A Personal Anecdote: Within a relatively short distance from my home, there are two very similar places to get a haircut. One is about a three-minute drive, while the other is about fifteen minutes away. When I first moved here, a promotion in the mail brought me to the store farther away—I was looking to save a few bucks and valued the savings over the convenience of the other store. Shopping discounts can turn a 1-time shopper into a return customer. 

So Why Use Shopping Discounts?

When I left, the cashier showed me that there was another coupon at the bottom of my new receipt, which I could use to save a couple dollars the next time. It wasn’t as good of a deal as the one that brought me there in the first place, and it would expire in about a month, but it nonetheless got me to return to the store for my next haircut. By the end of that second time, I had had my hair cut by the same stylist twice, and had developed a personal connection to the employees and the store. Even without further discounts, I continue to return to that store instead of the one much closer to where I live. 

Return shopping discounts are a great way to give first-time customers a reason to come back a second time. You could hand them a coupon when they buy something in-store for the first time, or if you’re based online, you could email them a special offer within a couple weeks of their first purchase. If you are an online store, you could always utilize a monthly newsletter or referral program to create return online shoppers. Advertise on a landing page or a checkout page that if they sign up, more rewards will be sent their way. People like to feel like they are on an exclusive list, and who doesn’t like coupons?

Why Should You Care?

As mentioned by SumAll, someone who has made two purchases is 18% more likely to come back again, compared to someone who has made just one.  If you can make it worth their while to give you their business twice, you’re well on your way to creating a repeat customer. 

Print off some return discount coupons, and try handing them out to your customers for a week. Keep track of how many you handed out, and how many come back during the next month.