Automation is an essential part of marketing, especially for retail businesses operating at scale. Businesses can automate repetitive tasks, saving time for marketing teams to focus on customer data, campaign development, and improving the customer experience.
Marketing automation allows you to target many customer segments, ensuring you never miss an opportunity to engage a customer.
Marketing automation is using software to handle repetitive marketing tasks automatically. This includes sending emails, tracking customer interactions, and personalizing messages based on customer behavior and demographics. It helps businesses manage and grow their marketing more easily.
Why is retail marketing automation important?
With automation, retail brands can target customers based on specific triggers and personalize communications at scale. This is crucial for retail businesses looking to engage customers across multiple marketing channels and touchpoints.
According to Statista, 58% of marketing decision-makers reported automating their email marketing efforts. By scaling your business through automation, you can enhance customer retention, drive higher conversions, and achieve significant time savings.
This article outlines 13 marketing automation scenarios that every retail business should implement to enhance the customer journey, improve conversions, and strengthen loyalty.
Let’s explore these automation scenarios in detail.
Marketing automation for retail: 12 use cases
1. Welcome series for new customers
Objective: Make a positive first impression and introduce your brand’s value.
A welcome series automation is the perfect way to start a relationship with new customers. When someone signs up for your email list, they should receive automated messages introducing them to your brand’s story, values, and best-selling products.
This initial sequence might include a personalized welcome message, an introduction to popular products, and a special offer on their first purchase.
Example: An online clothing store greets new customers with a welcome series, introducing them to popular product categories, style guides, and a first-purchase discount to encourage engagement.
- Trigger: Contact signs up or makes their first purchase.
- Step 1: Send a welcome email introducing the brand, its values, and customer testimonials.
- Step 2: Wait 2 days and send an email with popular product recommendations (we’ll talk more about this later).
- Step 3: Wait 2 more days and send a follow-up email with a discount on their first purchase.
Impact: Guides new customers seamlessly into their brand world, boosting initial engagement and laying the foundation for a long-term relationship.
Further reading: 10 Welcome Email Examples to Begin Customer Relationships Right
2. Abandoned cart recovery
Objective: Recover potential lost sales.
Abandoned cart reminders are a proven way to win back customers who were close to making a purchase. In this scenario, when a shopper leaves items in their cart for more than 2 hours, they are sent an email reminding them to complete the purchase. Adding product recommendations or even a limited-time discount in the follow-up can further boost conversion rates.
Example: An e-commerce home décor store automatically follows up with customers after their cart abandonment, reminding them of the items and offering a small discount to encourage completion.
- Trigger: Contact leaves items in the cart.
- Step 1: Trigger a push notification 10 minutes after cart is abandoned
- Step 2: Wait 2 hours and send an abandoned cart reminder email if no purchase is made. Otherwise, exit automation.
- Step 3: Wait 1 day. If no action is taken, send a follow-up email with a small incentive (e.g., a discount valid for 7 days).
- Step 4: Wait 5 more days. If the customer still hasn’t acted, send a final reminder to claim their discount.

Impact: Increases revenue by converting otherwise lost sales and creating a sense of urgency to complete purchases.
Further reading: 10 Abandoned Cart Email Examples & Best Practices to Boost Sales
3. Product recommendation engine
Objective: Drive conversions through tailored suggestions.
Personalized product recommendations can significantly boost engagement and sales by providing shoppers with items they’re more likely to buy. Automation allows for dynamic recommendations based on browsing history, past purchases, or preferences. This scenario in marketing automation for retail uses product feeds to keep recommendations relevant and personalized, with minimal setup required.
Did you know? Personalized content can increase your marketing ROI by 10-30%.
Example: An online bookstore sends personalized recommendations based on purchase history, helping customers discover similar or complementary titles and generate cross-selling opportunities.
- Trigger: Customer orders a Vietnamese recipe book online.
- Step 1: Send a “You might also like” email with recommendations: other recipe books covering different cuisines or Vietnamese travel and language books.
- Step 2: If the contact clicks through any product suggestions from the previous email, wait 2 days and send a small discount on the genre they are interested in.

Impact: Boosts sales by promoting items relevant to individual customers, enhancing their shopping experience.
Leverage Brevo’s Product Feeds feature to display up-to-date product recommendations. Automatically pull product information (like images, prices, and names) directly from your store’s inventory into email templates.
4. Birthday and anniversary offers
Objective: Strengthen customer loyalty through personalized recognition.
Did You Know? Birthday emails have a 481% higher transaction rate than promotional emails.
Building loyalty is key for retail success, and automation simplifies recognizing events like birthdays and anniversaries. Retailers can send automated messages with personalized discounts or rewards, enhancing customer experience and encouraging repeat purchases.
Example: A footwear e-commerce site sends personalized birthday emails, offering a special discount to customers on their special day.
- Trigger: Customer’s birthday or anniversary date.
- Step 1: Send a celebratory email with a special discount code.
- Step 2: Wait 7 days, and follow up with an SMS reminder to claim the discount if it is unused.

Impact: Creates a positive impression and encourages repeat purchases, fostering brand affinity.
Further reading: How to Send The Perfect Birthday Email
5. Back-in-stock notifications
Objective: Capture demand for high-interest products.
Back-in-stock emails are some of the most popular emails to receive. 90% of people experience fear of missing out, making back-in-stock emails a perfect opportunity to tap into this mindset and drive action.
Many customers eagerly await the back-in-stock message when it comes to high-demand products, so marketing channels that offer more immediacy (like mobile wallet or mobile push notifications) should be leveraged.
Example: An underwear brand notifies customers when their most popular product is restocked, encouraging them to act quickly before it sells out again.
- Condition: Customer is subscribed to back-in-stock notification for a specific product.
- Trigger: The product is back in stock.
- Step 1: Send a mobile push notification with a direct link to the item.
- Step 2: If the product is still in stock in 2 days and the contact has not purchased, send a reminder notification: “We are nearly out of stock. Act quick to claim your sneakers!”

Impact: Helps secure sales from previously interested customers, preventing them from buying elsewhere.
Wallet marketing allows businesses to connect with customers through Apple Wallet and Google Pay, sending push notifications without an app. It’s perfect for loyalty programs and events, allowing updates and unlimited notifications for coupons, loyalty cards, invitations, and e-reservations.
6. Referral program for customer acquisition
Objective: Expand your customer base by tapping into existing clients.
A referral program incentivizes existing customers to bring new ones on board.This marketing automation scenario for retail helps brands grow their customer base by leveraging word-of-mouth.
Example: A make-up subscription box company launches a referral program where current customers can share a unique code for 20% off their friends' first purchase. If the friend uses the code within a month, the referrer earns a $20 reward.
- Step 1: Send an email announcing the referral program including a unique code.
- Step 2: Wait until the unique code is claimed
- Step 3: Send the referrer a thank you email and a cash reward.
- Step 4: If no code is claimed after 7 days, send a follow-up wallet push notification: “Don’t forget to share your code for rewards”

Impact: Grows your customer base cost-effectively while rewarding loyal customers, enhancing their sense of loyalty.
7. Website event follow-up
Objective: Engage based on specific website actions.
Following up on website interactions—adding items to a wishlist, viewing specific products, or engaging with a chatbot—creates a more personalized experience. This automation identifies moments of high intent, allowing your marketing team to deliver relevant messages that move customers closer to purchase.
Example: A luxury wine retailer targets customers who view their price comparison pages, sending them follow-up emails with similar products and exclusive offers.
- Trigger: Customer visits your price comparison page to compare kitchen appliance brands.
- Step 1: Send an email with customer reviews of your best-selling kitchen appliances.
- Step 2: If no further action is taken, wait 7 days, and send an SMS offering a small discount.

Impact: It improves conversion rates by capitalizing on moments of high intent and ensuring customers receive timely, relevant content that aligns with their interests.
8. Seasonal promotions
Objective: Create excitement around new products or seasonal campaigns.
Retail brands can use automation to announce product launches and seasonal promotions to specific segments, such as VIP customers or frequent shoppers. Automated announcements for new arrivals or sales create excitement and ensure timely communication with relevant customers.
Example: A sporting goods store uses the Black Friday weekend to capitalize on increased customer spending and boost revenue.
- Step 1: Send announcement emails two weeks in advance of Black Friday weekend.
- Step 2: Follow up with a reminder email one week in advance. "Only 7 days left till the best sale of the year!"
- Step 3: Send a wallet push notification to announce the sale start. "The wait is over—shop now!"

Impact: Drives sales and engagement by creating anticipation for seasonal offerings, aligning with customers’ purchasing cycles and average order value.
9. Reactivation campaigns for dormant customers
Objective: Re-engage inactive customers.
Some customers may disengage over time. A reactivation campaign targets these customers, offering them incentives to reconnect with your brand. This could be a discount, exclusive content, or a personalized message encouraging them to return.
Example: A gourmet food e-commerce site retargets customers who haven’t purchased in six months, offering an exclusive discount on their next order.
- Trigger: Customer has not purchased in 3 months.
- Step 1: Send a re-engagement email with inspirational content: “We miss you. Come back and claim these best-sellers as your own!”
- Step 2: If no purchase after 7 days, send a follow-up text message with a discount to encourage purchasing.
- Step 3: Exit flow if the customer re-engages.
Impact: Reduces churn and recaptures potentially lost customers, improving customer lifetime value.
Further reading: 15 Email Design Best Practices
10. Feedback collection post-purchase
Objective: Gather insights and improve the customer experience.
Asking for feedback is a simple but effective way to improve your offerings. Setting up automated post-purchase emails or surveys allows retailers to capture and act on customer opinions. Collecting this information can inform product improvements and overall service enhancements, showing customers you value their input.
Example: An online retailer sends customers post-purchase surveys to gather insights on recent purchases and store experiences.
- Trigger: Customer completes a purchase.
- Step 1: Send a thank-you email with a link to a survey.
- Step 2: If no action is taken after 7 days, follow up with a reminder email and offer a small incentive for completing the survey.

Impact: Builds trust, provides insights for product/service improvements, and shows customers their opinions are valued.
Further reading: Post-Purchase Emails: 12 Ways to Drive Customer Loyalty in Ecommerce
11. Loyalty program updates for higher customer engagement
Objective: Increase engagement and retention through loyalty rewards.
Engaging loyalty program members is essential for fostering long-term relationships. Personalized, timely interactions can make members feel valued and motivated to participate. By automating workflows, businesses can provide dynamic updates about point balances, reward eligibility, and exclusive benefits.
Example: A coffee subscription service introduces a "Gold Brew Club" tier for members who spend $70+ monthly.
- Trigger: Member achieves “Gold Brew Club” status.
- Step 1: Send a congratulations email sharing exclusive benefits and including a QR code for their first free drink.
- Step 2: After a week send a wallet push notification reminding them to redeem their reward.
- Step 3: After 1 month, send a ‘reward summary’ email and promote a seasonal drink tied to extra points for redemption.

Impact: Reinforces customer loyalty and incentivizes repeat purchases, enhancing brand loyalty.
Using Brevo’s loyalty platform, you can easily design a custom program that celebrates customer milestones with flexible rules, program tiers, and personalized offers—fostering deeper connections and making customers feel truly valued.
12. Automated A/B testing for workflow optimization
Objective: Continuously improve engagement and conversion rates.
Testing different elements of your workflows can reveal insights into what resonates with your audience. A/B testing allows you to compare variations within your automation workflows, such as timings or discount amounts, to see which version drives better engagement and conversions.
Example: An online pet supplies store tests whether including emojis in its subject lines drives better open rates and conversions.
- Trigger: Randomly assign newly acquired contacts to path A or path B in an equal split.
- Path A: Send a welcome email with the subject line "Welcome to Pets R Us]! Discover the Best for Your Pet"
- Path B: Send a welcome email with the subject line: "🐾Welcome to Pets R Us]! Discover the Best for Your Pet 🐶"
- Final Step: Monitor and compare engagement metrics to identify the best-performing approach.
Impact: Optimizes messaging strategies and boosts engagement rates, increasing the efficiency of all automated workflows.
Further reading: 5 Best Email Subject Line Testers for Better Open Rates
Conclusion
Marketing automation in retail is a game-changer, streamlining your marketing campaigns and making every interaction more meaningful. From welcome emails to abandoned cart recovery and loyalty programs, these 12 essential workflows enable personalized, consistent communication that enhances customer satisfaction and drives long-term loyalty.
With Brevo’s powerful CRM and marketing automation tools, you can bring these scenarios to life effortlessly—helping your brand grow sustainably while building deeper, more rewarding relationships with your customers.