How to Generate Explosive Sales with Shopify Sale Announcements [Utilizing Claim Coupons]

What stores that don't announce sales are missing out on

Many stores plan sales but don't announce them until just before they start. This is due to the concern that "if we announce it in advance, products won't sell before the sale period."

However, this is a big misunderstanding.

Customers are always comparing products. They aren't just looking at your store. While you spend the week before a sale without announcing it, customers will find products at other stores and complete their purchases there. By staying silent, you're not protecting your sales; you're losing customers.

Recall the big sales on Rakuten and Amazon. They announce them extensively in advance, offering pre-entry and early coupon distribution. Far from fearing that "customers will hold off on buying before the sale," they actively encourage customers to think, "Wait a minute, let's see this sale first." They stop people who might go to other places.

As a result, explosive sales are generated on the first day of the sale.

In this article, we'll explain how to replicate this mechanism in Shopify stores using Claim Coupon.

The essence of sale announcements is to "stop people from going elsewhere"

Many stores misunderstand sale announcements.

"Announcements lead to customers holding off on purchases," or "Sales during the promotion period will decrease." We understand the concern, but this worry is based on a flawed premise. It assumes that customers will patiently wait to buy from your store.

That's not the reality. Customers look at various stores every day. If they find a product they're interested in, they compare it and buy it when they feel it's the right time. They don't know your store's sale schedule.

In other words, holding off on purchases won't happen even without an announcement. Instead, customers will simply buy elsewhere.

Pre-announcements are a mechanism to "make people wait"

The essence of a sales announcement is to make customers think, "I won't buy now, I'll wait a little longer."

If they know that "a sale starts next week, and it's even better with a coupon," customers who are comparing products will decide, "Then I'll wait until the sale." You can keep people who were about to go to other stores at your own store.

Then, on the day of the sale, waiting customers purchase all at once. This is the true nature of "explosive sales." The concentration of sales on the first day is a result, and it can only be achieved by creating a "waiting mechanism" beforehand.

Announcements alone are not enough. You need a reason to revisit.

However, simply announcing "Sale starts on [Date]!" with a banner or email newsletter is not enough.

Even if the announcement is seen, there's no guarantee customers will remember it on the actual day. An announcement on social media will be buried under other information within a few hours. If it just ends with "Oh, they're having a sale," it will be forgotten by the day of the sale.

Mall sale announcements are powerful not just because of the announcement, but because they encourage customers to take action in advance. Obtaining a coupon, adding to favorites, or entering a campaign. The fact that "I took action myself" becomes a strong motivation to return on the day of the sale.

Public coupons cannot create a reason to revisit.

You might think, "Then why not just distribute coupons?" However, Shopify's discount feature uses "public" coupons. Anyone who knows the code can use it.

The problem with public coupons is that there is no link between the customer and the coupon.

Even if you announce a coupon code via email or social media, customers have only "learned" about it. Nothing is saved to their account, and they don't have anything tangible to keep. As a result, it's forgotten.

Pre-distribution of coupons works in malls because it prompts customers to "acquire" them, and they are saved to their personal page. Because they possess the coupon, the psychology of "it would be a waste not to use it" comes into play.

Therefore, if you're distributing coupons for a pre-sale announcement, it only makes sense if they are "acquisition-based" rather than "public."

Automating sales announcements with Claim Coupon

Claim Coupon issues acquisition-based coupons. Customers acquire the coupon themselves, and it is linked to their account. This allows you to replicate the same mechanism as malls in your Shopify store: "customers acquire coupons in advance and return on the day of the sale."

The overall flow is as follows:

1. Create a discount for the sale (set the start date to a future date)
2. Create a sale preview page and add a coupon acquisition button
3. Automate sale start notifications with Shopify Flow

1. Create a discount for the sale

From the "Discounts" section of your Shopify admin, create a coupon for the sale.

The key here is to set the start date to the sale start date.

For example, if your sale starts on March 1st, set the discount's start date to March 1st. This way, customers can acquire the coupon before the sale, but can only use it on or after the sale start date.

Also, set the end date to match the sale end date.

2. Register with Coupon.JP

From the Claim Coupon list screen, register the created discount.

• URL: Set the URL for the special sale page or collection page. This will be the destination where customers are directed when they confirm the coupon.
• Number of coupons: Set a limit as needed. This can be used for promotions like "limited to the first 100 customers."

Details on how to register are explained in the following article:

→ Basic usage of Claim Coupon

3. Elaborate on the sale preview page

Create a sale preview page and install the Claim Coupon app block.

Install a coupon acquisition button

Place a "Coupon Acquisition Button" block on your preview page. Customers can acquire the coupon by simply clicking this button.

Acquired coupons are linked to the customer's account and can be checked at any time from their My Page. This becomes the "reason to revisit."

Show details with the coupon overview block

By using the "Coupon Overview" block in conjunction, you can display details such as the discount amount and validity period. This allows customers to see the sale period and how good the deal is at a glance, which motivates them to acquire the coupon.

Display remaining coupons to create scarcity.

The coupon acquisition button has a "remaining quantity display" setting. If you have set a distribution quantity, turning this feature ON will display "○○ remaining."

When combined with a promotion like "first 100 customers only," it creates a sense of "get it before it's gone," increasing the acquisition rate.

Create pathways to the preview page

Just creating a preview page won't bring anyone. Guide customers through pathways like these:

• Place a sale preview banner on your homepage or in the header.
• Guide customers to the preview page via email newsletters.
• Announce on social media.
• Add sale preview information to product pages.

The goal here is to "get customers to the preview page and acquire coupons." Getting as many customers as possible to acquire coupons directly impacts sales on the first day of the sale.

4. Automate sale start notifications with Shopify Flow

This is the core of the mechanism. Claim Coupon integrates with Shopify Flow, allowing you to use the "Coupon Activated" trigger.

When the discount's start date arrives, this trigger automatically fires. This means that at the moment the sale begins, you can send an email only to customers who have already acquired the coupon.

Why this notification is powerful

The sale start notification email is sent to those who have acquired a coupon in advance, meaning they are confirmed to be interested in the sale.

• Not sent to those who are not interested
• Not sent to those who have not obtained a coupon
• Only reaches those who are truly waiting for the sale

Therefore, the open rate, click-through rate, and conversion rate will be high. This is fundamentally different from sending out a mass email to everyone.

Combine with expiration notifications

In addition to the sale start notification, it's recommended to also set up expiration notifications.

Claim Coupon's Flow triggers include triggers that fire 7 days, 3 days, and 1 day before expiration. By notifying customers that "your coupon is about to expire" as the sale end approaches, you can prevent them from missing out on purchases.

Maximizing sales on the first day with start notifications and capturing last-minute purchases at the end of the sale with expiration notifications. This combination maximizes overall sales for the sale.

Details on expiration notifications are explained in the following article:

→ Increase sales by automating coupon expiration notifications with Shopify Flow

Summary

To generate explosive sales with a sale announcement, simply "announcing" is not enough. You need to create a reason for customers to return on the day of the sale in advance.

Shopify's standard public coupons don't create a reason to revisit because there's no link to the customer. It's only with acquisition-based coupons that the motivation to "use my own coupon" arises.

Coupon.JP allows you to automate the following process:

1. Pre-distribute coupons before the sale to secure interested customers.
2. Automatically notify only coupon acquirers at the start of the sale.
3. Prompt last-minute purchases with expiration notifications towards the end of the sale.

You can replicate the sale announcement mechanism commonly used by malls on your own e-commerce site.

About Coupon.JP

Please see the product page for more details.

→ Claim Coupon