Let\u2019s talk about a question that keeps many retailers up at night: Why aren\u2019t my customers coming back?<\/p>\n
This month, the Online CX Index, a partnership between Inside Retail and Humii, introduced one of its most important additions yet: Post-Purchase Retention. Designed to shed light on what drives repeat purchases \u2014 and what turns customers away \u2014 this new metric offers a powerful lens into what happens after the checkout, and why it matters more than ever.<\/p>\n
Rethinking retention<\/p>\n
\u201cRetention isn\u2019t just about discounts or points programs,\u201d stresses Humii co-founder and CEO Mareile Osthus. \u201cIt\u2019s about the full end-to-end experience, from discovery to delivery to return. The goal is to measure the likelihood of a shopper coming back, based not on historical sales, but on what they\u2019ve actually experienced.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the end of every online mystery shop, Humii is asking one simple question: \u201cBased on your experience, how likely are you to return to this retailer?\u201d Then, Humii digs deeper into why, to understand what worked, what didn\u2019t, and where retailers are winning or losing future sales.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe result is a new benchmark for experience-led retention. And the good news? It\u2019s a likelihood, not a life sentence. There\u2019s always room to improve and to turn things around,\u201d shares Osthus.<\/p>\n
What the data tells us<\/p>\n
Every mystery shop conducted by Humii assesses up to 200 data points across the full online journey, covering not just the website and purchase experience, but delivery, unboxing, returns and refunds as well as loyalty and retention. Osthus says it is often during this post-purchase phase where retention quietly breaks down.<\/p>\n
Together, they provide a fuller view of shopper behaviour, from drop-off before checkout, to whether shoppers will come back at all.<\/p>\n
The data reveals:<\/p>\n
The highest retention score on the index is 96 per cent.<\/p>\n
The lowest retention score is 55 per cent.<\/p>\n
The average across the Online CX Index is 67 per cent.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith customer acquisition costs continuing to climb, retention is no longer a nice-to-have, it\u2019s essential,\u201d says Osthus. \u201cRetaining customers is significantly more cost-effective than constantly acquiring new ones, yet many retailers still underestimate its impact. If only 55 per cent of your first-time shoppers are likely to return, the maths is simple: You\u2019ve already lost your CAC and any chance of meaningful lifetime value. That\u2019s not just inefficient, it\u2019s unsustainable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spotlight on four Accent Group brands<\/p>\n
Osthus zooms in on four brands from Accent Group that are performing well, all ranked between #19 and #48 on the Online CX Index, and explores what\u2019s helping (or hindering) retention.<\/p>\n
#19 \u2013 Stylerunner | Retention Score: 80 per cent<\/p>\n
A strong performer, Stylerunner\u2019s online journey is well-received. However, some shoppers flagged unanswered customer service emails, which, while minor, introduce risk to an otherwise polished experience. As a side note, and not particularly mentioned as a non-return reason, is the uncertainty about the benefits of the membership program.\u00a0<\/p>\n
#27 \u2013 Platypus Shoes | Retention Score: 75 per cent<\/p>\n
Platypus shows solid performance overall, but technical issues in the returns portal and poor communication around refunds were frequent concerns. These friction points can undermine confidence and deter repeat visits.<\/p>\n
#40 \u2013 Skechers | Retention Score: 69 per cent<\/p>\n
The most consistent feedback for Skechers was a lack of communication during returns. Shoppers were unsure if their items were received or refunds processed, gaps that create avoidable uncertainty and affect brand trust. In addition to this, some shoppers never received a response going through the contact form.\u00a0<\/p>\n
#48 \u2013 Hype DC | Retention Score: 72 per cent<\/p>\n
Post-purchase performance is above average, indicating a generally positive experience after the transaction. However, Hype DC faces considerable pre-purchase abandonment, with 28 per cent of mystery shoppers exiting the site before checkout after finding the same item at a lower price elsewhere. This highlights a clear opportunity to reassess competitive pricing strategies and strengthen value perception throughout the shopping journey. Additionally, among those unlikely to return post-purchase, a recurring issue was the lack of response via the contact form, suggesting a need to improve responsiveness in customer support touchpoints.<\/p>\n
What really drives (or destroys) retention<\/p>\n
Across Humii\u2019s research, one thing is clear: Most customers don\u2019t fail to return because they dislike the product. They don\u2019t come back because of avoidable friction in the experience.<\/p>\n
The most commonly cited issues? According to Humii\u2019s CX data, these are the top five reasons shoppers are unlikely to return:<\/p>\n
Difficult return process.<\/p>\n
Slow delivery.<\/p>\n
Poor delivery communication.<\/p>\n
Product doesn\u2019t match description.<\/p>\n
Limited payment options.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are not loyalty problems,\u201d says Osthus. \u201cThey\u2019re operational pain points, and each one is fixable. The challenge is knowing where they exist in your journey.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking ahead<\/p>\n
Accent Group\u2019s performance reflects strong digital foundations and high shopper sentiment. With some focused improvements, each brand can increase retention and climb further up the CX Index.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Osthus says that as the retail calendar ramps up toward peak season, there\u2019s never been a better time to ask if your customers are coming back, and if not, do you know why not?<\/p>\n
\u201cUnless you want to lose customer acquisition costs and customer lifetime value. After all, retention is a journey, not a given.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Let\u2019s talk about a question that keeps many retailers up at night: Why aren\u2019t my customers coming back?…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":66700,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[52951,64,63,52952,52953,52954,105],"class_list":{"0":"post-66699","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technology","8":"tag-accent-group","9":"tag-au","10":"tag-australia","11":"tag-humii","12":"tag-online-cx-index","13":"tag-post-purchase-retention","14":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66699"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66699\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66700"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}