15 Email Marketing Examples for Ecommerce Businesses

Email marketing gives you a direct line of communication with your audience. When done well, it encourages immediate sales while fostering long-term relationships with your customers.

Laura Thompson, founder of skincare brand Three Ships, says that email accounts for around 35% of her brand’s revenue.

“Email is huge. At any opportunity, you should be collecting emails and trying to get people to stay on the email list,” Laura says on Shopify Masters. “It’s a great way to keep people coming back.” 

This article contains 15 email marketing examples, broken down by email type, to jumpstart your own campaigns. Plus, expert insights from Josh Rosenblat, an email marketing pro and senior editor at Shopify.

15 email marketing examples for ecommerce companies

• Welcome email marketing examples
• Re-engagement email marketing examples
• Newsletter examples
• Product email marketing examples
• Transactional email marketing examples
• Announcement and reminder examples

Email marketing comes in different formats, with each structure depending on your target audience and intent. This guide includes: 

Welcome email marketing examples

A welcome email is a brand’s first email communication with a new subscriber. The examples below include a greeting, an introduction to the brand’s value proposition, and a call to action (CTA).

If you’re on Shopify, you can automate these emails with the native Shopify Messaging, which includes email templates to get you started.

New subscriber email: Immi

You can send a welcome email after a customer signs up for your email list or after they make a purchase, depending on whichever happens first.

To encourage email list sign-ups, Josh suggests offering an incentive like a discount, then using the welcome email to deliver the promised promotion. “You need to have something that makes your clientele feel comfortable giving up their personal information,” Josh says. 

If you’re on Shopify, you can use Shopify Forms to collect subscriber information, then use Shopify Messaging to automatically send welcome emails. Since these two softwares are integrated, you won’t need to manually import contact information from one to the other.

Immi is a direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand that sells plant-based instant ramen. Immi previously incentivized users to sign up for marketing emails by offering new email subscribers the chance to win a year’s worth of free ramen. The company advertised this offer in a website pop-up.

The company bookended their welcome email with references to the sign-up incentive, which assured subscribers of their entry into the sweepstakes. The bulk of the email, however, shared Immi's value proposition and brand story by explaining the nutritional profile of their products and the origins of the company. 

Subject line: You’re in the running 🍜

Throughout their welcome email, Immi uses a personal, cheerful brand voice that incorporates informal word choices and sentence structures, such as “Hey [Name], We’re the Kevins” and “GIMMIE IMMI.” This gives readers an idea of Immi’s brand personality.

First order discount email: Our Place

Welcome emails are a place to let readers cash in on your subscription incentive (which you can do by providing a discount code), but they’re also an opportunity to exhibit your brand values to new subscribers. 

“Consumers are looking for more of a deeper personal connection with the people behind the brand that they’re purchasing from,” says Josh. “Emails are a great way to express the values and the vision behind the business that you're running in an authentic way.” 

The cookware brand Our Place uses their welcome email to provide new customers with their first-purchase discount code while sharing what they’re about: 

Subject line: “Welcome to Our Place”

“Our Place believes in the power of home cooking to bring people together and strives to be part of the storytelling that’s inherent in the act of cooking,” says Director of Digital Product Danielle Hoo in an interview with Shopify. 

Our Place references these values by sharing their mission statement, stating: “We’re here to make gathering around food easier and more joyful.”

Re-engagement email marketing examples

Re-engagement emails target shoppers who’ve interacted with a company online or in person but haven’t made a recent purchase. They include abandoned product browse, abandoned cart, and abandoned checkout emails.

Shopify Messaging has automation templates for each of these email types. “You can basically create one message that you can send to a mass of people, so you’re not necessarily having to craft or respond to [customers individually],” says Josh. “You can use [email automation] tools that help you build out certain messages or a series of messages, and then that becomes kind of a repeatable and measurable cycle. You’re able to iterate on which messages are successful.”

Shopify Messaging includes preset automations for abandoned cart emails and other common triggers. If you want to create custom automation logic, you can do so in Shopify Flow, which lets you create your own trigger and action sequences. Since Flow integrates with Shopify Messaging, you can set your action as sending an email.

Abandoned cart email: French Connection

In this abandoned cart email, the apparel brand French Connection incentivizes a customer to complete their purchase by offering a discount. 

Subject line: Items in your cart are now 15% off

The email’s subject line clearly communicates the contents of the email: a discount code for items in the abandoned cart. The body copy encourages readers to “get them before they’re gone,” which adds a sense of urgency for customers deliberating over their purchase. A photo of the abandoned product and a CTA reading “Go to bag” reminds the shopper of what they left behind and lets them navigate back to their cart in a single click.

“Abandoned cart emails are a really good first opportunity for small businesses,” says Josh. He says they not only remind customers that there’s something lingering in their shopping cart, but “why they might have been interested in buying it in the first place.” 

The header image in French Connection’s email does the latter: The editorial-style photograph communicates a put-together, well-styled vibe that shoppers can achieve by purchasing French Connection items.

Re-engagement discount email: Fresh Patch

In this example, the company Fresh Patch, which sells real grass pee pads for pets, sends a post-purchase email retargeting a previous customer with a discount.

Subject line: We Miss You! So Here’s 10% Off 💚

The email opens with a headline that plays on the pet parent’s emotions: “Your pup misses the patch!” It then nudges the customer toward making another purchase by offering a 10% discount. 

A bright yellow CTA brings the shopper to Fresh Patch’s site. When the customer clicks this link, the 10% discount is automatically applied to their cart. Shopify store owners can create shareable discount links through the Discounts section of their admin.

Newsletter examples

You can use newsletters to share relevant content with current and potential customers, nurture leads, and stay top of mind with existing customers. 

“With a newsletter, you’re really focused on education, deepening your relationship with different customers, and highlighting an individual voice,” Josh says. “There’s a lot of softer, longer-tail marketing value with that.”

Educational email: Kloo

Educational marketing emails inform customers about your products or brand. 

Kloo sells concentrates that allow customers to brew high-quality coffee without fancy equipment or technical know-how. 

Kloo prides itself on a precise, sophisticated brewing process guided by the expertise of Cofounder Mariella Cho, a master roaster, brewer, and coffee grader. A deep understanding of what goes into the perfect cup is one of the brand’s key differentiators, and Kloo uses their newsletter to share their coffee knowledge.

“We are on a mission to decode the complexity of craft coffee,” says Cofounder Claudia Snoh on an episode of Shopify Masters. “I think too many brands right now focus their content on selling the product versus selling the brand. We’ve been focusing a lot on the latter, and it has worked really well for us.”

Subject line: Coffee beans are graded, like diamonds

In this example, the subject line teases information on how coffee is graded, and the email body uses branded infographics to explain the process and provide an overview of the factors that influence the flavor profile of a bean. 

Blog post email: Renée Rouleau

The long-form format of newsletters makes them a great place to repurpose blog content and boost website traffic.

Skincare brand Renée Rouleau sells science-backed products targeted to specific skin types. The company posts blog articles with skincare advice, trend predictions from the brand’s namesake founder, and more. Other website content, like an interactive quiz about skin and an in-depth explanation of product ingredients, cements the brand’s educational approach to skincare.

Renée Rouleau extends this approach to their newsletter. In this example, the brand includes an explanatory graphic alongside a link to a blog post on how to adjust your skincare routine for spring. 

Subject line: Hit reset on winter-weary skin ✨

Product roundup email: CAP Beauty

Product roundup newsletters introduce readers to new items in your catalog. They can be especially effective if you sell a wide range of products.

Skincare and wellness company CAP Beauty sells their own line of products, items from other businesses, and a varied lineup of cobranded products including pancake mix and vinegar. 

The company shows off these items in a lifestyle-driven newsletter in which selected creative professionals (including CAP Beauty Founder Kerrilynn Pamer) curate a list of must-have products, as in a gift guide. 

In this example, Kerilynn expresses her appreciation of design-driven objects with a lineup of products available on CAP Beauty’s website. Readers can select the hyperlinked product names to view the associated product pages.

Subject line: THE LIST: VOLUME 217

Product email marketing examples

Product emails encourage customers to buy a particular item or collection. They include general promotions sent to a company’s entire email list and targeted campaigns directed at specific customer segments. 

If you’re on Shopify, you can create customer segments for Shopify Messaging based on customer data, including demographic information and behavioral patterns like purchase history. 

Individual product marketing email: Cancha

Promotional email marketing campaigns might focus on sales, but they’re also a chance to engage subscribers around a brand’s value proposition. 

Former professional tennis player Jack Oswald founded the travel and tennis bag company Cancha to create reliable, practical tennis and sports bags for athletes and adventurers. 

This email example highlights the functionality of Cancha bags: The message explains that customers can wear the Sling Bag multiple ways, keep their belongings dry, and easily access their wallet and keys. 

Subject Line: The Bag That Keeps Your Hands Free

Josh points out how the brand’s product emails do more than announce the arrival of a new bag. 

“The combination of product photos shows the bag being used in multiple ways,” Josh says. “This first photo is in a lifestyle setting, and the second photo shows how much you can actually fit in one of their bags.” 

Product collection email: Damson Madder

You can use product marketing emails to advertise thematic groups of products.

Fashion brand Damson Madder encourages readers to shop an edit of the company’s pink clothing. The email’s CTA brings customers to a page of assorted pink products including accessories like eye masks and clothing items like cardigans.

Subject line: PRETTY IN PINK

Quiz email: Olive & June

Quiz emails are a creative way to engage subscribers and add a touch of personalization to your email marketing. 

This message from the nail care brand Olive & June functions like a quiz in which readers select their favorite nail polish color and then learn something about themselves. 

It has a catchy subject line (“What does your polish say about you?”) and affirmative lines in the body copy (“You make it look easy” and “You live your life in full color”).

Subject line: What does your polish say about you? 

This message doesn’t inundate customers with information. Instead, it uses CTAs to direct readers to the website to learn more. 

“The copywriting needs to be quick, it needs to be witty, and it also needs to be informative,” says Josh. “Then you can let the product page on your ecommerce website do most of the talking.” 

Product comparison email: Anyday

Product marketing emails present an opportunity to educate your audience on the ins and outs of your products. You can see that approach in this product marketing email from Anyday, a company that sells plastic-free cookware. A side-by-side comparison of two Anyday products shows customers the features of each.

Subject line: Everything vs Classic Dishes — what’s the difference?

Transactional email marketing examples

Brands send transactional emails after customers complete a specific action, such as placing an order, resetting a password, or providing feedback. They also send them after completing an action themselves, such as shipping an order or issuing a refund.

If you’re on Shopify, you can customize transactional emails from the Notifications section of your admin. Shopify offers standardized messages for each email type, so you won’t need to worry about crafting each one.

Order confirmation email: Turtle’s Soup

Order confirmation emails act like receipts, but they don’t need to be boring. Try incorporating your brand assets (like brand colors, logo, and typography) to solidify your brand identity while adding visual interest to your messages. 

Here’s an example from Turtle’s Soup, a “one-stop sticker shop” that sells vinyl stickers alongside temporary tattoos, stationery, T-shirts, and more. The brand’s products all share the company’s distinctive visual identity, one that’s grounded in vibrant colors and cartoonish designs. 

The company emphasizes this identity in its order confirmation email with pink CTAs and a prominently placed illustration.

Subject line: Order confirmed

Personal note email: Uppercase

Not all emails will bear good news, but some customers will appreciate receiving a thoughtful email.

Opt for a personal note, like this example from Uppercase, a quarterly print magazine that focuses on design, craft, illustration, and typography. In this announcement email, Uppercase’s publisher, editor, and designer tells subscribers that the upcoming edition is running behind schedule with a personalized explanatory note.

Subject line: The Surface Pattern Design Guide cover artist!

Announcement and reminder examples

People have crowded inboxes, and sometimes, customers might miss an announcement email or read a message and forget about it. That’s where reminder emails come in. These include welcome discount reminders and notices about sales coming to an end. You might also send reminder emails about events like pop-up shops.

Promotion reminder email: Glossier

Remind customers when promotions are ending to make sure they have time to take part.

These promotions can be more creative than across-the-board seasonal sales. Makeup brand Glossier gave customers 20% off (or more in-store) on three products with the purchase of a beauty bag. 

Subject line: Fill a Beauty Bag ends tomorrow!

The company used email marketing to announce the promotion, then sent a reminder email a day before the promotion came to a close. 

While sending multiple announcement and reminder emails helps keep your brand top of mind, you run the risk of inundating your subscribers with too many messages. Monitor email marketing metrics like your unsubscribe rate to make sure you’re not pestering your readers, and experiment with your cadence until you find one that works for you. 

A healthy email list is an engaged one, and when customers don’t open your emails, it can result in your emails bypassing the primary inbox or worse, being blocked altogether. 

Sale announcement email: Crap Eyewear

Effective sale announcement emails give readers the crucial facts about your promotion, like how it works and when it ends.

In this announcement email, the sunglasses company Crap Eyewear tells subscribers about their 40% off Sunshine Sale. 

Subject line: up to 40% off starts NOW ☀️☀️☀️☀️

It’s a straightforward email that quickly communicates the details of the promotion while offering three points of entry to Crap Eyewear’s website: Three brightly colored CTAs call on readers to shop bestsellers, new arrivals, or everything.