Holiday demand gets you their attention—January determines if you keep it.

The holiday rush brings in a massive wave of new customers. It feels great in the moment. Then January hits, and you're facing the same question every operator asks: how many of these customers are actually coming back?

We wanted to understand retention patterns across brands to see what actually works. So we reached out to Eli Weiss, VP Advocacy at Yotpo, and asked him to share the strategies that are turning seasonal shoppers into long-term customers.

Here's what we're seeing across brands. The customers who return usually do it early—within 30 to 45 days of that first purchase. Once that window closes, the likelihood of another purchase drops sharply.

This is why January matters more than December. It's the month that turns seasonal demand into something sustainable.

Here's what strong retention looks like heading into 2026.

‍

1. Treat the first 30 days like onboarding, not remarketing

You're probably already confirming orders and sharing tracking info—that's helpful, but there's an opportunity to do more. Holiday customers need confidence. They want to know they bought the right thing and understand how to get the most from it.

A simple structure works well:

Day 1

Clear expectations on shipping and product use.

Day 3

Education that helps customers get more value.

Day 7

Social proof and examples of how others use the product.

This isn't about selling. It's about building trust in the product and in your brand. That trust is what leads to the second purchase.

Email carries most of the weight here. SMS supports with timely moments—a quick reminder when something ships, a simple tip saved on the customer's phone. Just enough to reassure without overwhelming.

‍

2. Use loyalty to create momentum early

Many brands assume loyalty programs are for customers who are already loyal. What we're seeing in practice is the opposite. Loyalty creates the behavior that leads to loyalty.

Here's why. Customers who return in the first 30 to 45 days tend to stay with your brand. Loyalty gives you tools that nudge customers toward that second purchase. It gives them something earned, something to redeem, and something that signals progress. People return to the places where they feel progress.

A few moves consistently help holiday buyers take that next step:

• Give points immediately and show the value clearly
• Highlight what the customer can redeem now, not someday
• Reward small but meaningful behaviors like leaving a review
• Show the next tier so the path feels real

When loyalty data sits inside Yotpo, these signals are clean and actionable. And when they flow into Attentive, the timing feels natural. A customer unlocks a reward. A customer hits a new tier. A customer has enough points to redeem. These are quiet but powerful moments that keep customers engaged.

‍

3. Build a messaging plan that respects attention

Your customers received an overwhelming amount of marketing during the holiday season. By January, their tolerance for irrelevant emails and texts is very low. This is why the strongest brands tighten their messaging calendar instead of expanding it.

Email handles education, storytelling, and recommendations. SMS delivers short, time-sensitive moments that matter.

A simple weekly rhythm keeps things clean:

Week 1

Welcome and onboarding

Week 2

Education and care tips

Week 3

Loyalty reminders and earned value

Week 4

Personalized recommendations

The most important factor here is intent—not demographics or assumptions, but actual behavior. Customers who browse a category behave differently from customers who only open your loyalty emails. Segment around that, and your calendar gets more effective without getting more complicated.

‍

4. Keep your brand visible where customers actually shop now

This is a shift a lot of teams are still adjusting to. Returning customers often start their next purchase with a quick search or a check on an AI assistant. They're looking for confirmation that your product is still a smart choice. Modern systems lean heavily on reviews, sentiment, and structured data to surface recommendations.

This is why reviews are now a pivotal part of the puzzle, both for new customers and existing ones. They help customers find you when so many will leverage LLMs for discovery and eventually even purchase.

A few things matter more than anything else:

• Verified reviews carry more trust
• Third-party verified sources like NYT bestseller and Allure Best-in-Beauty
• Consensus on other third-party sources like Reddit
• Data-rich reviews and FAQs that help systems understand who the product is best for

Collecting structured feedback strengthens visibility across search, feeds, and AI-powered assistants. Yotpo helps collect this structured feedback and makes it work across these touchpoints. This makes a difference because returning customers behave more like evaluators than loyalists. They want a quick confirmation. Reviews give them that confidence.

Visibility and retention now support each other. One reinforces the other.

‍

5. Collect reviews with intention

January is a high-leverage time to collect reviews. Customers have used their products. They know what they think. They're more willing to share feedback.

Two to three weeks after delivery works best. Keep the review form simple. Reward with loyalty points, not discounts. Respond to reviews, especially the critical ones.

When customers see you listening, they stay connected. When reviews appear across your PDP, email flows, and loyalty reminders, they reinforce trust in a steady, predictable way.

‍

6. Segment holiday buyers by intent

Holiday customers aren't one group. They fall into four patterns every year.

The Gift Buyer 

Bought for someone else. Low personal interest. Best moved toward referral incentives.

The Discount Buyer

Came for the deal. Needs education about product quality and long-term value.

The Curious Buyer

Browsed across categories and opened multiple emails. Great candidate for loyalty and recommendations.

The Early Loyalist

Purchased more than once or showed strong engagement. Give them a clear path into higher-value behavior.

Each group needs a different approach. Treat them the same and you either fatigue the list or leave revenue on the table.

‍

7. Build a clean re-engagement track

Some customers won't return in January. They may return in February or March if the communication feels right.

A helpful structure:

First touch 

Share tips on getting more from their original purchase.

Second touch

Ask for feedback.

Third touch

Remind them of earned loyalty value.

Final touch

A light sunset message that respects attention.

Customers appreciate honesty, and a gentle reset often performs better than an aggressive discount.

‍

8. Create a reason to stay beyond the product

The strongest retention programs build familiarity and connection. This doesn't require a big community initiative. Small things matter.

• Share customer stories
• Give a look behind the scenes
• Create educational content customers look forward to
• Let loyalty points support causes customers care about

These touches create depth. Depth leads to loyalty.

‍

What to focus on right now

First 7 days: 

Tighten your onboarding flow. Surface loyalty value immediately. Start segmenting by real behavior.

First 30 days: 

Teach customers how to get more from the product. Remind them what they've earned. Collect reviews. Trigger recommendations based on browsing and purchase patterns.

First 60 days: 

Run a thoughtful winback. Watch cohort performance. Invest in the segments that show early loyalty.

Holiday demand brings attention. January turns attention into retention. The brands that grow in 2025 will be the ones who treat this period with intention, clarity, and consistency.

‍