Case Study
WindanSea Coffee
Building a scalable retention engine for an adaptogen coffee and tea brand.
71% Repeat Order Rate
Rapid Growth Month Over Month
The challenge.
When we started working with Elixir Shots, the brand was early-stage but ambitious, with strong products and clear intent to build something long-term.
What wasn’t working was retention.
At the time:
Very few automated flows were live (mostly Klaviyo templates)
Email relied heavily on promotions
Little to no product education beyond sales messaging
No SMS channel in place
Low repeat purchase rate and low conversion rates
Deliverability issues (emails landing in spam)
Too much manual effort to generate revenue
The founder’s core concern was simple, and critical:
How do we create consistent repeat revenue and higher LTV without burning out the team or cheapening the brand?
Key constraints.
Fresh-pressed, perishable products where timing matters
Multiple SKUs with different use cases
A brand that needed to educate without sounding clinical or promotional
A strong desire to grow without relying on huge discounts
Subscription was a key lever, but underdeveloped
The solution needed to balance education, trust, timing, and automation, all while staying compliant in a food & beverage wellness category.
The solution: A full lifecycle retention system.
We rebuilt Elixir Shots’ email & SMS strategy around one core principle:
Retention isn’t about more promos, it’s about helping customers understand why they need the product, how to use the product, and when to come back for more.
What we implemented.
Lifecycle Mapping
Mapped the full customer journey from first purchase → habit formation → replenishment
Defined usage timing by product to guide replenishment and subscription logic
Built routines around a simple “daily shot” habit
Email & SMS
We built and optimized a full lifecycle ecosystem, including:
Mini-Quiz & Micro-Commit Pop Up Forms (to grow the lists)
Welcome Flow (education, positioning, expectations)
Post-Purchase Flow (thank you, usage guidance, habit formation)
Transactional Flows (order shipped and delivered)
Cross-Sell Flows (SKU-based, intent-based recommendations)
Replenishment Flows (timed to real product usage)
Subscription Start & Winback Flows (to increase LTV and reduce churn)
Site, Browse, Cart, and Abandoned Checkout Flows
Weekly Campaigns (to educate, engage, and entertain)
Segmentation & Zero-Party Data
Segmented by SKU, intent, and behavior
Implemented on-site quizzes and popup data collection
Used quiz responses to personalize education and recommendations
SMS Strategy
Replenishment reminders
Cart abandonment
Light education nudges
Limited, intentional promotions
Email handled depth and storytelling.
SMS supported high-intent moments, without becoming noise.
The results.
Measurable Impact From Lifecycle Systems
71% repeat order rate
Increased email-driven revenue
Increased subscription orders and reduced churn
More predictable revenue month over month
Reduced reliance on constant promotions
Rapid list growth and zero-party data collection
Most importantly, the systems were built to run in the background, supporting growth without increasing workload.
Going beyond email & SMS.
The work didn’t stop at email & SMS.
As a strategic partner, we also advised on:
Visual and creative direction across all channels
Product positioning and messaging across all channels
Subscription structure and replenishment logic
Landing pages and conversion flow
Pre- and post-purchase upsells and downsells
Ad creative strategy, copy, and design
Loyalty rewards and subscription program
Blog and educational content to support SEO and trust
Because lifecycle performance doesn’t start in the inbox, it starts with how customers first understand and perceive your products.
Overall, by building a strategy around timing, education, and habit formation, we helped Elixir Shots create a foundation for long-term, predictable growth.
