Why product deprecation needs to align with customer retention in ecommerce
In ecommerce, especially beauty and skincare, retiring a product isn’t just a supply chain decision — it's a customer experience event. When a beloved moisturizer or serum disappears, loyal customers notice. If that transition isn’t handled carefully, churn spikes, abandoned carts multiply, and lifetime value dips. A 2024 Forrester study showed that 65% of consumers are more likely to switch brands after encountering poor product availability or substitution experiences.
For HubSpot users, who often combine marketing automation, CRM, and customer insights, product deprecation is an opportunity to deepen engagement — not just a removal notice in the product catalog. The challenge lies in balancing operational efficiency with tailored communication and personalized offers, all while monitoring the data signals that influence retention.
Here are 7 ways for senior data-analytics professionals to optimize product deprecation strategies focused squarely on keeping customers.
1. Segment customers by product affinity before sending deprecation notices
Sending a blanket “Product X is discontinued” email is a quick way to trigger churn. Instead, use HubSpot’s segmentation tools to identify customers who’ve purchased or shown intent via cart adds or wishlist activity. Segment by recency, frequency, and monetary (RFM) value for each product line to prioritize messaging.
Example:
One skincare retailer divided their customer base into: (a) heavy users of a discontinued anti-aging serum, (b) occasional browsers who added it to carts but never bought, and (c) non-users. For group (a), they offered a personalized alternative plus a 15% discount. For (b), a gentle “see what’s new” message. For (c), no messaging to avoid noise.
Gotcha:
Only segment on historical purchase data. Cart and wishlist signals can be ephemeral and noisy; a customer might have added the product once but never intended to buy. Combine signals with engagement data (email opens, clicks) to avoid irrelevant outreach.
2. Use exit-intent surveys on deprecated product pages
When a product page is marked “discontinued,” traffic often spikes from search or direct links. This page is a goldmine for qualitative insights on why customers valued the product.
HubSpot’s CMS can integrate exit-intent survey tools like Zigpoll or Hotjar polls to capture stopped visitors’ feedback.
Example:
A beauty brand integrated Zigpoll “What made you choose this product?” on deprecated product pages. They learned 40% of respondents loved the scent, and 30% cited non-irritant formula. This informed messaging for their replacement products.
Caveat:
These surveys must be light — one or two questions max, or users bounce. Also, consider sampling bias; only the most engaged visitors will answer, so treat responses as directional, not absolute.
3. Link deprecated products to personalized alternative recommendations
HubSpot’s CRM data and product catalog can be configured to dynamically suggest relevant replacements on product pages, cart reminders, and post-purchase emails.
How to build:
- Map deprecated SKUs to replacement SKUs based on ingredient overlap, price point, or customer reviews.
- Use HubSpot’s custom code actions in workflows to surface these alternatives dynamically in emails or on-site.
Example:
One skincare ecommerce team linked a discontinued vitamin C serum to two alternatives with similar user ratings >4.5. Post-deprecation, cart abandonment for those who tried to purchase the old serum dropped from 18% to 8%.
Edge case:
If no true replacement exists, default to educational content about skin concerns addressed by the old product plus cross-sells. Don’t leave customers at a dead end.
4. Monitor checkout and cart abandonment spikes for deprecated SKUs
Retiring a product often leads to a bump in cart abandonment, especially if customers add it expecting to buy but find it’s out of stock or discontinued at checkout.
Set up real-time dashboards in HubSpot or synced BI tools to track abandoned carts filtered by deprecated products.
Why:
Early detection lets you trigger targeted recovery flows offering alternatives or incentives before customers slip away.
Example:
A brand noticed a 12% increase in cart abandonment for a discontinued moisturizer the week after sunset. They triggered an automated HubSpot email offering a 10% off coupon on a replacement, reclaiming 30% of those carts.
Caveat:
Be careful with discounting too aggressively. If done poorly, it trains customers to wait for markdowns on discontinued items, hurting margins.
5. Analyze post-purchase feedback to identify candidates for deprecation
Using post-purchase NPS and product reviews collected through HubSpot’s feedback tools or integrations with Trustpilot can reveal which products are underperforming in customer satisfaction.
How this helps retention:
Products with declining satisfaction but steady sales are a risk for future churn if kept. Deprecating and replacing them thoughtfully reduces long-term churn.
Example:
One skincare brand combined HubSpot feedback surveys with sentiment analysis and found a popular cleanser had 25% negative mentions about causing dryness. They sunset it, introduced a gentler formula, and saw a 7% lift in repurchase rate for the category.
Limitation:
Post-purchase feedback is often skewed towards extremes (very satisfied or very dissatisfied). Combine with quantitative sales trends and customer service tickets for a balanced view.
6. Use phased sunset communications to reduce surprise and friction
Surprising customers with immediate product removal risks frustration and churn. Instead, employ a phased approach visible in multiple touchpoints—product pages, cart warnings, email campaigns.
Steps to implement:
- Display “Last chance” banners on deprecated product pages 30 days before removal.
- Follow up with cart warnings if the deprecated product is in a cart.
- Email customers with usage history 15 days before removal, offering alternatives or special offers.
Example:
A beauty ecommerce brand’s phased sunset reduced churn by 5 percentage points compared to a previous abrupt removal. They leveraged HubSpot workflows to automate the timing and sequencing of messages.
Gotcha:
Phased sunset takes more coordination and can increase operational overhead. Don’t automate without quality checks — messaging tone matters.
7. Integrate loyalty program incentives with product deprecation flows
Skincare customers often accumulate loyalty points. Tie points expiration or bonus point offers to product deprecation to encourage switching without losing goodwill.
Implementation tip:
Use HubSpot’s CRM data to identify customers with high points balances who purchased deprecated products. Create targeted campaigns offering bonus points on new or replacement products.
Example:
A brand offered double loyalty points on a replacement product for customers who purchased a discontinued sunscreen. Redemption rates for replacement products doubled in three months, with minimal churn.
Limitation:
This approach might not work for low engagement customers or those who never joined the loyalty program. Make sure you have enough behavioral data before investing heavily.
Prioritizing your deprecation strategy workstream
Not all these tactics are equal time sinks or impact drivers. Start with segmentation and cart abandonment monitoring — they offer quick wins. Exit-intent surveys and phased communication add nuance but require orchestration across teams. Loyalty integration is a great retention accelerator but depends on mature CRM and program data.
For HubSpot users, pairing workflows with dynamic content and survey tools like Zigpoll creates a flexible framework to keep customers engaged through product life cycle changes. Remember, the goal isn’t just to sunset a SKU but to guide customers gently to their next favorite product without losing trust or spend.
With thoughtful data-driven deprecation strategies, beauty and skincare ecommerce businesses can turn product sunsetting from a potential churn hazard into a retention opportunity.
