Blog - Guide

7 Strategic Marketing campaigns that will help drive up revenue and increase customer loyalty.

Every checkout tells a story.

A customer buys a seasonal item. Another earns loyalty points. A loyal shopper returns every month. A new customer makes a first purchase and never comes back.

For many retailers, that information stays inside daily transactions. It is used to close the register, update inventory, and review sales. But it can do much more.

With ACCEO Smart Vendor, your customer data can become a practical marketing resource. It can help you understand who your customers are, how often they buy, how much they spend, when they last visited, and which customers may be ready for a follow-up.

For small and medium-sized retailers, this matters because marketing does not need to start with a complex strategy. It can start with the customer information already captured in Smart Vendor.

What Smart Vendor customer data can include?

Smart Vendor customer data can include basic contact information, purchase history, loyalty activity, account information, and custom fields that help you group customers for future campaigns.

For marketing, these fields are especially useful:

• Customer ID
• Company
• Name
• Email Address
• Phone numbers
• Address, City, Province, Postal Code, and Country
• Birth Date
• Accepts Marketing
• Level
• Comments
• Urgent Memo
• Credit Limit
• Credit Amount
• Account Balance
• Debit Amount
• Aging Current
• Aging 30 Days
• Aging 60 Days
• Aging 90 Days
• Aging 120 Days
• Invoice Count
• Invoice Total
• Average Invoice
• Avg Invoice Units
• Total Sales $
• Total Units Sold
• Cost of Goods Sold
• Total Profit
• Special Orders Count
• Points Earned
• Points Used
• Points Remaining
• Last Trans Date
• Date Created
• Date Changed
• FIELD1 through FIELD8

At first, this may look like a long list of database fields. For marketing, think of them as simple clues.

They help you answer questions like:

• Who can I contact?
• Who are my best customers?
• Who has not visited in a while?
• Who still has loyalty points available?
• Who buys often?
• Who spends the most?
• Who is a new customer?
• Who places special orders?
• Who may need a different type of message?

Instead of sending the same message to everyone, you can start grouping customers based on real activity. In Marketing, we call this Segmenting.

Segmenting your customers matters because it helps you stop treating every customer the same. Your best customers, one-time buyers, price-sensitive shoppers, loyal regulars, and inactive customers all need different messages.

For a small business owner, segmentation helps you:

  1. Make marketing more relevant
Instead of blasting the same promo to everyone, you can send offers that match what each group actually cares about.

  2. Increase repeat sales
You can identify who buys often, who spends the most, and who has not returned in a while, then create campaigns to bring them back.

  3. Protect your best customers
Your top customers usually drive a large share of revenue. Segmenting helps you recognize, reward, and retain them before a competitor does.

  4. Spend marketing dollars smarter
You avoid wasting money promoting discounts to people who would have bought anyway, or targeting customers who are unlikely to respond.

  5. Improve inventory and staffing decisions
When you know what different customer groups buy and when they buy, you can plan better around demand.

  6. Find growth opportunities
You might discover that younger customers behave differently from older customers, online buyers differ from in-store buyers, or high spenders prefer certain products.

For a POS-driven business, this is where your sales data becomes really valuable.

Start with the most important rule: only market to customers who accept marketing!

Without getting too deep into Canadian law, there is one that is important to marketers. Under CASL, Canada’s anti-spam law, businesses need consent before sending commercial electronic messages, and every message must include an unsubscribe option. Once someone unsubscribes or opts out, you need to respect that choice (Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL).

Before you build a campaign, look at one field first: Accepts Marketing

This field should guide who receives promotional messages.

If Accepts Marketing = Yes, the customer can be considered for marketing campaigns.

If Accepts Marketing = No, do not include that customer in promotional emails, text campaigns, newsletters, or sales offers.

This is the simplest way to protect trust with your customers. It also helps your team build better habits from the beginning.

A good first step is to create a clean customer list with:

• Customer ID
• Name
• Email Address
• Phone number
• Accepts Marketing
• Last Trans Date
• Total Sales $
• Points Remaining
   

This gives you a basic marketing-ready customer list.

Use contact fields to reach the right customer

Before you can market to customers, you need accurate contact information.

The key fields are:

• Name
• Email Address
• Phone (Home)
• Phone (Work)
• Phone Ext (Work)
• Phone (Alt)
• Address 1
• Address 2
• City
• Province
• Postal Code
• Country 

For beginners, email is usually the easiest place to start and costs less than postcards sent through traditional mail methods. You can send store news, seasonal updates, loyalty reminders, event invitations, or product announcements.

Phone numbers may be useful for service follow-ups, special orders, account customers, or customers who prefer direct contact.

Address fields can help with local marketing. For example, a garden centre may want to promote delivery, workshops, or seasonal events to customers in nearby postal codes.

The goal is not to contact everyone all the time with a generic message. The goal is to contact the right customers with a message that feels useful.

Use purchase fields to understand customer value

Some Smart Vendor fields help you understand how much a customer buys and how often they return. This is critical information as these are your priority accounts that help pay the bills. In Marketing, we call this Account Based Marketing (ABM).

These include:

• Invoice Count
• Invoice Total
• Average Invoice
• Avg Invoice Units
• Total Sales $
• Total Units Sold
• Cost of Goods Sold
• Total Profit
• Last Trans Date
   

These fields help you create simple customer groups.

For example:

High-value customers
Customers with high Total Sales $, high Total Profit, or a strong Invoice Count.

Frequent customers
Customers with many invoices or repeat purchases.

Occasional customers
Customers with lower Invoice Count but recent activity.

Lapsed customers
Customers with an older Last Trans Date.

Large basket customers
Customers with a higher Average Invoice or higher Avg Invoice Units.

If you have never marketed to your customers before, start with just three groups:

1. New customers
2. Best customers
3. Customers who have not visited recently
    

That is enough to begin.

Campaign example 1: welcome new customers

A new customer should not be treated the same way as someone who has shopped with you for years.

Use these fields:

• Date Created
• Invoice Count
• Name
• Email Address
• Accepts Marketing
   

A simple new customer segment could be:

Accepts Marketing = Yes
Date Created is within the last 30 days
Invoice Count = 1
 

The purpose of this campaign is to encourage a second visit.

Sample email subject line:
Welcome to our store

Sample message:
Hi [Name],

Thank you for visiting us. We are glad you stopped in.

Your next visit is a great time to ask our team for help, explore new arrivals, and learn more about our loyalty program.

We look forward to seeing you again soon.

CTA: Visit us again this week.

This type of campaign is simple, but it builds a habit. You are teaching customers that your store will stay connected after the sale.

Campaign example 2: reward your best customers

Your best customers deserve attention before they go quiet.

Use these fields:

• Total Sales $
• Total Profit
• Invoice Count
• Average Invoice
• Points Remaining
• Last Trans Date
• Accepts Marketing

A simple VIP segment could be:

• Accepts Marketing = Yes
• Total Sales $ is above your chosen threshold
• Invoice Count is above your chosen threshold
• Last Trans Date is within the last 12 months

You can use this group for customer appreciation events, early access, bonus points, private sale invitations, or thank-you messages.

Sample email subject line:
A thank-you for our valued customers

Sample message:
Hi [Name],

Thank you for being one of our valued customers.

We appreciate your continued visits and want to invite you to shop our latest arrivals before the busy weekend.

Stop by and let our team help you find what you need.

CTA: Visit us for early access.

This approach works because it recognizes loyalty without making every message a discount.

Campaign example 3: bring back lapsed customers

A lapsed customer is someone who has bought from you before but has not returned recently.

Use these fields:

• Last Trans Date
• Total Sales $
• Invoice Count
• Name
• Email Address
• Accepts Marketing

A simple lapsed customer segment could be:

• Accepts Marketing = Yes
• Total Sales $ is greater than 0
• Last Trans Date is older than 90, 180, or 365 days

The right time frame depends on your business. A garden centre may use seasonal timing. A pet store may use shorter replenishment timing. A fashion boutique may use collection cycles.

Sample email subject line:
Come see what’s new

Sample message:
Hi [Name],

It has been a while since your last visit.

We have new products in store and our team would be happy to help you find the right fit for your next purchase.

Stop by when you are ready. We would be glad to see you again.

CTA: Plan your next visit.

The tone should be friendly, not pushy. The customer may simply need a reminder.

Campaign example 4: remind customers about loyalty points

Loyalty points are more useful when customers know they have them.

Use these fields:

• Points Earned
• Points Used
• Points Remaining
• Last Trans Date
• Name
• Email Address
• Accepts Marketing

A simple loyalty reminder segment could be:

• Accepts Marketing = Yes
• Points Remaining is greater than your chosen threshold
• Last Trans Date is within the last 12 months

Sample email subject line:
You have points waiting

Sample message:
Hi [Name],

You currently have [Points Remaining] loyalty points available.

Use them on your next visit and treat yourself to something useful for your home, garden, wardrobe, pet, or next project.

CTA: Visit us and redeem your points.

This campaign helps customers see value in returning. It also gives your loyalty program more visibility.

Campaign example 5: follow up with special order customers

Customers who place special orders often have higher intent. They may be planning a project, buying for a business, or looking for a specific product.

Use these fields:

• Special Orders Count
• Company
• Name
• Phone number
• Email Address
• Comments
• Last Trans Date
• Accepts Marketing

A simple special order segment could be:

• Special Orders Count is greater than 0
• Last Trans Date is within the last 12 months
• Accepts Marketing = Yes
   

Sample email subject line:
Planning another special order?

Sample message:
Hi [Name],

You have placed special orders with us before.

If you are planning another project, our team can help you check availability, timing, and product options before the busy season.

CTA: Talk to our team about your next order.

For some retailers, a phone call may work better than email. The Phone fields can help staff follow up personally.

Campaign example 6: send birthday messages

A birthday message is one of the easiest beginner campaigns.

Use these fields:

• Birth Date
• Name
• Email Address
• Accepts Marketing

A simple birthday segment could be:

• Accepts Marketing = Yes
• Birth Date is in the current month

Sample email subject line:
Happy birthday from our team

Sample message:
Hi [Name],

Happy birthday from all of us.

We hope you enjoy your month and treat yourself to something special on your next visit.

CTA: Visit us during your birthday month.

This can be paired with loyalty points, a small offer, or a simple warm message.

Campaign example 7: support business and account customers

Some customers shop as individuals. Others shop for a business, property, project, or organization.

Use these fields:

• Company
• Credit Limit
• Credit Amount
• Account Balance
• Debit Amount
• Aging Current
• Aging 30 Days
• Aging 60 Days
• Aging 90 Days
• Aging 120 Days
• Invoice Count
• Invoice Total

These fields can help identify account customers or commercial buyers.

For marketing, use this carefully. Account balance and aging fields are not promotional fields. They are account management fields.

A business customer campaign might focus on service, planning, or seasonal readiness.

Sample email subject line:
Plan ahead for the busy season

Sample message:
Hi [Name],

As the season gets busier, our team can help you plan ahead for products, special orders, and project needs.

Reach out early so we can help you prepare.

CTA: Talk to our team about your seasonal needs.

Note: Keep account balance reminders separate from marketing messages. A statement reminder should not be mixed with a sales promotion.

Use Comments and Urgent Memo with care

The fields Comments and Urgent Memo can contain important customer context.

They may help staff understand special preferences, service notes, account instructions, or issues that require attention.

Before sending a campaign to a sensitive segment, review these fields.

For example, you may want to exclude a customer from a promotional message if an urgent note shows an unresolved issue. You may also use Comments to personalize service follow-ups when appropriate.

These fields are useful, but they should be handled carefully and respectfully.

Use customer level to build simple tiers

The Level field can help group customers by status, pricing, loyalty type, or another internal classification, depending on how the retailer uses it.

For beginners, this field can support simple campaign groups such as:

• Regular customers
• VIP customers
• Staff
• Contractor customers
• Wholesale customers
• Loyalty members
• Special pricing customers

A campaign for a regular customer may focus on store news. A campaign for a contractor may focus on planning, availability, or bulk purchasing. A campaign for a VIP customer may focus on early access or appreciation.

The key is to match the message to the relationship.

Customize FIELD1 to FIELD8 for better marketing

The fields FIELD1 through FIELD8 give retailers room to create their own marketing labels.

This is valuable because every retailer is different.

A garden centre, pet store, fashion boutique, health store, and home décor shop may all want to track different customer interests.

Here is one simple way a garden centre could use the custom fields:

For a pet store, FIELD2 might be pet type. For a fashion boutique, it might be style preference. For a health store, it might be wellness interest.

The exact labels should match how the retailer wants to market.

Garden centre example: a simple seasonal program

A garden centre can use Smart Vendor fields to build a beginner-friendly seasonal marketing program.

January: houseplant care

Use:

• FIELD2 = Houseplants
• Last Trans Date
• Accepts Marketing

Send care tips, indoor plant product ideas, and reminders to visit during slower months.

March: spring planning

Use:

• FIELD4 = Spring
• FIELD2 = Annuals, Perennials, Soil and Fertilizer, or Trees and Shrubs
• Last Trans Date

Send a spring preparation message before the rush begins.

April: soil and fertilizer reminder

Use:

• FIELD2 = Soil and Fertilizer
• Last Trans Date
• Total Units Sold

Remind customers to restock supplies before planting.

May: loyalty points reminder

Use:

• Points Remaining
• Last Trans Date
• Accepts Marketing

Encourage customers to redeem available points during peak season.

July: lapsed customer win-back

Use:

• Last Trans Date
• Total Sales $
• Accepts Marketing

Invite customers back for summer products, care items, or seasonal updates.

September: fall planting

Use:

• FIELD2 = Perennials, Trees and Shrubs, or Soil and Fertilizer
• FIELD4 = Fall

Promote fall planting and project planning.

This is not complicated. It is simply using customer data to send more timely messages.

A practical Smart Vendor marketing workflow for beginners

If you are new to customer marketing, start with a simple process.

  1. Clean your customer list

Check that these fields are complete where possible:

Name
Email Address
Phone number
Accepts Marketing
Last Trans Date
Remove duplicates where possible. Make sure customer records are consistent.

  2. Start with one campaign goal

Do not start with ten campaigns at once.

Choose one goal:

• Bring back lapsed customers
• Welcome new customers
• Promote loyalty points
• Invite VIP customers
• Follow up with special order customers

  3. Build one customer group

Use simple rules.

Example:

• Accepts Marketing = Yes
• Last Trans Date is older than 180 days
• Total Sales $ is greater than 0

This becomes your lapsed customer group.

  4. Write one clear message

A good beginner marketing message should include:

• A friendly greeting
• One reason for the message
• One useful offer or reminder
• One clear call to action

Avoid trying to say everything at once.

  5. Send, measure, and adjust

After the campaign, review:

• Sales activity
• Invoice Count
• Invoice Total
• Average Invoice
• Total Sales $
• Points Used
• Last Trans Date changes

You are looking for movement. Did customers come back? Did they spend? Did they redeem points? Did they place orders?

What smarter POS-driven marketing looks like?

Without customer data, marketing often sounds like this:

“We need a promotion this weekend.”

With Smart Vendor customer data, you can ask better questions:

“Which customers have not visited in six months?”

“Which customers still have loyalty points?”

“Which customers placed special orders last year?”

“Which customers spend the most with us?”

“Which customers are new and need a second-visit reason?”

That is the difference between guessing and learning.

Why this matters for retailers?

Retail marketing does not need to feel overwhelming.

You do not need to become a marketing expert overnight. You can start with the data you already have in Smart Vendor.

Customer fields help you:

• Send more relevant messages
• Reward loyal customers
• Bring back inactive customers
• Promote the right offers to the right groups
• Support seasonal planning
• Encourage repeat visits
• Make better use of loyalty points
• Improve customer relationships over time

The first step is not a complicated campaign. The first step is learning what your customer data can tell you. Knowing how to build basic, targeted campaigns will help you through the slow seasons and will also turn a first-time shopper into a loyal customer who rates you 5/5 stars every time.

Why ACCEO Smart Vendor?

ACCEO Smart Vendor helps small and medium-sized retailers connect customer data, POS activity, loyalty, gift cards, promotions, reporting, and day-to-day operations.

For retailers who have never marketed to customers before, that connection is important. It gives you a practical place to begin.

Your checkout data can do more than record sales. It can help you understand customers, plan better follow-ups, and build stronger repeat-visit habits.

Q&A: Smart Vendor customer data and beginner retail marketing

1. What is the first Smart Vendor field I should look at for marketing?

Start with Accepts Marketing. This field helps you identify which customers can receive promotional messages.

2. Which customer fields are most useful for a first campaign?

Start with Name, Email Address, Accepts Marketing, Last Trans Date, Invoice Count, Total Sales $, Points Remaining, and Date Created.

3. How can I find lapsed customers?

Use Last Trans Date. A lapsed customer is someone who has not visited within your chosen time frame, such as 90, 180, or 365 days.

4. How can I identify my best customers?

Use fields such as Total Sales $, Total Profit, Invoice Count, Average Invoice, and Last Trans Date.

5. How can I use loyalty data for marketing?

Use Points Earned, Points Used, and Points Remaining to remind customers about available points, promote reward redemption, or invite loyal customers to special events.

6. What are FIELD1 to FIELD8 for?

These fields can be customized for the retailer’s needs. You can use them to track customer type, interests, preferred season, event interest, service interest, or marketing segment.

7. Should I use account balance fields for marketing?

Use caution. Fields like Account Balance, Aging 30 Days, Aging 60 Days, Aging 90 Days, and Aging 120 Days are better suited for account service and credit follow-up, not general promotional campaigns.

8. What is the easiest campaign to start with?

A loyalty points reminder is often a simple starting point. Use Accepts Marketing, Name, Email Address, Points Remaining, and Last Trans Date.

Ready to use Smart Vendor data more strategically?

Your checkout data can do more than record sales. It can help you understand customers, plan better campaigns, and build stronger loyalty.

Book a demo with our retail specialists.