D2C Case Study
D2C Skincare Brand Doubles Repeat Purchases in 8 Weeks
Industry: D2C / Beauty & Personal Care | Goal: Increase repeat purchase rate | Service: Retention Sprint™
“We were growing on paper, but leaking profit every month.”
1. The Problem
A premium D2C skincare brand had mastered acquisition — their ads performed well, influencer campaigns were strong, and CAC was under control. But their repeat purchase rate was stuck at 18%. For every 100 new customers acquired, fewer than 20 came back to buy again.
- Overdependence on new ad spend for growth
- Customers viewed the product as a one-time experiment
- No automated follow-up systems beyond standard “thank you” emails
2. The Diagnosis
CraftedLoop ran a Retention Audit to uncover hidden leaks in their customer lifecycle:
| Stage | Problem | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Post-Purchase | Weak emotional reinforcement | 70% drop in open rates after first email |
| Second Purchase | No trigger for re-engagement | 82% never clicked restock reminders |
| Loyalty | No habit loop | Repeat buyers didn’t cross 2+ orders |
Retention wasn’t a performance problem — it was a memory problem.
3. The Strategy
The CraftedLoop team focused on designing a Repeat-Purchase Loop — a system that quietly reinforces product value, emotion, and progress over time. We deployed the CraftedLoop 4-Stage Retention System:
- Recognition: Make customers feel seen immediately after first purchase.
- Reinforcement: Connect emotional satisfaction with product use.
- Reminder: Predict the next purchase window based on real usage.
- Reward: Reinforce loyalty with subtle incentives (not discounts).
4. Execution
a. Emotional Reinforcement Sequence
Within 24 hours of delivery, customers received a “Your Glow is Just Beginning” email — with usage tips, product affirmations, and customer transformation stories. Result: 61% open rate, 3× higher clickthrough than generic campaigns.
b. Replenishment Reminder Loop
Based on product usage duration, customers automatically received a restock reminder at Day 28 — with micro-copy like “Consistency looks good on you.” Result: 44% click rate, 27% repeat purchase conversion.
c. Milestone Reward Automation
After the second order, customers received a subtle “Inner Circle” recognition email, offering early access to upcoming products instead of discounts. Result: 19% increase in third-order conversion.
d. Cohort Tracking Dashboard
CraftedLoop built a live Retention Dashboard in Looker Studio — tracking repeat purchase frequency, CAC payback, and LTV lift by cohort. Result: retention trends became visible across product lines for the first time.
5. The Results
| Metric | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repeat Purchase Rate | 18% | 37% | +106% |
| Returning Customer Revenue | ₹12.8L | ₹22.1L | +72% |
| Email-to-Order Conversion | 2.4% | 6.1% | +154% |
| CAC Payback Period | 91 days | 63 days | –31% |
Within 8 weeks, retention became the brand’s new growth channel.
6. Key Learning
Retention is not about loyalty programs or discounts — it’s about reinforcing identity and timing emotion. The skincare brand didn’t just double repeat sales. They built a system of emotional reminders that turned “maybe later” into “I’ll reorder today.”
“We thought we needed more ads. Turns out, we just needed a system.”