Email Marketing

40 Abandoned Cart Email Examples That Actually Win Back Lost Customers

April 16, 2024
written by humans
40 Abandoned Cart Email Examples That Actually Win Back Lost Customers

Shopping cart abandonment is a hard reality for all eCommerce stores—even the ones with high traffic and huge customer volume. 

In fact, the average shopping cart abandonment rate is 69.80%.

But the good news is: email is one of the most effective ways to recover lost customers.

Relatively low spend and a high ROI makes the best abandoned cart emails work effectively towards recovering conversions—in this post, we’ll see how 40 amazing eCommerce brands do it. 

What is an Abandoned Cart Email?

An abandoned cart email is a follow-up message sent to someone who leaves your online store without completing the purchase of the items in their shopping cart.

Abandoned cart emails remind customers of items they left in the cart—enticing them to come back to purchase what they are already so close to buying.

To recover abandoned carts, your emails need to carry:

✔ Compelling copywriting—that either tickles, creates urgency or makes the shopper think

✔ Visual cues—this includes imagery of what’s left in the cart, use context of the product etc. 

✔ A personalized offer—based on where the shopper is in their customer journey

✔ Personalized info & transactional links—to nudge the shopper to explore more in directions they’ve already shown interest in

Jump to:

Are abandoned cart emails transactional?

How many abandoned cart emails should you be sending?

When should you send an abandoned cart email?

Cart Abandonment FAQs

40 Abandoned Cart Email Templates to Drive Conversions

1. Overtone: Heighten imagination through great copy

Overtone abandoned cart email template

Overtone uses conversion copywriting—a type of persuasive copywriting where the goal is to drive a person to buy.

What works in this abandoned cart recovery email: 

  • An engaging visual
  • A promo code—57% of US customers who used an abandoned cart coupon code confirm its efficacy
  • Nudges like free shipping, discount on SMS, and loyalty club points as a reward in exchange for customer data 

Key Takeaway: Feature multiple reasons for a shopper to feel convinced, in your cart abandonment recovery email.

2. The North Face: Make the visual really engaging

North Face cart recovery email example

The North Face sets a benchmark with its creative cart abandonment email, making it both simple and engaging. 

A visual cue is a perceptual signal that draws the attention of the users toward important elements.  

What works in this abandoned checkout email example: 

  • Limited textual information
  • An abandoned cart message that’s both real and witty
  • A black-and-white color palette keeps distractions at bay

Key Takeaway: Pair your visuals and copy in an engaging way to make shoppers go back to their cart. 

3. Quip: Offer friendly reassurance

Quip cart abandonment recovery email example

Here’s a cart recovery email template from Quip which shows concern for oral health. It uses better brushing as a reciprocal to get customers to return to the cart. 

What works in this abandoned checkout email template: 

  • An incentive on the first order is a captivating nudge to get users to purchase. In this case, it's a $10 refill 
  • A link to your customer reviews in your abandoned cart email examples may convince prospective customers to buy

Key Takeaway: Tie your nudge with how your brand works—like Quip clearly talks about how they believe in “no pressure”. 

You'll love reading: 30 Best Examples of Nudge Marketing in eCommerce

4. Barkshop: Remind them of the final outcome

Barkshop shopping cart abandonment email template

This happens to be one of our favorite abandoned cart email examples because it focuses on what purchasing (or not) can lead to. 

What works in this abandoned cart email template: 

  • Feedback request
  • Creative unsubscribe message to reduce the odds of unsubscribing 

Key Takeaway: Instead of asking shoppers to buy, tell them “why” it’s going to be a good choice.

5. SugarBear: Mimic an offline experience

SugarBear Hair cart recovery email example

Sugar Bear Hair uses an image of a shopping cart for abandoned cart retargeting. This takes recipients back to traditional supermarket shopping. 

What works in this abandoned cart email example:  

  • The brand color for CTAs and other important elements to ensure uniformity and brand identity
  • Product bundles to increase AOV and provide value to customers 
  • One primary CTA supported by linked microcopy (increasing the chances of clicks)

Key Takeaway: A strong subject line and then no headline can actually make shoppers read through the best abandoned cart emails.

6. Bloomingdale’s: Create a strong “hook”

Bloomingdale's abandoned cart email design template

Bloomingdale's abandoned cart shopping email isn’t just about products sitting in the cart. 

The brand brings their famous “My Brown Bag” link and improves recall instantly. 

What works in this cart abandonment recovery email: 

  • Multiple references to “big brown bag” establishing a narative
  • The sense of urgency and the free shipping option is a crowd puller 
  • Visual recall to show what products were added to the cart

Key Takeaway: Make your email content aspirational for cart abandoners to take notice.

Recommended reading: eCommerce Email Copywriting: 20 Game-Changing Tips

7. 23 And Me: Club a reminder with the USP

23andme abandoned shopping cart email

With this abandoned cart shopping email from 23 and Me, customers won't get distracted by extra information and will focus on completing their order. 

What works in this abandoned checkout email: 

  • Focused on-point copy
  • Urgency with words such as Don't forget to order your kit and Order today
  • Offers space for additional questions by sharing email id

Key Takeaway: While asking shoppers to go back to their carts, if you can talk about the specialty of what awaits them, nothing like it.

Check out: eCommerce Shopping Cart Optimization: 50 Brilliant Strategies

8. Madewell: Use an argument they can’t refuse

Madewell abandoned cart email example

This abandoned cart recovery email from Madewell use a compelling statement to make the email recipient rethink about the purchase they didn’t complete. 

What works in this abandoned cart email template: 

  • Nails aspirational copy with the words but they would look even better on you
  • Features multiple CTAs but makes the copy non-repetitive
  • Clutter-free imagery

Key Takeaway: Use a witty headline that puts the customer in focus and not the product.

Short on time? Here's a quick video with all the brilliant examples:

9. Doggyloot: Make a (sort of) serious announcement

This email by Doggyloot to recover abandoned carts creates an instant connection between the brand and its target audience—copy like “lots of licks” serve as positive reinforcement. 

DoggyLoot cart abandonment recovery email template

What works in this abandoned cart email design: 

  • The picture of the dog adds to the personalization
  • The copy is in line with the brand: lots of licks and fetch your items

Key Takeaway: It’s possible to offer a serious buying nudge through humor—in fact a balanced combination of the two can create a memorable conversion. 

We recommend you to check out: Browse Abandonment Emails: Epic Examples, Tips, & Subject Lines

10. ThredUp: Use an “emotional” buildup

ThredUp abandoned cart email example

ThredUp has one of the best cart abandonment emails. 

It gets to the point while giving the abandoned product a human voice. 

What works in this abandoned basket email example: 

  • Keeps the copy and CTA fresh and humorous
  • Multiple incentives with slash pricing, a coupon code, and a referral discount
  • Displays the product clearly to create strong recall

Key Takeaway: Simple copy and imagery together can create an abandonment story in the minds of recipients—and lead them to convert without delay. 

Also check out: How Many Emails To Include In An Abandoned Cart Workflow?

11. Dollar Shave Club: Drive that social proof subtly

Dollar Shave Club best cart abandonment email example

Dollar Shave Club is known for some of the best abandoned cart emails. The bear covering its eyes is intriguing and will encourage recipients to read the email.

The copy is written in everyday, laid-back language, which makes for easy reading. 

What works in this abandoned checkout email: 

  • Keeps the design and copy on-brand–Chuck is bummin’ pretty hard and Shave time shave money are memorable
  • Focuses on customer retention and exclusivity with the CTA Join the Club

Key Takeaway: Feature the most relevant social proof that’ll make abandoners reconsider the purchase more seriously.

Recommended reading: Top 15 eCommerce Conferences to Attend in 2025

12. Columbia: Announce a price drop!

Columbia abandoned cart email recovery template

Columbia uses a price drop abandoned cart email strategy to convince users to buy.

What works in this abandoned cart email template: 

  • Keeps the main messaging bolder than the rest of the copy
  • By including the ‘Reveal the new price’ CTA, Columbia is taking the conversation back to the site which is the first step in cart recovery
  • It includes the deals for Black Friday which is a great nudge to invite users to start their Black Friday shopping

Key Takeaway: Make sure to lead with the cart abandonment price drop even if featuring you’re multiple kinds of discounts in the rest of the email.

13. Nomad Goods: Make your returns policy drive purchase intent

Nomad Goods abandoned cart recovery email stategy

Nomad Goods addresses the perceived risk associated with the purchase by including a 30-day return & exchange policy and a 2-year limited warranty.

What works in this abandoned cart email template:

  • The ‘Shop New Arrivals’ helps shoppers discover beyond the products in the cart
  • A contrasting color palette through the email improves focus & engagement
  • FAQ enhances the user experience and improves brand trust

Key Takeaway: Design your cart abandonment recovery email in a layout that’s easy to navigate—Nomad distinguishes sections clearly to highlight multiple aspects.

You need to read: 35 Thanksgiving Email Examples For 2024 (eCommerce)

14. Whisky Loot: Focus on conversations, not conversions

Whisky Loot best cart abandonment email example

Most customers don’t want to be sold to, they want to invest in an experience. 

WhiskeyLoot has carefully tailored their cart recovery email to meet customers exactly where they are. 

What works in this abandoned cart email template:

  • Important questions “Still thinking about it?” and “Have a question?” feature without a salesy vibe
  • Bullet points present a list without causing information overload (the emojis sure help)
  • A CTA that promises a great experience

Key Takeaway: Use an abandoned cart email strategy that considers ways to resolve customer objections instead of just pushing them towards cart recovery.

Do check out: 24 Email Automation Examples For More Conversions (eCommerce)

15. Society 6: Specify “limited time”

Society 6 doesn’t just use FOMO in this abandoned cart email sequence—they specify the time to speed up action. 

What works in this abandoned cart email example:

  • The display of customer appreciation—91% of customers say that they’re more likely to buy from companies that appreciate their customers
  • Stamp of authority from prominent publications like The New York Times 
  • Clever use of Just in Case—makes the customer experience lesser doubt about returning the product

Key Takeaway: Making your headline sound like a favor (with some urgency thrown in) will nudge cart abandoners towards closing the purchase faster. ‍

16. Rudy’s Barbershop: Write abandoned cart email copy to tickle

Rudy's Barbershop abandoned shopping cart email example

Approaching cart abandoners is serious—but if you can make it funny and relatable like Rudy’s does, you’ve got a winner. 

This abandoned cart email template is designed to get customers to move quickly & convert.

What works in this abandoned cart email example:

  • The email opens with a contrasting yellow color box & the text “Your free shipping is about to expire”—both catch attention
  • The body text builds on FOMO further by highlighting everything the customer can miss out on 
  • The CTA text inspires immediate action

Key Takeaway: Choose a clean layout for your abandoned shopping cart email—along with only one strong message—to drive maximum impact.

17. J. Crew: Bring back familiar brand design

J Crew cart abandonment email template

J. Crew likes to be classy with how they portray their brand and this shines through in this high converting abandoned cart email.

Notice how their email replicates the user interface of their online store? That’s done to reduce cognitive load. 

What works in this cart abandonment email example: 

  • On-brand email design that ensures recall
  • Multiple buying options across categories including new arrivals and fall sale
  • An interface similar to their online store that helps in maintaining familiarity

Key Takeaway: Mimicking your online storefront in a cart abandonment recovery email pays off—shoppers navigate faster and are also more likely to convert faster. 

18. Pacsun: Get bolder with your cart abandonment messaging

Many abandoned cart recovery email examples don’t do what Pacsun does: say it like it is, with a twist. 

What works in this abandoned shopping cart email: 

  • The cart recovery email lays out the brand values: “our items sell out quickly…”
  • A single product image in context reduces distraction and drives imagination
  • Clear mention of contact information

Key Takeaway: Use a cart abandonment email template that reduces scrolling and captures the most important info within the first fold itself. 

Do read: Reducing Online Jewelry Store Cart Abandonment: 19 Proven Strategies

19. Thrive Market: Highlight the abandoned products 

Thrive Market abandoned cart email strategy

Thrive Market features one of the best abandoned cart email examples—they tell you how much you’ll save by purchasing your items from them versus other retailers.

What works in this cart abandonment recovery email: 

  • CTAs that stand out in a color that means “go”!
  • Simple and minimalist design along with limited microcopy
  • A coupon code along with compelling copy to encourage action

Key Takeaway: Make your abandoned cart email flow so simple, abandoners don’t feel it’s another “task” to go through it!

20. Ugmonk: Use hyper-personalization to inspire conversion

Ugmonk cart abandonment email template

Ugmonk's abandoned cart recovery email focuses on personalization with the owner and designer reaching out directly to answer questions.

What works in this abandoned cart email template: 

  • A personalized message that sounds helpful and heartfelt
  • Offering the option to reply to the mail helps build trust
  • Features multiple links to review the purchase yet to be made

Key Takeaway: When using an only-text cart abandonment email to draw a shopper, ensure to:

✔ Use their name

✔ Ask them if they’d like to share feedback or ask a question

✔ Offer multiple ways to act, including visiting their cart and finishing the purchase

21. Puma: Drive cart recovery through great design

Puma abandoned cart email example

To enhance your abandoned cart email conversion rate, the email design needs land easy on subscribers. 

What works in this cart recovery email: 

  • On-brand with the logo and typography
  • Plays on the scarcity effect by mentioning that products “won’t stick around forever”

Key Takeaway: The best cart abandonment emails often feature design that’s similar to a brand’s homepage, leading subscribers through easy navigation, discovery and in the ideal scenario, recovery.

22. Google Store: Make the cart recovery headline the hero

Google Store abandoned cart email strategy

Google's abandoned cart email works well because it intelligently puts copy and product nudge into different sections, easing visual processing. 

What works in this abandoned cart email example: 

  • Nails good copy in the catchy title: Going, going (almost) gone
  • The minimalist design helps customers stay distraction-free
  • Highlights benefits for the customer such as “Free shipping on all orders”

Key Takeaway: Even if you use a “view your cart” CTA in the email, make sure you feature an additional image, product name, quantity and price along with it for instant recall.

23. Jessops: Urge action with one highlighted benefit

Jessops cart abandonment email template

Jessop's cart recovery email stays dedicated to photography and videography, with an unconventional CTA button. 

What works in this abandoned cart email example: 

  • An eye-catching photograph attracts the attention of the customer
  • One clear benefit finds highlight: free next day delivery
  • Contact information finds priority in design hierarchy

Key Takeaway: A reminder about what a product can finally do can ramp up your abandoned cart email conversion rate.

24. Mango: Feature multiple CTAs to reiterate action

Mango abandoned shopping cart email example

This is one of several abandoned cart email examples that we have come across that lead with urgency. Mango uses two CTAs that serve as gentle reminder for customers to complete their purchase.

What works in this checkout abandonment email example: 

  • Minimalist design
  • Highlights the product details in the email so that the customer can easily make up their mind
  • Nudges them to add other items to the cart with the Continue shopping CTA

Key Takeaway: The same CTA twice within a short scroll can actually be a small nudge to.

You'll also love reading: 21 Clever Ways To Reduce Checkout Abandonment Rate

25. Bonobos: Drive the reminder through an incentive

Bonobos cart abandonment recovery email

In their cart abandonment email, Bonobos makes up for a lack of an image by offering a special coupon code. 

What works in this abandoned cart email example: 

  • A bag icon with the number of products in the cart
  • The design is minimal and on-brand with just two colors
  • The CTA points to finishing the purchase immediately

Key Takeaway: Addressing the shopper in question based on where they are in their journey is a good idea for cart recovery—for example, if they’re a repeat customer, remind them of the journey so far.

26. Nordstrom: Feature an engaging flow of information

Nordstrom abandoned cart email example

The best cart abandonment emails have one thing in common: they make the shopper feel included in the question they ask or suggestion they make—this Nordstrom cart recovery email is a case in point. 

What works in this abandoned cart email template: 

  • Works with a number of different but visually compatible fonts
  • Neatly compartmentalized layout that reduces reading friction
  • Keeps the benefits highlighted: free shipping and free returns
  • Keeps the FAQ link handy

Key Takeaway: Choose the most important microcopy to highlight as questions or conditions—this reduces distraction and improves engagement. 

27. Sugar Bear: Appeal to the cute-lovin’ part of customers

Sugar Bear cart abandonment recovery email

Sugar Bear Hair stands out from the crowd with its gif getting customers to look at their abandoned shopping cart email. 

What works in this abandoned cart email example: 

  • Pops with its vibrant colors and visuals
  • Creates a personalized copy with Hello Beautiful and mentions the product name that was saved
  • Keeps the communication channels open by sharing an email ID
  • The whole email contributes to the abandoner feeling warm & fuzzy

Key Takeaway: Calling out attention to customer support info upfront is a big way of creating reassurance for the cart abandoner.

28. ASOS: Jog the memory with a contextual visual

ASOS cart recovery email template

This high-converting abandoned cart email from ASOS showcases how important a product visual is, especially when featured in a use context. 

What works in this abandoned cart email example: 

  • Creates a clutter-free interface by dividing the mail into multiple sections
  • The most important factors—free delivery & easy returns—find priority mentions
  • Keeps the focus on the product by dedicating almost the entire email to it

Key Takeaway: Making the main product be the only colorful element in a cart abandonment email ensures complete focus & engagement.

29. Hayneedle: Make it about a “special” deal

Hayneedle high converting abandoned cart email

Home furnishings retailer Hayneedle knows how to sweeten the deal for shopping cart abandoners—the reason it converts well is because it has a personalized tone and a “just for you” deal. 

What works in this abandoned cart email examples: 

  • Makes the incentive in the form of a discount unmissable
  • Offers a free shipping threshold nudge (which also becomes more relevant because of the navigation links in the email)
  • Shows the product in use by customers with an image

Key Takeaway: Even if you’re announcing a small discount in your cart recovery email, make sure it gets a lot of attention as a design element.

30. Away: Make ‘em think more than they’d planned to

Away abandoned cart email template

Some of the best cart recovery emails are those that work as reminders while building a brand connect—and Away does just that!

What works in this abandoned cart email template: 

  • Keeps the copy playful and friendly: your shopping cart is like your luggage…
  • Keeps the design minimal and on-brand
  • The “refer a friend” nudge makes abandoners sit up

Key Takeaway: Minimalism in abandoned cart email copy goes a long way in capturing interest that can then be channeled towards the abandoned product.

31. Chewy: Throw in that Autoship nudge

Chewy abandoned cart email example

Chewy includes the Autoship option with 20% savings for first time Autoship buyers in this cart recovery email.

For an eCommerce brand, it helps increase the LTV, a metric that decides the long-term success of a business. 

What works in this abandoned cart email example:

  • Free 1-2 day shipping is a brilliant persuasion tactic—90% of customers want 2-3 day shipping as the standard timeline
  • Providing a timely customer support number is a great way to address customer objections

Key Takeaway: Make it easy for cart abandoners to see why not buying from your brand would be a loss—check out how Chewy uses icon call-outs to show why it’s better than competitors.

32. Adidas: Make a great case for the abandoned product

Adidas cart recovery email example

Allowing customers to customize a product is customer centricity. When your cart recovery email features the customization option, more abandoners will find a reason to stay back and convert. 

In fact, customers are willing to pay more for customized products and are more likely to become brand advocates, even if they're cart abandoners.

What works in this abandoned shopping cart email template:

  • Using social proof in the cart recovery email is a great persuasion tactic
  • Adding the store finder option is smart for winning cart abandoners—this is great for reducing returns as the return rates for in-store purchases stand at 8.89% compared to online rates at 30%
  • The dual option to customize and shop target a wider audience

Key Takeaway: Find a reason for cart abandoners to engage with your recovery email then and there, instead of having them go back to their cart without a nudge that works. 

Check out: 52 Cart Abandonment Email Subject Lines That Actually Work

33. Food52: Create a clean visual hierarchy

Food52 cart abandonment email strategy

Information overload is real, folks: 65% of interviewed customers have experienced it at some point.

What happens then? They simply sign off. So, to recover cart abandoners, focus on visual hierarchy and building an aesthetic that presents information without overwhelm.

What works in this abandoned cart email template

  • Each element has been deliberately placed & has enough negative space to create a contrast
  • The design language on the abandoned cart email template has consistent colors and fonts
  • The design layout is intuitive: customers don’t have to invest too much energy to get through the email

Key Takeaway: Focus on the balance between the design you choose for your abandoned cart email and the products you feature—typically, they play off each other!

34. Jack Wills: Ease up on the pushing

Jack Wills abandoned shopping cart email template

Customers want to feel like they'll have it easy because you have their back.

They’re often short on time and don’t have the energy to go through an entire catalog, search for information on incentives, or even reactivate their carts.

This cart abandonment recovery email prioritizes calling out each ignored product and anchoring the price as well for better effect. 

What works in this abandoned cart email template:

  • Well detailed abandoned checkout email information including item name, size, color, sales price, free delivery incentive, and even a hyperlink to the cart page
  • The social icons at the end are a great way to nudge engagement across channels and improve micro-conversions
  • The very witty subject line: “Your cart is having abandonment issues”. We love that, don’t you?

Key Takeaway: To cut through the clutter of many cart abandonment emails, you may have to assume a less-pushy position for abandoners to actually convert.

35. Michaels Stores: Make BNPL the conversion-driver

Michaels cart recovery email example

Guess how many customers leave because of a mismatch in pricing? 25%.

A good way to bring them back: BNPL financing. Whether that’s equal monthly installments, discounts, or coupons, it’s a good tactic to work with customers who are on the fence because of pricing.

What works in this abandoned cart email example:

  • They’ve partnered with Affirm to bring to customers an alternative financing route 
  • While this email very clearly targets customers apprehensive about pricing, it also talks about other things: like the customer cart, product recommendations, and catalog categories
  • Product categories incorporated at the end of the email, mimicking the storefront

Key Takeaway: Ensure your cart recovery email is able to address multiple issues that could be delaying the abandoner from purchasing what’s sitting in their cart.

36. Moschino: Lead with your design aesthetic

Moschino abandoned cart recovery email strategy

Moschino is a luxury brand revered for its style: it’s well regarded by influencers, often spotted by celebrities, and has a visual language true to the brand.

So, when they extend this design language to their super creative abandoned cart emails, wonders happen around conversions. 

Don't forget to check out: 24 Scientific Strategies to Increase your eCommerce Conversion Rate

What works in this sample abandoned cart email:

  • The email design makes it look like an invitation and not a pitch
  • The abandoned cart email template is top notch: the gradient shadowing, logo placement, and product placements are all carefully put together to represent a brand that is confident in itself
  • Relevant microcopy as CTA text

Key Takeaway: Whether your brand’s known for its tone of voice or its definitive design language, bring it into your abandoned cart email sequence to convince abandoners.

37. Brooklinen: Make your cart abandonment copy talk

Brooklinen abandoned cart recovery email

Brooklinen's cart recovery email example follows a GREAT copy principle: address customer queries as they think and prioritize. 

What works in this abandoned cart email template:

  • Carries a variety of important elements: VIP rewards, financing options, clear CTAs, and a trust seal
  • The copy speaks directly to the customer and encourages them to to engage with the brand to receive the perks
  • We love that trust seal at the end — and we love that there’s only one

Key Takeaway: Make your cart abandonment email copy have the flow of an engaging conversation—this’ll ensure abandoners will read through an at least invest in some micro-conversions. 

38. Alex Mill: Feature only what’s necessary

Alex Mill cart recovery email template

This cart abandonment email has an opening line, an incentive line, two closing lines, and three CTAs.

That’s it. And it’s so well made you could save this as an abandoned cart email template.

What works in this abandoned cart email template:

  • Every sentence used adds to the email narrative 
  • The pictures speak for themselves and establishes the brand qualitatively in the customer's mind

Key Takeaway: In an abandoned cart flow with multiple CTAs, ensure great hierarchy through the CTA text—in Alex Mill’s case, notice how the first CTA itself urges checkout.

39. ASICS: Let your brand value shine

Asics abandoned shopping cart email template

ASICS is a sports brand—a sports brand for the affluent. Like Moschino, it has already earned a reputed place for itself, one that it leverages in its marketing.

This abandoned basket email is a good example of that.

What works in this abandoned cart recovery email:

  • Minimal use of copy and GREAT use of visual identity: highlights the lifestyle the brand represents
  • There’s no sales, no marketing, no financing, no promotions — only plain clear brand speak

Key Takeaway: Use imagery to throw light on the use context of the products sitting in the cart—the more attractively you can do this, the more abandoners will be drawn to reconsidering the purchase. 

We recommend you read: 34 Ways Online Sports Stores Can Boost Conversions

40. Huckberry: Catch their attention!

Huckberry shopping cart abandonment recovery email

The phrase “Heads Up!” has been intuitively drilled in our minds as one that requires attention.

This subconsciously catches readers by surprise and actually breaks through the connection barrier we often experience in eCommerce.

The abandoned cart email template builds on it further with smart copy, easily accessible CTA, and quick product display.

What works in this abandoned cart email example:

  • The copy builds a narrative flow that is intuitive and easy to understand for customers
  • All the other engagement concerns (cart checkout, contact information, etc) are easily clickable and accessible

Key Takeaway: Using a phrase that draws attention but doesn’t add to cognitive load is a must for cart recovery emails—Huckberry applies this principle to create an email that’s crisp and clutter-free. 

Are abandoned cart emails transactional?

Yes, abandoned cart emails are considered transactional emails. They are triggered by a specific action (abandoning a cart) and are designed to achieve a specific goal (recovering the abandoned cart).

Abandoned cart emails are considered transactional emails because:

✔️ They are triggered by a specific action (abandoning a cart)
✔️ They are designed to achieve a specific goal (recovering the abandoned cart)

Abandoned cart email best practices:

✔️ Personalize the email to the individual customer
✔️ Include a list of the items that were left in the cart
✔️ Offer a discount or incentive to complete the purchase
✔️ Make it easy for the customer to complete the purchase, such as by including a link to the checkout page
✔️ Send the email promptly, within 24 hours of the cart being abandoned
✔️ Test different versions of your email to see what works best

How many abandoned cart recovery emails should you be sending?

More important than the number, is the frequency of when you send these emails.

One of the best abandoned cart email best practices: Send about 3 cart abandonment emails, somewhere between 10 minutes to 1 hour from the trigger event (trigger event here being them abandoning cart), 24 hours, and 3 days respectively.

However, we would advise you to experiment with your abandoned cart email strategy and see what works best for your brand.

When should you send an abandoned cart email?

This is a crucial question you need to answer to get the timing of your cart recovery emails right. 

While the idea is not to push your customers into a purchase, get too late and you lose them. 

This is why established businesses typically target a timeframe of half a day or 24 hours within the abandonment to send these emails. 

If you also intend to send out a subsequent discount code for conviction, do so within two to three days of the original abandonment email—and use a countdown timer to not come off as needy. 

Cart Abandonment FAQs

1. What Is Cart Abandonment?

Cart abandonment refers to a visitor adding products to a virtual cart and then leaving the site without completing a purchase. It’s one of the biggest challenges that most eCommerce businesses tend to face even today.

As of today, the worldwide average cart abandonment rate stands at 84.24% in some industries. That only shows the extent to which cart abandonment can cause business damage when the shoppers choose to make purchases online more than at brick and mortar stores.

Now the reasons can be plenty: high shipping costs, unclear returns policy, not getting a discount on the cart total—you name it!

2. What is abandoned cart recovery?

Abandoned cart recovery is the process eCommerce businesses use to reduce their cart abandonment rates. The process typically involves not just marketing through emails and retargeting attempts but also UX refinements for customers to feel satisfied. 

The intent that lies behind abandoned cart recovery is to understand the customer better and align UX & marketing efforts for a superlative shopping experience. 

3. Is it legal to send abandoned cart emails?

Yes. Abandoned cart emails are legal and allowed under new GDPR regulations.

According to the European Union's definition of legal grounds for processing data, you are compliant as long as you have consent from the user to send those emails.

However, make sure you’re not overdoing them as your customers would not shy away from marking your emails as spam.

So do it only to the point it is actually necessary.

You might also like to read: Reducing Fashion eCommerce Cart Abandonment: 12 Proven Strategies

4. How do you automate abandoned cart emails?

To automate abandoned cart emails, eCommerce businesses have to do the following in a linear fashion:

✔️Create the initial automation by configuring a trigger around category, product & cart value

✔️Send an email to this automation either by creating a new template or using a template from a past campaign

✔️Customize the abandoned email by rearranging the way items, prices and products will appear in the body content 

More Resources on Cart Abandonment:

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Transform Email Marketing Into A Revenue Machine

Most eCommerce store owners don’t see email as a serious revenue stream.

Ask them about the importance of email marketing, and you'll hear: “we don’t really have a major strategy,” “we mostly use generic templates,” or “we just send emails to people on our list.”

BUT AT THE SAME TIME:

There are stores out there that drive 30%+ of their revenue from email marketing.

Engage can help you do the same - Book a free demo.

We’ll show you:

  • workflows we can create for your store
  • proven ways to drive 30% or more $$ from email alone, and
  • successful templates and strategies from your industry (and others).
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Conversion rate optimization
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Free Guide 👉 👉

31 Cart Recovery Subject Lines That Are Opened Every Time

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