The Loft's Loft

Today we're going to name a big differentiator between rookie email programs and the big dogs. It's called cart abandonment.

On Tuesday, I received an enticing email from Ann Taylor's Loft. $10 bucks for a shirt? I'm always on the lookout for deals like this, so I clicked the Shop Now link.

I found a few things, guessed my size, threw it in my cart and even used their nice promotion code to get 40% off already reduced items. Well, if you can believe it, two $10 shirts and a little clutch purse turned into a $70 order, even with the promo code. Shipping and taxes were almost $20, so I abandoned my cart with full intentions to drive the two miles to my local mall and see the goods face to face. 

Two days later, after all memory of wanting to purchase new duds and accessories had faded, I received an email with a subject line that read, "Come back: your shopping bag is waiting for you." Oh yeah, I think to myself. What did I want to buy again? So I open it:

A friendly reminder. Thanks, LOFT, for helping me remember that I wanted to spend money at your store. (One con: I removed the sweater (left image) from my cart before I abandoned, so not sure how this data is captured and stored, but it should be looking at the details right before the abandon action.)

Not enough companies are doing the above, even with the knowledge that open rates are extremely high and the ROI will knock your socks off. It's truly like stealing candy from a baby. Other ways to execute this plan include adding a bonus promotion code to sweeten the pot. The company recognizes that there's a reason the subscriber abandoned in the first place, would free shipping tip the conversion scale? 

As I see it, yes