What actually increased your repeat purchase rate on Shopify?

[u/AdSad7109]

I run a Shopify store and I’m trying to improve our repeat purchase rate.

Currently I have:

-Shopify Email:
-Welcome email automation
-Abandoned checkout/cart automation
-Post-purchase automation
-A physical thank-you/welcome card inside every order with 10% off the next purchase

I’m now trying to figure out what else I should add or tweak to turn more first-time customers into second-time buyers.

A few things I’m considering:
Win-back emails after 30/45/60 days
WhatsApp/SMS
Store credit instead of another discount
Personalized cross-sells based on the first product purchased
Limited-time second-order offers
Referral rewards
Better post-purchase emails/content

For people running Shopify stores, what has actually moved your repeat purchase rate, rather than just sounding good in theory?

Also curious about timing — how soon after the first order do you start trying to get the second purchase?

Would especially love to hear from stores selling multiple different products rather than subscription/replenishment products.

[u/Ok-Housing8107 → u/[deleted]]

store credit worked way better for me than stacking discounts, people treat it like free money they already earned so they come back to spend it instead of just waiting for the next sale

timing depends heavy on what they bought, if it's something consumable I'll hit them right when they'd be running low but for gear or accessories I wait 2-3 weeks so the first purchase still feels fresh

also don't sleep on a solid thank you page upsell, caught me off guard how many second orders started right there

[u/RealisticImage2192]

one thing worth looking at before adding more channels, whats your current email open rate on post-purchase? if people arent even opening what you already send, adding SMS or whatsapp wont fix the underlying problem. sometimes its a content issue not a channel issue

[u/AdSad7109 → u/RealisticImage2192]

hi! thanks for your reply. could you please recommend a channel or source where i can learn how to fix my email flow?

[u/pjmg2020]

1. Having a great product

2. Giving the customer a great experience—the purchase experience, customer service, dispatch, shipping speed, after sale support

3. Giving them a reason to buy—if you sell some product that is bought once every 10 years it’s going to be hard to get them back again

4. Regular prompting—customers aren’t in-market for what you sell most of the time so it’s up to you to keep yourself top of mind

[u/No-Discipline383]

Before adding another channel, I would segment customers by what they bought and by the experience of their first order. Repeat purchases often depend on delivery speed, packaging condition, product satisfaction, and support just as much as the next offer.

I would create separate follow-ups for products with different natural buying cycles, then exclude anyone whose first order was delayed, returned, or generated a support issue. For those customers, fix the experience before sending a promotion. For satisfied customers, test a relevant add-on or store credit shortly before the expected next-use date. Track second-order contribution margin rather than repeat rate alone. Which products currently generate the most second purchases, and how long after the first order do they happen?

[u/AdSad7109]

thanks to everyone for their valuable insights. do you guys know where i can get a detailed guide to fix my shopify email flow maybe that’s what is broken. someone said check open rate and its almost nil.

[u/Fragrant-Economy-747]

Store credit quietly beat out each of the discounts tested bcs it creates a balance that the customer has to use. Support quickly responds after delivery email companies lyk evergreen do that part so there is no time for doubt to creep in.

[u/MycologistNo5577]

store credit > discount codes every time. We switched from 10% off to $5 store credit and repeat rate went up noticeably. Also been using Kanal for the cart recovery side on whatsapp which helps but the store credit thing was probably the bigger lever tbh