The problem
Regulars forget you between visits and a new delivery can sit unnoticed. If a shop has 350 customers who agreed to emails and one monthly email brings back 12 of them, spending £22 each, that's £264 a month (12 x £22) that doesn't happen without a way to tell them.
What the AI does
Brevo is an email marketing platform. Its site lists a drag-and-drop editor, templates, sign-up forms, segments and an AI content generator that drafts subject lines and copy. Collect sign-ups at the till with a form or a card and a clear promise of what you'll send, keeping a record of when and how each person agreed. Once a month, send one email with new arrivals or an event. Under PECR you need consent, a clear sender and a working unsubscribe in every email. Don't copy customer details from till receipts or loyalty cards unless they agreed to marketing.
A worked example
A gift and homewares shop in Harrogate has 350 customers who gave their email address on a sign-up card at the till. It sends one email each month about new arrivals.
Before
No way to reach 350 past customers except social posts they may not see
After
One email a month to 350 opted-in customers; 12 come in and spend £22 each = £264
What it's worth
About £106 a month in gross profit if 12 of 350 recipients visit and spend £22: £264 at an assumed 40% margin (£264 x 0.4 = £105.60). The 12 visits is an assumption, not a promise. Brevo Starter is £6 a month and shows the Brevo logo; removing it is an £8 add-on, and Standard at £13 includes it, so the cost is £6 or £13. Brevo's free plan sends up to 300 emails a day, so a 350-contact list is too big to send in one go on Free; that is why this is priced at Starter.
How to set it up
- Create a Brevo account and a sign-up form or printed card saying what you'll send and that people can unsubscribe at any time.
- Add every sign-up with the date and how they agreed; never add customers who haven't opted in.
- Build one email template with your logo and a place for three new arrivals.
- Each month, use the AI tool to suggest subject lines and copy, then check prices, stock and dates before you send.
- Remove unsubscribes straight away and keep your sign-up records.
What goes wrong
- Marketing emails need consent under PECR and UK GDPR. Customers who only bought from you shouldn't be added without agreeing.
- Starter covers 500 contacts at its 5,000-email level; a bigger list needs a higher tier.
- Only promote items you have in stock and at the price shown, and check the AI copy for claims you can't back up.
- Starter emails show the Brevo logo; removing it costs £8 a month extra or comes with Standard at £13.