Fireside Chat recap: How Mint & Lily turns BFCM buyers into lifelong customers

In this fireside chat, ​@dianenoth unpacked her path into ecommerce, key lessons from this year’s BFCM season, and how Mint & Lily plans to strengthen customer loyalty in 2026. Here are the top insights from the conversation:

1. Intent > volume: BFCM engagement is shifting

Diane emphasized that BFCM performance wasn’t about emailing more people. It was about deeper intent from those who did engage.

• She emailed slightly fewer people than last year, yet saw higher click and conversion rates.

• Timing and simplicity mattered: afternoon and late-evening sends performed best, and short, text-forward emails outperformed heavier designs.
  Big idea: customers moved quickly and valued clarity—lean formats and precise timing drove efficiency.

2. Repeat buyers now power growth (and strategy)

Echoing Klaviyo’s BFCM report, Mint & Lily also saw a “loyalty-led” season:

• Repeat buyers drove a significant share of BFCM revenue.

• 40% of new BFCM subscribers went on to purchase, and Diane’s team is pushing toward 60% with stronger onboarding and segmentation.

• Shift in mindset: Retention work begins before BFCM ends, focusing on turning deal-driven shoppers into long-term customers.

3. Retention as a business multiplier, not just a channel tactic

Diane made a compelling internal case:

• Acquisition gets more expensive every year; retention improves payback across the entire business.

• Her team focuses on learning about customers (shopping intent, preferences, behavior) because personalization directly correlates with conversion.

• Key early signals of long-term value: fast second purchases, post-purchase engagement, browsing after delivery, and affinity for non-discounted items.

4. Segmented, behavior-led journeys win post-BFCM

Mint & Lily runs distinct journeys based on customer type:

• First-time buyers: trust-building, education, and a fast path to the second purchase via early thank-you incentives + personalized recommendations.

• Repeat/VIP customers: exclusive access, curated picks, and more personal tone.

• Engaged non-buyers: lightweight nudges based on what they browsed. Automations play a starring role: post-purchase, browse/cart abandonment, winback, VIP flows, and seasonal moments (shipping cutoff, Valentine’s prompts).

• Throughline: clarity, simplicity, and behavior-based relevance.

5. Looking ahead: Scaling personalization with leaner creativity

Diane is excited about three forward-looking opportunities:

1. Capturing richer zero-party data, especially birthdays (for customers and their gift recipients) to unlock deeper personalization.

2. Leaner, more direct creative that mirrors the website and feels personal, not like a heavy newsletter.

3. Smarter lifecycle segmentation, treating first-time buyers, repeat buyers, and VIPs as fundamentally different journeys, especially across seasonal moments.

BFCM templates

Note for the recording: We experienced some technical difficulties for the first few minutes.