The useful answer
Customer segmentation groups shoppers by relevant behavior or characteristics so you can send more useful messages. Specialty retailers can start with brand affinity, recent first purchases, lapsed customers, and local shoppers, using connected in-store and online purchase history.
Start with four useful customer groups
Start with the records you have. Check that purchases are attached to the right customer and that you have permission to contact them. Then look at a few people in each group before sending. Someone who bought a brand as a gift may need a different message from someone who buys it regularly.
- Brand fans: customers who bought a particular brand. Tell them about relevant new arrivals that are actually available.
- First-time buyers: send a helpful welcome and a reason to return that fits their purchase.
- Lapsed regulars: choose a time window that matches your category's buying cycle, then reconnect with something useful.
- Local shoppers: invite nearby customers to a relevant store event or explain a practical pickup option.
What belongs in email, and what belongs in a text?
Email gives you room for product context, advice, and a fuller story. Text can suit a timely, concise update that the customer has specifically agreed to receive. Plan frequency around relevance and customer expectations.
Keep email and SMS permissions separate. A phone number attached to an order is not, by itself, permission to send marketing texts. Use your provider's appropriate consent and unsubscribe tools and confirm requirements for your audience.
Build one campaign all the way through
Choose one group of customers and something they’ll want to hear about. If you’re emailing people about a new collection, check that the products are online and in stock first. Let the store team know what you’re sending so they can help anyone who comes in asking about it.
Example: invite eligible customers who previously bought a brand to see its new collection. Show the relevant products, offer a clear shop or visit action, and coordinate the message with the store team. The customer should receive the same helpful answer at the counter.
Did the message bring people back?
- Watch qualified clicks, purchases, repeat visits, unsubscribes, and contribution after discounts and campaign costs.
- Compare similar audiences and time periods; use a holdout group when feasible.
- An email platform may credit a campaign with a sale the customer would have made anyway. Look at the wider pattern before deciding a campaign has increased sales.
- Use what you learn to improve relevance before increasing send frequency.
Questions from the shop floor
Do we need a different app for every marketing idea?
No. Start with your existing Shopify and marketing tools. Add a tool only when a specific requirement cannot be met well with what you already use.
Can in-store purchases inform email and SMS?
Yes, when the customer records and integrations support it and the customer has the appropriate marketing permissions. The setup should be tested using real retail scenarios.
Sources & further reading
Platform capabilities change. Check the linked provider guidance for your country, plan, and setup.