Retail and Email

I know, I know, stores are generally not open right now.

But they will be open someday.

I've analyzed many retail brands ... and continually noticed interesting dynamics regarding email marketing. Here's a few from a recent project:

• Those who recently purchased in a store were less likely to click through an email campaign next month, all things being equal.
• Those who recently purchased in a store were less likely to purchase via an email campaign next month, all things being equal (though they were perfectly happy shopping in other channels).
• Those who recently purchased via email marketing were less likely to purchase in a store next month, all things being equal (though they were perfectly happy shopping in other channels).
• Those who exhibited continuous email clicking activity over time were less likely to purchase in a store, all things being equal.

Nobody is going to care about what I share (above) because the world changed and a virus has destroyed retail and almost nothing else matters outside of somehow getting a customer into a store (which will be really, really hard to do ... not impossible, but hard).

But we create our own problems, too.

When we tell people to click instead of shop in a store now, we change customer behavior ... and then we wonder why retail was so weakened that it could quickly be knocked down by a virus?