
It’s no secret that customer acquisition costs (CAC) have been soaring over the past few years. According to Wordstream’s benchmark report, cost-per-click (CPC) rose on average 10% from 2023 to 2024, with industries such as fashion facing even higher increases of 24.6%.
Platforms like Shopify have lowered the barrier to entry, making competition fiercer than ever. In combination with economic pressures on marketing budgets, independent, smaller brands particularly feel the impact.
Going into 2025, brands are turning to strategies to keep customers on board for longer. That’s why we’ve compiled three top strategies that growing brands leverage to retain their customers and keep them returning for more.
1. Build meaningful customer-to-customer engagements with pop-up events
Consider how fostering connections among your customers can transform buyers into a loyal and engaged fanbase. While maintaining control of the customer journey and overall experience is essential, creating opportunities for peer-to-peer interactions can significantly enhance engagement and excitement around your brand.
Take, for example, Edinburgh-based fashion brand Treen. In 2024, they hosted workshops with local artisans, such as perfume making and embroidery, to engage their community. After sharing these events on Instagram, their comment section lit up with followers eager to stay informed and attend future events.
AYM also hosted a pop-up in December that was so popular they had to ticket it to ensure it wasn’t overcrowded. Attendees had the chance to connect with fellow AYM enthusiasts and meet founder Alie while exploring the latest collection. They noted on Instagram how great it was to see connections forming between AYM customers complimenting each other in the changing rooms - community building!
2. Launch an exclusive community to create FOMO
Creating a closed community is a powerful way to build long-term relationships with loyal customers, increasing their LTV. It could be a club customers pay to get into, unlock after a certain number of orders, or subscribe to via a social site.
An exclusive community fosters a sense of belonging and creates interaction opportunities beyond purchasing. By giving your most loyal customers additional perks and promoting this to others, you can drive further desire to be a part of the club.
Here are a couple of examples to create this exclusivity:
Launch a paid VIP club
Develop a paid VIP programme where members gain access to special events, exclusive offers, and early product launches. A paid VIP club makes members even more engaged in your brand as they are looking for a return on the value that they’ve put in.
Take the luxury bag brand Sarah Haran, which offers a VIP Club. Members pay to gain access to private, in-person, and virtual events where they can give product feedback and feast their eyes on new designs before going live on-site.
In January, they hosted a webinar all about their new preloved marketplace exclusive to VIP members - powered by Continue - which offers them the opportunity to buy and sell Sarah Haran bags to each other in a trusted and safe environment in exchange for store credit to spend on newer styles.

Create a points-based membership
If a paid subscription isn’t quite for your brand, try launching a club where members unlock perks and new products with points. Offering a points-based membership incentivises repeated engagement with your brand, increasing your LTV.
Check out Adidas’s Adiclub. They offer points to customers when they buy new products, post reviews and photos, and get active in their Adidas gear. Providing points for sharing reviews and photos encourages hype around the brand, drawing in more users.
From there, members can unlock products, customisations, and events exclusive to club members based on how many points they have. For example, Adidas offers the opportunity to win products signed by top athletes, a training session with their sporting hero, and exclusive access to their most coveted drops to customers with the most points.

3. Introduce resale into your business model and get repeat customers spending 2.8X more
Another way to boost LTV is to launch a resale programme as part of your customer offering. Resale allows you to tap into another stage of the product lifecycle and re-engage customers who bought previously.
You can use purchase history data to prompt customers to resell their old pieces in exchange for store credit. Customers who engage in resale spend 2.8x more than average customers, meaning their LTV skyrockets too.
Resale marketplaces bring other benefits too. Across the branded preloved marketplaces powered by Continue, 43% of preloved buyers are new customers. Therefore, brands acquire valuable marketing data on aspirational consumers and the opportunity to turn them into repeat purchasers. A peer-to-peer resale strategy even fosters customer interactions, helping to strengthen your brand community.
For instance, knitwear brand The Knotty Ones launched a resale programme in 2024 to increase LTV and harness the demand for their second-hand products. They found that customers who engaged with preloved spent 50% more on new items than non-preloved customers, indicating a high engagement with the brand and stronger LTV.

Future-proof your brand’s growth in 2025
In a landscape where rising acquisition costs and fierce competition challenge every brand, prioritising strategies that increase LTV is more critical than ever. By investing in meaningful community experiences, fostering exclusivity through VIP programs, and embracing resale, brands can retain their loyal customers and turn them into advocates who drive growth.
These three methods aren’t just about keeping up with industry trends; they’re about building stronger connections with your audience and creating sustainable growth. The brands that focus on deepening customer relationships and meeting evolving consumer expectations will be the ones that thrive in 2025 and beyond.
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