Winning a new customer takes a lot of work and attention. And once they place an order and the parcel is on its way, the box usually contains just the product and an invoice. That is a shame, because it is one of the best moments in the whole relationship - the customer has just trusted you, opens the box with curiosity and is more open to you than ever. A small flyer slipped into the parcel is a cheap, concrete way to use that moment: to say thank you, invite them back and make them return. In this piece we show what is worth putting in the box and how to do it warmly, not pushily.
- A customer who already bought from you is far cheaper to "win back" than a new one - a flyer in the parcel reaches exactly them.
- What works best is a warm thank-you plus one concrete reason to return: a discount, a matching product suggestion or an invitation to a loyalty programme.
- Match the format to the goal - a small flyer for one message, a folded one for more content, a pad for repeated actions.
- Tone makes the difference: write as if to a friend, not as in an advert. One message per flyer.
- Personalisation and consistency with your brand make the print look like part of the product, not like spam forced in.
Why print in the parcel works better than you think
Online advertising competes for attention with a hundred other stimuli. A flyer in the parcel has no competition - the customer holds it in their hands, in peace, alone. They do not have to click anything, no spam filter will skip it, it will not vanish in a flood of emails. It reaches a person who has just confirmed they like what you do, because they paid for it.
That changes everything. You are not starting the conversation from scratch, you are continuing a relationship that has already begun. That is why a small piece of paper can do more for repeat sales than many an expensive campaign - as long as it says something sensible, not just "buy more".
Start with a thank-you - in a human way
The simplest, and often skipped, move: say thank you. Not with an automated formula, but in a human way, as if writing to a friend. A short card with a handwritten "Thank you for being with us" or the owner's personal signature makes a warm impression that the customer remembers longer than the product itself.
A thank-you does not sell directly, but it builds something more valuable - goodwill. And a customer who likes you returns more willingly and recommends you further. This matters especially in handmade goods and small shops, where the relationship can be a bigger advantage than price.
If you send few parcels a day, add one line by hand on the printed card - the customer's name or a short note about the order. This small touch costs a few seconds and makes the parcel look prepared especially for that person.
Give a concrete reason to come back
A warm tone opens the door, but the customer also needs a concrete reason to place another order. What works best is a clear, single offer - not a list of ten things, but one that is easy to understand and use.
- A discount code for the next purchase - a classic that works, because it gives a real benefit here and now. Set an expiry date to encourage a quicker decision.
- A voucher to redeem - a physical voucher in the parcel looks more serious than a code in an email and lands on the fridge rather than in the bin more often. Elegantly printed vouchers and gift cards build the feeling of a gift on their own.
- A matching product suggestion - if the customer bought one thing, show what complements it perfectly. This is cross-sell that sounds like advice, not like nagging.
The key is relevance. A discount for a category the customer is not interested in at all will end up in the bin. A suggestion of something that really matches their purchase looks like care, not a forced sale.
Ask for a review and invite them into your brand's world
Not every flyer has to sell right away. Sometimes the most valuable thing you can ask for is an opinion. A short request for a review - with a link or a simple QR code - can work wonders for a shop's credibility, and a customer right after receiving the parcel is the most likely to leave one.
An invitation to social media or to sign up for the newsletter works in a similar way. It is not about another "like", but about staying in touch - so the customer sees your news and returns of their own accord. Frame it as an invitation to a community, not a demand. "Show us how you use our product" sounds completely different from a dry "follow us".
A customer just after opening the parcel is in the best mood to recommend you. All you need is to ask - warmly and at the right moment.
A loyalty card and a regular customer programme
If you want the customer to return regularly, give them a clear reason and a simple mechanism. A loyalty card or a regular customer programme turns a single purchase into the start of a series. This works wherever people buy cyclically - cosmetics, coffee, handmade goods, food products.
The mechanics can be trivially simple: a stamp for every order, and after collecting a few - a reward or a discount. Such a pad tucked into the parcel works like a little invitation to a game in which the customer wants to collect the full set. You can conveniently order repeatable cards or coupons as promotional pads - you pick the format, the paper and the number of sheets per pad, and put any numbers or stamp fields into your own artwork.
Add a short "how to use the product" tip to the loyalty flyer - a few sentences on how to get the most out of it. This increases satisfaction with the purchase and, along the way, naturally links to an invitation for the next order.
How to pick the format so it is not pushy
The flyer format is not a matter of taste, but of purpose. The more you want to say, the more space you need - but be careful, because too large a print in a small parcel looks like a flyer forced in.
- A small flyer - one message: a thank-you with a discount code or a request for a review. A classic flyer in a small format works great and does not dominate the parcel.
- A folded flyer - when you have more to convey: a thank-you, suggestions of complementary products and a usage tip at once. A folded flyer fits it all while looking neat and tidy.
- A pad / repeatable card - for loyalty programmes and actions you repeat in every parcel.
We write more about how to pick the size and proportions for a specific goal in our piece on which flyer format to choose - A6, A5, DL or square. The rule is simple: one carrier, one main goal, a matched size.
Tone and personalisation - so the print helps, not hinders
All the strength of a flyer in the parcel lies in the impression that it is part of the product, not an advert glued on afterwards. So write warmly and specifically, in one brand voice. Avoid the tone of a loud promotion - the customer already trusts you, you do not have to convince them like a stranger.
Take care of visual consistency: the same colours, the same logo and style as the rest of your materials. Then the flyer looks like a thought-through element, not a random sheet. If you can, personalise: the customer's name, a reference to what they bought, a matched suggestion. Even a small touch of personalisation makes the message sound like a conversation, not a mass mailing. And most importantly - do not overdo the quantity. One thought-through print will do more than a stack of flyers the customer throws away at once.
Where to start
Start with one goal per flyer: a thank-you, another purchase or a review - pick what you need most today. Match the format to it and write the text as if talking to a specific person, because that is exactly the case. Then check whether customers return and refine the message with each new batch.
If you want to design flyers for your parcels tailored to your shop and are not sure which format and type of print to choose, browse our offer of promotional flyers or write to us. We will suggest how to choose the size, paper and form so that a small print in the parcel really builds returns and loyalty.
