We all know the thrill of welcoming a new customer, whether it’s a family walking into your boardwalk café for the first time or a curious shopper poking around your beachside boutique. That first visit is exciting, but the real magic happens when they come back again. According to Rivo, returning customers aren’t just more likely to buy, they spend more and become your most valuable supporters. In seaside towns like ours, where summer foot traffic is fleeting, that second visit is often the first sign of lasting local loyalty.
First impressions matter, of course. A friendly hello, a clean space, and a great product or service go a long way in shaping how customers remember your business. But here’s the thing: lots of places make a good first impression.
The businesses that thrive? They're the ones that give customers a reason to return.
That return visit signals something deeper, it means the customer didn’t just like your shop or service, they trusted it. They remembered it. And they decided it was worth a second go, even with all the options around them.
Psychologists refer to something called the mere-exposure effect: the more we see or interact with something, the more likely we are to trust and like it. That’s why second and third visits are so important in building emotional loyalty.
In a place like Downbeach, where visitors may only be in town for a weekend or two, your goal isn’t just to impress once, it’s to be memorable enough that they come back next summer, next holiday, or even next week.
For full-time locals, it’s about turning a one-off visit into a habit: the coffee stop on their morning walk, the bookstore they drop into on rainy days, the spot they bring guests when they want to show off the neighborhood.
According to behavioral science, habit formation often begins around the second or third repetition of an action. That means that the second visit to your business is when a pattern starts to emerge in a customer’s mind. They begin to associate your store with reliability, enjoyment, or quality, whatever emotional outcome you offer.
This is your window. If you can deliver another great experience, or even improve upon the first, you’re not just getting a transaction, you’re beginning a relationship.
Image from Unsplash
So how do you encourage that second visit? You don’t need a fancy loyalty program or a huge marketing budget (though those help). Often, it’s the little things:
A handwritten thank-you note slipped into the bag after a purchase.
A simple "We hope to see you again soon" with genuine eye contact.
A digital follow-up, like an email or text saying, "Thanks for visiting! Come back this week and get 10% off your favorite item."
Personalized service, like remembering their name or what they bought last time.
These low-cost, high-impact strategies create the kind of emotional resonance that makes someone want to return, not just for the product, but for the experience.
There’s no shortage of hard evidence to back this up. Research from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce shows that repeat customers spend up to 67% more than new ones. They’re also more likely to try new products and refer friends and family to your business.
They’re essentially your brand ambassadors, and it all starts with visit number two.
And yet, so many businesses pour all their energy into marketing to new customers. They’ll spend on social media ads, limited-time promos, and event sponsorships, all while overlooking the gold mine that is retention.
In coastal towns like Longport, Margate, and Ventnor, many businesses see two types of customers: the seasonal tourist and the year-round local. Each comes with opportunities, and challenges.
For tourists, you may only get one shot per year to earn that second visit. But if you do it well, they’ll make it a tradition. Maybe your bakery becomes their "first morning in town" stop. Maybe your kayak rentals are how they kick off every family trip.
For locals, it’s about becoming part of their rhythm. That only happens when your business is consistent, personable, and worth returning to.
Either way, the second visit is the key that opens both doors.
Take “The Corner Scoop,” a small ice cream shop near the beach. Their soft opening last summer brought in dozens of families, but it was what happened next that mattered: they handed out hand-stamped loyalty cards and remembered regulars by name. By July, they had a fan base that included both tourists and locals.
Or look at “Sea & Soul,” a boutique that started offering small discounts to returning shoppers within two weeks of their first purchase. It created urgency, but also made customers feel recognized. Today, they’ve got a newsletter filled with regulars who eagerly await seasonal sales.
These are real businesses (names changed for privacy), and they didn’t achieve loyalty with big budgets. They simply saw the second visit as the turning point, and acted accordingly.
Let’s get practical. Here are five easy-to-implement ways to turn a one-time shopper into a returning customer:
After a first purchase, hand out a coupon or promo that expires within a week. Keep it simple: “Show this card and get 15% off your next visit.”
Even a first-name-and-email slip at checkout can work wonders. Send a quick “thank you” and include a nudge to visit again.
Invite them to share their experience via email or on social media. People are more likely to return when they feel their opinion matters.
Make your space, or your product, photo-worthy. People who take pictures in your business and post them online are essentially inviting themselves back.
Even just saying, “Nice to see you again!” makes a big impression. Train your team to pick up on return visits and offer a little extra kindness.
It’s easy to chase flashy metrics, new followers, new leads, new faces. But long-term success, especially in smaller communities, comes from the quiet, steady return of people who like what you do and want more of it.
The second visit is when you stop being a curiosity and start becoming part of someone’s routine. And if you handle it right, the third, fourth, and fiftieth visits won’t be far behind.
The boardwalk crowd will come and go. But in every beach town, the businesses that last are the ones that turn visitors into regulars, and regulars into raving fans. It doesn’t take a massive investment to make that happen. It starts with caring about the second visit just as much as the first.
