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You’re one step closer to building a stunning mobile app for your e-commerce store. Get on a call with us to see Vajro in action.
Boutique/Fashion
4 mins to read
App-attributed revenue
Repeat Purchase Rate
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Jeannine Traynham
Community lives on borrowed platforms
For six years, The Empire Collection grew through the community.
Jeannine would go live on Facebook almost daily, trying on clothing in real time, sometimes even hopping on during dinner just to talk. Her audience showed up consistently. They chatted, asked questions, shared stories, and shopped together.
But there was one problem, she didn’t own the platform.
When her Facebook account was suddenly restricted, and the live feature was removed, her primary revenue channel disappeared overnight. She could still post, but she couldn’t go live, which was how she connected, sold, and built momentum.
“That was my main way of getting across to my customers. And it was just… gone.”
The experience exposed a hard truth. No matter how strong the community was, it lived within someone else’s ecosystem.
Engagement was reactive, not predictable
Beyond platform risk, retention felt inconsistent. Email depended on open rates, SMS felt transactional, and social relied on algorithms.
“If a customer wasn’t buying that week, I had to rely on them happening to see content.”
If customers didn’t happen to see a post or open a message at the right moment, the opportunity was lost. Engagement would spike during launches or live events, then drop in between.
There was no guaranteed visibility. The brand didn’t have a consistent, owned touchpoint that kept the brand top-of-mind in a natural way. For a community-first brand, that lack of control created friction.
“I kind of felt like I tapped all I could get out of it… I just needed another space where I can connect with them.”
Loyalty existed, but it wasn’t systematic
Jeannine had strong retention, as most of her customers had been with her for years. But she realized something important: a high repeat rate isn’t the same as intentional retention.
There was no structured way to:
Her most loyal customers were there, and she could see them. But reaching them consistently depended on whether an email was opened or an algorithm decided to cooperate. Nothing felt fully in her control.
“I wasn’t acquiring a lot of new customers… I need some new customers.”
That’s when she started thinking differently.
Building an owned ecosystem, not just another channel
Jeannine didn’t go looking for another marketing channel. She wanted a space where her community could gather without interruption; somewhere she didn’t have to worry about algorithms, restrictions, or sudden changes.
“I’ve always wanted to have a mobile app… just another outlet to connect with my audience.”
When she chose Superfans.io, she wanted to create a space that felt like hers— stable, direct, and aligned with the way she connects with her customers every day. For someone who had experienced how quickly access could be limited, that sense of ownership was very important.
Creating a strategic partnership
Jeannine expected just a setup process and maybe occasional support if something broke. What she experienced felt different.
“When Aswin started having these recurring weekly meetings, I was like, oh — this is more than I thought.”
Every week, the team reviewed performance, discussed ideas, and left with clear next steps.
“I always tell my boutique friends I have homework weekly… he’s just as invested in me being successful with this app as I am.”
Those weekly check-ins gave her clear direction, like which numbers to watch, what to improve, and what to test next in the app.
Turning the app into a community hub
Once the app went live, Jeannine used it the same way she always shows up with her audience—through energy and exclusivity. She introduced app-only drops, gave VIP customers early access, and announced lives through push notifications. Customers responded quickly.
“They were like, don’t change it, we love it.”
Some even started leaving Instagram Lives to move into the app experience instead.
“Many fans would say, “I love going to the app to watch the live videos and to shop through there”
Push notifications, in particular, became a simple, powerful way to stay present. For the first time, she could communicate instantly, without wondering whether a post would surface or an email would be opened.
A different way of thinking about retention
Superfans.io changed how Jeannine approached retention. With clearer visibility into her customers, she could identify her top buyers, notice when loyal customers slowed, and understand who was consistently engaging in the app.
“I wasn’t really even aware of these different segments… and how to effectively reach out to them.”
That visibility gave her something she hadn’t had before—clarity on who she was speaking to. She could tailor campaigns around a restock for her most active buyers, highlight new arrivals to engaged shoppers, and reach out thoughtfully to customers who had gone quiet.
The app became the place where those conversations happened consistently, week after week.
In four months, the app became the primary revenue channel
In December, the mobile app drove roughly one-third of total revenue. Within months, it evolved into a revenue channel that contributes 44.7% of total revenue alongside the website.
“Last month, our mobile app did more revenue than our website for the very first time.”
What started as a new channel quickly became central to the business.
Launch responsiveness improved immediately
Push notifications drove real-time traffic to lives, restocks, and exclusive drops.
“That push notification drops down on their phone… You can’t miss it.”
Customers didn’t wait to see posts or emails. They acted as soon as the notification landed. Some even shifted themselves mid-live:
“We’re going to the app now.”
This shift translated into measurable impact, with more than $19.9K in revenue driven through app-led discount codes and live-sale events.
App users showed stronger loyalty signals
Customers engaging through the app but returned more often and with higher intent.
Jeannine also began segmenting more intentionally, identifying top buyers, re-engaging slower customers, and prioritising the audience that mattered most.
That visibility meant that 29.83% of customers were now driving 85.47% of total revenue.
Ready to stop renting your audience and start owning your customer relationships?
If your brand relies on social platforms, rising CAC, and unpredictable reach, it’s time to build a channel you control. Superfans.io helps you:
Join brands like The Empire Collection who chose ownership over algorithms and turned their app into their primary revenue channel.
