Retention engine

10 Klaviyo flows, designed.

Not a strategy doc — the actual build. Every flow mapped as an automation canvas, every hero email rendered in The Golf Sock's own brand. This is the revenue that runs while you sleep.

28–38% of revenue from email + SMS ~65–70% of that from flows One evergreen discount, margin protected Walk Longer & Hit The Ball Farther
28–38%
Target email + SMS share of total store revenue within 90–120 days
65 / 35
Revenue split — flows (automations) vs. campaigns once mature
3 lists
Master Email · SMS Subscribers · Wholesale/Pro — 11 dynamic segments underneath
1 code
WELCOME15 is the only standing discount. Everything else earns on value, habit & scarcity
Why The Golf Sock skews to the top of the range: socks physically wear out (a natural 4–6 month reorder clock) and golfers are an identity-driven, high-LTV, high-UGC audience. That makes Replenishment, Winback and Back-in-Stock unusually productive. The rule that protects margin: abandonment and winback codes are capped at or below WELCOME15, gated away from discount-sensitive buyers, and never shown before the value case is made. Smart Sending on, SMS quiet hours 10am–8pm local, every pre-purchase flow excludes active purchasers.
The build

The ten flows

Phase 1 captures money already on the table (Checkout → Cart → Welcome → Back-in-Stock). Phase 2 builds the retention engine. Phase 3 is LTV and advocacy. Each below shows the canvas and the hero creative.

1

Welcome / Newsletter Series

Convert new non-buyers to a first order — deliver the offer, then tell the performance + pro-trust + American-made story. Five emails, exits the moment they buy.

⛳ Automation canvas · Welcome

TriggerSubscribed to Master Emailpopup / footer
Email 1 · 0 minHere's your 15% offcode WELCOME15
wait 22h
Email 2The grip story
wait 2d
SplitPhone + SMS consent?
Yes · SMS15% still good — 6-pack ships free
No · Email 310,000+ golfers
wait 2d
Email 4Bundle math / AOV
wait 2d
Email 5Urgency close — expires tonight
ExitPlaced order → Post-Purchase
Trigger
Subscribed to Master Email
Timing
5 emails over ~8 days (0m→22h→2d→2d→2d)
Channel mix
Email primary · SMS branch at msg 3
Primary metric
Placed-order rate · 6–12%, RPR $2–$4
2

Browse Abandonment

Recover high-intent product viewers who never added to cart. Curiosity and value only — no code, protect margin. An intent gate (2+ views in a day) filters out one-glance bounces.

⛳ Automation canvas · Browse

TriggerViewed Product2+ views / 24h
FilterNo cart · no order since start
wait 4h
Email 1Still thinking about better feet?last-viewed block
wait 20h
Email 2The difference is in the grip
ExitAdded to cart / ordered
Trigger
Viewed Product (2+ / 24h)
Timing
2 emails · +4h, +20h
Channel mix
Email only · no discount
Primary metric
Placed-order 1.5–4% · RPR $0.50–$1.50
3

Cart Abandonment

The highest-value pre-purchase flow after checkout. SMS is the recovery workhorse on message 2. A 10% "finish your order" code appears only in message 3, only for non discount-sensitive profiles — never bigger than WELCOME15.

⛳ Automation canvas · Cart

TriggerAdded to Cart
FilterNo order since start
wait 1h
Msg 1 · EmailYour cart's still warmdynamic cart block
wait 5h
SplitSMS consent?
Yes · Msg 2Cart still saved → grab it
No · Msg 2Almost yours
wait 20h
SplitDiscount-sensitive?
No · Msg 3Here's 10% — FINISH10
Yes · Msg 3Urgency only, no code
ExitPlaced order
Trigger
Added to Cart
Timing
3 msgs · +1h, +5h, +20h
Channel mix
Email + SMS · 10% code msg 3 only
Primary metric
Placed-order 5–10% · RPR $2–$5
4

Checkout Abandonment

The highest-intent drop-off there is — payment-page abandoners. Shorter, faster, more urgent than the cart flow. SMS-first because speed wins. FINISH10 held back to message 3.

⛳ Automation canvas · Checkout

TriggerCheckout Started
FilterNo order since start
wait 30m
Msg 1 · EmailYou were one step awayresume-checkout link
wait 4h
Msg 2 · SMSOrder saved & ready to finish
wait 18h
SplitDiscount-sensitive?
No · Msg 310% to cross the line
Yes · Msg 3Urgency only
ExitPlaced order
Trigger
Checkout Started
Timing
3 msgs · +30m, +4h, +18h
Channel mix
SMS-first + email · code msg 3
Primary metric
Placed-order 10–20% · RPR $4–$8
5

Post-Purchase

Kill buyer's remorse, teach the product, seed the 2nd order and reviews. No early discount — they just paid. Branches on what they bought to route the right cross-sell. Hands off to the Review flow at day 9.

⛳ Automation canvas · Post-Purchase

TriggerPlaced Order
Email 1 · 20mYou're in — thank you
wait 2d
Email 2Get the grip workingeducation
wait ~5d
SplitWhat did they buy?
1–3 packCross-sell 6-pack (free ship)
6–12 packCross-sell women's / gifting
wait to d9
Email 4Review bridge → Flow 9
wait to d14
Email 5Refer / community
Trigger
Placed Order
Timing
5 emails over ~14 days
Channel mix
Email + SMS shipping · branch-by-SKU cross-sell
Primary metric
Repeat rate · cross-sell PO 2–5%
6

Winback / Lapsed

Reactivate buyers gone quiet 120–240 days out, before they're truly gone. Value first, then a modest capped code reserved for message 3 — never trained, never bigger than WELCOME15.

⛳ Automation canvas · Winback

TriggerEnters Lapsed segment120–240d
Email 1 · d0Your socks miss youno code
wait 4d
Email 2What's new + best value
wait 5d
SplitDiscount-sensitive?
No · SMS+EmailCOMEBACK15 · expires Sun
Yes10% or value-only
ExitRepurchase
Trigger
Enters Lapsed segment
Timing
3 msgs · d0, +4d, +5d
Channel mix
Email + 1 SMS · capped code msg 3
Primary metric
Reactivation 2–6% · RPR $0.75–$2
7

Replenishment / Reorder

The single biggest LTV lever for a consumable — own the natural wear-out clock. Delay calibrated to pack size (75 / 110 / 150 days). No default code; habit and free-ship-at-$70 do the work.

⛳ Automation canvas · Replenishment

TriggerPlaced Orderstarts the clock
SplitWhich pack?
1–3pk · wait 75d
6pk · wait 110d
12pk · wait 150d
Email 1Time to restock1-click reorder
wait 5d
Msg 2 · SMSRefresh the rotation
wait 7d
Email 3Buy 6, never think againAOV step-up
ExitReorder placed
Trigger
Placed Order (timed clock)
Timing
75/110/150d by pack, then +5d, +7d
Channel mix
Email + SMS · no default code
Primary metric
Reorder 5–12% · top-3 flow · RPR $1.50–$4
8

VIP / Loyalty

Reward the best customers with status and access, not discounts — early drops, standing free shipping, real-human concierge. A VIP code is a thank-you, never a trigger to buy. Protects margin while maximizing LTV.

⛳ Automation canvas · VIP

TriggerEnters VIP segment3+ orders / $150+
Email 1 · d0You're officially VIP 🏆perks + gift code
wait 5d
Email 2First look: new colorway
wait 10d
Msg 3 · SMSConcierge + standing free-ship perk
TagVIP campaign treatment
Trigger
Enters VIP segment
Timing
3 msgs · d0, +5d, +10d
Channel mix
Email + SMS · status & access, not coupons
Primary metric
VIP LTV · highest RPR $3–$8
9

Product Review + UGC

Generate reviews (site conversion fuel) and UGC (ad + email creative fuel). Fires ~7–10 days after delivery. No pay-for-review — a rating ≥4 gets a UGC invite; ≤3 routes to service recovery, never a public ask.

⛳ Automation canvas · Review / UGC

TriggerFulfilled Order
wait ~8d
Email 1How'd they play?star-rating link
wait 4d
Msg 2 · SMSTap to rate
wait 5d
SplitRating?
≥ 4 ★UGC invite + giveaway
≤ 3 ★Service recovery → support
Trigger
Fulfilled Order + ~8d
Timing
3 msgs · +8d, +4d, +5d
Channel mix
Email + SMS · rating-gated UGC branch
Primary metric
Review submission 5–12% · lifts site CVR
10

Back-in-Stock

Recover pre-qualified demand on out-of-stock variants. Often the single highest-converting flow of all — scarcity and speed are the whole motivator, so no discount. SMS-first the moment inventory clears zero.

⛳ Automation canvas · Back-in-Stock

TriggerBack in Stockvariant qty > 0
FilterNo order for variant yet
Msg 1 · SMS+EmailIt's back — these move fast
wait 24h
Msg 2 · EmailGoing fast — still available (barely)
ExitPlaced order
Trigger
Back in Stock (qty > 0)
Timing
2 msgs · on restock, +24h
Channel mix
SMS-first + email · no discount
Primary metric
Placed-order 15–30% · often #1 · RPR $3–$10