A Guide to Email Marketing For Retail Stores

Let’s explore specific email types that drive results for retail businesses.

#1) Welcome Series (3-4 emails)

The welcome series introduces new subscribers to your brand and encourages first purchase.

#2) Nurture Sequence (4-7 emails)

Source: ReallyGoodEmails (https://files.reallygoodemails.com/emails/5-star-reviews.png)

The nurture sequence builds trust and positions your business as the solution to your subscriber’s problems.

#3) Abandoned Cart Recovery (3-4 emails)

source: ReallyGoodEmails (https://files.reallygoodemails.com/emails/your-bag-is-full-get-your-favorites.png)

Cart abandonment is a significant challenge for retailers, with average abandonment rates sitting at 70%.

Use Campaign Monitor to set up an automated abandoned cart journey to create abandoned cart workflows that automatically send follow-up emails after a specified time, like 1 hour or 1 day, to remind customers about their abandoned items.

#4) Post-Purchase Sequence (3-5 emails)

The customer journey doesn’t end at purchase—it’s just beginning. Post-purchase emails build loyalty and encourage repeat business.

Use Unified Email Builder to design and test Transactional emails that are also mobile-ready and brand-aligned. Include personalized product recommendations based on purchase history to encourage additional purchases.

#5) Re-Engagement Campaign (3-4 emails)

Source: ReallyGoodEmails (https://reallygoodemails.com/behavioral/retention/goodbyes-are-hard)

Re-engagement campaigns win back customers who haven’t purchased in a while.

#6) Behavioral Trigger Emails

Source: ReallyGoodEmails (https://files.reallygoodemails.com/emails/we-noticed-you-noticing-us.png)

Behavioral trigger emails respond to specific customer actions with timely, relevant messages that guide them toward purchase. These automated emails deliver personalized content based on how customers interact with your store, resulting in higher engagement and conversion rates.

#7) Promotional Email Sequence

A promotional email sequence strategically builds excitement and urgency around your retail sales events or product launches. This sequence typically starts with an announcement, builds momentum with reminders, and creates final urgency to drive conversions before the promotion ends.

#8) VIP and Loyalty Program Emails

Source: Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/193021534025281982/)

Customer loyalty program emails keep your most valuable customers engaged and incentivize continued purchases. These targeted communications celebrate customer milestones, remind members of available rewards, and provide exclusive benefits that make customers feel valued and recognized for their ongoing support.

Use Campaign Monitor’s journey builder to create a personalized loyalty journey. From notifying customers when they’re close to earning a reward to sending special offers when they reach reward thresholds, you can keep them engaged and motivated to keep coming back.

#9) Seasonal and Special Promotions

Effective seasonal campaigns go beyond simply announcing sales—they create emotional connections through storytelling, solve customer problems (like gift-giving challenges), and provide genuine value through curated selections and timely information.

#10) Review Request Emails

Source: ReallyGoodEmails (https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/day-30-what-s-happened-so-far)

Review request emails help build social proof while gathering valuable customer feedback. When properly timed and incentivized, these emails can significantly increase review submission rates while making customers feel their opinions are valued, strengthening their connection to your brand.

Read Next:

• How Do You Create A Lead Nurturing Campaign?
• What Every Small Business Needs to Know to Beat Cart Abandonment
• 8 Best Practices to Encourage Customer Reviews Through Email

Successful retail email marketing starts with building a solid foundation. Let’s explore the essential first steps to launch your retail email marketing strategy.

#1) Setting Clear Goals and KPIs

Define what success looks like for your email campaigns:

• Revenue Generation: Direct sales attributed to email campaigns
• Customer Retention: Repeat purchase rate from email subscribers
• Engagement: Open rates, click-through rates, and time spent with emails
• List Growth: New subscriber acquisition rate and list quality

#2) Understanding Your Audience

Develop detailed customer personas to guide your email content:

• Demographics: Age, location, income level
• Shopping Behaviors: Online vs. in-store preferences, average order value
• Product Interests: Categories and specific items they engage with
• Communication Preferences: Email frequency and content types they respond to

#3) Choosing the Right Email Marketing Platform

When evaluating email marketing platforms, prioritize these features:

• Visual Email Builder: Look for drag-and-drop functionality with retail-specific templates
• Segmentation Capabilities: The ability to segment based on purchase history and customer behavior
• Automation Tools: Support for triggered emails like abandoned cart recovery and post-purchase sequences
• E-commerce Integration: Seamless connection with your online store and other tools
• Mobile Optimization: Ensuring emails look great on smartphones (where over 60% of emails are opened)
• Analytics: Detailed reporting on open rates, click-through rates, and conversions

Campaign Monitor offers retail-specific features like a drag-and-drop email builder with responsive templates, automation tools, easy segmentation based on purchase behavior, and seamless integration with popular retail platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Salesforce.

#4) Building Your Email List

Before you can send compelling emails, you need people to send them to. Here are effective ways to grow your retail email list:

In-Store Collection Methods

Your physical store offers excellent opportunities to collect email addresses:

• Point-of-Sale (POS) Collection: Train staff to ask for email addresses during checkout, explaining the benefits (like exclusive offers)
• QR Codes: Place QR codes around your store that link to a signup form
• Loyalty Programs: Offer rewards or points in exchange for customer information
• In-Store Events: Collect emails during special events, workshops, or demonstrations

Website Opt-In Strategies

Your online presence should work just as hard at list building:

Campaign Monitor’s custom form builder allows you to create responsive, branded signup forms that integrate seamlessly with your website design. You can create different form types—from subtle pop-ups to embedded forms—and A/B test their messaging to maximize conversions. For example, you might test whether a pop-up offering a free e-book converts better than an inline form promising weekly industry insights.

#5) Planning Your Email Calendar

Create a strategic calendar that aligns with retail seasons and customer needs:

#6) Creating Compelling Email Content

Crafting engaging content is critical to the success of your retail email marketing campaigns. Your content needs to capture attention, communicate value, and drive action—all while representing your brand voice.

Content Types That Drive Retail Results:

• Product Showcases: Highlight new arrivals, bestsellers, or seasonal collections with high-quality images and concise descriptions
• Educational Content: Share styling tips, product care guides, or how-to content that adds value beyond promotion
• Customer Stories: Feature testimonials and user-generated content showing your products in real life
• Behind-the-Scenes: Give subscribers an insider look at your brand, design process, or store preparations

Writing Effective Copy for Retail Emails:

When writing email copy, focus on these key principles:

• Keep paragraphs short (2-3 lines maximum) for easy scanning
• Lead with benefits rather than features (“Perfect for summer adventures” vs. “Made with waterproof material”)
• Create a sense of urgency with time-limited offers or limited stock notifications
• Use action-oriented language in your CTAs (“Shop Now” or “Get 20% Off” rather than “Click Here”)

Campaign Monitor’s AI Writer can help you overcome writer’s block and generate compelling content ideas for your retail emails.

#7) Segmenting Audience as You Go

Segmentation can increase revenue by up to 760% compared to one-size-fits-all campaigns. Strategic segmentation allows retailers to deliver content that truly resonates with specific customer groups.

Demographic Segmentation Target customers based on key characteristics:

• Age Groups: Tailor messaging style and product selections by generation
• Location: Localize content based on climate, events, and nearby stores
• Gender: Customize product recommendations

Behavioral Segmentation Craft campaigns based on how customers interact with your brand:

RFM Analysis

RFM (Recency, Frequency, Monetary value) analysis is particularly effective for retail:

• Recency: How recently did the customer purchase?
• Frequency: How often do they purchase?
• Monetary Value: How much do they spend?

By combining these factors, you can identify your:

• VIPs: Recent, frequent, high-value customers (send exclusive offers)
• At-Risk: Previously frequent but not recent (send re-engagement campaigns)
• New High-Spenders: Recent, high-value but first-time (send welcome series)
• Potential Loyalists: Recent, frequent but lower value (send upsell campaigns)

Campaign Monitor’s advanced segmentation tools allow retailers to create highly targeted audience segments using any subscriber data like purchase history, age, location, interests.

#8) Making Personalization Your Mission

Personalizing your emails can increase transaction rates by up to 6x.

Product Recommendations Based on Purchase History: Leverage customer data to suggest:

• Complementary products that pair with previous purchases
• Replenishment reminders for consumable products
• More items from categories they’ve shown interest in
• Products matching their demonstrated style preferences

Dynamic Content Based on Customer Preferences Customize email content for each recipient with:

• Weather-based recommendations (like rain gear during rainy seasons)
• Local store information and nearby events
• Content from their preferred product categories
• Recently viewed products they didn’t purchase

#9) Focusing on Mobile-First Design

With 60% of emails now opened on mobile devices, mobile optimization is no more an option—it’s a necessity.

Responsive Email Templates

Ensure your emails look great on all devices:

• Single-column layouts for easier mobile reading
• Larger font sizes (minimum 14px for body text)
• Touch-friendly buttons (minimum 44×44 pixels)
• Compressed images for faster loading
• Preview text that supports your subject line

Campaign Monitor offers a library of mobile-optimized templates you can choose from. You can also use the drag-and-drop email builder, which allows you to build professional emails quickly – no coding required.

#10) Measuring Your Email Performance

To continuously improve your email marketing, you need to measure performance and make data-driven decisions.

According to Campaign Monitor’s 2022 Email Marketing Benchmarks Report, the table below shows the key email engagement benchmarks for the restaurant, food, and beverage industry. These benchmarks help you understand how well your email campaigns are performing compared to the industry standards.

Campaign Monitor’s analytics provide retail businesses with full engagement reports across all email types, allowing marketers to track performance metrics like opens, clicks, bounces, shares, and unsubscribes to continuously improve their email strategy.

#11) A/B Testing

Systematic A/B testing improves results over time:

Subject Line Testing Strategies

Test these elements in your subject lines:

• Length: Short (30 characters) vs. longer (60+ characters).
• Personalization: Including name vs. no name
• Emojis: With vs. without
• Questions vs. Statements: “Ready for summer?” vs. “Summer styles are here”
• Specificity: “20% Off Everything” vs. “Save on Summer Styles”

Read Next:

• Campaign Monitor drove a 10% engagement boost for On Running with personalized campaigns
• 5 Email Marketing Calendar Templates to Kickstart Your Campaign
• What are good open rates, CTRs, & CTORs for email campaigns?

Email marketing works best when integrated with your other marketing channels.

Email and Social Media Integration

Create synergy between email and social:

• Cross-promote channels in both email and social posts
• Repurpose content across platforms (turn popular emails into social posts)
• Use social proof in emails (customer photos, reviews, UGC)
• Create exclusive content for each channel to encourage users to follow both
• Retarget email subscribers with social ads for multi-touch campaigns

Email and In-Store Experience

Bridge the digital-physical divide:

Connect digital communication to physical experiences:

• Store event invitations sent via email
• Digital receipts with post-purchase recommendations
• In-store exclusive offers delivered via email
• Store opening announcements to local subscribers
• BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick-up In Store) notifications and instructions

Email and SMS for Retail

Combine these powerful channels for maximum impact:

When to Use Each Channel

Strategically deploy email and SMS based on their strengths:

Campaign Monitor offers SMS campaign management integrated with email marketing, allowing retailers to run cohesive cross-channel communications with personalized messages using existing subscriber data for better engagement.

Read Next: The best email integrations to enhance your retail marketing campaigns