first place.Â
In fact, 88% of customers believe authenticity is important when it comes to deciding what brands theyâd like to support.Â
Founder emails donât have to be dull:Â
- Write the brand originâin the above example, it was the lack of healthy snacking optionsÂ
- Celebrate milestones and achievementsâgot your 50th paying customer? Tell them
- Donât be afraid to talk about your goalsâloyal customers like purpose driven brandsÂ
- Give an insight into the making of your productsâshow craftsmanshipÂ
You'll also love reading: How to Increase Email Marketing ROI (Updated 2024)
29. AlphaTauriâDelight customers on joining anniversariesÂ
People appreciate gratitude and you donât have to offer anything expensive but a simple discount promo code is twice as enough.Â
Hereâs a post-purchase email example from Alpatauri offering a 10% voucher for being a loyal customer.Â
We suggest:Â
- Start by thanking your customerâ91% of customers will buy from brands who appreciate their customersÂ
- You have your first nameâpersonalize it better by mentioning their top purchasesÂ
- Offer an incentiveâa gift card, discount, or something exclusive
- Timing is keyâsend it a day before the anniversary
- Avoid too many anniversary emailsâit spoils the fun
Customer Segmentation for Post-purchase EmailsÂ
You know how to write a post-purchase email, but it's only as effective as the customer segments you target.Â
Segment your customers based on new customers, high-value customers, and frequent customers. Hereâs what your can do:Â
1. New customers
For new customers, send thank you and welcome emails, immediately after purchase. Donât forget to brief them about customer support details and the next steps.
Right after 3-4 days send a how-to product guide with a detailed explanation. Point them toward demo videos and resources.Â
Post 1-2 weeks after the purchase, send an email requesting a review. Youâd also have to send a brief survey to ask for feedback. Offer an incentive for high response rates.Â
You might also like: 30 Best Email Marketing Examples In eCommerce (2024)
2. Existing customersÂ
A chunk of your customers would have bought from you about 2-3 months ago. Youâd want to send a re-engagement email asking about their intentions. Offer a discount or a promo code to persuade them to make a second purchase.Â
We recommend you offer flexible payment options such as BNPL methods to encourage buying. 48% of customers use BNPL options to buy products they canât afford.
Send personalized product recommendations based on order history. Make sure you send recommendations based on product usage, location, and lookalike audiences.Â
And there are replenishment emails. Offer complementary products for cross-selling. Close it up with automatic restocking options. Hereâs one from Chewy, youâd want to follow.Â
3. High-Value customersÂ
High-value customers have a high LTV and contribute to 80% revenue of eCommerce brands. Â
Your post-purchase emails to this segment must have early access deals, exclusive offers, pre-launch offers, and limited-edition drops.Â
You can top it off by sending a personalized thank you email from a key individual or someone your top management.Â
Post-Purchase Email WorkflowÂ
Post-purchase email campaigns fail because theyâre sent in silos. You need an email sequence that goes through all the touchpoints.Â
1. Order confirmation emailsÂ
Send your order confirmation emails immediately after the payment goes through. Donât forget the essentialsâorder summary, product images, breakdown, order number, and most importantly your customer support information. So, customers know where to contact, in case of shipment delays.Â
2. Shipping confirmation emailsÂ
This should come right after the product is dispatched from the warehouse. An order tracking link and an option to receive text updates is mandatory. You donât want your customers waiting. Â
You can make it better by adding a shipping progress bar. Itâll serve as a reference point for your customers.Â
3. Delivery confirmation emailsÂ
Donât sit back and relax. Once the shipment is delivered, inform the customer their order has been delivered to the shipping address. Thank the customer and include a link to your return policy.Â
4. Survey emailÂ
Send a survey email to learn how customers feel about their recent purchases. Send this 2-3 days after receiving the order. We strongly recommend you use a rating scale like NPS to frame your survey questions.Â
Keep in mind, ask no more than 5-10 questions. Make sure your customers can fill them in 10 minutes. For specific insights, a multiple-choice question survey with options to form works best.Â
Plus, other tips youâll find helpful:Â
- Provide options to write reviews online, in case email fails Â
- Use whitespace so users can readÂ
- Include live chat and customer contact detailsÂ
- Style your CTAs differentlyâfor instance, Weâre listeningÂ
- Offer double discounts for every stepâfor instance, 10% for writing a review and 20% for sharing photos(Thatâs a fair deal!)Â
5. Ask for a reviewÂ
Send an email requesting a review 14 days from the date of delivery. Hereâre a few tips to better your review request emails:
- Write a simple messageâHowâs the <product name> treating you?Â
- Encourage them to share photos(helps build UGC) and tag your handle on social mediaÂ
- Donât hold yourself backâoffer a gift card, discount, or store credit as a reward to complete the surveyÂ
6. Finish in style with replenishment emailsÂ
Once a considerable time has passed. Send replenishment emails after the typical usage cycle ends. For instance, if the average shampoo bottle of 200ml lasts 30 days. Send it a week before they run out.Â
You can drive more sales when you send 2 replenishment emails in a sequence. Anymore, will lead to unsubscribes.Â
Hereâre a few pointers to optimize your replenishment emails:
- Offer subscriptions for 30,60, and 90-day periods with a tiered discount
- Explain the benefits of using the products over extended periods
- Nudge your customers to try something newâa new and improved edition, you get the driftÂ
- Offer free shipping and returnsâeven better you can leverage low-stock alerts to drive urgencyÂ
While this is your standard email workflow, loyalty program invites come in quick sessions for your high-value customers. Â
5 basics to double-check in your post-purchase email
1. Be sure to cover all the transactional basicsÂ
Hereâs a checklist that you can always come back to when necessary:Â
2. Provide important updates in real-time
If you can be specific in your communication, theyâll trust you more for it. Wondering what updates can be sent as post-purchase messages? Hereâs a quick list.Â
- How they can access their receiptÂ
- Who and how to contact if thereâs a problemÂ
3. Identify and fix spam trigger points
The idea is to send customers content and updates that relate to them and have contextual relevance. On the side, make sure you also fix HTML and technical elements.Â
4. Remember timing is key
Build a strategy around one central thingâyour post-purchase email needs to be noticed. Sending it too early or late can lead to their emails piling up and your mail getting lost. And you donât want that to happen.
5. Space out your emails
The average person gets 21 emails per week from various brands. So itâs a good idea to restrict the number of emails to 2â3, giving at least a dayâs gap between them.Â
Transform Post-Purchase Emails Into A Revenue Machine
Most eCommerce store owners donât see post-purchase emails as a serious revenue stream.
Ask them about the importance of post-purchase email marketing, and you'll hear: âwe donât really have a major strategy,â âwe mostly use generic templates,â or âwe just send emails to people on our list.â
BUT AT THE SAME TIME:
There are stores out there that drive 30%+ of their revenue from post-purchase email marketing.
Engage can help you do the same - Book a free demo.
Weâll show you:
- workflows we can create for your store,
- proven ways to drive 30% or more $$ from email alone, and
- successful templates and strategies from your industry (and others).