With the closing of the cycle of big commemorative dates, such as Black Friday and Christmas, Brazilian retail becomes the key to a new strategic priority: loyalty. The moment of euphoria in billing gives way to the challenge of turning the occasional buyers attracted by the parties into recurring customers for the rest of the year.
The scenario is critical, especially for small and medium businesses. According to a survey by Serasa Experian, the achievement and retention of consumers are among the main operational barriers in the country. For three out of ten SMEs, this is the biggest challenge in the initial phase of the business. The problem, however, persists in maturity: 32% of entrepreneurs with already consolidated companies continue to point to retention as their greatest difficulty.
For Surama Jurdi, retail specialist, CEO of Surama Jurdi Academy and business mentor, the high difficulty index is linked to a short-term vision.
“The most common mistake is to treat the sale of commemorative dates as an end, when it should be just the beginning of a strategic relationship”, says Jurdi. According to her, in periods of high competitiveness, retail attracts new audience profiles, and the lack of preparation of teams to provide personalized service in this time of intense flow wastes the chance to create an emotional connection.
The 4 Pillars of Retention
To reverse this situation and ensure the return of the customer to the store (physical or digital), the expert points out that the strategy must start already in the first purchase, supported by four fundamental pillars:
- Continuous Relationship: Go beyond the basics (such as birthday discounts). The strategy requires personalized communication across multiple touchpoints and delivery of relevant content that generates effective value.
- Customer Experience (CX): The focus goes only out of the product and into the journey.This includes efficient support, real-time updates (in the case of e-commerce) and a proactive after-sales to verify satisfaction.
- Sense of Community: Brands that offer unique benefits and co-creation of products generate a sense of belonging that shields the customer against competition.
- Data Culture: Monitoring indicators such as average ticket, repurchase rate and qualitative feedbacks allows you to adjust promotions and send assertive recommendations based on the actual history of the consumer.
“Price attracts, but it is the connection that retains”, summarizes Surama. For the expert, the commemorative dates work as excellent entry doors, but the sustainability of the business in 2026 will depend on the ability of companies to keep this consumer active and engaged in the “frios” calendar months.
