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%.

Email is one of the most effective ways to recover lost customers.

This is because it helps you to engage with your audience and customers on a one-to-one basis.

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

The challenge with abandoned cart recovery is that the same tried-and-tested abandoned cart email best practices are being put into practice.

In many cases, you are likely using similar, if not the exact same, tactics and tools as your competitors.

And that's why it has become much harder to stand out in your customers’ inbox—which is why we wanted to bring together the best high converting abandoned cart emails we've ever seen.

Jump to:

40 Abandoned Cart Email Templates to Drive Conversions

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 (Use copy that makes heads turn)

Good copy is a salesman in disguise.

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

When you're trying to recover abandoned carts, sharp copy helps to attract the shopper's focus.

What works in this abandoned cart recovery email: 

• Images to complement your copy to compel users to take action
• A promo code is the best incentive to shop. 57% of US customers who used an abandoned cart coupon code remarked that wouldn’t have bought the product if they weren’t offered a discount 
• Nudges like free shipping, discount on SMS, and loyalty club points as a reward in exchange for customer data 

2. Barkshop (Target the actual audience) 

Targeting the right emotions and intentions can really help in abandoned cart retargeting.

Barkshop speaks to the dog owners who are the actual target audience in this abandoned checkout email. 

It works because it targets the right emotions. No dog parent would want to see their pup sad which makes this one of the best abandoned cart emails examples to follow. 

What works in this abandoned cart email template: 

• A mix of high-priced and low-priced items in your product recommendations. This gives customers a baseline to choose and avoid choice paralysis 
• The request for feedback. Customers are loyal to customer-centric brands
• Creative unsubscribe message to reduce the odds of unsubscribing 

3. The North Face (Use visual cues to drive home the point) 

There’s a dearth of cart recovery emails that use visual cues to reinforce their point.

The North Face sets a benchmark with its creative cart abandonment email using a man climbing as the visual cue. 

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

What works in this abandoned cart email example: 

• Use suggestive cues to influence decision making 
• An abandoned cart message which makes the effort-to-reward ratio easier guarantees more conversions
• A black-and-white color palette makes the email readable and enables easy decision-making

4. SugarBearHair (Use nostalgia to draw attention) 

Nostalgia is an underutilized emotion in marketing. Sugar Bear Hair uses an image of a shopping cart as a visual cue for abandoned cart retargeting. This cue generates the nostalgic feeling associated with traditional supermarket shopping. 

Take note—Nostalgia marketing is the strategy of tapping into positive, familiar concepts from earlier decades to build trust for new ideas and strengthen modern campaigns. 

What works in this abandoned cart email example:  

• Use the brand color for CTAs and other important elements to ensure uniformity and brand identity—this way customers are more likely to remember the brand
• Product bundles increase the perceived value of the product, increase AOV, and provide value to customers 

5. Quip (There’s nothing that reciprocity can’t sell) 

Humans are wired to return favors when offered one and that’s why the law of reciprocity is one of the widely used principles in persuasion. 

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 cart 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. 88% of customers consider user reviews at par with personal recommendations

6. J. Crew (Pays to be classy)

J. Crew likes to be classy with their brand image and that shines through clearly in their approach in this high converting abandoned cart email.

Apart from an alert on items in the shopping bag, there are also call to action buttons for other pages in case the buyer might want to look at new arrivals, fall finds, or looks J.Crew recommends.

Notice how their email replicates the user interface of their online store? That’s done deliberately for the user to be able to recall from their memory the actions that they took prior to this email.

What works in this cart abandonment email: 

• On-brand email design that maintains its classiness
• Multiple buying options for other categories too such as new arrivals and fall sale
• An interface similar to their online store that helps in maintaining familiarity

7. Pacsun (Cheekiness works)

Many abandoned cart recovery email examples assume the idea that the customer just forgot to check out, instead of assuming that they did not want the item.

Pacsun does a great job with copy and imagery to create urgency and entice the customer to come back and complete the purchase.

If there’s one thing we can be sure about when it comes to cart recovery emails, it is that there ought to be an undertone of urgency in all of your messaging.

What works in this abandoned shopping cart email: 

• Urgency with the copy and entice the customer to reconsider their decision
• The image of the product helps reinforce the customer’s decision
• A platform for feedback and builds trust by sharing phone and email contact options

8. Thrive Market (A little nudge doesn't hurt)

Here’s an interesting take from a large pool of abandoned cart email examples.

Thrive Market tells you how much you’ll save by purchasing your items from them versus other retailers. Also, we have the green call to action button with otherwise neutral colors.

In this second part of their email, they also list out the products and how much the customer can save in each—a great tactic when you're considering multiple cart abandonment solutions.

What works in this cart abandonment recovery email: 

• A comparison to show how much the customer can be benefit than other retailers
• Simple and minimalist design with use of contrasting colors
• A coupon code along with compelling copy to encourage customers to take the next step

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

9. Bloomingdale’s (Synonymous with the brand)

Everyone knows what big brown bags signify. It’s what every Bloomingdale’s shopper is aware of, and how the rest of the world knows the brand as well.

In this email meant for abandoned cart retargeting, they’re making sure they create a strong brand recall.

The phrase “My Brown Bag” speaks to their customers on a personal level, hence this is a wonderful example of how to do cart recovery emails right.

What works in this cart abandonment recovery email: 

• A visual impact with the term Big Brown Bag  that’s both specific as well as on-brand
• The sense of urgency and the free shipping option is a crowd puller 
• Visual recall that allows the customers to see what products were added to the cart

10. 23 And Me (Getting straight to the point)

Short, sweet, and to the point, 23 And Me has an abandoned cart email with only a few elements.

With this email, customers won't get distracted by extraneous information and will focus on the action 23 And Me wants: purchase completion.

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

11. Madewell (The pick up line approach)

If you’re like us and love a good play on words, you'd know how effective such an email would be to recover abandoned carts.

This abandoned cart recovery email from Madewell, the fashion eCommerce brand, kills it with their headline “These Look Good In Your Bag”, but takes it a step further by giving the subheading kicker as “but they would look even better on you.”

What works in this abandoned cart email template: 

• Nails aspirational copy with the words but they would look even better on you
• Keeps the CTA creative: Go for it
• Keeps the email distraction-free along with a large-sized product

12. Ugmonk (Proactive & helpful)

Text only cart recovery email? Now, that’s a first. And that’s what makes Ugmonk’s approach to their abandoned cart email so different and fresh.

By putting their focus entirely on personalization, making it seem like the owner and designer are reaching out directly to answer any questions, they hit a home run in terms of engagement.

Moreover, the email copy includes two in-line call to action buttons so the customer can finish checking out instantly if they want. This is a simple approach that your target audience may prefer, so be sure to try it out?

What works in this abandoned cart email example: 

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

13. Puma (Design draws the eye)

Puma turns up the urgency button pretty heavily here, and it works. The contrasting call to action button stands out, and the geometric design draws the eye to it almost instantly.

We really like the thought that went into the design of this email, and ups the ante of cart abandonment emails we’ve come across while curating this list.

Notice how one call to action takes the buyer to find a nearby store, as Puma is primarily a retail shopping brand.

What works in this cart abandonment email: 

• Creates a design that’s very on-brand with the logo and brand colors
• Plays on the scarcity effect by mentioning that products will be out of stock
• The option to find a store on top adds another layer to the conversion funnel

14. Google Store (Hitting it out of the park)

Ah, talk of great emails and Google wouldn’t make the cut? Not possible.

This is a perfect example of an abandoned cart email because it includes every element: Great copywriting, clear call to action button, personalization by showing the customer's cart details, and urgency through creative copywriting.

Google focuses on ensuring the customer feels like they don't want to miss out on anything. And do it well.

What works in this abandoned cart email template: 

• 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

15. Doggyloot (When missing out is their Pet Peeve)

This email by Doggyloot to recover abandoned carts is precious, but not overdone.

The line, “Hurry, don’t let these deals run away.” is reflective of the brand and its audience.

Then, when we take a closer look at the same: Lots of licks,” and the call to action button text: “Fetch your items now.”

In terms of copy, relevance, and the ability to relate with its target audience, this email has a bunch of stuff going for it.

What works in this cart abandonment email: 

• The picture of the dog adds to the personalization
• The copy is in line with the brand: lots of licks and fetch your items
• Focuses on customer retention with Deals  and Subscriptions section on top

16. Jessops (When it just clicks)

This Jessop's email also includes a list of product images and descriptions below the cut, but we wanted to emphasize the email copywriting here.

The store is dedicated to photography and videography, so the call to action button pops off the screen with unusual wording: “Snap up your basket.”

This reflects the definition of the word “snap” in the world of a photographer. Pretty cool, right?

What works in this abandoned cart email examples: 

• An eye-catching photograph attracts the attention of the customer
• Reinforces the customer’s decision to buy with a benefit: free next day delivery
• Keeps communication channels open with clearly featured phone numbers and email

17. Mango (One CTA isn't enough)

This is one of several abandoned cart email examples that we have come across that lead with urgency.

The message is crystal clear here: “Complete your order before they’re gone!”

This is a good example of a subtle cart recovery email done well.

In the email, Mango includes not only the product image, but also the size the shopper chose, the color, the quantity, and the price in pounds.

Their high-contrast, repeating call to action buttons work in Mango’s favor, despite looking pretty light on the eye!

What works in this abandoned cart email examples: 

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

18. Bonobos (Don't forget the incentive)

In their cart abandonment email, Bonobos shows a bag with the number of items the user left behind, accompanied by copy that is pretty crisp and clear.

Bonobos makes up for a lack of an image by offering a special coupon code for customers about to make their first purchase in the store.

What works in this abandoned cart email examples: 

• Keeps the copy and visuals relevant with a bag icon with the number of products waiting in the cart and words such as fit happens
• The design is minimal and on-brand with just two colors
• Increases the chances of a sale by adding an incentive with a coupon code

19. Nordstrom (Thinking it through)

By including a question in their abandoned cart recovery email headline, Nordstrom, the fashion eCommerce store is making the shopper think about their decision of having abandoned the cart. Also, the line “... our looks go fast.” is urgency combined with top notch brand recall.

What works in this abandoned cart email template: 

• Adds a distinct style by experimenting with the fonts and compartmentalizing various parts of the email
• Keeps the benefits highlighted: free shipping and free returns
• Answers all possible customer questions with an FAQ link

20. ThredUp (A proposal that gets a "yes")

This one is really, really funny! Notice the headline: “Your cart is expiring”, and the body copy “I’m having abandonment issues” is quite playful, to say the least.

The image of the abandoned product along with its details is right in front and center, so there is no doubt what was left behind.

What works in this abandoned cart email example: 

• Keeps the copy and CTA fresh and humorous: abandonment issues and it’s meant to be
• Multiple incentives with slash pricing, a coupon code, and a referral discount
• Displays the product clearly to create strong product recall

21. Sugar Bear Hair (Tapping into the inner child)

American people spend more than $30 billion a year on dietary supplements.

Sugar Bear Hair stands out from the crowd with playful graphics like this illustrated gif, which get people to keep looking at their emails.

Customer support is offered upfront, a really smart choice when your product is about health benefits and you're trying to recover abandoned carts.

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

22. Asos (Jog the memory with a visual)

This ASOS email looks very similar to the store’s homepage, something that instantly triggers brand and experience recall.

The messaging is also on-brand, with some playful humor in the headline and copy.

This high converting abandoned cart email includes a picture of the item in the cart to jog the recipient’s memory.

It reminds recipients that there’s free delivery and it’s easy to return items. This removes the risk of completing the sale, which helps with conversions.

What works in this abandoned cart email example: 

• Creates a clutter-free interface by dividing the mail into multiple sections
• Keeps the focus on the product by dedicating almost the entire email to it
• Highlights benefits such as free shipping and easy returns at the bottom

23. Dollar Shave Club (Making them chuck dollar bills at you)

Dollar Shave Club is known for excellent marketing, so it’s no surprise that it’s one of the most appealing of our abandoned cart email examples. The bear covering its eyes is intriguing and will encourage recipients to read the email.

The copy is written in every day, laid-back language, which is perfect for the company’s audience.

This carries through to the customer testimonials, introduced with a “Don’t Just Trust Chuck” subhead.

What works in this abandoned checkout email: 

• Keeps the design and copy in brand with the mascot and words such as Chuck is bummin’ pretty hard and Shave time shave money
• Builds social proof by adding customer testimonials
• Focuses on customer retention and exclusivity with the CTA Join the Club

24. Hayneedle (When a good deal is all you need)

Home furnishings retailer Hayneedle knows how to sweeten the deal for shopping cart abandoners.

The email highlights an incentive discount in the subject line and first image. There’s a reminder of what’s in the cart.

The call to action button highlights the benefit of completing the order.

Their images of related products are on point – exactly what someone considering purchasing this item might want to look at.

What works in this abandoned cart email examples: 

• Makes the incentive in the form of discount unmissable
• Also shares the additional benefit of free shipping on top
• Shows the product in use by customers with an image

25. Away (An email you'll surely attend to)

Some of the best cart recovery emails are those that remind the receiver when they left in their cart.

Showing people the forgotten item personalizes the email and reminds them of what they’re potentially missing out on if they don’t take action.

You can mention the abandoned items in your body copy, illustrate with images and even include them in your subject line (if you’re feeling creative).

What works in this abandoned cart email template: 

• Keeps the copy playful and friendly: your shopping cart is like your luggage—it should never be left unattended
• Keeps the design minimal and on-brand by using brand colors
• Mentions all product details right within the email

26. Columbia (Announce a price drop) 

54% of customers will ultimately buy the product if it is offered later at a lower price. The perceived benefit of getting a product at a lower price is hard to turn down. 

Plus, savings is always a great tactic to convince users to buy, especially when recovering abandoned carts.

What works in this abandoned cart email template: 

• The font size for price drop messaging is bigger compared to the rest of the content
• 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. Studies have proven that shoppers start shopping for Black Friday as early as October with 40% of the searches happening in the four weeks leading to Black Friday. 

27. Nomad Goods (Address perceived risk with easy returns)

The hesitation to buy a product stems from the perceived risk of the product turning out to be lesser than expected.

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

67% of customers check the returns policy before making a purchase. This ensures a positive brand perception by customers.

More so, when the product in question is a consumer electronics product having an 8% return rate.

What works in this abandoned cart email template:

• Including Shop New Arrivals is an effective way to draw customers back to the site & restarting their journey in discovery
• The color palette for the CTA button acts as a perfect attention hook in compelling users to take action
• FAQ can enhance the user experience and improve brand trust

28. Society 6 (Reserve the cart for a limited time)

Society 6 reserves the cart for 48 hours, which conveys a sense of urgency compelling the users to act. 

Along with FOMO, this uses the principle of reciprocity. According to this principle, humans feel obligated to reward a kind gesture by doing something in return. 

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 which is the highest form of social proof
• Clever use of Just in Case—makes the customer experience distance from the possibility of a return

29. Chewy (Encourage Autoship payment)  

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Auto Shipping is a magic wand that can help you increase sales. 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 which can help you decide whether you need to spend more on acquiring new customers. 

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
• By promising 100% satisfaction and hassle-free returns you are reducing the feeling of buyer’s remorse

30. Adidas (Customization is the new customer magnet) 

Allowing customers to customize a product is customer centricity. When your product they like but don’t have a color they like, product customization can help conversions. 

As a matter of 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 win back customer 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%

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

31. Whisky Loot (Focus on conversations, not conversions)

Most customers don’t want to be sold to, they want to invest in an experience. WhiskeyLoot understands that and they’ve carefully tailored their cart recovery email to meet customers with that intent.

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 to present a list without causing information overload AND emojis to draw attention to select bullet points
• A super relatable CTA

32. Food52 (Amp up the aesthetic)

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 & enjoys enough negative space to create a sort of covert boundary.
• The design language on the abandoned cart email template has consistent colors and fonts working together
• The design layout is intuitive: customers don’t have to invest too much energy to get through the email

33. Jack Wills (Get your customers)

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.

That’s what Jack Wills understands and actively calls out by saying “don’t worry, we’ve got you”.

What works in this abandoned cart email template:

• Well detailed abandoned checkout email with all the necessary information: 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?

34. Rudy’s Barbershop (Build on FOMO)

We all know that FOMO works:  customers don’t want to miss out on things they like. Rudy’s understands that and they drive that message home in their email copy. 

The entire abandoned cart email template is designed to get customers to move quickly & convert — and sometimes that’s okay, as long as it’s done well.

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 & then drives intent with a cleverly placed discount code
• “Don’t put this off like a software update”—most headers don't get this good

35. Michaels Stores (Look at alternative financing)

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

A good way to bring them back: easy 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.

Michaels understands that and they’ve dedicated three separate sections on this email to recover abandoned carts.

What works in this abandoned cart email example:

• They’ve partnered with Affirm to bring to customers an alternative financing route that’s accessible (and beneficial) for everyone
• 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 wonderfully at the end of the email

36. Moschino (Speak your style)

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.

What does this mean? They can afford to be cheeky - and they do in this super creative abandoned cart email.

What works in this abandoned cart email example:

• The way this email is designed 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

37. Brooklinen (Make copy personal)

At Convertcart, we love good copy — and this Brooklinen email makes us happy.

It follows a GREAT copy principle: address customer queries as they think of them.

Good copy always takes into account a good flow. That’s how you nail an abandoned basket email.

What works in this abandoned cart email template:

• The email is well structured with 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 all those perks
• We love that trust seal at the end — and we love that there’s only one

38. Alex Mill (Less is more)

There’s something different about this email. Know what it is? Minimal text. The copy here is under 20% of the design and yet it adds more value.

There’s 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 value to the email: whether it’s the incentive line or the free shipping message
• The pictures speak for themselves and establishes the brand qualitatively in the customer's mind

39. ASICS (Highlight the lifestyle)

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 email example:

• Minimal use of copy and GREAT use of visual identity: highlights the lifestyle the brand represents and steers clear of anything that detracts from it
• There’s no sales, no marketing, no financing, no promotions — only plain clear brand speak — and we all know how much customers value that

40. Huckberry (Heads Up)

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:

• While the opening line in itself is great, we also appreciate how it flows through into the rest of the email. This 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. Makes the experience much easier for the customer.

TLDR: Abandoned Cart Email Strategy Tips

✔️ Use images to complement your copy to compel users to take action

✔️ Get creative with your unsubscribe message to reduce the odds of unsubscribing

✔️ Use suggestive cues to influence decision making

✔️ Offer product bundles increase the perceived value of the product, increases AOV, and provides value to customers

✔️ Offer an incentive on the first order to get shoppers to make a purchase.

✔️ Show multiple buying options for other categories too such as new arrivals and fall sale

✔️ Use product comparisons to show how much the customer can be benefit than other retailers

✔️ Create a visual recall by allowing the customers to see what products were added to the cart

✔️ Keep the copy focused and to the point without any excess information

✔️ Keep the email distraction-free along with a large-sized product image

✔️ Address the issue where customers forget what was in their cart by sharing a link to review it

✔️ Play on the scarcity effect by mentioning that products will be out of stock

✔️ Improve customer retention with Deals and Subscriptions section on top

✔️ Keep communication channels open on top with phone numbers and email

✔️ Highlight the product details in the email itself so that the customer can easily make up their mind

✔️ Add a distinct style by experimenting with the fonts and compartmentalizing various parts of the email

✔️ Answer all possible customer questions with a FAQ section

✔️ Create a clutter-free interface by dividing the mail into multiple sections

✔️ Build social proof by adding customer testimonials in the email

✔️ Reduce the feeling of buyer's remorse by promising 100% satisfaction and hassle-free returns

✔️ Add a  store finder option to win back cart abandonment users

✔️ Use bullet points to present a list without causing information overload  

✔️ Use emojis to draw attention to select bullet points that are especially important

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)

Tips for writing effective abandoned cart emails:

✔️ 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?

Now that we’re armed with solid examples of how successful online brands have been building their cart abandonment emails, we can get down to talking strategy, because in the end, that is what will actually define the success of your cart abandonment email campaign efforts.

The pertinent question eCommerce marketers and brand managers are faced with is this: “How many cart recovery emails should we be sending?”

And while there is no right or wrong answer to the question, there are still abandoned cart email best practices to follow.

Send too many of these and you’ll end up getting marked as spam by your recipients, send too little and you won’t get the desired results.

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

As a rule of thumb, you should send about 3 cart abandonment emails, somewhere between 10 minutes to 1 hour from the trigger event (trigger event here being them abandoning your cart), 24 hours, and 3 days respectively.

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

As they say, there’s no one size fits all when it comes to business.

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!

But it's not impossible to re-capture this lost sale. It's all about making a timely conversation and sending in a little reminder or offering that discount to give a little nudge.

The best way to do it is a 1-on-1 channel: Email.

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. 

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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.

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 

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).