Good morning, Chase and Jimmy here.

Email remains the highest-ROI channels in eCom, but in 2026 it'll take more than showing up in the inbox to stand out. Customers expect relevance, smarter recommendations, and experiences that feel tailored to them, not blasted at them.

So this morning, we’re breaking down six ways to level up your eCommerce emails in 2026, with real examples so you can get a jump start on the new year.

Also inside:

✔️ Hot or not? Your year in review.
✔️ Knowledge drop: A sneaky inbox behavior most brands miss
✔️ DTC wins: Perelel raises $27M to redefine women’s health

Let’s jump in.

Hot or not? Your year in review.

Year-end recaps can be a hit… or a total miss. Omnisend just published a full breakdown with real examples, templates, and the strategies top brands use to make these emails feel personal instead of generic.

Inside the guide:

• How to turn customer data into individualized highlights
• What high-performing brands include (and what they skip)
• Examples you can steal for ecommerce, retail, and DTC
• Tips for making your recap shoppable without feeling salesy

Great year-in-review emails stick; and they set you up for a stronger Q1. Read the guide.

6 Ways to Improve Your eCommerce Emails in 2026

Consumer expectations are rising fast. In 2026, shoppers expect email to feel personal, relevant, and helpful. They want brands that treat them like individuals, not one-size-fits-all subscribers. And with inboxes more crowded than ever, anything generic gets ignored instantly.

The good news: email is still the highest-ROI channel in ecommerce. You just need to evolve with what customers expect this year.

Here are six ways to get more results from your eCommerce emails in 2026 👇

1. Use smarter upsells and cross-sells powered by AI

Upsells and cross-sells are still some of the highest converting emails you can send, but in 2026 the bar is higher. Shoppers expect recommendations that feel thoughtful, not random.

Most ESPs now use AI to analyze purchase behavior, browsing patterns, and customer preferences to recommend products that feel hand-picked.

How to level up these emails:

• Use AI recommendations. Let your ESP choose complementary products based on real behavior, not guesswork.

• Layer on strong “why” messaging. Tell customers how the add-on improves their experience.

• Avoid generic pairings. If someone buys premium cookware, they should not see the cheapest spatula in your store. Match quality with quality.

Cozy Earth’s product-focused layout is a great example of a clean, premium upsell experience that highlights complementary items without overwhelming the shopper.

2. Segment deeper and personalize with context

Segmentation has moved far beyond demographics. In 2026, brands that win are the ones segmenting based on customer intent, lifecycle stage, and predictive behavior.

Stores using behavioral and predictive segmentation now see significantly higher revenue per email than those relying on manual segments.

Segmentation ideas for 2026:

• Active customers vs. at-risk customers

• AOV-based segments

• Subscription-ready customers

• Buyers who use specific product categories

• Repeat purchasers who need replenishment reminders

• Customers who only respond to discounts vs. customers who buy full-price

Curlsmith does this well by sending a personalized replenishment reminder based on past purchase timing, complete with a prepped cart that removes all friction.

3. Make CTAs more intentional and fast to act on

CTAs in 2026 need to do more than stand out visually. They need to make the next step obvious, quick, and low effort.

A few ways to improve:

• Use short, specific CTA copy like “Reorder Now” or “See My Size”

• Anchor CTAs near product images or price drops

• Use one primary CTA per email to reduce decision fatigue

• Add shortcut CTAs for mobile users, where most email traffic occurs

MaryRuth’s shows how strong CTAs work in practice with bold, high-contrast buttons that clearly direct shoppers into AM or PM product collections.

Bonus: keep running CTA tests. Inboxes evolve. Reader behavior evolves. Your CTAs should too.

4. Keep design lightweight and accessibility-first

Design trends continue to shift toward simple, clean, and mobile-optimized layouts. The biggest change for 2026 is accessibility. More brands are prioritizing designs that work well for readers using screen readers, dark mode, or slower mobile networks.

To optimize your design this year:

• Compress every image; aim for fast-loading emails under 100 KB

• Use larger, high-contrast text that is easy to read

• Stick to single-column layouts for mobile

• Add alt-text to images for accessibility and deliverability

• Test emails in light mode and dark mode to ensure nothing disappears

Remember: Tools using MJML remain the smoothest way to send responsive and lightweight designs.

Sugar Paper’s planner launch email is a great example of minimal, lightweight design that stays visually elevated without compromising mobile readability.

5. Build smarter automated workflows with predictive timing

Automation has always been powerful, but 2026 is the year timing becomes predictive. ESPs can now identify when a subscriber is most likely to open based on individual behavior, not averages.

How to improve your workflows this year:

1. Use predictive send time. Let your ESP send each email when that specific customer is most likely to engage.

2. Add branching logic. If a customer clicks but does not buy, follow up differently than someone who does nothing.

3. Shorten your post-purchase delay. Customers expect faster touchpoints. If your best engagement happens within 24 hours, lean into it.

4. Build multi-channel workflows. Email, SMS, and even direct mail now work together inside automated flows.

6. Recover more carts with multi-step and multi-channel reminders

Cart abandonment is not going away. What is changing is how brands recover those carts.

Shoppers expect follow-ups that feel natural, not intrusive. And they expect the reminder to meet them on whatever channel they are already on.

How to improve your abandoned cart strategy in 2026:

• Use multiple emails, not just one

• Add SMS reminders for high-intent customers

• Retarget cart abandoners on social with synced audiences

• Show the exact products they left behind

• Add credibility with reviews or UGC

• Address objections with clear shipping, return, or delivery info
  

When Kitsch dropped their new Deep Conditioning Mask, they staggered a reminder SMS to piggy back off their launch email.

Do more with your eCommerce emails in 2026

The inbox is more competitive than ever, but the opportunity is bigger too. When your emails feel timely, personal, and helpful, customers notice.

The brands that win in 2026 are the ones that:

• Personalize with intention

• Use AI to scale smarter, not louder

• Focus on convenience for the customer

• Keep designs simple and accessible

• Automate with precision and context

Small improvements compound. Pay attention to the details and keep adjusting. Your list will reward you for it.

Knowledge drop

Most brands miss this sneaky inbox behavior... Jimmy breaks down why some of your highest-converting emails never get opened and how to write subject lines that still drive action.

DTC Wins:

Doctor-founded supplement brand Perelel secured a $27M growth investment from Prelude Growth Partners, with support from Unilever Ventures and others. Profitable and doubling revenue year-over-year, Perelel is expanding beyond prenatal care to support women through every stage; from fertility to perimenopause.

Annnnd that’s a wrap for this edition! 

Thanks for hanging with Chase and me, always a pleasure to have you here.

If you found this newsletter helpful (or even just a little fun), don’t keep it to yourself! Share ecomemailmarketer.com with your favorite DTC marketer. Let’s get them on board so they don’t miss next week’s drops.

Remember: Do shit you love.

🤘 Jimmy Kim & Chase Dimond

PS - Your next best customer might be reading this right now. Want in? Email Jimmy to sponsor this newsletter and more.

Love this newsletter but want to receive it less frequently? Let us know by clicking here!