Two more email ideas to steal

Of the dozens of emails that landed in my inbox during the past few days, here are two that caught my attention:

1. Homebase puts the good, better, best sales model to excellent use in its latest email. The DIY and furnishings retailer promises to have the "product to fit the purse" and lists a range of products including flooring, heating, kitchens, and wallpaper under three headings: budget, affordable, splash out.
Even from the relatively small images and brief copy, recipients can work out why one bathroom suite is more expensive than the other, and why you could spend up to £22 per square-metre on flooring. As the old adage goes, a picture’s worth a thousand words.

2. Fashion cataloguer Boden also appreciates the importance of images as selling tools. As some readers may know, the Catablogue e-business edit team is a sucker for cute. That’s why we fell in love with this email titled “Going, going, gone. Last chance for 15% off Boden‏”.
The beauty of it is that the email uses fewer than 20 words to get its message across. The main hook is a picture of three dogs with diminishing levels of food in their bowls signifying the reducing rate of discount available. Altogether now, “Awww!”. It’s a frosty heart that isn’t won over by this promotion.—MT