In e-commerce in 2025, retention is the new acquisition.

For many e-commerce teams, getting a grip on their Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) and Return On Ad Spend (ROAS) are main objectives in their marketing strategy and rightfully so. In our previous article, we explained the different attribution measurement methods available and how Eyk leverages them to provide you with the right insights to optimise the acquisition side of your business. In this article, we explore the retention side of your business and provide you with tangible tactics based on our RFM Segmentation insight to increase retention and profit per customer.
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With rising CPAs and quickly increasing competition putting margins under pressure, winning brands are shifting focus from just acquiring new customers, to generating more value per customer.
And the ones scaling profitably in 2025? They all have one thing in common:

They understand their customers better than the competition does.
That understanding starts with CLV and returning order rate, but deepens with RFM segmentation.

What is RFM Segmentation?

RFM stands for Recency, Frequency, and Monetary value. It’s a time-tested framework that segments your customer base by how recently, how often, and how much they have purchased.

• Recency: When was their last order?
  
• Frequency: How often do they purchase?
  
• Monetary: How much have they spent?
  

This set of datapoints reveals buying behaviour patterns most e-commerce teams miss by only looking at CLV.

Why it matters:

RFM segmentation helps answer three essential questions:

1. Who are your most valuable customers?
   
2. Who is about to churn?
   
3. Who’s ready to buy again?
   

It’s simple, but incredibly powerful if done right.

The Problem e-commerce Teams Face Without it

If you're flying blind with just average AOVs and repeat rates, you are:

• Sending generic emails to everyone.
  
• Spending ad dollars on customers who were going to buy anyway.
  
• Missing the timing window for high-value reactivation.
  

The result? Burnt budget. Lost revenue. Lower CLV.

How Eyk Uses RFM Segmentation to Unlock Growth

At Eyk, we believe data should inform next actions, not make you guess. That is why our platform runs 'ready-made insights' tailored to e-commerce teams working on sustainable growth.

And as a part of that, Eyk automatically runs RFM segmentation across your entire customer base. No spreadsheets. No manual filters. No setup.

With one click, Eyk groups your customers into actionable, pre-built segments that are dynamically generated every night based on your latest order data.

*This insight is available for Shopify, Magento and Woocommerce based brands and can be activated during your free trial!

Let's dive in! Below you will find the Eyk RFM Segments & three actionable tactics for each!

About to Sleep

Description:
Customers who purchased before, but it’s been longer than your average repeat cycle. They’re slipping away but not fully dormant yet.

Tactics:

1. Trigger a “We miss you” flow with personalized product tips or past purchase reminders.
2. Run urgency-driven winback ads (example: “Your discount expires in 48 hours”).
3. Drop into SMS + email combo flows with a one-time incentive for reactivation.

At Risk

Description:
Once loyal customers who’ve significantly slowed down their buying behavior. Higher CLV, but trending downward.

Tactics:

1. Segment-specific winback campaigns using past favorite SKUs or replenishment logic.
2. Dynamic discounting based on margin and predicted CLV.
3. Personal check-in emails from founder or support to re-engage with a human touch.

Can’t Lose

Description:
High spenders and frequent buyers, critical to your revenue. Now at risk of churning.

Tactics:

1. Surprise-and-delight retention packages (free gift, handwritten note, or early access).
2. Exclusive loyalty perks only visible to this segment (VIP-only collection, concierge support).
3. Re-engagement call or email from a high-level team member to rebuild the relationship.

Champions

Description:
Your best customers, they are frequent, recent, and high spenders. Brand advocates and CLV drivers.

Tactics:

1. Launch a VIP tier program with first access to new drops.
2. Ask for UGC or referrals, and reward participation.
3. Suppress from broad discounting, while using them to seed lookalikes in paid ads.

Hibernating

Description:
Customers who haven’t purchased in a long time, well beyond average repeat purchase cycle. Cold.

Tactics:

1. Seasonal reactivation campaigns with a compelling new collection or product.
2. Use for exclusion in paid campaigns to optimize ad spend.
3. Add to “last-chance” sale lists to liquidate excess inventory.

Loyal Customers

Description:
Frequent buyers with moderate-to-high spend. Often close to becoming Champions.

Tactics:

1. Send thank-you offers tied to loyalty (example: after X orders).
2. Feature them in community or social proof content.
3. Upsell with bundles or limited-time product extensions.

Need Attention

Description:
Recently active, but lower spend and infrequent purchases. Early signals of churn or disinterest.

Tactics:

1. Survey for feedback and use answers to tailor offers.
2. A/B test promotions based on browsing vs. buying behavior.
3. Use in paid retargeting with a benefit-first hook (example: "This will change how you ___").

Potential Loyalists

Description:
Repeat buyers with growing value, just not top-tier yet. Momentum is building.

Tactics:

1. Create post-purchase upsell flows personalized by product category.
2. Invite to loyalty or referral program early to drive habit-building.
3. Run timed campaigns tied to their next likely purchase cycle.

Promising

Description:
New customers who’ve just made a purchase and look promising in terms of value.

Tactics:

1. Post-purchase education flow to increase product usage and satisfaction.
2. Next-best-product quiz or email to deepen catalog exposure.
3. Suppress from ads for 7–10 days to reduce redundant spend.

Recent Customers

Description:
First-time buyers who ordered very recently. No behavior data yet, nurture phase.

Tactics:

1. Onboarding welcome series that introduces brand values, top products, and community.
2. Ask for zero-party data through preference quizzes or short surveys.
3. Offer reorder reminder based on expected consumption cycle (example: 20–30 days after first order).
   

We have seen ecommerce brands using Eyk’s RFM segmentation:

• Increase returning order rates
  
• Significantly improve CLV in under 3 months.
  
• Lower CPA by excluding recent buyers and champion customers from paid campaigns.
  

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Ready to Make Your Data Work for You?

Eyk turns your customer data into your most powerful growth lever, automatically.

👉 Book a demo or connect your store in minutes during a free trial to start using RFM segmentation that actually drives retention, revenue, and better ads.