This is an advertorial from Rohan Lock, GM APAC at Dotdigital.
APAC fashion retailers are laying strong digital foundations, but the next leap forward depends on deeper personalization, smarter automation, and community-driven loyalty.
In Dotdigital’s latest Hitting the mark report, which evaluates 100 global brands across four key experience pillars: acquisition, email best practice, automation, and personalization, APAC retailers show promise but also clear opportunities for growth. While many excel in mobile-first design and email engagement, most are still under-leveraging the tools that turn one-time shoppers into loyal brand advocates.
The loyalty landscape
Australian fashion retailers have long understood the power of community. In fact, 20% of APAC brands scored top marks for loyalty messaging during the early stage of the customer journey, the highest of all regions. Despite these levels of success, the report also uncovered plenty of opportunities for growth. Loyalty isn’t just about points and perks, it’s about creating a sense of belonging and ensuring customers feel seen, valued, and part of something bigger. This requires brands to move beyond transactional messaging (“Here’s 20% off”) to meaningful moments (“Hey, Sophie, we saw you checking out our new linen collection, here’s 20% off to treat yourself”).
And considering that personalized emails can drive up to 6x more transactions than generic ones, it is certainly worth the effort.
The personalization gap
Personalization remains underused across the board. In APAC specifically, 57% of brands aren’t using any form of personalization, and only 3% scored highly against personalization best practice. That’s a missed opportunity in a market where consumers expect tailored experiences.
To close the gap, retailers can focus on collecting zero-party data, preferences customers willingly share, and combine that with behavioral signals like browsing history, cart activity, and purchase frequency. AI-powered insights can also help predict what customers want next, allowing brands to deliver timely, relevant content across multiple-channels.
The engagement engine
Automation is another area packed with opportunities. 83% of APAC brands showed only basic email automation, and 53% are missing a welcome program. The welcome flow is one of the most powerful tools in a marketer’s arsenal and an essential element of making a strong first impression. Welcome flows are also ideal for capture customer preferences and setting the tone for future engagement.
Beyond the welcome series, behavioral flows, like cart recovery, replenishment reminders, and birthday messages, create touchpoints that feel thoughtful and personal. They’re essential for building scalable, data-rich customer journeys. Dotdigital, along with other marketing platforms, offers plug-and-play automation templates that make it easy to get started. Just tweak the copy, apply your brand design, and go live in under an hour.
Acquisition with immediate value
Another key insight from the report is that 73% of APAC brands aren’t communicating immediate value to new subscribers at sign-up. To encourage sign-ups and data sharing, retailers need to clearly explain the “why.” That doesn’t mean relying solely on discounts. It could be early access to new drops, exclusive content, or community perks that make customers feel part of something special. Fashion brands that do this well often pair their acquisition strategy with loyalty messaging from day one—inviting customers into a lifestyle, not just a transaction.
Omnichannel is the new normal
Australian consumers are mobile-first, but they’re also omnichannel. They expect seamless experiences whether they’re browsing Instagram, shopping online, or visiting a store. To meet customers where they are retailers need to go beyond email and consider how messages connect across SMS, WhatsApp, and social platforms. Choosing a platform, like Dotdigital, that supports this kind of cross-channel engagement helps maintain continuity and relevance at every touchpoint.
The road ahead
Australian fashion retailers are already doing many things right. Mobile design scores are high, email engagement is strong, and there’s a clear instinct for community-building. But to truly “hit the mark,” brands must evolve from campaign-based marketing to connected customer experiences.
This can include:
- Starting with a strong hello: Build multi-step welcome flows that capture preferences early
- Using action-based triggers: Automate responses to real behavior like cart abandonment or product views
- Celebrating your customers: Send milestone messages that show appreciation and build emotional loyalty
- Expanding your reach: Deliver messages across channels to keep engagement flowing
The future of fashion retail in Australia will be defined by how well brands connect with their customers.
Download your copy of the Hitting the mark to see how your brand measures up!