Get Creative with BigCommerce Customer Groups

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If your store is on the Plus Plan or above, you’ll have access to a feature called Customer Groups. Customer Groups allow you to segment customers so that you can treat them differently. The most common use for customer groups is separating wholesale from retail customers so that you can give wholesale customers access to case-pack products or allow them to purchase at wholesale prices.

But you can use customer groups for a variety of creative purposes. Here are some ideas to get you going:

Use customer groups to give your best customers exclusive discounts

Create a VIP group with a discount on all or select products in your store. You could market VIP status as something shoppers can earn after placing a certain number of orders, or simply reward customers who have purchased frequently by reaching out directly and letting them know they’ve earned VIP status.

Use customer groups to offer a Free Shipping subscription similar to Amazon Prime

Create a product called “Free Shipping” and sell it for whatever price you’d like. Create a Free Shipping customer group and then set up a cart-level discount that gives free shipping to only people in that group. When someone purchases the “Free Shipping” product, add them to that group.

Use customer groups to give certain customers a “first look” at new products

Create a category named “Preview” or “First Look” and then create a customer group with a similar name that has access to that category. Make sure to uncheck that category from your default customer group so that regular shoppers can’t access it. Then use whatever promotional method you want to reward shoppers with “First Look” access. It could be ordering a certain amount, placing a minimum number of orders, taking a survey, sharing content on social media, etc.

Customer groups can be a powerful promotional tool if you think outside the box!

This post is an excerpt from my new book, 60 Killer BigCommerce Tips & Tricks for Managing Your Store Like a Pro, now available in paperback and Kindle format from

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