Hey, it's Chase and Jimmy here.

Most brands treat January like the hangover after Q4.

Smart ones see it as round two.

Because loyalty doesn’t end when the wrapping paper’s gone. It starts there.

The post-holiday window is your best shot at turning one-time gifters into repeat buyers.

From “fresh start” offers to predictive follow-ups, here are eight retention plays that keep customers engaged long after the holidays fade.

Also inside:

✔️ How a pet brand grew revenue 525% with smarter automations
✔️ BFCM is coming. Is your retention strategy ready?
✔️ Quick Clips: This Week's Top eCom Stories

👉 Let’s dive in.

🐾 How a pet brand grew revenue 525% with smarter automations

Before Omnisend, Dukier’s email marketing was stuck in neutral.

They were sending the same message to every customer (no personalization, no automations, no segmentation by market or language).

The result?

• Low engagement

• Hours of manual work

• Revenue slipping through the cracks

To scale internationally, something had to change.

With Omnisend, Dukier rebuilt their entire customer journey around automation and personalization:

✅ Localized flows in 5 languages (ES, DE, FR, IT, PT)
✅ Intelligent automations that drove 55% of total revenue
✅ Segmented campaigns that lifted engagement and conversions
✅ All while keeping unsubscribes at just 0.36%

In three years, that shift turned into a 525% revenue increase... proof that smarter automation beats more manual effort every time.

See how Dukier turned “batch and blast” into a revenue engine.

8 Lead Nurturing Strategies to Keep Customers Coming Back After the Holidays

Everyone loves the thrill of the holiday checkout… but loyalty isn’t built in a cart.

It’s what happens after the gift arrives that decides whether a customer sticks around.

The smartest brands know the post-holiday period is when you turn one-time gifters into long-term buyers.

Here’s how to keep that momentum going and turn your December shoppers into year-round fans 👇

1. Catch Their Interest with “Fresh Start” Offers

Just because the holidays are over doesn’t mean spending stops. In fact, Omnisend data shows that the week after Christmas consistently drives a 20–30% spike in online sales as people cash in gift cards, return unwanted presents, or treat themselves.

Lean into that mindset. Run short, themed promos like:

• “New Year, New Favorites” collections

• “Treat Yourself” or “Stay Cozy” deals

• “Back in Stock by Popular Demand” restocks

If big discounts aren’t an option, focus on positioning; tie your offer to renewal, self-care, or upcoming events like the Super Bowl, Valentine’s Day, or “New Year resets.” The key is to give shoppers a reason to come back while they’re still in buying mode.

2. Turn Holiday Data Into Smart Cross-Sells

The holidays give you a goldmine of customer data (who bought, what they purchased, and when). Use it to power smarter upsells and follow-ups in January and beyond.

Segment customers by gift vs. self-purchase, product category, and order value. Then, build personalized follow-ups like:

• “If you loved [Product], you’ll want this too”

• “Bundle your favorites and save”

• “The perfect add-on for what you bought last month”
  

  

The goal: keep recommendations feeling thoughtful, not pushy. Your ESP or CRM can help automate these segments with behavioral data from those Q4 orders.

3. Re-Engage New Buyers with Loyalty Rewards

Your post-holiday outreach shouldn’t stop at a thank-you email. Invite your new customers to stay for the long haul.

Reward repeat behavior early, even small incentives can build momentum. Consider:

• Double points for their first January purchase

• Exclusive “members-only” restocks or drops

• Personalized reward reminders tied to their holiday order
  

  

Use automated triggers to send these invites based on order recency or value so the right shoppers get the right nudge at the right time.

4. Make Social Shopping Part of the Retention Loop

Social commerce exploded in 2024, and in 2025 it’s mainstream. Between TikTok Shop, Instagram Shopping, and YouTube product tagging, customers are already primed to buy directly from content.

Keep the energy alive with post-holiday social drops and collection guides. For example:

• “Your 2025 essentials” video roundup

• “Most-loved gifts (and how to get yours)” reels

• Live product demos or styling sessions
  

  

It keeps your audience engaged and brings them back into the funnel, without relying solely on email.

5. Use Returns as a Retention Opportunity

Returns spike in January, but they don’t have to hurt your bottom line. In fact, a smooth return experience can increase lifetime value.

Make your return and exchange policies visible, clear, and generous. Bonus points if you:

• Offer “instant exchanges” or store credit on the spot

• Highlight extended return windows for gift purchases

• Use return confirmation emails to cross-sell (“While you wait for your refund…”)

The brands winning in 2025 are the ones turning refunds into reorders.

6. Send Interactive Post-Purchase Experiences

Your post-purchase flow shouldn’t end with a receipt. Continue the experience with interactive content that deepens engagement.

Ideas that work:

• Video tutorials or styling guides

• Product care checklists

• UGC challenges (“Show us your setup!”)

• Quizzes that recommend add-ons

Pair these with email or SMS follow-ups that link back to your site. The goal is to help customers get more value from what they bought (and remind them why they’ll want to buy again).

7. Combine SMS + Conversational Commerce

Consumers in 2025 expect two-way communication. SMS and conversational tools (like live chat, WhatsApp, or AI-powered concierge bots) let you keep the dialogue open.

Use these channels for:

• “Back in stock” or “members-only” alerts

• Personalized check-ins (“Did you love your order?”)

• Reorder reminders or subscription prompts
  

  

When done right, SMS complements your email strategy (not competes with it) giving customers a reason to stay connected even when the inbox cools off.

8. Use Predictive Personalization to Stay Ahead

AI-driven personalization is no longer optional. With predictive analytics baked into most ESPs, you can forecast what your customer wants before they know it.

If someone bought skincare in December, follow up with “new season” essentials in February. If they ordered cozy loungewear, predict when they’ll repurchase and send a timed offer.

Every action they take adds to your model; helping you automate smarter, more relevant campaigns that feel human.

Keep the Magic Going All Year

The holidays might be seasonal, but retention isn’t. Every campaign, follow-up, and recommendation is a chance to remind customers why they chose you in the first place.

Plan your Q1 like a continuation of Q4, not a cooldown. Because the best brands don’t just win the holidays. They win the months after.

💡 BFCM is coming. Is your retention strategy ready?

Campaigns will be flying. Inboxes will be flooded.

And the brands that win won’t just be running promos, they’ll be running systems.

That’s where eCom Email Certified comes in.

🎓 It’s the course built for ecommerce marketers who want to turn email & SMS into real, repeatable revenue (especially during BFCM).

✅ 25+ hours of operator-taught lessons
✅ Flow frameworks that scale with volume
✅ Segmentation strategies for high-AOV + churn-risk customers
✅ Offer timing + campaign planning for peak season
✅ Metrics that actually matter (like RPE + repeat purchase rate)

If you’re running email & SMS without a clear Q4 strategy… you’re flying blind.

Use code: CERTIFIED for $200 off

🗞️ Quick Clips:

• Djokovic-backed snack brand Cob launches with puffed sorghum popcorn: Corn-free, gluten-free, and kid-safe, Cob’s new popcorn uses nutrient-rich sorghum instead of corn and comes in 4 flavors: Cacio e Pepe, Mediterranean Herb, Olive Oil & Pink Salt, and Seriously Cheesy. It’s backed by Novak Djokovic and aims to make sorghum a mainstream snack staple.

• PayPal x OpenAI bring payments into ChatGPT: PayPal is integrating with OpenAI’s Instant Checkout and Agentic Commerce Protocol to let users shop and pay directly within ChatGPT starting in 2026. The bonus? Merchants won’t need to build integrations; PayPal will route payments and provide buyer/seller protections behind the scenes.

• Agentic AI will reshape ecommerce, says Mastercard exec: AI agents are changing how consumers shop (and how merchants market). As platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity evolve into autonomous buyers, Mastercard says sellers must rethink SEO, authentication, and how to win an algorithm’s attention over a human’s.

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

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