Bridging the DTC & Retail Gap: Omnichannel Strategies to Boost LTV

Retail Incentive Strategies for Crushing Churn & Boosting Loyalty

As the eComm industry becomes increasingly crowded each year, the sharpest brands are moving away from a strictly DTC model in favor of a cohesive omnichannel strategy, leveraging both DTC and retail to improve the overall customer experience, max out retention, and scale LTV. In doing so, these brands better position themselves against volatilities that can take place in the eComm space and maneuver their overall strategy to lean more toward their DTC or retail channels as needed.

With the help of omnichannel attribution tracking platforms, SMS cashback programs, and creative loyalty strategies, brands can deliver a multidimensional customer experience that meets shoppers where they are to maximize LTV.

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4 Omnichannel Strategies to Boost LTV

Providing personalized retail offers to subscribers who cite pain points around online shipping costs, higher costs of goods, or SKU variety can provide the flexibility needed for shoppers who’d prefer to find your brand locally.

For these customers, we’ve put together some nifty retail incentive strategies that’ll fit right into your existing DTC subscription and retention channels. This way, your brand can offer subscribers (and new customers) the flexibility to find your product where most convenient for them – keeping ’em happy and coming back for more.

(1) Incorporate Personalized Retail Offers into Cancellation Flow Rebuttals

Instead of serving the same generic message or discount to every churning subscriber, a personalized offer that relieves the pain points mentioned in their cancellation survey can do wonders to win ’em back. For example, if they select:

(a) “Product or shipping cost is too expensive”

Offer an in-store discount to incentivize finding your product at a more convenient, local retailer.

(b) “Want a different flavor”

If a churning subscriber has exhausted all of the flavor or product options available online, retarget them to a retail-exclusive SKU or promotion offering a redeemable in-store single-pack that’ll reignite interest and excitement in your brand.

(c) “I prefer to shop local”

Encourage these customers to visit a local retailer and offer a redeemable in-store gift thanking them for their feedback.

(d) “Flavor is out of stock”

If the flavor a customer wants is out of stock online and they don’t want to wait for a restock, offer them an in-store discount to find and purchase it locally.

(2) A/B Test a Retail vs. Online Discount for Churning Subscribers

If a churning customer selects any of these cancellation reasons, your brand can test a retail offer or A/B test one against an online discount to see which deals your customers prefer. If a high-churn risk customer or segment has been identified:

(a) Offer the same 10% discount both in-store and online and see which offer converts better.

(b) A/B test different offers, like $20 off online, versus an in-store BOGO, and see which converts.

(3) Include a Retail-Focused Offer on a Store Locator Landing Page

If customers are already trying to find your brand at a local retailer, chances are they prefer to shop in-store or may want to try your product before committing to a subscription. To help push them over the finish line, include an in-store promo or cashback offer exclusively on your store locator landing page that you can later track for clicks, conversions, and more.

(4) A/B Testing Free Retail Gifts for High-Churn Risk Subscribers

If your data shows that customers at a specific LTV cap or order cycle number are very likely to churn, surprise and delight them with a retail-exclusive gift that’s sure to win your brand some extra brownie points. We recommend:

(a) A/B testing a redeemable in-store gift using an SMS cashback and retail attribution tool like Aisle

(b) Building a CTA link that directs customers to a store locator page, where you can later compare the click and engagement metrics of this cohort to those who did not redeem a gift. Even if the customer doesn’t bite on the in-store redemption but does keep their subscription, then the offer at the very least aided in encouraging them to continue their subscription.

PS: Stay’s predictive forecasting allows you to identify and deliver promotions to your highest churn-risk customer segments.