A Look Inside Our Process

Challenge

With an 82% abandoned cart rate and less than 10% of customers ever purchasing twice, this electronics brand faced a classic retention trap.

This electronics brand sells high-quality, mid-ticket products. Mechanical keyboards, computer accessories, and noise-cancelling headphones.

Average order values were strong ($100+). However, customers rarely came back for a second purchase. With an average repeat customer rate under 10%, the brand relied entirely on paid traffic for new sales. 

On top of that, their retention systems were nearly non-existent. The abandoned cart flow was outdated, post-purchase emails were generic, and win-back campaigns were never sent. In other words, there was no true customer journey, just a checkout page.

Our task was to fully re-engineer retention opportunities that didn't rely on discounts in order to maintain the high AOV, as well as nurture existing customers beyond the first sale.

Strategy & Execution

By mapping the full customer journey from product discovery to post-purchase, we identified three weak points; the checkout process, the follow-up experience, and the complete absence of lifecycle communication.

To rebuild the brand’s retention system, Avalon designed a multi-phase strategy focused on three pillars:

Lifecycle Flow Optimization

Instead of relying on standard promotions and one-size-fits-all automations, Avalon rebuilt the email infrastructure from the ground up. 

• Abandoned Cart Flow:
  
  • Completely redesigned the flow to include dynamic product content, reviews, and urgency-based copy to reflect accurate stock levels.
• Post-Purchase Flow:
  
  • Added cross-sell logic that recommended complementary items:
    
    • (keyboards → wrist rests, headphones → carrying cases)
• Win-Back Flow:
  
  • Targeted customers after 60 and 120 days with personalized offers and "we miss you" sequences

Segmented Campaign System

We developed a new promotional rhythm based on purchase behavior and interests:

• Keyboard Buyers: 
  
  • Campaigns focused on workstation upgrades and productivity accessories.
• Headphone Buyers:
  
  • Highlighted audio enhancements, carrying gear, and limited-edition models.
• General List: 
  
  • Educational content on maintaining electronics and exclusive early access drops.
• This segmentation increased engagement rates by delivering content that felt personal, not generic.

Conversion Optimization at Checkout

Beyond emails, Avalon worked with the brand to improve the cart experience itself:

• Simplified checkout from 4 steps to 2.
• Added trust badges and clear shipping expectations.
• Implemented exit-intent popups with small incentives for cart recovery.
• Added a progress bar to visualize checkout completion 

These small UX adjustments complement the retention flows, reducing friction before purchase while the emails handle the post-purchase side.

Execution

Once the strategy was approved, Avalon moved into implementation.  

Our goal wasn’t just to “set up emails,” but to create a retention engine that could run itself and scale with the brand.

1. We started by conducting a complete audit of the brand’s Klaviyo account and checkout flow.
2. We built the abandoned cart, post-purchase, & win-back flows and tested in stages. 
3. With flows running, Avalon launched segmented campaigns for each major product category.
4. Rebuilt the cart and checkout experience, installed heatmaps and scroll-tracking to identify friction points.
5. Monitored weekly reports and gained insights from week 4

Within six weeks, the new retention system was live, automated, and producing measurable lift across engagement and repeat purchase metrics.

Results

Takeaways & Commentary 

1. High AOV ≠ low retention potential.

Even if customers don’t buy the same item twice, thoughtful post-purchase experiences can drive add-ons, accessories, and loyalty over time.

2. Retention systems are assets, not campaigns.

Once set up, flows keep generating returns passively, freeing brands from the treadmill of constant ad spending.

3. Consistency beats complexity.

Simple, well-timed, human-sounding emails outperform overdesigned, discount-heavy blasts every time.

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At Avalon, retention isn’t an afterthought... it’s the growth engine. 

This case demonstrates how small, data-informed changes in lifecycle strategy can transform how brands engage, convert, and grow, one repeat customer at a time.