The Hidden Power of Post-Purchase Experience

Published on December 10, 2025

Why doesn’t your work end when the checkout button is clicked? In fact, the real journey begins there.

When I sit down with founders of e-commerce brands in Pakistan that include the startups and the well-established names, there’s one thing I always ask:

“What happens after you hit ‘Buy Now’?”

Because if the answer is “We kind of stop there and wait for the courier to deliver”, then you’re missing the biggest growth lever in your business.

Mostly brands put all of their effort into focusing on acquisition, like getting:

Traffic
Clicks
Conversions

After building Ginkgo Retail and Comverse, I’ve learned that while acquiring customers is critical, the true promoter of sustainable growth is what happens after the sale, i.e., the post-purchase experience. It’s the moment where you either win a customer’s loyalty or lose them for good. According to eMarketer, 93% of consumers say a great post-purchase experience is important to them, yet 83% believe companies still have significant room for improvement. This gap is striking because nearly 80% of customers say they won’t buy again if their post-purchase experience is poor. On the other hand,

From my perspective, the conversation with your customer doesn’t end at “Thank you for your order.” That’s where it should expand. The focus should be on:

Clear communication
Seamless support
Showing genuine care after the sale

This is how brands can transform one-time buyers into loyal advocates, and that’s where the real opportunity for lasting growth lies.

Let me walk you through why the post-purchase phase matters, what works and what doesn’t, and how you can embed this into your operations, especially in fast-growing markets like Pakistan.

I have worked with brands in Pakistan and some that have expanded their brands to the Middle East. So, from my personal experience, I’ve seen four big reasons why investing in post-purchase pays off:

Retention beats acquisition

Making a new customer can cost 25 times more than keeping the existing one. When a customer buys once, great. But when they buy again and again, that’s where your margin expands, your brand grows, and you become less dependent on paid traffic.

Reputation and word-of-mouth

A good post-purchase experience turns customers into advocates. From packaging to delivery to returns, every touchpoint becomes an opportunity to impress. One satisfied customer shares with friends, which leads to free acquisitions.

Operational efficiency and cost control

When you think about post-purchase, you must think about operational flows, i.e.:

Dispatch
Tracking
Returns
Customer support.

If you automate and improve these operations, you reduce:

Errors
Refunds
The cost of service
Pressure on your teams.

Brands are found to save 20-40% operational costs when their post-purchase systems are optimized by Ginkgo Retail.

Differentiation in a crowded market

In Pakistan’s e-commerce industry, many brands appear similar, offering similar products, discounts, and marketing strategies. What makes them stand out is how they treat the customer after the order has been placed.

What Goes Wrong in Post-Purchase

Most brands in Pakistan know well how to grab a customer’s attention through making eye-catching ads, offering amazing discounts, and promotions through influencers. But they do not know or focus on building the engine behind the scenes to keep up when orders rush in. Here are the common weak spots I notice:

Poor delivery and tracking

Research shows shipping and delivery issues are the biggest pain for retail customers. When a customer places an order, they expect to get real-time updates regarding their package as it moves. If they didn’t get updates and delivery is delayed, they are annoyed easily and give poor ratings and reviews. In the future, they won’t buy again from the same brand, no matter whether the reason behind the delay is genuine or not. The thing is, they were not informed in advance about the delay.

Returns and refunds are treated as an afterthought

Many brands do not pay attention to the order return procedure. When the customer faces an issue with the product and wants to return they face issues which hurt their trust in the brand and avoid repeat purchases.

No personalized communication

After the sale, brands go silent or send generic emails. They forget to take follow-ups. Meanwhile, the customer expects updates like from “order confirmed” to “out for delivery” to “we’d love your feedback”. This kills the chance to gain customer loyalty for repeat purchases.

Systems that choke during scale

When a mega-sale hits in November or 11.11, order volumes increase. If your systems for dispatch, tracking, communication, and returns aren’t built for scale, you’ll face chaos. And the post-purchase experience becomes the weakest link.

Let me share a behind-the-scenes moment from building Ginkgo and Comverse, one that taught me how critical post-purchase really is.

When we first launched Ginkgo’s OMS for a large apparel brand in Lahore, we focused on the frontend that is:

Storefront
Payment
Order capture

All was going good. Then came the first huge sale, and orders tripled overnight. We were ready for capture, but we weren’t ready for what happened next.

The customer support team got overwhelmed.
Couriers got mis-assigned.
Tracking was inconsistent.
Returns started piling.
Customer complaints rose.

Here we realized that we built the front door, but the hallway and backrooms weren’t ready. We stopped everything and shifted focus to post-purchase flows. We:

Automated courier assignments
Created real-time tracking updates
Built return dashboards
Integrated WhatsApp and SMS updates
Launched a feedback loop within real hours after delivery.

The results were amazing. Within 90 days, we saw repeat purchase rates go up by 30% and refund rates drop by 40% for that brand. This taught me that if you work on post-purchase experience before scaling, you’ll grow with your customers, and you will prevent your system and operations from collapsing when the number of customers increases, like in season sales.

What Good Post-Purchase Looks Like

High-performing brands adopt the following strategies to improve the post-purchase experience for customers. Embedding these in your operations can prove beneficial.

Transparent dispatch and tracking

From the moment the customer clicks “Buy Now”, they should feel confident by getting real-time updates on their parcel, like is it has been dispatched, where it is now, and when it will reach. These brands need to:

Automate dispatch notifications
Send tracking links via WhatsApp or SMS
Provide courier updates
Issue alerts in advance if something is delayed.

Seamless returns and exchanges

Make returns and exchanges easy and stress-free. Instead of feeling like a hassle, they should feel like a team effort.

Offer automatic return labels
Let customers handle it themselves online
Quickly update inventory and refunds
Keep them in the loop with clear updates.

Tailored communication

Use the customer’s data, i.e.:

What they bought
When they browsed
What they liked.

Then send personalized post-purchase messages:

Thank you notes
Usage tips
Complementary product ideas
Loyalty rewards.

Feedback and continuous learning

Checking feedback task is an important one, do not take it lightly, rather use the feedback from customers to improve your business. Keep track of things like:

Customer happiness scores (NPS)
Delivery issues
Reasons for returns.

Collect this feedback and share it with your product, shipping, and customer service teams so they can make necessary improvements where needed.

Humanise the moment

Create moments that stick with people, developing emotional connection, like:

A thoughtful unboxing experience
A kind thank-you note
Eco-friendly packaging
A small surprise gift

Thierry Olviera’s Expectation-Confirmation Theory explains it well: when you exceed what customers expect, they feel happier and more loyal.

Data loop to drive repeat business

After a sale, you have valuable info like:

What customers bought
What they returned
How often they shop.

Use this data to:

Group customers
Target them with personalized offers
Plan for their next purchases

Post-Purchase in the Pakistani Context

Many brands in Pakistan see delivery, tracking, and returns as just “logistics” rather than a chance to build their reputation. But things are changing quickly, and brands are now focusing on the post-purchase experience, which is changing the scenario.

Cash-on-Delivery and Returns Are Huge

In Pakistan, around 95% of people choose cash-on-delivery (COD) when shopping online. This means they pay only when the product arrives. But if returns aren’t handled well, brands lose money and customers lose trust. A smooth post-purchase system, like easy returns and clear communication, is important here to keep customers happy and protect the business.

Logistics Can Be Tricky

Pakistan’s delivery systems are improving, but some challenges still exist, like:

Unreliable courier networks
Vague addresses
Organizing return pickups, especially in rural areas.

Brands that invest in better tracking, reliable delivery, and hassle-free returns stand out and gain a big edge over competitors.

Customers Expect More

Shoppers in Pakistan are starting to expect the same standards as global brands. They want:

Fast shipping
Tracking updates (often via WhatsApp)
Easy returns

Brands that deliver quick updates, simple processes, and great service win loyal customers.

Data Isn’t Used Enough

Most brands in Pakistan collect order details but don’t use this information to improve the customer experience. For example, understanding what people buy or why they return items can help create personalized offers or fix issues. Brands that use this data to make the post-purchase experience better get a huge advantage, especially since most focus only on getting new customers.

Here’s a blueprint you can start acting on today.

Step 1: Map your current post-purchase journey

Write out every step after “Confirm Order”, from notification to delivery to return to feedback. Where are the delays? Where is the customer confused?

Step 2: Define your targets and metrics

Pick 3-5 metrics to measure. For example:

Dispatch-to-delivery time
Return rate
Customer complaint rate
Repeat purchase rate
NPS after delivery

Benchmark current numbers, then set improvement goals for the next 3-6 months.

Step 3: Automate key flows

Automate the following:

Order status updates
Courier routing
Returns
Feedback from customers

Step 4: Use the data to segment and personalize

After delivery, loop in purchase data and segment customers:

frequent vs new
high value vs low value.

Then send tailored communications like:

Product tips
Loyalty codes
Recommended accessories

Step 5: Make unboxing and packaging part of your brand

Don’t let packaging be an afterthought. A memorable unboxing sets the tone of the experience. Brands that do this get:

Organic social shares
Word-of-mouth advertisement
Emotional connection

Step 6: Scale and stress-test your system

Simulate peak season order volumes like:

What happens when you triple orders overnight?
What if the courier supply is constrained?

Stress test your systems, identify bottlenecks, then fix them.

Step 7: Iterate and learn

Post-purchase is not “set and forget.” After every sale wave, review what worked and what didn’t. Return drivers, support load, delivery delays, keep refining.

The Cost of Getting It Wrong

If you ignore post-purchase or treat it as a checkbox, here’s what can happen:

Your support team becomes overwhelmed during peak sales, costs rise, and customer satisfaction falls.
Your return rate spikes because customers are frustrated with the experience.
Your new customer gets a bad delivery, never comes back, and you spent acquisition cost with zero lifetime value.
Negative word-of-mouth kills your growth faster than any competitor discounting.
Your operations become reactive, leaving no time for innovation.

If you’re making a sale but not building the experience after it, you’re inhibiting real growth.

My Message to You

Let’s stop chasing traffic only and start building businesses that customers stick with. The checkout button is your launch pad, not your finish line.

Our mindset must shift from how many orders can I get? to how many orders can I fulfil flawlessly and turn into lifetime customers.

Remember that acquisition gets attention, but retention builds business. Here, marketing drives volume, but operations build reputation, so give attention to post-purchase experience to survive the competition.

Obaid Arshad

CEO & Co-Founder