Bereli Case Study

Name: Optimum7
Brand: Optimum7
SKU: -
Rating: 4.9 (94 reviews)

In Case Studies

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How We Boosted Bereli’s Customer Loyalty and Recurring Revenue With A Custom BigCommerce Membership Club

The Business

The firearms and outdoor gear eCommerce market is among the most competitive retail sectors in the U.S. Price sensitivity is exceptionally high; customers will readily switch to a competitor for a $2–$5 price difference on identical products. This environment forces merchants like Bereli, a leading firearms and tactical gear retailer, to compete aggressively for each first-time purchase.

However, securing the first order is not the only challenge. Retaining the customer, increasing their order values, and encouraging repeat purchases is far more challenging, especially when you can’t always offer the absolute lowest price.

Bereli, already a long-term Optimum7 client with a highly customized BigCommerce store, recognized the need to innovate beyond price competition. Their goal was to increase customer loyalty, improve conversions, and grow recurring revenue, all without relying solely on discounts that eroded margins. The answer came in the form of a premium subscription-based membership program modeled after the loyalty strategies of retail giants like Amazon Prime.

The Objective

Before launching the membership functionality, Bereli operated in one of the most cutthroat retail environments in the U.S., the firearms and tactical gear market, where product parity is high and purchase decisions are often made based on price differences as small as $2–$5. In such a climate, price becomes the default differentiator, and long-term customer loyalty is rare.

Key Business Challenges

1. Price-Driven Churn

First-time buyers frequently defected to competitors after their initial purchase, lured by marginally lower prices on identical SKUs. This churn pattern undermined the effectiveness of all acquisition efforts, as each sale risked being a one-time transaction.

2. High Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC)

Acquiring a first-time customer was already expensive due to the competitive ad landscape and compliance constraints in the firearms industry. Without a reliable mechanism to drive repeat purchases, these acquisition costs eroded profitability.

3. Limited Lifetime Value (LTV)

Bereli lacked a structured loyalty program or exclusive benefit system to encourage repeat buying behavior. Without such an incentive, customers had little reason to shop exclusively with Bereli, leading to low average order frequencies per customer.

4. Fragmented Post-Purchase Nurturing

All customers, whether they were bargain hunters or high-value repeat buyers, received the same generic post-purchase communications. This uniform strategy failed to effectively engage high-potential customers and foster a deeper relationship.

5. Margin Pressure from Price Wars

Consistently positioning as the “cheapest” was not a sustainable strategy. Lowering prices to win a sale compressed margins to the point where profitable scaling was impossible, especially when competitors were willing to undercut at any cost.

The Strategic Challenge

Bereli needed a compelling, non-price-based value proposition that would not only retain customers but also increase their spending and engagement over time. The solution would have to:

Reduce reliance on perpetual discounting.
Build emotional and practical loyalty.
Enable Bereli to compete on value, not just price.
Create a data-driven foundation for ongoing customer segmentation and retention.

The Strategy

Optimum7 created and set up a complete “Bereli Plus Membership” functionality on Bereli’s BigCommerce site, aimed at providing unique and valuable benefits that competitors couldn’t easily match with just lower prices. The initiative combined advanced technical development, seamless UX design, and a sophisticated retention marketing strategy to maximize both customer loyalty and profitability.

1. Core Membership Value Proposition

Annual Subscription ($99/year): Securely processed via Authorize.net, with automated renewals to ensure continuity of benefits and predictable recurring revenue.
15% Storewide Discount: Immediately applied to all qualifying products in members’ carts, reinforcing perceived value with every purchase.
Priority Shipping & Support: Accelerated fulfillment and dedicated customer service channels to enhance trust and satisfaction.
Early Access to Limited Inventory: VIP members received exclusive first purchase rights on scarce, high-demand SKUs such as rare ammunition and specialty firearms.
Exclusive Price Displays: For MAP-priced items, members saw “Bereli Members Price” while non-members encountered strategic prompts like “Login to see special price” or “Add to cart to see price”, creating curiosity and driving sign-ups.

2. Advanced Technical Implementation

1. Digital Product Setup: “Bereli Plus Membership” configured as a premium digital product, with custom cart visuals highlighting key benefits and reinforcing the join decision at checkout.

2. Dynamic Discount Logic: Intelligent backend rules automatically apply member discounts across all qualifying products in real time.

3. Dedicated Membership Landing Page: Conversion-optimized page detailing benefits, urgency drivers, and strong CTAs, aligned with eCommerce best practices.

4. Automated Customer Group Management: Membership sign-ups triggered webhook updates to BigCommerce, instantly categorizing members into a “Bereli Plus” customer group for personalized pricing and experiences.

5. CRM & Data Layer Integration: Membership details stored in metafields, synced directly with Bereli’s CRM for granular audience segmentation and lifecycle tracking.

6. Secure Backend Architecture: Encrypted token storage, API-level authentication, and lifecycle automation for onboarding, renewal, and cancellation events.

7. Special Checkout Flow: Engineered to process subscription payments separately from product orders, meeting Authorize.net’s monetary sequencing requirements and preventing transactional conflicts.

3. Marketing & Retention Strategy

Optimum7 understood that launching the membership was only the first step; retaining members and increasing their value over time required a precision-targeted communication plan.

Segmented Nurturing via Klaviyo
- VIP members received personalized product recommendations, restock alerts, and exclusive offers, reinforcing their premium status.
- General customers were strategically prompted to join at high-intent moments, particularly during checkout for orders over $500+, where the membership discount effectively paid for itself immediately.
Hyper-Personalized Messaging: Leveraging membership data, Optimum7 created separate automation paths for acquisition, onboarding, engagement, and renewal campaigns, ensuring relevance at every touchpoint.

Results

The launch of the Bereli Plus Membership program produced a measurable and sustained transformation in both customer behavior and financial performance, delivering results across acquisition, retention, and operational efficiency.

1. Key Performance Metrics

1,090 total customers enrolled since launch.
1,044 active memberships currently generating recurring revenue.
(Active Subscription Value: $110,181.19 annually)
36 deactivated memberships, representing minimal churn relative to total sign-ups.
(Deactivated Subscription Value: $3,861.69)
Thousands of new subscribers were acquired within the first months of launch, achieving critical mass rapidly.
+19% increase in Lifetime Value (LTV) driven by targeted nurture flows, exclusive offers, and higher purchase frequency.
+13% increase in Average Order Value (AOV) occurred because members consistently maximized their discounts by purchasing more items per order.
+11% increase in checkout conversion rate, especially among first-time buyers incentivized by the immediate savings from membership.

10–15% of First-Time Buyers opted into Bereli Plus during their initial purchase, most commonly when buying high-ticket items where the membership discount covered the $95 annual fee on the spot.

2. Behavioral Impact

Member Exclusivity & Purchase Loyalty: Once enrolled, members shifted nearly all of their firearm, ammunition, and tactical gear purchases to Bereli, eliminating competitor-driven price poaching. The perceived value of consistent savings, priority shipping, and early access created an emotional and financial lock-in.

Reduced Acquisition Costs for Repeat Orders: Because members returned organically, Bereli avoided reacquisition expenses via paid ads, directly improving marketing ROI.

3. Operational & Marketing Benefits

Improved Close Ratios in Call Centers

Higher-Quality, Pre-Qualified Leads: Membership inherently filters out low-intent shoppers.
Enhanced CRM Data: Integration allowed richer customer profiles for more effective engagement.
Ad Platform Feedback Loops: Positive lead and purchase data fed back into Facebook, Instagram, and Google algorithms, refining audience targeting and driving even more qualified traffic.

Seamless Membership Management: Automation handled renewals, member status tracking, and duplicate signup prevention, ensuring smooth operations without added strain on customer service.

4. Strategic Outcome

The Bereli Plus program did more than just generate recurring revenue exceeding $110K annually; it fundamentally shifted Bereli’s business model toward loyalty-driven, margin-protective growth. By combining financial incentives with operational excellence, Bereli now enjoys a customer base that is both stickier and more profitable.

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