How to win back customers who've stopped ordering

You're packing orders and a name comes to mind. Someone who ordered coffee from you every month last winter, chatty notes in the comments box, always the same dark roast. You realise you haven't packed one for them since March.

Your first thought is a discount code. 15% off, "we miss you", job done. Hold that thought for now.

Here's the short answer. First check they've really stopped, by their own rhythm rather than yours. Then send the regulars a short, plain email from you that asks one honest question. Follow it with one email about something new that fits what they bought, then a last one asking whether they'd like to keep hearing from you. Keep the discount for later, because it answers a question you haven't asked yet.

Why the discount comes last

People stop ordering for all sorts of reasons. They forgot. They moved. Money got tight. They had a late parcel and never mentioned it. They found something cheaper. They simply don't need it any more.

A discount only fixes one of those, and you don't know yet which one you're dealing with. If the real reason was a crushed parcel, 15% off feels like being ignored with a coupon attached. And if they'd have come back anyway, you've given away margin for nothing. Send it to everyone often enough and your regulars learn that going quiet is how to get a better price.

Asking first costs nothing, and the answer tells you what to do next.

Step one: check they've really stopped

"Stopped" means different things for different customers. Someone who buys a gift from you every December hasn't stopped in October. Someone who bought coffee every four weeks and hasn't for seven months probably has.

A simple rule: a customer has lapsed when they've gone at least twice as long as their usual gap between orders. Look at their last few orders, roughly work out the gap, and double it. If you sell something people only buy once, like a sofa, this post isn't really for those customers. A thank-you and an occasional newsletter is enough.

Step two: split them into two groups

• Regulars who've gone quiet. Several orders, then nothing. These are worth a personal email, written by you.
• One-time buyers from a while ago. They bought once and never came back. A single friendly email, or your normal newsletter, is enough. Don't chase them.

Start with the first group. Even five or ten people is plenty.

The first email: plain, from you, one question

No banner, no product grid, no code. Write it like an email to a person, because it is one.

Subject: A quick question from [your name] at [shop]

Hi Alex, I was packing orders this morning and realised we haven't sent you any dark roast since March. I hope all's well. Can I ask, honestly, was there anything we could have done better? A late delivery, a bag that wasn't up to scratch, or just life getting busy? Any answer helps, even one line. Either way, thank you for all those orders last winter. Sam

Alex, Sam and the coffee are made up for this example. Keep yours as short as this, and mention the thing they actually bought. That one detail is what makes it read as a note rather than a campaign.

What to do with the replies

The replies are the point. You may only get a handful, and they tend to fall into a few kinds:

• "Oh, I forgot." Thank them and tell them what's new. Often that's enough.
• "We moved / changed jobs / cut back." Thank them and leave it there. No pitch.
• "The last order arrived late / damaged / wrong." Apologise properly, fix it if you can, and now a gesture makes sense: a replacement or something extra in the next order. This is the right moment for money off, because it's tied to something real.
• "I found it cheaper elsewhere." Thank them for saying so. If you can't match the price, say what you do differently, once, and let it go.

Write down what you hear. If three people mention delivery, that's your next job, and it will keep more customers than any win-back email.

The second email: something new that fits

Two weeks later, to the regulars who didn't reply, send one email about something new that fits what they used to buy. Not your bestsellers. One or two things, chosen for them.

Subject: Something new you might like

Hi Alex, Since you were a dark roast regular, I thought you'd want to know we've just started roasting a new Colombian that's even richer. There's a small batch on the site now. Sam

The third email: shall I keep in touch?

Two weeks after that, if there's still nothing, ask whether they'd like to keep hearing from you.

Subject: Shall I keep emailing you?

Hi Alex, I don't want to fill your inbox if coffee from us isn't for you any more. If you'd still like our news, you don't need to do anything. If not, the unsubscribe link is at the bottom, no hard feelings. Sam

It's kind, and it gives someone who has moved on an easy way to say so. It also keeps your list to people who want to hear from you.

After three emails, stop. They'll still get your normal newsletter if they haven't unsubscribed.

When a discount does make sense

After the three emails, a code can be a fair thank-you to a regular who has come back, or a fix for someone who had a bad experience. It works best when it's for something specific, not a blanket "we miss you" to everyone who's gone quiet.

A word on the rules

In the UK, marketing emails to past customers rely on what's often called the soft opt-in. The ICO's guidance on email marketing describes it in terms of someone who "bought something from you recently", and says you must have given them a clear chance to opt out "both when you first collected their details, and in every message you send." So put an unsubscribe link in all three emails. If someone bought years ago and never signed up for your emails, it's safer to leave them out. Our post on emails that bring a customer back for a second order covers the UK and US rules in more detail. This is a summary, not legal advice.

Where Workden fits

The hard part here is noticing. Nobody tells you a regular has drifted off. You find out months later, by chance, while packing someone else's order.

In Workden, each customer has one page with what they bought, what you last said to them and what they clicked, so writing that first email with the right detail takes a minute instead of a search through old orders. Email them from Workden and it goes out as you, and when they reply, the answer lands on their page for whoever picks it up next. When you send your newsletter, you can see what it earned.

It's £10.99 a month for your whole team, with a 14 day free trial.

Questions shop owners ask

How long before a customer counts as lapsed?

There's no single number. Twice their own usual gap between orders is a sensible rule. For a monthly coffee buyer that's about two months. For someone who buys once a year, it's two years.

Should I offer a discount to win back customers?

Not first. Ask what happened, then show them something new. Keep money off for the customers it actually helps, like someone who had a problem with an order.

Can I email customers who haven't bought in years?

In the UK, be careful. The ICO describes the soft opt-in in terms of recent customers who were given a chance to opt out. If they never signed up and it's been years, leave them out.

Sources

Checked 17 October 2026.

• ICO: Electronic mail marketing
• Workden features
• Workden pricing