Do i send E-commerce emails to my entire database?

Email marketing can be one of the highest-ROI channels for eCommerce businesses. But there’s a big question every brand faces: should you send your campaigns to everyone on your list, or just the subscribers who are actively engaging?

The answer depends on your goals, your audience, and most importantly, the type of campaign you’re running.

Why does segmentation matter?

Sending every email to your entire database may feel like you’re maximising reach, but in reality, inactive subscribers drag down your open rates, hurt deliverability, and make your campaigns look less effective.

On the other hand, sending to engaged, active subscribers (e.g. those who have opened or clicked in the last 60 days) consistently results in higher open and click-through rates. Case studies show segmented campaigns can generate 30% higher opens and 50% higher clicks compared to one-size-fits-all blasts.

When to Send to Active Subscribers Only

• General Newsletters → Keep them focused on people who actually open your emails. If possible, segment further by interest (e.g., fashion vs. electronics). One real-world example saw open rates triple after switching to interest-based newsletter segments.

• Product Announcements → Target customers who’ve bought or browsed similar products. Relevance drives clicks one retailer saw a 410% increase in CTR just by segmenting by pet size.

• Promotions / Limited-Time Sales → Tier your campaigns: start with VIPs and highly engaged subscribers, then expand to broader audiences if needed. Targeted promos often generate several times more revenue per send.

When to Reach Out More Broadly

There are a few exceptions where it makes sense to send to your entire list:

• Major holiday sales or site-wide announcements

• A last-chance campaign you want everyone to see

• Periodic re-engagement emails (to try and win back inactive subscribers)

Even then use caution, overusing full-list sends risks higher unsubscribes and lower overall deliverability.

For most eCommerce businesses, the smartest strategy is a hybrid one:

• Send 70–80% of campaigns to engaged subscribers

• Use segmentation by behaviour, purchase history, and interests

• Save broad sends for big moments

The result? Higher open rates, better click-through, stronger conversions and healthier long-term customer relationships.