Everyone loves to say “just run a sale” like it’s the easiest thing in the world.

And sure, you can always slap 20% off on the site and call it a day. But a good sale should do more than create a temporary spike. It should help customers make a decision, move the right products, protect your margins, and give the whole thing a little more shape than “please buy this before Sunday.”

So this morning, we’re breaking down six sale structures from real brand emails and the strategies you can steal for your next run.

Also inside:
→ Most brands turn on Outcraft for abandoned carts (spoiler: that’s just scratching the surface)
→ There’s a cost hiding in your email program that shouldn’t exist.
→ What if you cut 80% of the words from your next email?
→ Java Factory is dropping 52 new coffee flavors in 52 consecutive weeks

Most brands turn on Outcraft for abandoned carts (spoiler: that’s just scratching the surface)

Nobody likes a cold call. Good thing this isn't one.

This shopper was on your site two minutes ago. Cart full, card practically out.

But something stopped them… a shipping, sizing, a coupon that wouldn't apply.

A call right then isn't an interruption. It's the clerk walking over: "Can I help with anything?"

Outcraft's voice agent knows what's in the cart, answers the actual question, and closes the sale on the spot. No "reply Y." No link to click later.

Email nudges, SMS reminds, but voice converses.

🎧 Hear the difference → outcraft.ai

*Sponsored

The Anatomy of a Sale: 6 Offer ideas you should steal

A good sale isn’t just slapping a 20% off on and keeping your fingers crossed.

The best offers have a purpose. They help customers make a decision, give them a reason to buy now, and still make sense for the business behind the scenes.

Below are six different types of offers, using real email examples, and how to think about each one before you build your own.

1. The Straight Percentage-Off Sale

Bonobos keeps this one simple: 30% off summer essentials. The fixed rate remains old faithful because the customer understands the offer immediately. There’s no complicated threshold, no bundle math, no extra explanation needed. Just a timely category, a clear discount, and a reason to shop.

This kind of sale is especially useful when you want to move seasonal product or spotlight a specific group of items. Plus, the “summer essentials” angle gives the discount a point of view, which makes it feel more curated than a blanket sale.

Before you run it:

• Make sure the discount works with your margins.

• Be clear about what’s included and excluded.

• Don’t train customers to only buy when you’re on sale.

How to pull it off:

• Discount one category instead of the whole site.

• Tie the offer to a seasonal moment or customer need.

• Use product grids to show exactly what’s included.

2. The Tiered Discount

Native uses a tiered structure: 20% off $35+, 25% off $50+, and 30% off $60+. This is a smart way to encourage customers to spend a little more without making the offer feel pushy. The more they add to cart, the better the deal gets.

This works particularly well for products people naturally buy in multiples. Body wash, deodorant, skincare, candles, pantry items, and accessories are all good fits because adding one more item feels easy.

Before you run it:

• Set thresholds around your actual product prices.

• Make the next tier feel reachable.

• Know your average order value before choosing the numbers.

How to pull it off:

• Set the first tier near your current average order value.

• Add cart messaging like, “You’re $10 away from 25% off.”

• Create bundles or product rows that help people reach the next tier.

3. The Gift-With-Purchase Offer

Ciele’s friends and family sale uses gifts at different spend levels: $75+, $100+, and $125+. This is a great example of adding value without relying only on a discount. The customer still gets a deal, but the brand protects the perception of its pricing.

Gift-with-purchase offers work because they feel a little more special. They can also be a great way to introduce customers to smaller products, accessories, samples, or items with high perceived value.

Before you run it:

• The gift still has a real cost.

• Inventory needs to be watched closely.

• The rules should be obvious: spend level, gift type, and whether it’s while supplies last.

How to pull it off:

• Offer one gift at a minimum spend.

• Create better gifts for higher thresholds.

• Choose gifts that naturally complement the purchase.

4. The Archive Sale

Malbon’s archive sale is a good reminder that positioning matters. “Archive sale” sounds much more intentional than “old stuff we need to clear out.” It gives past-season product a little story and makes the shopping experience feel like a discovery moment.

This type of sale is especially useful for apparel, accessories, home goods, or any brand with strong visual identity. Adding “new styles added” also gives the brand a reason to email again without simply repeating the same sale message.

Before you run it:

• Limited sizing or inventory should be expected and communicated.

• Navigation matters because shoppers may need to browse.

• The sale page should feel curated, not chaotic.

How to pull it off:

• Build a dedicated archive or last-chance collection.

• Sort by category, size, or customer favorite.

• Send follow-up emails when new items are added or inventory’s almost gone.

5. The Bundle Offer

Cocokind promotes its “biggest bundle ever” with 32% off. Bundles work because they give the customer a complete solution, not just a cheaper product. Instead of asking someone to pick one item, you’re helping them buy the whole routine.

This kind of offer is especially strong for skincare, wellness, food, home, and gifting because the products make more sense together. It can also help increase order value while still feeling genuinely useful to the customer.

Before you run it:

• The bundle should feel intentional, not random.

• Make the savings easy to understand.

• Make sure the hero products are strong enough to carry the set.

How to pull it off:

• Build bundles around routines, outcomes, or occasions.

• Show the original price next to the bundle price.

• Use copy that explains why the products belong together.

6. The BOGO or Free-Gift Choice Reducer

Pela’s offer combines BOGO with a free gift and points customers toward best sellers. That last part is important. When a customer has too many options, the sale can actually make the decision harder. Pela solves that by saying, essentially, “Start here.”

BOGO-style offers work well for products people may want more than one of, like phone cases, socks, accessories, gifts, or consumables. Pairing the offer with best sellers makes the path to purchase feel easier and less overwhelming.

Before you run it:

• BOGO can get expensive quickly.

• Be clear about which item’s free or discounted.

• Too many choices can slow people down, even during a sale.

How to pull it off:

• Create a best-sellers collection for the offer.

• Use BOGO for products with healthy margins or repeat-purchase behavior.

• Add simple guidance like “Not sure where to start? Shop customer favorites.”

The Sale Is the Strategy

A sale should have a job.

Sometimes the job’s to clear inventory. Sometimes it’s to increase average order value. Sometimes it’s to introduce people to a routine, reward loyal customers, or make a crowded product catalog easier to shop.

Before choosing your offer, ask:

• What are we trying to move?

• What behavior do we want to encourage?

• Can we afford this offer?

• Does the customer understand it quickly?

• Does the offer make shopping easier?

The best sale isn’t always the biggest discount. It’s the one that makes sense for your customer, your products, and your margins.

There’s a cost hiding in your email program that shouldn’t exist.

Thirty campaigns a month, each one briefed, built, and QA'd from scratch. But if you look closely, we’d bet they're all built from the same handful of ingredients.

Turns out you’re not paying for thirty ideas. You're paying to rebuild one email thirty times over.

Paid media teams stopped working this way years ago. They build creative libraries once and let the system assemble the right combination for every audience.

Allan brings that to email. 

Your team stocks the shelf with headlines, images, offers, and copy, and Allan builds the right version for every subscriber, getting sharper with every send.

Same team, same hours, a lot more than thirty emails.

→ Start free at getallan.com

*Sponsored

Knowledge drop:

What if you cut 80% of the words from your next email? Jimmy shares the AI prompt he uses to uncover the core message hiding beneath all the filler.

DTC wins: Java Factory is dropping 52 new coffee flavors in 52 consecutive weeks

Any typical brand would launch a flavor and call it a day. Java Factory said they'll do you 52 better.

They're going for an actual Guinness World Record and built the whole thing as a DTC subscription you can buy by the season or the full year. The flavors are ridiculous in the best way (Grandma's Candy, Jelly Donut, Saturday Morning Cartoons). A gutsy retention play dressed up like a product launch.

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.

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