Retention Lives Beyond the Cart

Howdy readers 🥰

In this newsletter, you’ll find:

💡 The Post-Cart Moat: Why Habitual SKUs are the true retention 

📊Facebook Ads Benchmarks 2025: Traffic Improves, Leads Struggle

🏆 Ad of the Day

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💡 The Post-Cart Moat: Why Habitual SKUs are the true retention 

Most DTC brands build forward: run ads, drive AOV, chase new customers. But top-tier brands build backward, from what people reorder, not just what they buy once.

The biggest margin isn’t in the first cart. It’s what they come back for again and again.

Most Bundles Are Built to Boost AOV.

But That’s Not the Real Game. Let’s say you stack two high-margin SKUs into a bundle. Looks great on paper. You even spike your average order value.

But if those SKUs don’t convert again within 30 days? You just front-loaded your cash flow and flattened your LTV.

Elite teams build post-cart moats:

• Start with which SKUs drive habitual repurchase
• Build bundles that feed those behaviors
• Gate high-stickiness SKUs behind reorders, not first-touch promos

This isn’t just a bundling strategy. It’s a product ecosystem logic shift.

Reorder-Back Product Mapping (3-Step Logic)

1. Identify Reorder Gravity SKUs

Track which SKUs show the highest return purchase % in 30–60–90 day cycles. These become your moat layers, products people habitually come back for.

2. Build Entry SKU Paths

Don’t lead with your best reordering products. Gate them. Lead with lower-CAC “magnet SKUs” and push users toward high-retention ones through post-purchase offers.

3. Match Behavior With Packaging

If the reorder window is tight (e.g., 14–30 days), bundle at TOF. If it’s long or use-case specific, gate behind a loyalty loop or upsell moment. This is how you shift from “cart size” thinking to retention orbit design.

Most teams guess reorder logic based on gut or static data.

With Particl, you track SKU-level demand shifts and spot reorder momentum based on real-time velocity.

That means you can:

• Lead with SKUs trending up across the category
• Gate repeat performers based on actual demand volatility
• Build post-cart strategies before competitors even spot the shift

You can start your 14-day free trial, and build product strategy like it prints margin.

Why It Matters

Every high-AOV bundle dies if it doesn’t drive second-order purchase. Building from reorder behavior flips the game from acquisition math to profit compounding.

And that’s how the best brands stay 3 moves ahead.

📊Facebook Ads Benchmarks 2025: Traffic Improves, Leads Struggle

Facebook remains a critical ad channel, but its 2025 benchmarks show a split: traffic campaigns are getting cheaper and more effective, while lead-generation campaigns are becoming costlier and less reliable. The data from WordStream LocaliQ tracks performance across industries.

The Breakdown:

1. Traffic Campaigns Deliver Efficiency - Click-through rates rose 8.23% YoY, with 71% of industries seeing improvements. CPC fell 6.67% to $0.70, far below Google’s $5.26 average, highlighting Facebook’s strength in driving affordable top-of-funnel traffic.

2. Lead Ads Costs Climb, Conversion Slips - Lead Ads CPL jumped 20.9% to $27.66, while conversion rates dropped across 80% of industries. CPC growth was limited to +2.13% YoY, keeping costs relatively low at $1.92 vs. Google’s $5.26, but overall efficiency weakened compared to last year.

3. Engagement Trends Remain Uneven - Lead Ads CTR improved in 9 of 15 industries, showing users still click, but downstream CVR fell in areas like entertainment, home improvement, and personal care. Traffic campaigns showed stronger resilience, with CPC stability or decreases in nearly half of the industries.

The data reflects a changing ad economy. Clicks remain strong, but converting those clicks into quality leads is getting harder and more expensive. Rising CPLs highlight the need for tighter campaign controls, smarter targeting, and safeguards like filtering spam when using tools such as Advantage+.

🎥 Ad of the Day

What Works and Insights

1. Personalization upfront - Showing the planner with a name on it (“Rebecca”) instantly highlights customization, which connects emotionally and makes the product feel special. Anchoring personalization in visuals is a smart move since it makes the value clear without needing explanation, and it can be extended by showing real user examples across different niches.

2. Visual storytelling through lifestyle setting - The planner is placed on a cozy, textured blanket with a pen beside it, creating a warm, aspirational lifestyle moment. This approach shows the product as part of a real daily routine. Extending this, future campaigns could use seasonal or work-from-home setups to diversify emotional touchpoints.

3. Clear message hierarchy - The headline “Custom Planners as unique as you are!” delivers the promise quickly, while the clean background keeps all focus on the product. Experts know that limiting distractions in copy and layout reduces friction, making buying decisions easier and faster. 

Final Takeaway: This ad works because it combines personalization, lifestyle context, and clarity, which together lower friction and increase desire. Brands can learn that showing both emotional connection and practical product clarity in the same frame makes the choice feel obvious for customers.

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