E-commerce Year-in-Review Newsletter Template

TL;DR. A e-commerce year-in-review newsletter is sent on a annual cadence to subscribers, repeat buyers, and abandoned-cart leads and follows the same three-section structure each issue: new arrivals, bestsellers and staff picks, and sale and restock calendar. The best e-commerce year-in-review newsletters earn opens by sticking to that predictable structure and trimming filler — three sections, scannable in under a minute.

When to send a e-commerce year-in-review newsletter

• The last week of December or first week of January.
• When you have at least one update worth sharing in each of the three sections (new arrivals, bestsellers and staff picks, sale and restock calendar).
• To subscribers, repeat buyers, and abandoned-cart leads who opted into your e-commerce updates.

What to include in a e-commerce year-in-review newsletter

• Section 1 — new arrivals: 2–4 short items with one-line value props, not changelog dumps.
• Section 2 — bestsellers and staff picks: one named example with a clear outcome and a link to the full story.
• Section 3 — sale and restock calendar: 2–3 things in flight or coming up next, framed as planning context.
• One primary CTA — usually "read the full year in review" or "see what’s new."

Subject line examples

• "{{first_name}}, your annual E-commerce newsletter is here"
• "What’s new at {{company_name}} this year"
• "3 quick e-commerce updates this year"

FAQ

How often should we send a e-commerce year-in-review newsletter? The annual cadence works best for DTC and e-commerce brands — frequent enough to feel ongoing, infrequent enough that each issue earns attention. Skip an issue rather than dilute it with filler.

What three sections should a e-commerce year-in-review newsletter have? The proven cadence-based structure for e-commerce is new arrivals, bestsellers and staff picks, and sale and restock calendar. Each issue follows the same three-block pattern so subscribers know what to expect.

How do I switch this newsletter template from Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, or Constant Contact? Open this template free in Mailsoftly’s editor, import your subscriber list (CSV or native importer), and Mailsoftly handles deliverability, segmentation, and automation. Your Mailchimp Standard, ActiveCampaign Plus, and Constant Contact Plus features map directly — and most DTC and e-commerce brands cut their monthly newsletter cost when they switch.