Macgi
Email is not the newest channel, but for online clothing stores it is one of the few places where you own the relationship with a shopper. Social feeds change, ad costs rise, and marketplace chats are not fully yours. Email lets you reach a person who already said they want to hear from you, with product images, sizing advice and offers in one place.
For a fashion shop, the goal of email marketing is not to send more email. It is to send the right email at the moment a shopper is most likely to act: right after signup, when a sold-out item returns, after a delivery when fit is still top of mind, or when a customer has gone quiet.
Here are six campaigns every clothing store should have, plus practical rules for subject lines, frequency and the tools that fit Shopify, WooCommerce, Haravan and Sapo.
1. Build a list with real consent first
A list that did not ask to be contacted will hurt deliverability, annoy shoppers and waste the time you spend writing campaigns. Clothing stores do better with a smaller list of people who have actively shown interest.
Where to collect addresses without blocking the sale
Good places to ask for an email address:
- Footer of every page — a quiet, always-present form.
- Checkout — a checkbox for order updates and occasional new arrivals, with consent separate from terms.
- After purchase — a clear question like “Want restock alerts and early access?”
- On product pages for sold-out items — “Notify me when this size is back” is the strongest email capture for fashion.
- On social profiles and ads — a landing page that offers a useful lead magnet, such as a size guide or a first-order code.
Avoid a popup that appears the moment a first-time visitor lands and asks for email before they have seen any products. That can work for discounts, but it often trains shoppers to close the window instead of browsing.
What to say instead of “Subscribe to our newsletter”
Bad example: “Subscribe to our newsletter”
Good example: “Get new arrivals and restock alerts. One email a week, no spam.”
Good example for a sold-out product: “Tell us your size. We’ll email you the day it’s back.”
The difference is that the good examples tell the shopper exactly what they will receive and when it matters.
Consent settings to check
When you set up a form, make sure the signup action is separate from purchase consent where required. Many email platforms let you enable double opt-in, which sends a confirmation email after signup. If you sell internationally or in Vietnam, check the current consumer-protection and data-protection rules for email consent rather than copying a template from another store.
2. Welcome email: turn a new subscriber into a first purchase
A welcome email is the highest-attention message you will ever send. The subscriber just gave you their address, so the moment is fresh.
Single email or short series
For a small fashion shop, a simple three-part welcome series works well:
- Immediate welcome — thank the subscriber, deliver the promised code or guide, and show one or two best-selling categories.
- One day later — show new arrivals or signature styles, and explain what makes your shop different, such as sizing, fabric or return policy.
- Two or three days later — share fit advice, real customer questions or a link to your size chart, then softly invite them to browse.
If you do not have time for a series, send one strong welcome email. It is better than sending nothing.
Subject line examples for welcome emails
- “Welcome to [Shop name] — here’s 10% off your first order”
- “You’re in. Start with these best sellers”
- “Your size guide is here (plus a small thank-you)”
Keep the sender name recognisable and the preview text useful.
What to measure
Track open rate, click rate and first-purchase rate from the welcome series. For example, if 100 new subscribers receive your welcome email and 28 open it, your open rate is 28%, and you can test subject lines to improve it. Do not judge success on a single send; look over 30 or 60 days.
3. New arrivals and restock emails: stay visible without becoming noise
Fashion shoppers like novelty, but they do not need an email every time you add one product. A predictable rhythm is better than a daily blast.
Frequency
For most clothing stores, one new-arrivals email per week or every two weeks is enough. If you drop many small collections, a weekly email works. If you restock slowly, a biweekly “what’s new” email is safer.
Segment by interest when you can. If a shopper has only looked at men’s shirts, send men’s new arrivals first. If you sell womenswear, do not send the same “new in” email to customers who only ever buy kids’ clothes.
What to include
Each new-arrivals email should have:
- A clear subject line with the product type or mood, not just “New in”
- 2–6 product images with direct links
- Price and sizes if possible
- One call to action, such as “Shop the drop”
- A plain-text link in case images do not load
Example subject lines:
- “New this week: linen dresses and two light layers”
- “The navy midi dress is back in sizes S–L”
- “Just landed: everyday cotton tees under $40”
Weak subject line: “Newsletter #47”
Photo: Komang dewi / Pexels
4. Back-in-stock automations: capture demand when it is highest
A sold-out product is not a dead page. It is an opportunity to collect emails from shoppers who already want that exact item.
How to set it up
On each product page, add a “Notify me when back in stock” button next to the size or color that is unavailable. The shopper enters their email, and the system tags which product and variant they want.
When the item is back in stock, send an automated email with the product image, exact size and a direct link to add it to cart. Do not send the same generic email to everyone; the message should say: “Good news: the [product name] in size M is back.”
Platform notes
- Shopify — many themes support a back-in-stock form, or you can add a dedicated back-in-stock app from the Shopify App Store. Some email platforms such as Klaviyo or Omnisend have built-in back-in-stock flows.
- WooCommerce — use a waitlist or back-in-stock plugin, or add a form with a shortcode and connect it to your email tool.
- Haravan and Sapo — many Vietnamese store themes include a “notify me” form for sold-out products. If yours does not, you can embed a form from your email platform on the product page, or use an app from the platform’s app marketplace.
Email timing
Send the back-in-stock email within a few hours of restocking. If you wait a week, the shopper may have bought elsewhere. If you have several sizes returning, send one email per product variant the shopper asked about, not one email for everything.
5. Post-purchase fit check: reduce the gap between online and real fit
After a customer receives an order, send a short fit-check email. This helps you catch size problems before the customer writes a negative review or files a return.
What to send
Subject line: “How does the [dress/shirt/trousers] fit?”
Body idea:
- A simple question: “Is the fit right?”
- Three buttons: “Perfect,” “Too small,” “Too big”
- Based on the answer, link to an exchange, return form or size chart
- If they say “Perfect,” invite a review or photo
This email works best 2–4 days after delivery. If you send it too early, the customer has not tried the item. If you send it too late, they may already be frustrated.
Use sizing content in the reply
If a customer says “Too small,” do not just send a return label. Send them to a size chart or explain how the garment is cut. You can use your own measurements or link to a detailed guide. For boutiques, this is a good place to reference your size advice in a simple way, such as How to Help Customers Choose the Right Size Online for Boutiques.
Link to exchanges, not just refunds
Most clothing returns are size-related. A post-purchase fit-check email that offers an easy exchange can keep the revenue and build goodwill. Make the exchange steps clear: which items are eligible, how long the customer has, and who pays shipping.
Photo: Gustavo Fring / Pexels
6. Win-back campaigns: reactivate quiet customers politely
A win-back campaign is for customers who have purchased before but have not opened an email or placed a new order in a while.
Segment carefully
Do not send the same “We miss you” email to someone who bought last week. For example, you might define an inactive customer as someone who has not purchased in 90–180 days, but adjust that window based on your average repurchase cycle.
Common segments:
- Has purchased before, no purchase in 90+ days
- Opens emails but has not bought in 120+ days
- Has not opened any email in 6 months
Start with the first group. If the second group still does not respond, do not keep emailing them forever.
Win-back email structure
- Acknowledge the break: “It’s been a while.”
- Remind them what they bought or liked, if you have that data.
- Give a clear reason to return: a new collection, a restock, or a time-limited offer.
- Include a prominent product or category link.
Subject line examples:
- “Still thinking about that linen shirt?”
- “Hi [first name], here’s 15% off your next order”
- “New colors just landed — and we miss you”
Avoid “We want you back!!!” with no offer and no product. If a shopper has not opened your emails in months, the subject line alone has to earn the click.
How often to run win-back
A monthly win-back to the inactive segment is common. After three or four win-back attempts with no open or click, consider suppressing the contact so your list stays clean and your deliverability stays healthy.
7. Subject lines and sending frequency: practical rules
Your subject line decides whether the rest of the work matters. For fashion email, short, specific and visual language works well.
Subject line templates by campaign
- Welcome: “Welcome to [Shop name] — your 10% code is inside”
- New arrivals: “New this week: [category or mood]”
- Back-in-stock: “Your size is back: [product name], size M”
- Fit check: “How does the fit feel?”
- Win-back: “We miss you — here’s 15% off”
Strong subject lines mention the product or benefit. Weak ones rely on tricks like “RE:” or excessive punctuation.
Frequency rules that protect your list
- Send the welcome series immediately after signup.
- Send new-arrivals emails on a fixed day, such as Thursday evening or Saturday morning, and keep it consistent.
- Send back-in-stock alerts only when the requested variant is actually available.
- Send fit-check emails once per order, 2–4 days after delivery.
- Send win-back emails no more than once a month to inactive customers.
If you skip a week, that is fine. A missed email is less harmful than a forced email with no purpose.
8. Tools and setup by platform
You do not need a complex stack. Pick one email platform that connects well with your store, then build the six campaigns inside it.
Shopify
Shopify Email is the simplest starting point. It is built into Shopify, uses your product images, and can send welcome, new-arrivals, back-in-stock and win-back emails. For more advanced automation, most clothing shops use Klaviyo, Omnisend or Mailchimp. These apps can create segments, abandoned cart flows and back-in-stock triggers. If you also want to run SMS follow-ups, start with the same tool so customer data stays in one place. For a related flow, see Abandoned cart email and SMS flows.
WooCommerce
On WooCommerce, MailPoet is a practical first choice because it lives inside WordPress and handles basic newsletters and welcome automations. Klaviyo and AutomateWoo give more control for product-based triggers, such as back-in-stock and post-purchase follow-ups. Use a shortcode or widget to place signup forms in the footer and checkout, and connect a waitlist plugin for sold-out variants.
Haravan and Sapo
Many Vietnamese shops on Haravan and Sapo use the platform’s built-in email collection and automation tools for welcome and order-update emails. If those are not enough, you can paste an embedded form from Klaviyo, Mailchimp or another email platform into the theme. Back-in-stock forms are often available in themes or through apps. The same rules apply: keep consent clear, segment by product interest, and do not send daily sales emails to the whole list.
Whatever platform you use, make sure your email tool records which product a shopper clicked and which variant they asked about. That data powers the back-in-stock and fit-check emails that feel personal rather than mass-produced.
One final layer worth considering: after a subscriber clicks through from an email to a product page, they still have to imagine whether the garment will suit them. A virtual try-on button beside “Add to cart” lets shoppers see the product on their own body before buying. If you want to add that to your store, try Macgi’s virtual try-on widget in the free beta.
FAQ
How often should a small fashion shop send marketing emails?
One weekly or biweekly new-arrivals email is enough for most stores. Add automated emails for welcome, back-in-stock, post-purchase fit checks and win-back only when they are triggered.
What is a good welcome email subject line?
Keep it concrete: “Welcome to [Shop name] — your 10% off code is inside” or “You’re in. Start with these best sellers.” Avoid “Newsletter” or “Thanks for subscribing.”
Can I send back-in-stock emails automatically on Shopify and WooCommerce?
Yes. On Shopify, use an email platform or back-in-stock app that watches inventory. On WooCommerce, use a waitlist plugin or an automation tool such as Klaviyo or AutomateWoo. The key is to trigger the email when the requested size or color becomes available.
Do I need double opt-in for fashion email marketing?
Double opt-in is not universally required, but it helps keep your list clean and proves consent. Check the current email and data-protection rules for the countries where you sell, especially if you sell internationally or collect emails in Vietnam. Rules change, so confirm with official sources rather than relying on old advice.
