The Psychology of Repeat Purchases for Health and Wellness Ecommerce Brands
For health and wellness brands, growth isn’t just about acquiring new customers—it’s about keeping them.
Research shows that acquiring a new customer costs five to ten times more than retaining an existing one. Yet, many brands pour their budgets into paid ads and promotions without optimizing the real driver of profitability: repeat purchases.
Unlike fashion or luxury goods, health and wellness products have built-in repeatability. Consumers don’t just buy supplements, skincare, or fitness products once—they need them regularly to maintain their health and routines.
This makes the industry uniquely positioned to benefit from habit formation, pricing psychology, and behavioral triggers that keep customers coming back.
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) is the total revenue a customer generates over their relationship with a brand. The higher your CLV, the more profitable your business becomes—without the constant pressure to acquire new customers.
By leveraging behavioral pricing, loyalty psychology, and habit-forming strategies, health and wellness brands can turn one-time buyers into lifelong customers.
In this article, we’ll explore the science-backed psychological triggers that drive repeat purchases—and show you how to apply them to boost retention, increase revenue, and build a thriving ecommerce brand.
Behavioral Pricing Strategies That Increase Repeat Purchases
Pricing isn’t just about covering costs—it’s a powerful psychological tool that shapes how customers perceive value and commit to repeat purchases.
By leveraging behavioral pricing tactics, health and wellness brands can reinforce buying habits, increase satisfaction, and build long-term loyalty.
Price Anchoring & Perceived Value
Consumers rarely judge prices in isolation. Instead, they compare them to a reference point, which is why price anchoring is a highly effective strategy.
Research shows that introducing a higher “original” price before offering a discount increases perceived value by 32%, making customers more likely to purchase—and return for more.
For example, a premium supplement brand may list an original price of $60 but offer a subscriber-only price of $45.
This approach reinforces both savings and exclusivity, creating a strong psychological incentive for customers to continue purchasing at the lower rate.
Over time, they associate their subscription with a smart financial decision, making them more likely to stay engaged.
Price Bundling & The “Use-It-Or-Lose-It” Effect
Bundling multiple products together for a single discounted price is another effective strategy for driving repeat purchases.
Studies show that bundling increases purchase satisfaction by 15%, even without a discount, while also triggering the “use-it-or-lose-it” effect, where customers feel compelled to consume bundled products before they run out.
A fitness brand, for instance, might offer a “Complete Recovery Pack” featuring protein powder, electrolytes, and BCAAs at a bundled discount.
Instead of purchasing these products separately, customers restock all at once, reinforcing the habit of using them together. Bundling also reduces decision fatigue—making it easier for customers to commit to a repurchase rather than debating which products they need.
Subscription Pricing & The Habit Loop
The most effective pricing strategy for increasing repeat purchases is subscription pricing, which taps into habit formation using the Habit Loop: Cue → Routine → Reward.
Subscriptions create predictability, turning a product into part of the customer’s routine.
Research confirms that recurring payments increase product usage and retention, as customers are more engaged with a product they know they’re already paying for.
Additionally, offering a loyalty discount for auto-renewal makes customers even less likely to cancel.
A probiotic brand, for example, may offer a monthly subscription with automatic refills every 30 days.
Customers receive their product without needing to reorder, reinforcing the habit of consistent use. With a 10% discount for subscribers, they also perceive additional savings, strengthening their commitment to the brand and increasing their lifetime value.
Psychological Triggers That Boost Retention
Retaining customers isn’t just about great products—it’s about shaping consumer behavior through subtle psychological triggers.
By leveraging progress tracking, loss aversion, and social proof, health and wellness brands can create an experience that keeps customers engaged and coming back.
The Endowed Progress Effect: Give Customers a Head Start
People are more likely to complete a goal when they believe they’ve already made progress toward it. This Endowed Progress Effect explains why loyalty programs and milestone-based rewards are so effective. In one study, customers who received a 10-punch loyalty card with two stamps already completed were 34% more likely to redeem their reward than those who started with a blank 8-punch card—despite both requiring the same number of purchases.
A supplement brand that automatically gives new subscribers 50 “welcome points” in their rewards program makes customers feel like they’re already on their way to earning a discount. This perceived progress encourages ongoing engagement.
Brands can use this principle by introducing progress bars, milestone-based perks, or VIP tiers where customers start at a mid-level status instead of zero. Small incentives at the beginning of a journey create momentum, making repeat purchases feel like the natural next step.
Loss Aversion: Turn FOMO Into a Retention Tool
People are twice as motivated to avoid losing something as they are to gain something new. This is why expiring rewards, limited-time offers, and subscriber-only pricing work so well in driving repeat purchases.
A collagen brand that sends an email with the subject line “Your VIP discount expires in 24 hours!” triggers a sense of urgency. Customers who might have delayed their purchase suddenly feel the need to act before they lose the deal.
Loyalty programs that issue points with expiration dates or brands that offer exclusive discounts for a limited time create a similar effect.
Customers don’t just feel like they’re getting a great deal—they feel like they’re about to miss out if they don’t act fast.
Social Proof & Trust: The Silent Engine of Repeat Purchases
Trust is one of the biggest drivers of retention—42% of shoppers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. If customers see that others consistently use and endorse a product, they’re far more likely to stick with it themselves.
A supplement brand that rewards customers with loyalty points for verified product reviews not only increases engagement but also strengthens credibility. Featuring real customer testimonials, user-generated content, and before-and-after success stories reinforces product efficacy.
Encouraging customers to share their wellness journey on social media or offering referral incentives also builds trust. When people see their peers using and benefiting from a product, it validates their own decision to continue purchasing.
When brands tap into these psychological triggers, they don’t just sell products—they create an experience that keeps customers engaged, builds trust, and reinforces buying habits for the long term.
Implementing These Strategies: A Step-by-Step Guide
Understanding the psychology behind repeat purchases is one thing—putting it into action is another. Here’s how to apply pricing psychology, loyalty triggers, and retention-focused marketing to increase customer lifetime value (LTV) and drive repeat purchases in health and wellness ecommerce.
Reinforce Value Through Pricing Psychology
Step 1: Use Price Anchoring to Frame Discounts
Consumers evaluate prices in relation to others, rather than viewing them in isolation. Use price anchoring by always showing a comparison, whether it’s a higher original price, a competitor’s price, or a subscriber-exclusive deal.
To automate price anchoring and personalized upsell offers, Rebuy uses AI-driven recommendations to display price comparisons, upsell higher-tier bundles, and dynamically show customers how much they save by increasing their cart value.
Step 2: Bundle Products to Increase Perceived Value
Bundling simplifies decisions and raises perceived value. Instead of just discounting, create functional product pairings (e.g., post-workout supplements with recovery tools) and highlight how they work better together.
Recharge enables brands to offer flexible subscription bundles that adjust based on customer preferences.
Step 3: Implement Subscription Pricing to Build Habits
The easier it is for customers to stay subscribed, the less friction there is for repeat purchases.
Provide perks like early access to new products or exclusive content instead of just discounts. Skio streamlines auto-renewals, making it easy to manage subscriptions while reducing churn.
Leverage Loyalty Triggers to Build Long-Term Engagement
Step 4: Reward Customers for Milestones and Progress
Loyalty programs work best when customers feel like they’re making progress. Give welcome points immediately upon signup and use milestone-based rewards to encourage continued engagement. Yotpo’s Loyalty & Referrals automates milestone-based perks to make retention seamless.
Step 5: Use Loss Aversion to Drive Urgency
People act when they fear missing out. Automate low-stock alerts, expiring rewards, and VIP-only pricing reminders via email and SMS. This taps into loss aversion, ensuring customers stay engaged with your brand instead of shopping elsewhere.
Step 6: Use Social Proof to Reinforce Trust
Showcasing customer testimonials, reviews, and UGC makes repeat purchases feel like the right decision. Brands that reward customers for leaving verified reviews build long-term credibility and retention.
Yotpo integrates loyalty programs, reviews, and SMS marketing to keep customers engaged. From automated reward reminders to VIP perks and verified reviews, it helps brands build trust and drive repeat purchases effortlessly.
Optimize Retention-Focused Marketing for Repeat Purchases
Step 7: Use FOMO & Urgency in Email & SMS Campaigns
A well-timed message can bring customers back. High-impact tactics include sending low-stock or price-increase alerts to push urgency, exclusive VIP pricing reminders to reinforce loyalty perks, and “You’re running low” notifications for replenishable products like supplements and skincare.
Step 8: Personalize Offers Based on Customer Behavior
Retention campaigns work best when they feel tailored. Track purchase frequency and send reminders when it’s time to restock, use post-purchase surveys to refine recommendations, and offer personalized upsells (e.g., “You bought collagen powder, try our new vitamin blend!”).
Klaviyo’s automation tools use dynamic segmentation and predictive analytics to trigger personalized email and SMS messages based on real-time customer behavior, ensuring timely and relevant engagement.
Step 9: Test, Measure, and Optimize
The best strategies evolve over time. A/B test discount structures, messaging, and loyalty rewards, monitor churn and repeat purchase rates, and adjust pricing models based on customer data.
Analytics tools like Triple Whale can help brands track these metrics and adjust pricing models accordingly.
By implementing these steps, brands can turn one-time buyers into lifelong customers while increasing customer lifetime value (CLV) and repeat purchase rates. The key is combining pricing psychology, loyalty incentives, and personalized retention marketing in a way that continuously reinforces the value of staying engaged with your brand.
Case Studies: How Health & Wellness Brands Drive Repeat Purchases
To see how psychological pricing and retention strategies work in practice, let’s examine three health & wellness ecommerce brands that have successfully increased repeat purchases and customer lifetime value (CLV).
Perfect Keto: Leveraging Referral Incentives & Loss Aversion
Perfect Keto, a brand specializing in low-carb supplements and snacks, used referral-based loyalty rewards to encourage repeat purchases while tapping into loss aversion psychology.
Rather than relying solely on traditional discounts, Perfect Keto implemented a referral program where existing customers received 15% off their next order when they referred a friend—who also got 15% off their first purchase.
This structure created a strong incentive for returning customers while bringing in new buyers through trusted recommendations.
The strategy worked because it framed the discount as an opportunity that customers didn’t want to miss.
By integrating the referral program into their email and loyalty campaigns, Perfect Keto reinforced repeat purchasing habits while keeping acquisition costs low.
Calm: Price Bundling & Subscription Retention
Calm, the leading meditation and wellness app, built a $2B business by prioritizing content, branding, and pricing psychology. A key part of its strategy was leveraging premium content and subscription-based incentives to drive retention.
Instead of offering a single subscription model, Calm increased its premium content pricing to boost perceived value and attract investors. The app provides an annual subscription at $69.99, alongside a premium lifetime membership at $399, making the annual plan seem like a better deal while positioning the lifetime option as a premium investment.
Additionally, Calm continuously reinforces customer commitment through exclusive content.
Premium users gain access to celebrity-narrated sleep stories, guided meditations, and relaxation tools.
This taps into the Endowed Progress Effect—once customers invest in premium content, they feel committed to their wellness journey and are more likely to stay subscribed.
Calm’s approach to content and pricing not only increased its customer retention but also helped it dominate the meditation industry, outpacing competitors like Headspace.
Better Way Health: Social Proof & Habit Formation
Better Way Health, a supplement brand focused on high-quality immune support products, used social proof incentives and habit-forming loyalty programs to drive repeat purchases.
They encouraged customers to leave product reviews in exchange for 200 reward points, which could be redeemed for discounts on future orders.
This approach reinforced trust and credibility, increasing the likelihood that first-time buyers would feel confident in making another purchase.
Additionally, Better Way Health offered subscription-based discounts for customers who signed up for automatic monthly deliveries of their core supplements.
The combination of social proof and habit formation created a powerful retention loop. Reviews reassured new buyers, while subscriptions ensured that customers continued purchasing without needing to remember to reorder. This model helped the brand significantly increase repeat order frequency and overall customer retention.
The Future of Retention in Health & Wellness Ecommerce
Retention isn’t just about loyalty programs, discounts, or well-timed emails—it’s about understanding why customers return and building systems that reinforce those behaviors.
The health and wellness industry has a unique advantage: customers need these products regularly. But just because demand is recurring doesn’t mean retention happens automatically.
Many brands focus on winning the first sale, but the real opportunity lies in creating an experience that makes repeat purchases feel inevitable. When customers feel progress toward a goal, recognize consistent value, or fear missing out, they’re far more likely to stay engaged with a brand over time.
The brands that successfully integrate behavioral pricing, psychological triggers, and retention marketing into their strategy won’t just drive repeat purchases—they’ll create lifelong brand advocates.
About the Author: As the Director, Marketing at adQuadrant, Nick Grant leverages more than 20 years of experience working across a variety of tech verticals. Nick grew up in California and earned his BS in Business with a concentration in Entrepreneurship. After college, he relocated to Seattle to pursue his passion for startups, where he worked at various dot-coms before co-founding a successful visual strategy agency in 2010. Now back in California, Nick spends his time hiking around San Luis Obispo County with his wife and son, honing his talent as a concert photographer, and perfecting his handstand skills.
