Advanced Customer Segmentation: Beyond “Bought Once” and “Never Bought”
Customer segmentation only really starts to pull its weight when you stop lumping people into “bought once” or “never bought” and start grouping them by intent, value, and timing.
In Klaviyo, that means building dynamic segments from real behaviour – Viewed Product, Added to Cart, Checkout Started, Placed Order – and then actually using those segments to power campaigns, exclusions, and flows that line up with what the customer is thinking right now.
Not what you hope they’re thinking. What their behaviour says they are.
The baseline: lifecycle (but smarter)
Lifecycle segmentation is still the backbone of most email strategies – you just don’t need to treat it like a blunt instrument.
Because Klaviyo segments are dynamic, they automatically update as people browse, buy, or go quiet. That makes them ideal for lifecycle logic, rather than static lists that age badly.
Segment 1: New subscribers (not yet customers)
How to set up in Klaviyo
What someone has done (or not done) → Placed Order → zero times → over all time
AND Can receive email marketing
(optionally: Subscribed = true)
Why it’s great
You can focus on education, social proof, and product discovery without reaching for a discount straight away.
When it’s less useful
If your list capture is messy – imported old leads, legacy contacts, or half-consented emails – you’ll misclassify people. Fix list hygiene first, or you’ll be talking nonsense to half the room.
Segment 2: First-time buyers (exactly one order)
How to set up in Klaviyo
Placed Order equals 1 over all time
(optionally add Placed Order at least once in last X days to keep it current)
Why it’s great
First-time buyers are the easiest “next win”. Your job here is to earn order two with the right cross-sell, reassurance, and post-purchase guidance.
When it’s less useful
If you sell one-and-done products, order count alone won’t predict the next purchase. You’ll need category- or time-based logic instead.
Segment 3: Repeat purchasers (2+ orders)
How to set up in Klaviyo
Placed Order is at least 2 over all time
Why it’s great
You can move past “here’s who we are” and into “here’s what’s next for you”: bundles, refills, complementary products, or loyalty nudges.
When it’s less useful
If your average purchase frequency is naturally low (furniture, high-ticket items), “repeat” may take years. In those cases, recency or browse intent is more useful.
Value segments: VIPs, high-AOV, margin protectors
If lifecycle tells you where someone is, value segmentation tells you what they’re worth – and how careful you should be.
Shopify data inside Klaviyo makes this practical, but consistency matters. Pick the right metric and use it everywhere.
Segment 4: VIP customers (high spend and/or frequency)
How to set up in Klaviyo
Placed Order at least 3 times over all time
AND Revenue at least £X in the last 365 days
(set thresholds that actually fit your store)
Why it’s great
VIPs respond best to early access, first dibs, and “we saved this for you” energy – not aggressive discounts.
When it’s less useful
If Shopify and Klaviyo revenue don’t line up perfectly, don’t panic. Klaviyo handles refunds and cancellations differently, which can cause small mismatches.
Segment 5: Discount-driven buyers
How to set up in Klaviyo
Use Placed Order and filter by Discount Codes
(e.g. contains SALE, WELCOME, influencer codes)
Why it’s great
You can protect margin by reserving discounts for people who actually need them — and keep full-price messaging clean everywhere else.
When it’s less useful
If your code naming is chaotic, this becomes a maintenance nightmare. Standardised code naming pays for itself very quickly.
Intent segments: browse, cart, checkout
These are the segments that feel almost unfair the first time you use them – because you’re responding to what someone literally just did.
Klaviyo syncs key Shopify events like Viewed Product, Added to Cart, Checkout Started, and Placed Order, and you can build targeting directly off that behaviour.
Segment 6: Product or collection browsers (high intent, no cart)
How to set up in Klaviyo
Viewed Product at least once in last 7 days
AND Checkout Started zero times in last 7 days
AND Placed Order zero times in last 7 days
(adjust windows as needed)
Why it’s great
Perfect for browse-abandon messaging: education, FAQs, comparisons, and “here’s how to choose” content.
When it’s less useful
If onsite tracking isn’t configured properly, you’ll undercount browsers and over-email the wrong people.
Segment 7: Cart or checkout starters (warmest non-buyers)
How to set up in Klaviyo
Checkout Started at least once in last 3 days
AND Placed Order zero times since starting checkout
Why it’s great
These people were already at the till. You can be direct, helpful, and conversion-focused without feeling pushy.
When it’s less useful
If Shopify’s abandoned checkout emails are still enabled, you’ll double-tap customers. Klaviyo requires you to manually disable Shopify’s emails if you want full control.
Risk segments: churn, lapsing, and deliverability protection
Not every segment exists to send more emails. Some exist to help you send less – at the right time.
Segment 8: Lapsing customers (due a nudge)
How to set up in Klaviyo
Placed Order at least once over all time
AND Placed Order zero times in last 60 days
(adjust based on your typical reorder cycle)
Why it’s great
Winback campaigns are often cheaper than acquisition – you’re marketing to people who already trust you.
When it’s less useful
If your repurchase cycle is long, short windows just create noise. Base this on actual time-between-purchase data.
Segment 9: Unengaged subscribers (deliverability protection)
How to set up in Klaviyo
Engagement-based logic (opened or clicked in last X days)
AND Can receive email marketing
Why it’s great
Sending less to unengaged contacts improves overall engagement – and helps ensure your best customers actually see your emails.
When it’s less useful
Open tracking is imperfect thanks to privacy changes. Clicks and purchase behaviour are often more reliable signals.
Setup tips (that save real headaches)
- Use Placed Order consistently in segments and flows. Placed Order and Ordered Product sync seconds apart — mixing them can accidentally exclude everyone.
- Klaviyo segments max out at 100 conditions. If a segment starts looking like a logic puzzle, you probably need two segments and a campaign exclusion.
Making the most of segments
“Bought once” and “never bought” are fine labels – they’re just not a strategy.
With Shopify feeding Klaviyo rich behavioural events and purchase data, you can segment by lifecycle, value, intent, and risk – then use those segments to personalise campaigns, power smarter flows, and make exclusions that protect both margin and deliverability.
Want to talk Klaviyo and email marketing? Get in touch today – we'd be happy to chat.
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