Every retailer in the fashion industry knows the feeling: you have loyal customers, but the contact remains superficial. You have a core group of customers, people who know and appreciate you, but you feel like you’re not communicating with them nearly enough. You occasionally send out a newsletter, often around the sale, but half of the people don’t even open it. Yet you know there’s more potential. Your customers didn’t come to you and your store for nothing. The question is: how do you keep that fire burning?
Email is your direct line
E-mail is much more than a newsletter. It is a direct line to your customer. Unlike social media, where you are dependent on algorithms that determine who sees your message, an email simply lands in someone's inbox. That is a place where people receive personal things: appointments, confirmations, messages from friends. If you are in there, you are closer than you might think.
And that is exactly the power of email. It is intimate, personal, and, when used correctly, one of the most cost-effective marketing tools you have.
The difference between "sending" and "connecting"
Many retailers primarily use email to send: "This is on sale, this is new, you need to see this." But customers are not looking for loud advertisements in their inbox. What they do appreciate is recognition, inspiration, and the feeling that you understand them.
Take the example of a lingerie store. Suppose you have received a new collection. Of course, you can send a general email saying, "New collection in, shop now." But what if you create an email explaining that this collection has been specially designed for women who want to combine comfort and elegance, and you show how to pair that set with a kimono or a basic slip that they may have already purchased from you? Then it doesn't feel like an advertisement, but like advice.
Three types of emails you can always send
When you, as a business owner, want to take email marketing seriously, it helps to understand that there are roughly three types of emails. The first type is engagement emails. These are meant to build a relationship. Think of a behind-the-scenes look, the story of how a collection comes together, or the favorite outfit of one of your employees. They don't sell anything directly, but they build trust.
The second type is interaction emails. With these, you invite your customer to take action. This can be very light-hearted: a poll asking which shoe they find more attractive, or a styling tip where you show three combinations and let them choose. Your customer clicks, you learn something about their preferences, and the relationship becomes more personal.
And then you have the activation emails. These are the emails that prompt immediate action. For example: “You bought your last pair of sneakers from us six months ago. Time for a fresh update? Check out the new collection that just arrived.” Such emails are spot-on because they tap into what is already known about your customer.
The power of timing and 12 touchpoints
One of the biggest eye-openers for many retailers is this: one message is never enough. Research shows that customers need an average of twelve touchpoints before they take action. That sounds like a lot, but think about your own behavior. You might see a brand on Instagram, receive a newsletter, casually walk by a store, read a review, and only then decide to step inside or order online.
For a retailer, this means: consistency is more important than perfection. It's not about sending a beautiful email once, but about being consistently present. It's about having your customers think of you time and again. Sometimes it's a small reminder, sometimes inspiration, sometimes a direct offer. Every contact moment counts, and email can be a relevant touchpoint at just the right time. Together, all those moments form the path to the checkout.
From newsletter to dialogue
Email only becomes powerful when you see it as a dialogue rather than a monologue. You are not speaking to an anonymous mass, but to individual customers with their own tastes, preferences, and buying behavior.
Imagine you run a sports store. Someone buys a running shirt from you. How valuable is it to send that person an email a few weeks later with tips for maintaining sportswear? And to ask three months later if they are ready for the colder months with a long sleeve? That feels like service, not sales. Yet, it often leads to that customer buying again – from you, because you are the one who thinks along.
E-mail is branding and conversion
The beauty of email marketing is that you achieve two goals at once. On one hand, you build your brand; people get to know you, appreciate your tone of voice, and feel that there is a story behind your store. On the other hand, you encourage the next purchase. Not because you are pushing, but because you are there at the right moment with the right message.
For many entrepreneurs, it is the realization that their email list ultimately becomes their most valuable marketing channel. You don't pay advertising costs, you are not dependent on a social media algorithm, and you are building a database of people who have already chosen to hear from you. That is worth its weight in gold.
A small tip
Start small: build an email list, begin with a welcome email, and experiment with segmentation. See how customers respond, open rates increase, and repeat purchases grow. Once you see that your customers are coming back because you truly understand them, you'll never want to go back to the general newsletter.
Do you want to know how to smartly combine your email marketing and your cash register system so that everything works automatically and your customers receive exactly the right message?
Request a demo and discover how fashion stores use this.
Discover how you can boost your customer loyalty and sales with the same strategy.