Imagine the holiday season, the magical time when friends and family gather around, rekindling connections and warm memories. In the business world, a similar opportunity emerges with BFCM, acting as the Christmas reunion for brands and their lost customers. Just as the festive season prompts reunions, BFCM provides an extraordinary chance to bring back those customers who’ve drifted away.
BFCM 2026 is expected to be the biggest online shopping event in US history. As a result, it is more valuable than ever for your brand to revive dormant customers. It is always cheaper to bring back an old buyer than it is to find a completely new one.
Start with a Survey campaign
It is important to know why your customers are becoming dormant so that you can address the issue and prevent them from leaving for good. Send them feedback or a survey campaign, asking them about their experience, reasons for inactivity, and suggestions for improvement. Offer an incentive, like a discount code, for completing the survey.
Pro-tip: Don’t use open-ended questions in your survey, rather give them multiple options to choose. This can improve your survey completion rate by at least 20%.
Based on your survey results, develop strategies to re-engage them and bring them back into the fold.
For example, a few shoppers would have experienced delayed delivery times, a few of them might have felt the customer support was not helpful.
The feedback you collect now will help you fix hidden problems in your business before the shopping weekend starts. You can use these answers to build trust with people who stopped buying from you in 2026.
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1. Bucket your customers
Review the survey responses you collected from the survey. Identify common reasons that made them dormant. Segment these shoppers into different groups based on the reasons.
For example,
Say the number of dormant customers for ABC is 2500. You send a campaign and say about 20% of them fill in the survey. So you have a chance to activate 500 inactive shoppers.
Bucketing them into why they became dormant:
- Delayed delivery times: 220 shoppers
- Felt pricing was high: 80
- Support issues: 100
- Found best price elsewhere: 90
- Average Product quality: 10
Small groups allow you to send much more specific messages to each person. You should treat a customer who had a shipping issue differently than one who found a better price. The focused approach makes your recovery efforts more successful.
2. Personalize your BFCM Sale Announcement
Personalize your BFCM sale announcement emails based on segments above. You can just change the hero-banner, email subject lines, and make rest of the emails same to make things easier.
Let’s take shoppers who faced delayed delivery times, the hero-banner can contains details related to that. For example, you can make free shipping within 24-48 hours more prominent.
Tailor your emails to suite each segment.
- If price was a concern: Mention the significant discounts they can enjoy during the sale.
- If lack of relevant products was an issue: Showcase the new products or improved offerings available during BFCM.
- If poor customer service was their pressing point: Highlight enhanced customer support during the sales period.
The subject line is the most important part of your BFCM sale message in 2026. A personalized headline can significantly increase the open rates among your dormant segments. You must show the reader that you have listened to their previous complaints.
3. Nudge them with Testimonials giving them assurance
Nudge them with testimonials highlighting the positive experiences others have had with your brand. Add trust elements such as
- Money back Guarantee
- Secured payments
- Any certifications that you might have
- Trust by X number of customers and so on.
Social proof is often the final push a customer needs to buy from you again. Real reviews from other shoppers can remove any doubt about your product quality or service. You should place these trust elements near your call-to-action buttons.
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3. Set up laddered discounts
Start with a modest discount, it can be as low as 5% to welcome the dormant customers. Increase discount percentages gradually based on the responses you get. If they’re still cold about the offer, increase your discount to 10%. These are some simple ways you can resurrect your in-active customers. If you’re yet to plan for this holiday season, here’s a handy BFCM checklist you can refer to.
Step-by-step offers help you protect your profit margins while you re-engage with customers. You do not need to give away your best discount right at the start of the campaign. Save your biggest offer for the people who do not respond to the first few emails.
4. Key Metrics to Track for Dormant Customer Reactivation You must track
You must track your data closely to see if your win-back strategy is actually working. In 2026, your data shows where customers lose interest and where they like what you offer, helping you spend your marketing budget wisely. Here are four metrics to track:
Reactivation Rate
Reactivation rate shows the total percentage of dormant users who made a purchase again. It tells you if your overall plan is strong enough to change their minds.
Email Open Rate
The email open rate number proves if your subject lines are interesting to your old audience. If this rate is low, you need to change your headlines immediately.
Conversion Rate
This metric tracks how many people clicked your email and then finished a checkout. High clicks but low sales mean your offer is not good enough.
Revenue Per Reactivated Customer
Revenue per reactivated customer tells you the average amount an old customer spends when they return. It helps you see the long-term value of your reactivation efforts.
Conclusion
BFCM is the single best opportunity of 2026 to bring dormant customers back to your store. You should take advantage of this seasonal shopping weekend to repair old relationships.
However, remember that this strategy only works when it starts early. You must have your surveys and segments in place weeks before the main sale begins.
If you wait until the last minute, your brand will get lost among all the other ads. A well-planned campaign can turn a lost buyer into a loyal fan for the rest of 2026. Start by looking at your inactive list today and send out your first feedback survey.
Need help building a winning reactivation strategy for BFCM 2026? Get in touch with our team to get started.
FAQs
How do you reactivate dormant customers before BFCM?
The best way is to start with a simple survey to find out why they stopped buying. Use their answers to create personalized offers that solve their specific problems. You should also use social proof to show that your service has improved since their last visit.
What is the best way to re-engage inactive email subscribers?
A personalized subject line that mentions their past experience is very effective. You can offer a special “welcome back” discount that is only available to them. This strategy makes the customer feel like you truly value their return to your brand.
How early should brands start their BFCM reactivation campaigns?
You should start your efforts at least four to six weeks before the actual sale date. It will give you enough time to gather survey data and warm up your audience. Early starts prevent your emails from getting lost in the heavy holiday noise.
What discounts work best for winning back dormant customers?
A laddered discount strategy is usually the most effective method for reactivation. Start with a small offer and slowly increase it for those who do not respond. This approach protects your profit while still giving the customer a good reason to buy.