Cart abandonment is the single largest source of lost revenue for most online stores — industry-wide, roughly 70% of carts are abandoned before checkout completes. The good news: a well-timed recovery sequence routinely recovers 10–15% of that "lost" revenue without spending anything on new traffic. StoreKit tracks abandoned carts automatically; here's how to actually recover them.
Why carts get abandoned in the first place
- Unexpected costs revealed at checkout (shipping, taxes, fees)
- Being asked to create an account before they can pay
- A slow or confusing checkout flow
- Price comparison — they're browsing, not buying yet
- Payment failures or a lack of their preferred payment method
The three-email sequence that works
Rather than a single reminder, a short sequence spaced over a few days consistently outperforms a one-off email — it catches customers at different points of reconsideration.
- Email 1 (1 hour after abandonment): A gentle, no-discount reminder — "You left something in your cart." At this stage most abandoners just got distracted; a discount here trains customers to always abandon for a coupon.
- Email 2 (24 hours later): Address objections directly — mention free shipping if applicable, show reviews or a trust signal, and make the CTA prominent.
- Email 3 (48–72 hours later): A small, time-limited incentive (5–10% off, expiring in 24 hours) for customers who still haven't converted. This is the one place a discount earns its cost.
Subject lines that actually get opened
- "Still thinking it over?" — low-pressure, curiosity-driven
- "Your cart is waiting (and so is free shipping)" — leads with the objection-killer
- "Last chance: your 10% off expires tonight" — for the final email only
- Avoid ALL CAPS and excessive emoji — they trigger spam filters and read as low-trust
What actually goes in the email
Show the exact products left in the cart with images — this alone recovers customers who simply forgot what they were looking at. Include one clear, high-contrast "Complete your order" button that deep-links directly back to their cart, not just the homepage. Keep the copy short: the product images and the button do most of the work.
Set it up once in StoreKit
Under Sales → Abandoned Carts, StoreKit surfaces every cart with contact details captured, and the Newsletter/messaging tools let you configure timed follow-ups without needing a separate email platform. Start with the three-email sequence above, watch your recovery rate for two weeks, then adjust timing and discount size based on what your own customers respond to.