How do I win back a customer who has not ordered in a while?

First, find who has gone quiet

You cannot win back someone you cannot see. Open your orders list in the Varchas admin and sort by customer or date. Pick a gap that suits your product: a consumable like tea or soap is reordered sooner than a piece of furniture, so choose your own threshold and write it down.

Make a short list of past buyers whose last order is older than that gap. Ten names are enough to start.

Ask what changed on your side

Before you message them, check whether anything on your side could have caused the silence. A late delivery, a damaged parcel, an unanswered question? If you can see that something went wrong, start with an apology, not an offer. How to apologise for a shipping mistake can help with the wording.

Lead with something new

People return when there is a reason. The best reason is something genuinely new: a product, a new colour, a restock of an item that sold out, or a seasonal batch. A message with nothing to show just says "please buy again".

Example:

"Hi Rohan, it has been a while. We just made a new batch of the coffee you liked, and there is a new blend too. Here are two photos. No pressure at all, just wanted you to see them first."

Keep it warm and short

Three to four lines is enough. Use her name. Mention what she bought, so she knows it is not a mass message. End with an open door, not a demand.

An optional small incentive

If you want to add a code, keep it simple: a modest discount or free shipping with a short expiry. In the Varchas admin, the Coupons screen lets you set a type and value, a maximum number of uses and an expiry date. Make sure the code leaves you with some margin; how a 10 percent discount hits profit shows how to check that.

Many people respond to being remembered more than to a discount. Try the message without a code first for a few people and see.

Send once, maybe twice

One message is a nudge. If there is no answer, wait a few weeks and send one more, with something different to show. After that, leave her alone. A person who does not want to hear from you should not be chased.

Make it easy to say no

Add a line like "If you would rather not hear from us, just say so and I will stop." It feels respectful, and it keeps your list clean.

Learn from the quiet ones

If someone replies with a reason, write it down. "Delivery took too long" or "the size was off" is worth more than a repeat sale because it shows what to fix.

Do not claim win-back rates

Some people quote how many lapsed customers return. You do not need those figures. Count how many of your ten messages led to a reply or an order, and compare next time. That is your real number.

For why this effort matters, see the repeat customer is the whole business.