Shopify Email Flows That Print Money (Klaviyo Setup, 2026)

Email is the highest-margin channel in e-commerce. Acquisition costs you ad money. Email costs you nothing per send. Yet 70% of Shopify stores I audit have only 1 or 2 flows running, and they're underperforming.

The brands quietly hitting 30–40% of revenue from email aren't writing better copy. They have the right flows, ordered the right way, with the right triggers.

Here are the 8 flows every Shopify store should run, in order of priority.

TL;DR

Build these in order:

1. Welcome series

2. Abandoned cart

3. Abandoned checkout

4. Browse abandonment

5. Post-purchase

6. Winback

7. Sunset

8. Birthday/anniversary

Stack SMS on top of #2 and #3 once you're past ₱500K/mo.

Flow 1: Welcome series (3–4 emails)

Trigger: signup via popup or footer form. Goal: convert first-time visitors into first-time buyers within 7 days.

Email 1 (immediate): deliver the welcome offer (10% off, free shipping, etc.). Subject: "Your code's inside (welcome)." 1 image, 3 lines, 1 CTA.

Email 2 (Day 2): brand story. Why you started, what's different. No discount. Build connection.

Email 3 (Day 4): best sellers + reviews. Social proof + product browsing.

Email 4 (Day 7): last-chance reminder for the welcome code. Urgency.

Conversion benchmark: 8–15% of subscribers should buy within 14 days.

Flow 2: Abandoned cart (3 emails + SMS)

Trigger: customer adds to cart, doesn't reach checkout in 1 hour. Goal: rescue 15–25% of abandoned cart revenue.

Email 1 (1 hour): friendly reminder. Show the product. No discount.

Email 2 (24 hours): social proof. Reviews, "X others bought this", urgency on stock.

Email 3 (48 hours): 10% off. Time-limited (24 hours).

SMS layer (4 hours): short, casual: "Hey [name], left something in your cart? [link]"

Conversion benchmark: 5–10% of abandoned carts should recover.

Flow 3: Abandoned checkout (2 emails + SMS)

Trigger: customer reaches checkout, doesn't complete in 1 hour. Goal: rescue the highest-intent abandoners (already entered email at checkout).

Email 1 (1 hour): "We saved your cart" + 1-click checkout link.

Email 2 (24 hours): gentle nudge + reviews.

SMS (4 hours): "Order's still saved [link]"

These are different from abandoned cart — checkout abandoners are 3–5x more likely to recover. Treat them as their own audience.

Flow 4: Browse abandonment (2 emails)

Trigger: customer views a product 2+ times in 24 hours, doesn't add to cart. Goal: convert window-shoppers into ATCs.

Email 1 (4 hours): product highlight, reviews, "still thinking?"

Email 2 (Day 2): similar products + size/style guide.

This is one of the most under-used flows. Set it up once, it earns forever.

Flow 5: Post-purchase (3–4 emails)

Trigger: customer purchases. Goal: drive repeat purchase, collect reviews, build LTV.

Email 1 (immediate): order confirmation (Shopify default) + a thank-you note + how to track.

Email 2 (delivery + 3 days): review request. Single ask, easy stars.

Email 3 (delivery + 7 days): usage tips, care instructions, related products.

Email 4 (delivery + 21 days): replenishment reminder OR cross-sell.

Conversion benchmark: 8–15% of new customers should make a 2nd purchase within 30 days.

Flow 6: Winback (3 emails)

Trigger: customer hasn't purchased in 60–90 days (depending on category). Goal: reactivate dormant customers.

Email 1: "We miss you" — emotional, no discount yet.

Email 2 (Day 4): 15% off code. Time-limited.

Email 3 (Day 7): last chance + "we'll stop sending" implication.

Tune the dormancy window to your category. Beauty/skincare = 60 days. Fashion = 90 days. Furniture = 180+ days.

Flow 7: Sunset (1–2 emails)

Trigger: customer hasn't opened or clicked in 180 days. Goal: clean your list. Sounds counterintuitive but improves deliverability.

Email 1: "Are we still right for you?" — single CTA to stay subscribed.

Email 2 (Day 14): "We're letting you go." If no engagement, suppress.

A clean list of 5,000 active subscribers outperforms a stale list of 25,000 every time.

Flow 8: Birthday/anniversary (1 email)

Trigger: birthday field collected at signup, fires on the day or 7 days before. Goal: surprise + delight + small revenue lift.

Email: "Happy birthday from [brand] — here's a gift" + a code valid for 14 days.

Conversion is mid (3–6%), but customer goodwill is huge.

Layer: SMS for high-AOV stores

Once you're past ₱500K/month, layer SMS on top of:

Abandoned cart (4 hours after email 1)

Abandoned checkout (4 hours after email 1)

Welcome (1 SMS, day 1)

SMS in PH costs ₱0.50–₱1.50 per send. ROAS is typically 8–20x.

Use Klaviyo SMS or a separate provider (Engageform, Telebroad).

Klaviyo setup essentials

Connect Klaviyo to Shopify (native integration).

Sync historical orders so segments work day one.

Set Smart Sending so customers don't get spammed.

Suppress hard bounces and unengaged contacts after 90 days.

Use double opt-in to protect deliverability.

Segmentation that actually moves numbers

Instead of "all subscribers," segment:

Engaged 30 days (opened or clicked in last 30): your VIPs.

VIPs by spend: top 10% by revenue.

By category: skincare buyers vs supplement buyers (don't blast both).

By location: Metro Manila vs Provincial (different shipping rules and offers).

Send most campaigns to "engaged 90 days" only. Protects your sender reputation.

Subject line rules

Stop writing "🔥 50% OFF FLASH SALE 🔥" subject lines. They tank deliverability.

What works:

Lowercase, casual, conversational.

Question marks.

Personalization with first name.

Curiosity gap, not announcement.

Examples:

"this might be useful, [name]"

"left something behind?"

"the [product] story"

"a quick question"

Measuring email performance

Three metrics matter:

Revenue per recipient: how much each subscriber generates monthly.

Email % of total revenue: aim for 25–35%.

List growth rate: should outpace churn 2–3x.

Stop obsessing over open rates. Apple Mail Privacy makes them meaningless.

When to invest in email

Email pays for itself by month 2 in most stores. If you're spending ₱30K/month on ads and ₱0 on email, your stack is upside down.

Klaviyo costs:

Free up to 250 contacts.

~₱2,500/mo at 1,500 contacts.

~₱8,000/mo at 5,000 contacts.

At every tier, email returns 5–15x its cost.

Want this set up for you?

Email flows take 2–3 weeks to build right. My Shopify Expert service includes Klaviyo setup with all 8 flows, plus copy and design. Or learn it in the free Shopify videos on YouTube.

Related reading:

Shopify Abandoned Cart Recovery: Complete Playbook

Klaviyo Flows Every Store Needs

SMS Marketing for Filipino Stores