Loyal, new, lost: how to segment customers and who to reach out to
A simple split of customers into five groups tells you who to thank, who to send an offer and who to win back.
Not all customers behave the same. Some buy every month, others bought once and disappeared. If you send everyone the same message, you waste money and your customers’ patience.
Five customer groups
- 1
Loyal
At least three orders in the last 90 days. Reward them and ask for their feedback.
- 2
New
First order in the last 30 days. Help them make a second purchase.
- 3
Occasional
Bought in the last 90 days, but rarely. Offer them products that similar customers buy.
- 4
At risk
At least two orders, the last one 90 to 180 days ago. Now is the time for a personal offer.
- 5
Lost
Last purchase more than 180 days ago. Try once, then do not insist.
The most expensive customer is a new one
Acquiring a new customer costs several times more than winning back an existing one. That is why the “At risk” group is often the most profitable.
How to use this in practice
- Export a group to Excel and import it into your email tool.
- Give loyal customers early access to new products.
- Send at-risk customers a personal message with a coupon.
- Check every month how many customers moved between groups.
