Cart Abandonment Email Benchmarks
Cart abandonment emails are triggered when a shopper adds items to their cart but leaves without completing the purchase. They are one of the most profitable email types because they target people who have already demonstrated purchase intent.
| Metric | Average | Above Average | Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Rate | 40-50% | 55%+ | 65%+ |
| Click-Through Rate | 8-12% | 15%+ | 20%+ |
| Click-to-Open Rate | 20-26% | 28%+ | 35%+ |
| Recovery Rate | 5-10% | 12%+ | 18%+ |
| Revenue Per Email | $0.50 - $1.50 | $2.00+ | $4.00+ |
| Unsubscribe Rate | 0.3-0.6% | Below 0.2% | Below 0.1% |
Why Cart Abandonment Benchmarks Matter
Cart abandonment is the single largest source of lost revenue for ecommerce stores. The average cart abandonment rate across all industries is 70-80%, meaning 7-8 out of every 10 shoppers leave without buying. Well-optimised cart abandonment email sequences recover 5-18% of this lost revenue, making them one of the highest-ROI email programmes you can build.
Benchmarks by Industry
| Industry | Open Rate | CTR | Recovery Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecommerce (Fashion) | 40-50% | 8-12% | 5-8% |
| Ecommerce (Electronics) | 38-48% | 7-11% | 4-7% |
| Ecommerce (Health & Beauty) | 42-52% | 10-14% | 8-12% |
| Ecommerce (Home & Garden) | 40-50% | 8-12% | 6-10% |
| Ecommerce (Food & Beverage) | 45-55% | 10-16% | 10-15% |
How to Improve Cart Abandonment Email Performance
- Send the first email within 1-4 hours: The optimal time for the first cart reminder is 1-4 hours after abandonment. Waiting 24 hours significantly reduces recovery rates.
- Use a multi-email sequence: A single cart email recovers fewer sales than a sequence. A 3-email sequence over 72 hours typically recovers 50-80% more revenue than a single email.
- Show the abandoned products clearly: Include product images, names, prices, and a direct link back to the cart. Make it as easy as possible for the customer to complete the purchase.
- Consider a small incentive in the second email: The first email should not include a discount. The second email can offer a small incentive (10-15% off or free shipping) if the first email did not convert.
- Add social proof: Include reviews, ratings, or low-stock indicators for the abandoned products. Social proof increases conversion by 10-20%.
- Remove friction points: If certain products have high abandonment rates, check for unexpected shipping costs, complex checkout forms, or payment issues.
Example Cart Abandonment Sequence
| Send Time | Content | |
|---|---|---|
| Reminder | 1 hour after | Show products, clear CTA to complete purchase |
| Follow-Up | 24 hours after | Highlight benefits, include social proof |
| Final Offer | 72 hours after | Offer discount or free shipping, create urgency |
Related Benchmarks
Abandoned Browse Email Benchmarks
Abandoned browse email benchmarks for product views without cart addition, category-level browsing recovery, and personalised product recommendations with open rates of 30-42% and CTR of 5-12%.
Abandoned Checkout — Email Marketing Benchmarks
Abandoned checkout email benchmarks for recovering customers who started checkout. Open rates 35-50%, CTR 12-25%, recovery rates 8-20%.
Abandoned Wish List Email Benchmarks
Abandoned wish list email benchmarks for saved item reminders, price drop alerts, and stock notifications with open rates of 30-45% and CTR of 6-15%.
Account Creation Email Benchmarks
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Account Deletion Email Benchmarks
Account deletion email benchmarks for open rates, click-through rates, and recovery rates. Account deletion emails confirm account closure and offer a final opportunity to recover the account.
Account Upgrade Prompt Email Benchmarks
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Frequently Asked Questions
A good cart abandonment email open rate is 40-50%. The first email in a sequence typically sees the highest open rate. Subsequent emails in the sequence will have lower open rates but still outperform most broadcast emails.
The average cart abandonment email recovery rate is 5-10%. Well-optimised sequences can achieve 12-18% recovery rates. The recovery rate depends on industry, average order value, and the quality of the sequence.
Send the first email within 1-4 hours of abandonment. Send the second email 24 hours later. Send the final email 72 hours after abandonment. This timing balances urgency with giving the customer time to reconsider.
Only in the second or third email. The first email should assume the customer intends to purchase and simply needs a reminder. Offering a discount too early conditions customers to wait for a discount before buying, which reduces long-term profitability.
Three emails is the optimal number for most ecommerce stores. One email recovers 5-8%, two emails recover 8-12%, and three emails recover 10-18%. Sending more than three emails typically increases unsubscribe rates without significant additional recovery.