Ecommerce Loss Leader Strategy (Hint: 8.49% Conversion Rate)

Chris Von Wilpert

Last Updated Nov 03, 2018

GroceryGetter made an app that compares grocery prices among three major chains, showing you the best price for what is on your shopping list, then delivering the order to your door.

I could brag about all the big news outlets they’ve been featured in, or I could let one of Australia’s biggest TV stations show you why GroceryGetter is the best app for saving money on your groceries…

To grow their email list and attract new customers to buy their first lot of groceries, Shawn Singh (Co-Founder at GroceryGetter) has been using Sumo’s new Grow Email List Shortcut.

Sean uses Sumo to show this loss leader offer to new visitors after they spend five seconds on the site:

Note how Shawn has worded the offer. He offers 20% off to everyone who opts in to be notified when he’s feeling generous. In other words he’s able to grow his email list with a very attractive offer, so he can then:

1. Grow a list of leads interested in what he has to offer.

2. Send an email out to all his new leads letting them know he’s offering “20% off today only” so he can use scarcity in his marketing.

3. Watch the orders roll in.

The result? The 20% loss leader strategy is converting website traffic to leads at a rate of 8.49% (five times the industry average conversion rate of 1.5%).

You might be wondering… how can GroceryGetter afford to offer 20% off? Shawn says “[the 20% offer] allows us to have customers who were thinking about us try us out, and then use us again at full price.”

The takeaway here is that if you want to scale your business fast, then using this loss leader strategy is a great way to:

1. Grow your email list.

2. Build up a waiting list of people eager to buy your products.

3. Offer your product at a loss, so you can make a profit off repeat purchases in the future.

This strategy won’t work for you if your product is a one-time purchase. It works best for businesses who sell products that are bought regularly (like groceries).

If you want to try a loss leader strategy for 20% off like GroceryGetter, you can do it with the Sumo Ecommerce plan today. Simply click the button below, then use the Grow Email List Shortcut to set up this strategy on your store in three minutes. 

If you don’t want to be a loss leader, but you live in Australia and want to save 30% on your groceries, try out GroceryGetter’s app for free here. You’ll never have to waste your time running through the supermarket and looking through catalogues for specials again.