About 70% of online shopping carts get abandoned. That’s not a typo—seven out of ten shoppers add products to their cart and then… nothing. They leave. But here’s the good part: abandoned cart emails recover 10-15% of those lost sales. If you’re not running these automations, you’re leaving serious money on the table.
Why People Abandon Carts
Understanding why helps you craft better recovery emails.
Unexpected costs like shipping, taxes, and fees cause people to bail when the total jumps higher than expected. Being forced to create an account frustrates people who just want to check out quickly. Complicated checkout with too many steps or confusing forms loses people mid-process. Concerns about security or return policies make people hesitate on unfamiliar sites. And sometimes, life just happens—someone gets distracted, the baby cries, the meeting starts.
Many abandonments aren’t rejections of your product. They’re interruptions that your emails can recover.
The Three-Email Sequence That Works
Most successful abandoned cart campaigns use three emails with increasing urgency.
Email 1: The Gentle Reminder (1 hour after abandonment)
Keep it simple and helpful. “Looks like you left something behind” with an image of their cart contents, a clear button to return to their cart, and maybe a note asking if they had any issues checking out. Don’t discount yet—many people convert on this reminder alone.
Email 2: Building Urgency (24 hours later)
Add light urgency. Mention if stock is limited: “Still interested? These items are selling fast.” Include a customer review or testimonial about the product. Reiterate easy returns or guarantees that reduce risk. Still no discount—save that for email three.
Email 3: The Final Push (48-72 hours later)
Now bring out incentives. A discount code (10-15%), free shipping, or bonus gift can tip fence-sitters over the edge. Create deadline urgency: “This offer expires in 24 hours.” Make it clear this is the final reminder. Include one last customer review or trust signal.
What Makes Abandoned Cart Emails Convert
Show the actual products they left behind. Images of their specific cart items are far more compelling than generic “you forgot something” messaging. Most platforms can dynamically pull cart contents into emails.
Keep subject lines specific and curiosity-inducing. “You left something in your cart” works but “Did you forget your [product name]?” performs better when personalization is possible.
Make returning effortless. The call-to-action should take them directly back to their cart with items still there, not to the homepage where they have to start over.
Address common objections. Free shipping, easy returns, security badges, and customer service contact info reduce friction.
Setting This Up in Your Platform
Most email platforms offer abandoned cart automation templates or integrations with major ecommerce platforms.
With Brevo, you’ll integrate with your store through their plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, or via API. The integration tracks cart activity and triggers automations when abandonment happens.
Once connected, build your automation workflow with the three emails, setting appropriate delays between each. Test thoroughly—have someone abandon a test cart and verify the emails arrive correctly with the right content.
Timing Considerations
The one-hour first email might feel aggressive, but data supports it. Conversion rates drop significantly after the first few hours. Strike while intent is warm.
If you’re uncomfortable with one hour, test two or four hours. But don’t wait until the next day for your first email—too much time passes and intent fades.
After 72 hours, additional emails have diminishing returns. Some brands extend to a fourth or fifth email, but focus your energy on optimizing the first three.
Discounting Strategy
Some debate whether to offer discounts at all. The risk: train customers to abandon carts intentionally to receive discounts.
My take: reserve discounts for the final email, use modest percentages (10-15%), and consider limiting to first-time customers only. Repeat customers who know your products don’t need the discount incentive.
You can also test free shipping versus percentage discounts. Sometimes free shipping converts better even when worth less in dollars.
Segmenting Your Approach
Not all abandonments are equal. Consider different sequences for first-time visitors versus returning customers (returning customers might not need as much reassurance), high-value carts versus low-value carts (more effort for high-value), and mobile versus desktop abandoners (mobile may indicate browsing while desktop suggests more serious intent).
Start with one universal sequence, then create variations as you learn what works for different segments.
Measuring Success
Track recovery rate: what percentage of abandoned carts convert after receiving emails? Track revenue recovered: total dollars brought back through the campaign. Compare against control: occasionally hold out a group to verify the emails actually drive incremental conversions.
A good campaign recovers 10-15% of abandoned carts. Exceptional ones reach 20%+. If you’re below 5%, something needs optimization.
Start Recovering Revenue Today
Abandoned cart emails are among the highest-ROI marketing tactics available. They’re automated, so once set up, they run without daily effort. They target warm prospects who’ve already shown purchase intent.
If you’re running an ecommerce store without abandoned cart emails, set them up this week. The revenue is sitting there waiting to be recovered.
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