#535 - The Repeat Purchase Strategy That Built A $20M Brand

What separates short-term Amazon sales from long-term brand growth? Learn the repeat purchase strategy behind a $20M brand and how sellers can use it.

In this episode of the AM/PM Podcast, host Carrie Miller welcomes Jason McLellan of Prime Team Agency to break down the customer retention strategy behind VitaCup’s growth into a $20 million Amazon and omnichannel brand. Jason shares how Amazon started as VitaCup’s smallest sales channel at around $2 million, then became a major driver of the business by using a different way of thinking: focusing less on cheap customer acquisition and more on which products created loyal, repeat buyers.

 

Jason explains how the VitaCup team used cohort data and product repeat rates to understand which ASINs were truly worth investing in. Some products looked like winners because they had low CPCs, strong conversions, and high demand, but the data showed that customers were not coming back. Meanwhile, products like Genius Coffee were more expensive to advertise, but they attracted customers who were more likely to repurchase, move into Subscribe & Save, and increase lifetime value.

 

Carrie and Jason also discuss how sellers can apply this thinking beyond consumables. Whether you sell supplements, food and beverage, lifestyle products, starter kits, or products with replenishable components, the key is understanding how one purchase can lead to the next. Jason shares practical strategies around Subscribe & Save coupons, AMC audiences, DSP retargeting, cross-selling, virtual bundles, multi-packs, listing optimization, and using tools like Helium 10 to make smarter decisions.

 

The biggest takeaway from this episode is that real Amazon growth is not just about chasing more sales; it is about building a business that customers keep coming back to. When sellers understand their repeat purchase data, they can stop wasting ad dollars on short-term wins and start building a brand with predictable revenue, stronger customer relationships, and long-term profitability. The brands that win are not always the ones that acquire the cheapest customer, but the ones that acquire the right customer and give them a reason to stay.

 

In episode 535 of the AM/PM Podcast, Carrie and Jason discuss:

• 00:00 - Introduction
• 01:52 - Jason McLellan’s VitaCup Growth Story
• 03:05 - Using Cohorts And Product Repeat Rates
• 04:39 - Applying LTV Strategy Beyond Consumables
• 06:24 - The Tale Of Three ASINs
• 09:49 - Why Low CPC Products Can Be Misleading
• 11:03 - Shifting Ad Spend Toward Repeat Purchases
• 12:32 - Reaching 30% Subscribe & Save Volume
• 15:06 - Using Math As Your Amazon North Star
• 18:20 - Reading Cohort Retention Data
• 20:35 - Turning Acquisition Into Subscribe & Save
• 23:18 - Cross-Selling To Existing Customers
• 24:53 - Virtual Bundles And Multi-Pack Strategy
• 27:19 - How Helium 10 Helped VitaCup
• 30:34 - Listing Optimization And Testing
• 34:27 - Avoiding Multi-Pack Cannibalization