ليه المتاجر اللي تهتم بالقديم تعيش أطول

Sahl Sunday,15 Feb 2026

A guide to investing in your store's "human assets." We reveal, with numbers, why retaining your existing customer is 7 times more cost-effective than acquiring a new one, and how your existing customer base can become a "shield" protecting your store from market fluctuations and rising advertising costs in 2026.

1. Old customers are "free," new ones cost a "bill."
In 2026, advertising rates on Snapchat, TikTok, and Facebook will be exorbitant. For every new customer you acquire, you're paying a "tax" to these platforms to reach them. But customers who have tried you before are already in your database; you can reach them via email, WhatsApp message, or even an app notification at a near-zero cost. Stores that focus on their existing customers significantly reduce their marketing expenses, resulting in much higher "net profit" than those still chasing after their first customers.

2. The trust barrier is "broken" and ready to pay.
The most difficult stage in selling is "building trust." A new customer will scan your store, read reviews, and be hesitant to use online payment. But an existing customer has already passed that stage. They've experienced the quality of your products, the speed of your shipping, and the reliability of your service. That's why an existing customer makes a purchase decision in seconds, and their conversion rate is 5 to 10 times higher than a customer who's just seeing your name for the first time.

3. Average Order Value (AOV) Increases Over Time
A customer who has tried you and trusts you becomes more confident. The first time they might buy something small for 50 riyals just to "try it out." But the second and third time, they'll likely buy items worth 500 or 1000 riyals with complete peace of mind. Stores that focus on existing customers know how to do upselling and cross-selling intelligently because they understand their customers' tastes and history. They can then suggest products that truly suit them, which increases the store's revenue without increasing the number of new customers.

4. Loyal customers are a free "marketing army." A customer who loves your store and returns regularly becomes a "brand ambassador." They're the ones who praise you in social gatherings and share your store's link in WhatsApp groups. Word-of-mouth marketing is the most powerful form of marketing in 2026, and your loyal customers do this for free because they're genuinely satisfied with your service. A store that values ​​its existing customers grows through "recommendations," not just "ads."

5. Protection from "algorithmic fluctuations." If your store relies 90% on new customers from ads, you're at the mercy of platform "algorithms." If your ad account is shut down or prices increase, your store will die. But a store with a loyal customer base that keeps returning has a "safety net." Even if you stop advertising for a whole month, sales will continue thanks to the people who have saved your link and love to buy from you. This is what we call the "financial stability" of a store.

6. Feedback that builds the future: Your loyal customers are the ones who will give you the "summary." If you ask them about their opinion on a new feature or product, they will answer honestly because they care about your favorite store staying good. Stores that listen to their loyal customers develop "correctly" and based on real demands, not guesswork. This development is what allows a store to last for years because it changes with the needs of real people who love it.

7. The psychology of "belonging" and the difficulty of competition: When a customer feels like they are "part of the store," that there are loyalty points waiting for them, and that the employees know their history, they build an emotional connection with the brand. This connection makes competitors "struggle" to win them over. Even if the competitor lowers their price, the loyal customer will stay with you because of the "comfort" and "appreciation" they find there. The store that builds a "community," not just a "cashier," is the one that lives forever in the market's memory.