How to Connect Klaviyo and Shopify Data for Better Retention

Getting Klaviyo and Shopify to talk to each other takes about five minutes. Getting them to say something useful? That’s where most stores fall short.

The integration itself is straightforward. You click a few buttons, authorize the connection, and suddenly Klaviyo knows about your orders, products, and customers. But raw data isn’t a retention strategy. The stores that actually bring customers back are the ones who think carefully about which data points matter, how to segment their audience, and what messages to send at which moments.

The Basics: Setting Up the Integration

If you haven’t connected the two platforms yet, start in Klaviyo. Go to Integrations, find Shopify, and follow the prompts to connect your store. Klaviyo will ask for permission to access your customer data, order history, product catalog, and on-site browsing behavior.

Once connected, Klaviyo will pull in your historical data. Depending on your store size, this can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. Don’t start building flows until the sync is complete, or you’ll be working with incomplete information.

A few settings to check right away: make sure your product catalog is syncing properly (you’ll need this for personalized recommendations), confirm that customer profiles are being created for new orders, and verify that browse and cart events are tracking correctly. These three elements form the foundation of everything else.

The Data That Actually Drives Retention

Klaviyo pulls in a lot of information from Shopify. Not all of it matters equally for retention. Here’s what to pay attention to:

Purchase history and frequency. How often does each customer buy? What’s the gap between their first and second purchase? Customers who buy twice are significantly more likely to buy a third time, so understanding this timing helps you intervene at the right moment.

Average order value over time. Is a customer’s spending increasing, decreasing, or flat? Someone whose orders are getting smaller might be losing interest. Someone whose orders are growing is a prime candidate for VIP treatment.

Product categories purchased. Knowing what someone bought tells you what they might want next. If a customer bought running shoes, they might need socks, insoles, or training gear. Klaviyo can use your Shopify catalog to power these recommendations automatically.

Time since last purchase. This is your early warning system for churn. If your average customer buys every 45 days, someone who hasn’t purchased in 60 days is at risk. You should be reaching out before they forget about you entirely.

Browsing behavior. Klaviyo tracks what products people view on your site, even if they don’t buy. Someone who visited the same product page three times in a week is clearly interested. A nudge at the right moment can convert that interest into a sale.

Building Segments That Matter

Most stores create a handful of basic segments and stop there. Subscribers, past purchasers, maybe VIPs. That’s not enough.

Retention-focused segmentation requires thinking about customer lifecycle stages. Here are segments worth building:

First-time buyers who haven’t returned. These people gave you a chance but haven’t come back. They need a different message than loyal customers. Focus on reinforcing their purchase decision, introducing them to your brand story, and giving them a compelling reason to buy again.

Repeat customers at risk of churning. Use your average purchase frequency to define “at risk.” If most customers buy every 30 days, create a segment for repeat buyers whose last purchase was 40 or more days ago. Reach out before you lose them.

High-value customers. These are the people keeping your business alive. Segment by lifetime value and treat them differently. Early access to new products, exclusive discounts, or simply a personal thank-you note can strengthen the relationship.

Category-specific buyers. If you sell across multiple categories, segment customers by what they’ve purchased. Someone who only buys skincare doesn’t need emails about haircare. Relevance drives engagement.

Win-back candidates. Customers who haven’t purchased in 90, 120, or 180 days (adjust based on your typical purchase cycle). These people need a stronger incentive to return, and sometimes you have to accept that they’re gone.

Flows That Bring Customers Back

Segments are useful for campaigns, but flows do the heavy lifting for retention. These automated sequences trigger based on customer behavior and run in the background without you lifting a finger.

Post-purchase flow. This starts immediately after someone buys. Don’t just confirm the order and go silent. Use this window to thank them genuinely, set expectations for shipping, and begin introducing them to your brand. A few days after delivery, ask how they’re enjoying the product. A week or two later, suggest complementary items.

Replenishment flow. If you sell consumable products, this is essential. Calculate the typical time it takes to use up a product and send a reminder a few days before they’d run out. “Running low on coffee? Here’s 10% off your next bag” is a simple message that works.

Browse abandonment flow. Someone looked at a product but didn’t buy. A gentle reminder 24 hours later can recover sales without feeling pushy. Include the product image, keep the copy short, and don’t overdo the discounting. Sometimes people just got distracted.

Win-back flow. For customers who’ve gone quiet, create a sequence that escalates over time. Start with a simple “we miss you” message, then offer a small incentive., then a larger one. If they still don’t bite after three or four emails, move them to a less frequent sending cadence or suppress them entirely.

VIP flow. When someone crosses into high-value territory (define this by total spend or order count), trigger a special sequence. Thank them, offer something exclusive, and make them feel recognized. Loyalty is emotional as much as transactional.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Sending too frequently to new subscribers. Just because someone bought once doesn’t mean they want daily emails. Start slower and increase frequency based on engagement.

Ignoring suppression lists. Klaviyo tracks who’s not engaging with your emails. If someone hasn’t opened anything in six months, continuing to email them hurts your deliverability and wastes your time.

Using the same discount for everyone. A loyal customer who’s purchased ten times doesn’t need 20% off to come back. They might just need a reminder. Save aggressive discounts for win-back campaigns where you’re genuinely at risk of losing someone.

Forgetting about the product experience. Email can only do so much. If the product disappoints, no amount of clever copy will bring a customer back. Retention starts with the product itself.

Tools Worth Considering

The Klaviyo and Shopify integration handles most of what you need, but some additional tools can help you go deeper.

Menza uses AI to analyze your Shopify data and surface insights about customer behavior that might not be obvious from Klaviyo’s reporting alone. You can ask questions in plain English and get answers based on your actual retention patterns, helping you identify which segments or flows need attention.

Klaviyo’s predictive analytics (available on higher-tier plans) can estimate customer lifetime value and churn risk. If you can afford it, these features help you prioritize who to focus on.

Post-purchase survey tools like Fairing or KnoCommerce let you ask customers how they found you and what nearly stopped them from buying. This qualitative data complements what Klaviyo and Shopify track automatically.

Making It Work Long Term

Connecting Klaviyo and Shopify isn’t a one-time project. It’s an ongoing system that needs attention.

Review your flow performance monthly. Which emails have strong click rates? Which ones are falling flat? Small tweaks to subject lines, timing, or content can compound into significant improvements over time.

Check your segments quarterly to make sure the logic still makes sense. As your business changes, your segmentation strategy should evolve too.

And most importantly, pay attention to what your customers are telling you. The data shows you what they’re doing. Listening shows you why.

Retention isn’t about tricking people into buying again. It’s about staying useful and relevant to customers who already gave you their trust. The right data, used thoughtfully, helps you do exactly that.