At CLICK 2025, the session on The D2C Loyalty Loop – Turning First-Time Buyers into Lifelong Customers explored how India’s leading D2C brands are transforming one-time buyers into long-term advocates. Moderated by Sahiba Dhandania, CEO of Confluencr, the panel included Priyaratna Suryawanshi, GM and Head of Marketing at R for Rabbit, Aditya Khanna, Co-Founder of Assembly Luggage, Harshit Vij, Founder and COO of Freecultr, and Rajeshwar Rao, VP B2C, Digital Market and Online Sales at Clovia. The discussion highlighted how customer loyalty has emerged as a strategic priority, with brands adopting a mix of product excellence, trust-building, and thoughtful communication to ensure repeat purchases.
The panel delved into the mechanics of loyalty beyond initial acquisition. They explained how data-driven segmentation allows brands to tailor experiences for different buyer cohorts, while carefully designed loyalty programs provide both incentives and meaningful engagement. Digital touchpoints such as WhatsApp and community-driven content are increasingly used to create ongoing interactions, keeping consumers connected to the brand between purchases. The session also highlighted that in categories where product usage is periodic or occasion-driven, understanding the customer’s lifecycle is critical. By focusing on product reliability, contextual relevance, and consistent engagement, these D2C brands are driving repeat sales and fostering advocacy.
Sahiba Dhandania set the tone early, asking, “How can B2C brands foster customer loyalty beyond the first sale, and how much of your marketing budget should really go into retention?”
For Harshit Vij, loyalty starts with product excellence. “First acquisition is done for marketing purposes. But repeat purchases show genuine love for the brand,” he said. Freecultr once tried new colors of underwear to attract repeat buyers. “But largely that is not the point. The most important thing is the product. If they love it, they like it. Not even the story, influencers, or celebrities matter beyond the first purchase.”
He also highlighted the multiple “use cases” that trigger repeat buying. Travel, weddings, or special occasions often prompt customers to return. “Lifetime value is simple. We track quarter by quarter because underwear is not something bought every month,” he explained. “In India, every 100 KM, religion changes, culture changes. So, it’s like, every 15–20 days, there’s an event, or something. That shapes buying patterns.”
Aditya Khanna, emphasised clarity, minimalism, and execution. On communication style, he said, “And, this is another aspect, which is a very minimalistic, classic kind of language. So, it’s focused in that language, but millennials will create a bit more, because they’re older. So, that makes a lot of impact.”
On delivery quality and practical use cases, he added, “Delivery quality becomes a very crucial aspect. Think about it, use cases, some people come, before the registration, the attacking aspect, we want to be very specific, this is like a backpack. So, I would say, this is the solution aspect of it.”
Reflecting on execution and current performance, he concluded, “And, today, we do very good with this. Because, like you said, I think I can speak for this. So, this would be awesome.”
Rajeshwar Rao offered a digital-first perspective. “Building loyalty, whether via points or community engagement, puts your brand top-of-mind. When they visit a multi-brand outlet, they know how to buy and trust the experience they had online,” he said. On launching new products, he added, “So when you say launch your consequent newer products that I think I’ve seen in the last three months, did loyalty play a role there, in that you have a supervisory capability?”
He further elaborated on customer targeting: “So they have this interesting way of targeting customers. They have a back-to-the-line kind of thing. A lot of people are dealing with food stuff. A lot of us are doing that. Starting with, you’re going to see some of the flavors as well, and also some contrasting, you’re going to see something similar to what I said, it’s kind of AI, you’re going to see. And you’re also going to see some of the things that we’ve done as well.”
Priyaratna Suryawanshi highlighted trust as the foundation of loyalty. “Loyalty is about having a relationship that lasts longer. Over three years, we map 55 purchase occasions. That’s our long-term view of customer value.”
AI also plays a role in personalization. “Segmentation allows us to offer tiered experiences within loyalty programs. Some consumers get travel-friendly packages; others get gift bundles. AI helps us make these choices intelligently,” he said.
WhatsApp emerged as a surprising tool in retention. “WhatsApp was part of the conversion process. We were able to provide them with it so we could drive traffic to our community, to our channels, and therefore have a long-term business. It’s less transactional, more of a reminder medium for us,” Suryawanshi explained.
Budget allocation for loyalty was another hot topic. “We don’t spend much on loyalty directly because building product trust comes first. Acquisition spends are essentially 2–4%, but overall spend, whether it’s discounting, or discounts with hashtags, or landing in an account, comes to about 30 to 40%,” he added.
The panel also explored content strategies. “EGCs showcase actual product benefits and usage. That’s where we invest our time. Consumers want to know how a product works, not just see glossy campaigns,” he argued.
Vij added that advocacy comes naturally when product quality is strong. “We want to be advocates. If we provide the right product, we are sold.”
Across sectors from apparel and luggage to baby products and personal care, the discussion highlighted a consistent principle: loyalty is not an afterthought but a long-term strategy. Success combines great products, thoughtful content, AI-driven personalisation, and community engagement.
CLICK 2025 made clear that first-time buyers are just the beginning. Brands that strategically nurture them can drive repeat purchases, create advocates, and maximise lifetime value. From AI segmentation to WhatsApp touchpoints and trust-driven content, the loyalty loop is both science and art, a framework that, when executed well, converts one-time consumers into lifelong supporters.
