How Restock Notify finds your lapsed customers
A lapsed customer is one of the most valuable people in your database — and the easiest to forget. Here is exactly how we define one, sort them, and put them in front of you.
What we mean by "lapsed"
A customer counts as lapsed when their last purchase was between 60 and 365 days ago and they've opted in to email. Anyone outside that window — too recent or genuinely gone for over a year — is excluded so the list stays a real reactivation list, not a churn graveyard.
How we sort them
The /customers/lapsed page surfaces two views:
- Top spenders — Gold and Silver tier customers in the lapsed window, ranked by lifetime spend. Highest individual upside per outreach.
- Seasonal regulars — customers who historically bought in this calendar window (Easter buyers in March, Mother's Day buyers in early May, holiday shoppers in November). Surfaced 90+ days after their last purchase so you catch them on the upswing.
Each row shows lifetime spend, days since last purchase, and a last-contacted pill so you can see at a glance which customers are fresh enough to email today.
Why the cooldown rule matters
Contacting someone twice in two weeks is the fastest way to lose them. We block any reactivation outreach to a customer who's been emailed within the last 30 days — the button reads Cooldown · Nd and disables itself. This rule isn't optional and you can't override it from the campaign view. You can override per-customer if you have a genuine reason (a personal note, a specific product they asked about) but never in bulk.
What goes in the message
The auto-draft for a winback is different from a restock alert. We reference:
- The last product they bought (so it feels like you remember)
- How long it's been (in human language: "It's been about three months")
- A small reason to come back — usually a related-product mention, sometimes a small incentive if you've configured one
We never write "We miss you" automatically. It's lazy and customers see right through it. The draft is something a thoughtful shopkeeper would actually send.
What's the expected response rate
Winback campaigns generally convert at 25–50% (industry benchmark). Your number depends heavily on (a) how long they've been gone, (b) whether the draft mentions something specific to them, and (c) the time of year you reach out. Customers reactivated near a holiday or birthday convert closer to 50%; cold winbacks in February convert closer to 25%.