Retaining customers: Keep your customers engaged and ordering

Once someone has ordered from you, they’re far more likely to do it again, but only if you stay top of mind. Here's how to keep your offering fresh, communicate regularly, and build lasting customer loyalty.

Why customer retention matters

Acquiring new customers is important, but holding onto them is where long-term success lies.

You might spend time, energy or money attracting someone to place their first order — but if they only order once, you may not see a return on that investment. Regular customers, on the other hand, bring lasting value. They're more likely to order again, try new dishes, and recommend your business to others.

With a few consistent habits, you can build strong customer loyalty and encourage repeat purchases.

Simple ways to encourage regular ordering

Stay in touch with regular emails

Email is one of the most effective tools for customer retention. Weekly or fortnightly emails can help remind customers when your menu is open, showcase new dishes, and promote upcoming delivery dates.

You don’t need to overthink the content. A short, friendly note with a link to your menu is often enough to prompt another order. If you use Cookaborough’s email tools, you can schedule these reminders in advance to save time.

Offer variety in your menu

Customers love familiarity, but they also appreciate choice. If your menu stays the same every week, even loyal regulars might lose interest. Try rotating dishes, introducing limited-time meals or highlighting seasonal favourites. A small change each week can help spark curiosity and bring customers back.

Create meal packs for convenience

Meal packs are a great way to keep things interesting and make ordering easier. Bundling items into family dinners, weekly lunch packs or ready-to-heat comfort meals adds value and convenience, especially for time-poor customers.

It can also increase your average order size and reduce decision fatigue.

Leverage seasonal moments

Calendar events give you an easy excuse to reconnect with your customers. Think Mother's Day lunch boxes, Easter treats, winter warmers or Christmas catering.

You can also create themed offerings around smaller moments, like school holidays, footy finals, back-to-school, or cultural celebrations such as Passover, Lunar New Year, or Diwali. These timely touches make your meals feel relevant and give customers a reason to plan ahead.

Surprise customers with a special offer

A thoughtful discount now and then is a simple way to reward loyalty. You might thank your regulars with a "10% off your next order" message, offer free delivery for orders over a certain amount, or run a special for customers who’ve ordered more than five times.

These small gestures go a long way in making people feel appreciated.

Reconnect with lapsed customers

If someone hasn’t ordered in a while, reach out with a friendly message or incentive to bring them back. For example: "We’ve missed you! Here’s a little something to welcome you back - 10% off your next order."

Cookaborough’s customer groups feature makes it easy to segment lapsed customers based on the last time they ordered.