Retention Edge E12: How Yon-Ka Paris Gets a 50% Repeat Purchase Rate

We just dropped a new episode of the Retention Edge podcast with Raphael Faccarello, Global Ecommerce & Digital Marketing Director at Yon-Ka Paris.

Yon-Ka Paris is a Shopify Plus brand based in France, and scaling globally with strong growth in the US.

Like any brand in the beauty/skincare space, retention is crucial. If a beauty customer only buys once, this means you’ve done something wrong. So, naturally, a large part of their focus revolves around getting existing customers to come back, and come back more often.

Eric’s conversation revolved around this, learning how they drive engagement in their loyalty program, how their app fits into the picture, and how they’re using push notifications alongside email & SMS.

Check out the full episode below, or jump over to YouTube or Spotify (don’t forget to like, rate, comment & subscribe).

We also just launched the perfect guide to help you maximize results this holiday season.

The 2025 BFCM Mobile App Playbook breaks down the secret weapons brands use to turn BFCM hype into margins and momentum.

We look at how to actually come out of the weekend with decent profit margins, how to make your BFCM campaigns drive stronger loyalty, and how to make your results stick (when most brands fall back to Earth come January).

Hit the button below to get the free guide, and start building a BFCM strategy that drives long-term results, not a short-term spike.

Now, let’s dive into the key takeaways from the pod with Raphael from Yon-Ka Paris.

Yon-Ka’s Retention-First Growth Strategy

• Instead of relying on expensive ads, Yon-Ka is doubling down on repeat customers (getting roughly a 50% repeat purchase rate).

• Their stack (email, loyalty, SMS, and the app) works together to keep people engaged and coming back.

• The focus is less on “quick wins” and more on building long-term relationships that grow revenue naturally.

Loyalty x App — Creating A Flywheel

• Their loyalty program is tiered, giving bigger perks the more you spend.

• The tricky part isn’t setting up the program; it’s reminding customers to actually use their points.

• The app is a key part of their loyalty strategy: they give bonus points to app users, which boosts downloads and opt-ins.

• For a time, Raphael didn’t believe the cost of an app was realistic. MobiLoud changed that, letting them launch for low cost & effort.

• Once people use the app, they convert better than mobile web. Right now, about 20% of revenue flows through it.

Smarter Messaging, Not More Messaging

• Email went from blasting 100k people with a 7% open rate to sending ~30k segmented campaigns with 50% open rates.

• Deliverability and reputation matter, so they watch unsubscribes, clicks, and opens closely.

• Push notifications are treated more like SMS: limited to about once per week so they feel valuable, not spammy.

BFCM Without Racing to the Bottom

• Yon-Ka avoids site-wide discounts — they prefer gift-with-purchase offers that add value without eroding margins.

• Their Black Friday window now runs about 10 days, not just a single weekend.

• New customers picked up during BFCM are funneled straight into loyalty and welcome flows, so they stick around long after November.

👉 Watch or listen to the full conversation with Raphael here.

You can check out all of our conversations with leading marketing, CX and retention experts on YouTube and Spotify.

Like and leave a comment on YouTube, and give us a review on Spotify if you found this content helpful.

Remember to check out the BFCM Strategy Guide, and make sure your BFCM this year drives long-term gains, not just a short-term spike.

Best,

Pietro and The Retention Edge Team

PS: thinking about launching your own app? Go to our website to get a preview of your app for free, or shoot me a DM on LinkedIn to talk about it.