Here’s something that should get your attention:
Your order confirmation emails consistently achieve 75%+ open rates, while your marketing campaigns average 25% across industries. That’s not a small difference, that’s likely your highest-performing communication channel hiding in plain sight.
The Current State
Most marketplace operators treat post-purchase communications as operational necessities:
- Send the receipt.
- Confirm the shipping.
- Update on delivery.
- Check the compliance box and move on.
Meanwhile, retail media is projected, by some, to hit $300 billion globally by 2030. 20% of all advertising spend. Brands are desperately seeking high-engagement touchpoints, and you’re sitting on the most engaged one they’ll likely ever get.
The Missed Connection
When someone completes a purchase on your platform:
- They’re in peak satisfaction mode.
- They’re actively engaged with your brand ecosystem.
- They’re already opted-in to your communications.
- They’re most likely to take additional actions.
Yet most marketplace confirmation flows look identical to parking tickets.
The Revenue Opportunity
Smart operators are starting to connect the dots. That 75%+ open rate on confirmations represents premium advertising inventory. Those satisfied customers represent cross-sell opportunities. Those engaged moments represent loyalty program acceleration.
What this looks like in practice:
- Contextual product recommendations based on purchase behavior.
- Sponsored product placements in high-engagement confirmations.
- Loyalty point celebrations and tier progression updates.
- Co-branded experiences that benefit both platform and sellers.
The Business Case
BCG research shows retail media can generate revenue equivalent to 5-7% of e-commerce sales with profit margins exceeding 65%. For marketplace operators, this isn’t just about monetizing existing touchpoints, it’s about creating new revenue streams from attention you already have.
The Honest Assessment
This isn’t revolutionary technology. You already send these emails. Customers already open them at rates your marketing team would celebrate. The evolution is treating these moments like the valuable engagement opportunities they actually are.
The question isn’t whether you have the highest-engagement touchpoint, you do. The question is whether you’ll start monetizing it intelligently.