You got your product on the shelf. Huge milestone! But the real test? Getting it off the shelf and into shoppers’ baskets – again and again and again.
Many brands focus most of their time and marketing dollars into driving trial. And while trial is important – it is what gets your first customers in the door – it’s repeat purchases that keep the lights on. It’s also far cheaper to bring an existing shopper back than it is to win over a brand-new one.
So, how do you keep the momentum going after launch and turn first-time shoppers into loyal repeat customers?
Before you can boost repeat sales, you need to understand your current customers’ behavior. That means digging into metrics beyond just overall sales.
Look at:
- Frequency: How often are shoppers buying your product?
- Basket size: Are they buying just one product, or adding more items?
- Repeat rate: What percentage of buyers are coming back for a second or third purchase?
Driving repeat purchases is a balancing act between driving trial and nurturing your existing customer base. You need to invest in both, but in a way that builds on itself.
1. Smarter trial
If you’re going to invest in trial, make it count. Don’t blast your message to everyone, focus on the right audience. Using shopper marketing tools to connect your brand with a community of high-intent shoppers can be an effective way to get your product into the hands of people most likely to buy again.
2. Targeted follow-up offers
Encourage a second purchase with a tiered incentive. Offer a stronger discount for the first purchase, then scale back for the second – maybe a smaller discount or a multi-unit offer. Sampling and discount tools make this easy to set up.
3. Retail media for existing customers
Retail media is a powerful tool for driving repeat purchases. These platforms can show you who’s already bought your product and how they engage with your category, so you can deliver highly targeted ads to the right people at the right time.
A big launch without a plan for what comes next can burn through budget and momentum fast. The goal is a marketing approach that can sustain itself long after launch day.
Retailers measure success by movement off the shelf. If your product sells at the same pace (or faster) than the competition, you’re in a strong position. A repeat purchase strategy proves your brand isn’t just a short-term trend; it’s a product shoppers actively want to buy again. That’s what builds staying power with both customers and retailers
Winning shelf space is a milestone worth celebrating, but it’s just the first step. The brands that last are the ones that turn first-time triers into loyal customers who come back again and again. By understanding shopper behavior, layering your trial, repeat, and retention efforts, and planning well beyond launch. You’re not just driving sales, you’re building proof for retailers that your product belongs on their shelves for the long haul. In a competitive CPG market, repeat purchases aren’t just a nice-to-have metric; they’re the clearest signal of staying power.
