Replenishment software solutions are ideal for fostering brand loyalty and help to establish a solid revenue stream for your business. This article provides details on the many benefits that replenishment programs have for customers and brands alike, and offers insight into how to maximize your replenishment email messages to obtain a successful result.
Imagine your customers in the following scenarios
They wake up and shuffle to the kitchen, only to be met with the horrifying realization that there’s no coffee left in the house. They’re all set to take their daily medication and see that the bottle is empty. It’s time for vacation and during the last-minute scramble, they see that they’re out of baby formula – and there’s no time to spare for running errands. We’ve all been there, and it hurts!
Rather than causing your customers to feel serious regret for not stocking up on these products before they ran out, there’s an easy solution – using a replenishment software that allows you to send emails reminding your customers that they may soon run out of their favorite item and encouraging them to quickly and easily take action.
Replenishment to the rescue
As a merchant, a product subscription program empowers you to benefit from a reliable revenue source that you can count on. You’ll be better positioned to optimize your inventory levels, so your stock management capabilities are vastly improved. You’ll also be viewed positively in the eyes of shoppers as you are taking advantage of a proven method designed to delight repeat customers who come to value that you take such good care of them.
Replenishment emails are pre-arranged messages that are sent to remind consumers when it’s time to place an order for products that they usually purchase on a regular basis. These items are usually consumer products for the home or office, such as personal care items, vitamins, food, water filters, cosmetics and cleaning supplies rather than big-ticket products that are less likely to be consumed rapidly.
These messages that support your product subscription service are an effective part of any marketing campaign. According to Ometeria, these emails offer an average open rate of 50-60% and an average click rate of 40-50% which is pretty outstanding as far as performance is concerned. Listrak have noted that replenishment campaigns have the highest click-to-open rates of any other email marketing tactic with 53.6% of recipients taking action on these messages.
They are highly personalized given that they are based on the exact needs that a consumer has defined either from the outset or as gathered from the data you are able to obtain from the online interactions they’ve had with you. As far as brand sentiment, replenishment emails endear customers to you as you are helping them out and improving their lives. Anyone who ensures that you don’t run out of coffee might even be viewed as your best friend!
Making the most of replenishment emails
For maximum impact for your messages, it’s vital to respect the following guidelines:
Be timely – Your replenishment email will only miss the mark and irritate your customers if it lands in their inbox after the fact. It’s recommended to send your reminder at least a week in advance of when they would need to replace the product they’ve asked to have refilled. This will ensure they have enough time to go to your website and place the order. Keep in mind that the purchase cycle may be a couple of weeks, a month, several months, quarterly, annually or even longer.
Take a detail-oriented approach – It’s recommended that for maximum impact to be seen from your replenishment email, you should make the buyer’s journey as seamless as possible. Information such as the product name, an image of the item, customer reviews, and a direct link to your site are all highly useful details to include. It’s best to make it easy on a shopper to avoid them having to search their inbox or your site to ensure they’re indeed ordering the right product. This lowers the possibility they will become frustrated and decide to rely on another merchant to fulfil their orders.
Suggest related products – At this point, the customer is already aware of the power of replenishment and sees how it benefits them. Since you have already gathered data on the products they have purchased in the past, you’re now able to create personalized messages that can offer them related products that align with their interests or needs. Using either of these tactics helps you to undertake a process of upselling – either by them adding more items to their basket or deciding to go with a different item for replenishment at a potentially higher price point.
Use incentives to encourage action – It’s possible that your replenishment email didn’t make it to your customer’s inbox, they may need an added push from you, or they may just be ignoring your message. Don’t give up! Send out another reminder and this time include a discount, coupon or an offer such as free shipping or samples to prove an incentive to take action. Approaching replenishment emails as an opportunity to go beyond just sending one message and giving up ensures that you’ve tried all you can to encourage the customer towards purchase.
If your online store sells consumable products, then you need to consider setting your website up with a replenishment program that sends email notifications as part of your sales and marketing strategy. They are relatively easy to set up and provide you with a powerful ecommerce tool that aids you in benefiting from a stable and reliable revenue source that requires minimal involvement from your side. Cultivating loyal customers is the name of the game and replenishment emails put you in the best possible light in front of consumers. It’s sometimes the little things that mean the most, and if you can ensure that there’s always a fresh pot of coffee in the home or workplace, well you’re a hero who’s helping the world function that much better!
