Part 2 of our expert secrets to unlocking the second purchase

Second Purchase Playbook Final Assets V2 Cropped

part one
part two
part three

Craft effective email journeys that bring first-time buyers back

Part 1 showed how to build loyalty with first-time buyers. Here, in Part 2, we give you the exact emails, and the timing, to turn those first-time buyers into repeat customers.

lock_openSECRET ONE
lock_openSECRET TWO
lock_openSECRET THREE
lock_openSECRET FOUR

SECRET ONE

Automate a perfectly timed post-first-purchase email flow

Most brands stop at a simple “Thank-you” email and never see their first-time buyers again. High-retention brands time their emails to arrive at moments of maximum intent. Here’s the three-step flow that keeps momentum going.

The heartfelt welcome

Send immediately after Shopify account creation
- Begin nurturing with a genuine warm welcome, when trust is high. 
- Introduce your loyalty program and its benefits.
What about guest shoppers? In Part One we show you how to win them back with post-purchase points.
Your reward is waiting

Send 14 days after points are approved (post-returns)
- Confirm loyalty points are available to use. 
- Shows tantalizing reward options to redeem with their next purchase.
Part One reveals what rewards entice new customers and keep your margins safe.
Time to buy again

Send 7 days before your typical second purchase buying cycle
- Anticipate their need before they shop somewhere else.
- Highlight their points balance and rewards they can redeem to sweeten the deal.
See Secret Two about timing your second purchase nudge email.

Successful loyalty welcome emails

Remind customers their points are ready to use right after returns clear. Showing them exactly what they can redeem creates urgency and gets them back to buy again.

Freya Square

Freya MorrisonOnboarding Manager at LoyaltyLion

SECRET TWO

Send your second-purchase nudge before customers usually buy again

Timing is everything. Check your order data to find the average gap between a customer’s first and second purchase, then schedule a reward-reminder email to arrive a few days earlier.

Landing in the inbox just before they need a top-up or refresh their seasonal closet makes the message feel perfectly timed, not pushy, and turns intent into a repeat sale.

Successful second purchase nudge emails

Anchor it to their loyalty journey
Remind them what loyalty points they earned and lead with “Redeem your points at checkout” instead of “Buy now.”
Make it easy for them
Tell them how easy it is to redeem: “Simply redeem your reward with one click at checkout.”
Be personal
Acknowledge their last purchase and suggest similar options: “Love your new [product]? Here’s what’s trending now in X category.”

Use your data to time reward reminders just before customers are likely to purchase again. A well-timed email turns intent into action—and loyalty into habit.

Jason Leader Square

Jason LeaderPrincipal Onboarding Manager at LoyaltyLion

SECRET THREE

Use loyalty data to send personalized emails that get opened

Winning the second purchase depends on how you make customers feel while reminding them of their progress within your loyalty program.

Showing a customer their progress using loyalty data shows how much they have already invested in your program and speaks directly to the customer.

Here’s how you can turn your loyalty data into emails that get opened:

Remind them of their loyalty points progress
Send a personalized points update using their name and current balance to keep their progress top of mind.
Show them the path to reach the next tier
Highlight how many points they need to reach the next tier and the exclusive perks they’ll unlock.
Create an offer for products they’re already interested in
Send targeted offers with bonus points on products similar to their first purchase.

Personalized loyalty emails build stronger emotional connections. When you speak to customers as individuals, you don’t just win their next purchase, you win their trust.

Sammy Newton

Sammy NewtonOnboarding Manager at LoyaltyLion

SECRET FOUR

When first-time buyers don’t come back: Change the offer

Not every customer responds to the same offer. Some are driven by discounts, while others are motivated by exclusivity or experiences.

With Klaviyo + LoyaltyLion, you can personalize incentives based on loyalty status, purchase behavior, and engagement history — so every customer gets an offer that actually converts.

Here are 3 strategies that respond to behaviors:

Customer didn’t open emails
Goal: Get their attention first, and then convince them to come back.

Strategy: Spark curiosity by gifting a mini product, free shipping or bonus points, but reveal the reward after they click, not before.

Subject: “Psst… Your surprise gift is waiting 🎁”
Customer opened emails but didn’t click
Goal: Make the offer more urgent and valuable.

Strategy: Frame an offer as limited-time, informed by a previous purchase and tied to minimum spend.

Subject: “Tick-tock ⏳ Your exclusive reward is about to expire”
Customer visited website but didn’t buy
Goal: Capture their interest before they cool off, ideally within 14 days.

Strategy: Send a personal check-in that acknowledges they returned and that they’re an important part of your community.

Subject: “We saw something took your fancy 👀. Let’s sweeten the deal”

Different customers are motivated by different things. With Klaviyo + LoyaltyLion, you can test rewards and tailor offers to what actually drives each customer to convert.

Anusha Sahadeo

Anusha SahadeoSenior Customer Success Manager at LoyaltyLion

How do customers who already have a store account join the loyalty program?: Customers with an existing store account are automatically enrolled in your loyalty program. They can access their loyalty account the next time they log in.

This seamless integration ensures they can start earning and redeeming rewards right away without taking any extra steps.
What data does LoyaltyLion sync with Klaviyo?: We sync these merge fields for each loyalty program member:

Points (total, approved, pending, spent, lifetime)
Number of rewards claimed
Date enrolled in the program
Customer’s unique referral link
Loyalty tier
Birthday
Insights segment
What are Klaviyo Events?: Klaviyo Events are triggers that LoyaltyLion sends to Klaviyo in response to customers’ loyalty activities.

Let’s break it down:
There are multiple events available for LoyaltyLion to trigger when a customer interacts with your loyalty program, such as:

Earning enough points for a reward
Claiming a reward
Referring a friend
Moving up a tier

These events are sent in real time to Klaviyo, where they can trigger pre-built email and/or SMS flows.
What are Klaviyo Advanced Loyalty Flows?: These are powerful flows created in Klaviyo which can use conditional logic to segment customers and automate complex journeys that run autonomously as soon as you set them live.

You can use Klaviyo Events in LoyaltyLion to trigger highly personalized, multi-step flows based on loyalty data, such as:

Reward availability reminders
When a customer is approaching their next VIP tier
Points expiration reminders

REAL RESULTS FROM REAL BRANDS

Real results from brands using LoyaltyLion

Inkey Cover Image

United Kingdom

Top-tier members spend more than bottom-tier

Revenue come from loyalty members

Read case study

Snocks Cover Image

Germany

members have joined in 1.5 years

Members are 3.5x more likely to make a second purchase

Read case study

Esmi Cover Image

Australia

Customers enrolled in program

increase in loyalty member spend

Read case study

Nanso Cover Image

Finland

Total revenue is contributed by the loyalty program

Higher spend by redeeming members vs. non-members

Amy Myers Cover Image

United States

Revenue come from loyalty members

Members buy more often than non-members

Read case study

Represent Cover Image

United Kingdom

Revenue come from loyalty members

Higher Customer Lifetime Value from members

Read case study

Represent Cover Image (2)

Belgium

increase in spend from loyalty members

Revenue come from loyalty members

Read case study

Origin Coffee Cover Image

United Kingdom

Members buy more often than non-members

Redeeming members are worth more than non-members

Read case study

Oh Polly Cover Image

United States

new members in 12 months

Higher Customer Lifetime Value from members

Read case study

Optimize the first purchase for long term retention

A first-time buyer isn’t truly “won” until they make their second purchase. Set the stage early with a loyalty program. Talk to a LoyaltyLion loyalty specialist today to get started.