Your email list is the most valuable asset your brand owns. Not your Instagram followers. Not your TikTok views. Your email list.
But most e-commerce brands treat email as an afterthought. They send the odd campaign when there’s a sale, maybe have a basic welcome email, and leave thousands of pounds on the table every single month.
Automated flows change that. They run in the background, 24/7, sending the right message to the right person at exactly the right time. Once they’re built properly, they generate revenue while you sleep.
Here are the seven Klaviyo flows every e-commerce store needs — and what they should actually say.
1. Welcome series
This is the most important flow you’ll ever build. Someone just handed you their email address. They’re interested. They’re paying attention. What you send in the next 48 hours sets the tone for the entire relationship.
Trigger: New subscriber (popup, footer signup, or checkout opt-in)
Emails: 3-5 over 5-7 days
What to say:
- Email 1 (immediately): Deliver whatever you promised (discount code, free guide, etc.). Introduce the brand briefly. Keep it short — they signed up for a reason, don’t bury it.
- Email 2 (day 1-2): Your brand story. Why you started. What makes you different. This is where you build trust. People buy from people, not faceless stores.
- Email 3 (day 3-4): Social proof. Bestsellers, customer reviews, press mentions. Show them other people love your products.
- Email 4 (day 5-7): Soft sell. Feature your top product or a curated collection based on what brought them to your site. Include a reminder of the welcome offer if they haven’t used it.
What NOT to do: Don’t just send a discount code and nothing else. You’ve got their attention — use it to build a relationship, not just chase a quick sale.
2. Abandoned cart
Someone put a product in their cart and left. This happens to roughly 70% of online shoppers. It’s not a problem — it’s an opportunity.
Trigger: Added to cart but didn’t purchase within 1 hour
Emails: 2-3 over 48 hours
What to say:
- Email 1 (1 hour): Simple reminder. “You left something behind.” Show the product image, name, price. Make it easy to click straight back to checkout. No discount yet.
- Email 2 (24 hours): Address objections. Why is this product worth it? Add a customer review. Answer the question they’re silently asking: “Should I actually buy this?”
- Email 3 (48 hours): Final nudge. This is where you can add urgency — low stock, limited availability, or a small incentive (free shipping or a percentage off) if it fits your brand.
Key insight: Don’t lead with discounts. The first email should just be a helpful reminder. Most people who abandoned didn’t do it because of price — they got distracted, needed to check their bank balance, or were browsing on the bus.
3. Browse abandonment
This catches people who viewed products but didn’t add to cart. They’re earlier in the buying journey than cart abandoners, so the approach is different.
Trigger: Viewed a product page but didn’t add to cart (wait 2-4 hours)
Emails: 1-2 over 48 hours
What to say:
- Email 1 (2-4 hours): “Still thinking about it?” Show the products they viewed. Keep it light and helpful — not pushy. Include social proof (reviews, bestseller badges).
- Email 2 (24-48 hours): Suggest similar or complementary products. “If you liked X, you might also love Y.” This works particularly well for brands with a wider product range.
Important: Set a frequency cap on this flow. You don’t want to email someone every time they browse your site. Once per week maximum.
4. Post-purchase
The sale isn’t the end of the journey — it’s the beginning. Post-purchase emails build loyalty, reduce buyer’s remorse, and set up the next purchase.
Trigger: Order placed
Emails: 3-4 over 14-21 days
What to say:
- Email 1 (immediately): Thank you + order confirmation. Don’t just send a transactional receipt. Make them feel good about their purchase. “Great choice” energy.
- Email 2 (3-5 days after delivery): How to get the most from their product. Usage tips, care instructions, how-to content. Show them you care about their experience, not just their money.
- Email 3 (7-10 days after delivery): Ask for a review. Keep it simple. One question. Make it easy to leave a review with a direct link. Reviews fuel your social proof across ads and email.
- Email 4 (14-21 days): Cross-sell. “Now that you’ve got X, here’s what pairs perfectly with it.” This should feel like a helpful suggestion, not a hard sell.
5. Win-back
Customers who haven’t purchased in a while need a different approach. They know you. They’ve bought before. Something just… stopped.
Trigger: Last purchase was 60-90 days ago (adjust based on your typical repurchase cycle)
Emails: 2-3 over 14 days
What to say:
- Email 1: “We miss you” — but make it genuine, not cringey. Remind them what they bought last time. Show them what’s new since they last visited. Has anything changed? New products, new collections?
- Email 2 (5-7 days later): Offer an incentive. This is one of the few flows where leading with a discount makes sense. They’ve already proven they’ll buy from you — you’re just removing the friction to get them back.
- Email 3 (7-14 days later): Last chance. Final reminder of the offer. If they don’t engage with this flow, move them to a suppression segment (more on that below).
6. VIP / loyalty flow
Your best customers deserve to feel like your best customers. This flow targets your top 10-20% by total spend or purchase frequency.
Trigger: Customer enters your VIP segment (define this based on your data — top 10% by revenue, 3+ purchases, or whatever makes sense for your brand)
Emails: Ongoing, event-based
What to say:
- Welcome to VIP: Acknowledge them. “You’re one of our most valued customers.” Give them something exclusive — early access to new products, a special discount, or a gift with their next order.
- Early access emails: New collection launching next week? Your VIPs hear about it first. This makes them feel special and drives sales before the general launch.
- Exclusive offers: VIP-only discounts, free shipping, birthday rewards. The specifics depend on your brand, but the principle is the same: make them feel valued.
Why it matters: VIP customers typically generate 3-5x the revenue of average customers. Investing in keeping them loyal is far cheaper than acquiring new ones.
7. Sunset flow
This one’s about list health. Subscribers who haven’t opened or clicked an email in 90-120 days are hurting your deliverability. Internet service providers look at engagement rates to decide whether your emails land in the inbox or spam folder.
Trigger: No email opens or clicks in 90-120 days
Emails: 2-3 over 10 days
What to say:
- Email 1: “Are you still interested?” Give them a reason to re-engage. Highlight your best content or bestselling products. Make the subject line impossible to ignore.
- Email 2 (5 days later): “Last chance to stay on the list.” Be direct. Tell them you’re going to stop emailing them unless they click. Some people will re-engage just because they don’t want to miss out.
- Email 3 (10 days later): “We’re saying goodbye.” Remove them from your active list if they don’t engage. This feels counterintuitive — why would you remove subscribers? — but a smaller, engaged list performs better than a large, disengaged one.
How these flows work together
These seven flows cover the entire customer lifecycle:
- Welcome captures new subscribers and builds the relationship
- Browse abandonment re-engages window shoppers
- Abandoned cart recovers lost sales
- Post-purchase turns buyers into fans
- Win-back re-activates lapsed customers
- VIP rewards your best customers
- Sunset keeps your list healthy
When they’re all running together, you have a system that nurtures people from first visit to loyal customer — automatically.
What good looks like
For most e-commerce brands, email should generate 30-40% of total revenue. If you’re nowhere near that, your flows are either missing, broken, or badly written.
The split should be roughly:
| Source | Revenue Share |
|---|---|
| Automated flows | 50-60% of email revenue |
| Campaigns (manual sends) | 40-50% of email revenue |
Flows are the engine. Campaigns are the accelerator. You need both.
Key takeaways
- Build all seven flows before worrying about campaigns — they run 24/7 and compound over time
- The welcome series is your highest-leverage flow. Get it right.
- Don’t lead with discounts in cart abandonment. Most people just got distracted.
- Post-purchase emails build loyalty and generate reviews — both of which drive future sales
- Clean your list with a sunset flow. A smaller, engaged list beats a large, ignored one.
- Target 30-40% of total revenue from email
Want us to build this for you?
We build and manage Klaviyo email systems for female-founded e-commerce brands. Every flow designed around your brand, your voice, and your customers — not generic templates.
Tell us about your brand and we’ll book your free clarity call.