The Loyalty Lift You’re Missing: Think Outside the Inbox

Email is often hailed as the top-performing marketing channel for garden centre loyalty programmes - and for good reason. Our client data shows average open rates of over 58%, significantly above industry benchmarks. That kind of direct engagement is gold. But email isn’t the whole story.

Because even the most well-crafted campaign won’t reach its full potential if it’s only landing in inboxes. Not everyone will check their email. And even those who do may forget to act.

Customers need to be reminded to engage, especially when it comes to loyalty: to visit in store, to scan their card or app, to redeem that birthday treat, or to collect their double points. It’s a behavioural loop - and closing it requires more than just great subject lines.

Why email alone isn’t enough

Let’s take a birthday email as an example. We recently ran one offering a free slice of cake or £5 voucher. Redemption was strong - over 30% of recipients came in to claim their offer. But what’s more interesting is what happened next: 70.4% of those customers went on to make an additional purchase during that visit.

That’s the power of a timely email - yes - but it’s also a reminder of how essential the in-store experience is. Did the customer remember to scan? Was there a clear call to action at the counter? Were staff aware of the offer and able to reinforce it?

Without those supporting elements, we might never have known the full impact.

Multi-channel = multiplied results

When a campaign runs across email, app, in-store and sometimes social, customers are more likely to notice it - and act on it. That doesn’t mean bombarding people with the same message, but reinforcing it in the right context.

Here’s how we recommend structuring an effective campaign:

1. Start with the email 📧

It drives awareness and gives the full message: what the reward is, when it applies, and how to claim it.

2. Mirror it in the app 📲

Push notifications (especially if timed close to store visits) can give your message a second life. We’re increasingly seeing the app become a key part of the customer journey, especially as scan rates and app usage rise year-on-year. It’s a powerful way to remind customers to engage—even when they’re not checking their email.

3. Reinforce it in store 🛒

Matching POS materials, shelf talkers, or counter-top signage reminds customers of the offer at the moment it counts. And when staff are briefed and confident, uptake improves dramatically. That’s why we offer optional staff training sessions and supportive till copy - to help teams understand how campaigns work and how to communicate them with ease at the point of sale.

4. Keep it consistent 🔗

Whether someone sees it online, in an email, or in store, the messaging should feel like one unified campaign. Not every customer reads every email - but if they saw the same offer on the app, heard about it from a staff member, or spotted it on a poster, you’re increasing the odds they’ll act.

Loyalty is a habit, not a one-off interaction

One-off campaigns are great, but the best results come from consistency. Repetition builds behaviour - scan, redeem, repeat. And the only way to reinforce behaviour is to show up in multiple places, in a way that feels seamless to the customer.

At Spring, we don’t just write your emails - we help you plan how to bring them to life at every touchpoint. That might mean creating shelf-edge signage, app messaging, digital vouchers, or even staff training. We’re here to help make sure your loyalty programme isn’t just seen - but remembered, and acted on.