RETENTION IS CHEAPER THAN ACQUISITION
Reactivating a lapsed customer costs 5–7× less than acquiring a new one. Increasing repeat purchase rate by 5% typically increases LTV by 15–25%. Yet most D2C brands spend 90% of marketing budget on acquisition and 10% on retention. The brands that crack retention first always find it easier to scale paid acquisition — because LTV improvements allow a higher max CAC.
WHAT'S INSIDE — PREVIEW
01
Retention benchmarks: What % of revenue should come from existing customers at each stage?
Retention benchmarks · Revenue mix
02
5 retention flows: Welcome, post-purchase, win-back, VIP, replenishment — build order and priority.
5 core flows · Build priority
03
Second purchase strategy: Most important purchase in D2C. Engineer it within 45 days.
Second purchase · Day 45 target
04
Loyalty programme: When to build one, what type, and how to structure rewards.
Loyalty · Points · Perks · Tiers
05
Post-purchase experience: Packaging, unboxing, handwritten notes, and moments that drive LTV.
Unboxing · Brand experience · WOW
06
Subscription conversion: Move transactional buyers to subscription for predictable LTV.
Subscription · Replenishment · Recurring
07
Win-back economics: ROI calculation for win-back vs. new customer acquisition.
Win-back ROI · vs new acquisition
08
Retention KPIs: 6 retention metrics every D2C brand should track monthly.
KPIs · Repeat purchase rate · CLV