Re-engage inactive customers with email
Customers who have not bought in a few months are not automatically lost. A win-back flow brings them back before you drop them from the list.
Updated: July 2026
What is email win-back for customers?
Email win-back is an automated flow that brings back customers who have not bought for a while. You segment the list by inactivity, then send a sequence of two or three emails: a reminder, an offer and a final message before you mark the customer as lost. The customers you already have cost less than new ones.
How the win-back flow works
Segment inactive customers
You pick an inactivity threshold, for example 60 or 90 days with no order, and automatically move those customers into a separate segment. The flow triggers on its own when someone enters that segment.
Email 1: reminder
The first message puts the brand back on their radar, with no discount. You remind them what they liked, a product they viewed or a category they bought, and give them a reason to return to the site.
Email 2: offer or concrete reason
If they did not react, the second email brings a clear incentive: a discount code, free shipping or a relevant new arrival. This is where most of the recoverable customers come back.
Email 3: last chance
The final message says plainly that this is the last try before you drop them from regular emails. Anyone who does not respond now moves to lost-customer status, so it does not hurt your deliverability.
When a win-back flow is worth it
- You have a base of customers who bought at least once
- Part of the list has not opened or bought in months
- You send the same campaigns to the whole list, with no inactivity segmentation
- You want to clean out dead contacts without losing customers who can still return
- Acquiring a new customer costs more than reactivating an old one
What we do
We build and run the flow end to end. We set the inactivity thresholds, write the three emails in your brand voice, schedule them in the platform and track how many customers come back. You configure nothing and get a report on what the flow brought back.
Frequently asked questions
How many months of inactivity before a customer enters win-back?
It depends on how often your customers buy. For a store with frequent purchases, 30 to 60 days is a reasonable threshold. For products bought rarely, you can wait 90 days or more. We look at your data before setting the threshold.
How many emails does a win-back flow have?
Usually two or three. One reminder, one with a concrete reason to return and, optionally, a final message before you mark the customer as lost. More emails tire the list without real gain.
Do I have to offer a discount?
Not always. Sometimes a reminder or a relevant new arrival is enough. A discount helps on the second email, when the customer has not reacted. We use it in a targeted way, not from the start, so you do not cut your margin for nothing.
What happens to customers who do not return even after the flow?
You mark them as lost and drop them from regular emails. That is fine: sending constantly to people who do not open hurts your deliverability and affects the active ones. A win-back flow cleans the list at the same time as it recovers customers.
Want to see how many customers you can bring back?
We run a free audit of your list and show what a win-back flow would bring at your store, no strings attached.