End of season sale planning, one segment at a time
The short answer
Good end of season sale planning sequences customers before it sets discounts. Offer remaining stock first to customers who buy that category at full price, with early access and a light discount, then to offer-responsive customers, and only then to discount shoppers and the public. Match each wave to the channel each group responds to.
Why it matters
A sale that opens to everyone at the deepest discount on day one gives away margin on customers who would have paid more. Sequencing by segment clears the same stock with a lower average discount and keeps full-price buyers from learning to wait.
The question to ask
Copy this into Lexi as written.
What the answer looks like
Illustrative output on sample data
Illustrative example: how Lexi answers this for a footwear retailer clearing 42,000 pairs of summer stock. It builds three waves from purchase and discount history.
- Wave 1, day 1: 18,000 full-price buyers of the category, early access at 20% off.
- Wave 2, day 4: 31,000 offer-responsive customers, 30% off by email and paid social.
- Wave 3, day 8: discount shoppers and the public, 40% off.
- Excludes anyone who bought the same style at full price in the last 60 days.
What the data shows
Waves one and two clear an estimated 26,000 pairs at an average 26% discount before the public sale.
What it means
Opening at 40% to everyone clears faster but gives up much more margin on pairs that would sell at 20%.
What to do
Run the waves and check sell-through at day four before widening the offer.
Want me to push each wave's segment to Klaviyo or Meta?
Frequently asked questions
How do I plan an end of season sale?
Work out what needs to clear, then decide who sees it in what order. Start with customers who buy the category at full price, move to offer-responsive customers, and finish with discount shoppers and the public. Set each wave's discount, channel and start date, and check sell through between waves.
Why not open the sale to everyone on day one?
Opening at the deepest discount for all customers gives the biggest price cut to people who would have paid more. It also teaches full-price buyers to wait for the sale. Staged access clears much of the same stock at a lower average discount and keeps the deepest price for the end.
What should happen to stock left after an end of season clearance sale?
Decide before the sale starts. Options include holding basics for next season, transferring stock to stores where it still sells, selling through an outlet or off-price partner, or writing it down. Compare the margin each option recovers with the cost of storage and handling.