What should I send customers who have stopped ordering?
Last updated
It changes what counts as new and what a reorder looks like.
Start the series when a customer has gone longer than usual without buying.
Without one, the last email asks whether to keep writing.
Both optional. A warm voice unless you choose another.
Used in the subject and sign-off. Never stored or sent.
Pick what you sell, how long customers have been away and whether to offer anything, and three emails appear here with send days, subjects, preview text and body copy.
- What you sellNeeded
- Time since last orderNeeded
- Incentive or noneNeeded
- Store name and voiceOptional
How a lapsed-customer series is put together
A win back email sequence is a short series sent to customers who have stopped ordering, so a supplement brand whose buyers usually reorder monthly might write after 60 days to show what is new, a week later with best sellers and a question about why they stopped, and a week after that with 15 percent off the next order.
Written from fixed templates, not by a language model; the send days are our own suggested spacing. To measure how many customers you keep, use the customer retention calculator.
A win back series speaks to someone who already bought from you, which changes everything about the tone. It assumes familiarity, asks what went wrong and, at the end, either makes an offer or lets the reader leave the list cleanly.
- Lapse
- How long a customer has gone without an order before the series starts. Set it from your own reorder rhythm: a refill brand might start at 60 days, a furniture store after a year.
- The check-in
- The first email. Acknowledges the gap without guilt, shows what has changed since their last order and offers a quick way to reorder what they bought before.
- The reason to return
- The second email. Current best sellers with real review lines, plus a one-click question about why they stopped. The answers are often more useful than the orders.
- The last message
- With an incentive, it states the offer once and plainly. Without one, it asks whether the reader wants to keep hearing from you, and promises to stop if they say nothing.
- Sunsetting
- Taking people who never open off your marketing list. It keeps the list honest and protects delivery to the readers who do want your email.
- Tone
- Warm, direct, premium or playful. It shapes the subjects, preview text and greeting; the structure of the series stays the same.
Nudgesmart is available on the Shopify App Store. Browse the template library or see what it costs.
Five lapsed-customer series, side by side
Made-up stores with made-up names. Each row is written by the same function as the generator above, so the subjects shown are exactly what it produces for those choices.
| Store | Email 1 subject | Email 2 subject | Email 3 subject |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supplement brand, 60 days, 15 percent off | What is new at Vital Stack since your last visit | Picked for you: new sizes and bundles | 15% off on your next order |
| Clothing label, 6 months, no incentive | It has been a while, and we noticed | A few things we think you would like | Should we keep writing to you? |
| Pet food, 90 days, free shipping | Knock knock. It is us, Good Boy Pantry | We made some changes. Come judge them | Bribery? Maybe. Free shipping |
| Furniture store, 1 year, fixed amount off | We have kept a place for you | Selected with you in mind | Reserved for your return: $40 off |
| Coffee roaster, 60 days, no store name | It has been a while, and we noticed | A few things we think you would like | A little something to welcome you back: a returning-customer discount |
Limits of a win back template
Your platform picks who is lapsed
The series needs a segment of customers with no order since a given date. Build that segment in the email platform you already use, then paste these emails into the flow it triggers.
Not every lapsed customer is lost
Someone who bought a sofa last year may simply not need another. The feedback question in the second email tells you which silences are a problem and which are just the product.
A discount can train the wrong habit
If every quiet spell ends in a code, some customers will learn to go quiet. Try the series with no incentive first, or keep the offer modest and single-use.
Keep the promise in the last email
If you say you will stop writing, stop. Moving silent readers off the marketing list is what makes the ask believable, and continuing to mail them hurts delivery.
Consent still applies
Only email customers who agreed to marketing messages. Rules differ by country, and this page cannot judge them for your store.
Win back email questions
What is a win back email?
An email to a customer who has not ordered in a while, meant to bring them back or learn why they left. A series of two or three usually does both: news first, a question next, an offer or a goodbye last.
When should I send a win back email?
When a customer has gone noticeably longer than usual without an order. For products bought monthly that might be 60 days; for furniture it could be a year. The generator lets you pick the lapse so the wording fits.
Should a win back email include a discount?
It can, but it does not have to. With no incentive the series ends by asking whether to keep writing, which also cleans the list. With one, the offer appears once, in the last email.
What subject lines work for win back emails?
Lines that sound like a person noticing, not a system chasing. The generator gives each email a subject and preview text in the tone you pick. For a second opinion on any line, run it through the subject line tester on this site.
Does this send the emails for me?
No. It writes them. Paste the text into the win back or lapsed-customer flow of your email platform and set the timing there.
How do I decide who counts as lapsed?
Look at the typical gap between first and second purchases in your order history, then pick a lapse comfortably beyond it. Seasonal gifting brands may prefer anniversaries of last year’s purchase. Splitting one-time buyers from repeat customers helps too, since loyal regulars going silent deserve a more personal note.
Is my store name stored anywhere?
No. Everything is written in your browser, nothing is saved and there is no share link.
Winning a customer back ends on the storefront, not in the inbox.
Returning visitor is one of the triggers in Nudgesmart, so an on-site bar or popup can meet the customers your win back emails bring back.
