Abandoned carts are money left on the table.

The good news? A well-crafted email sequence can recover 15–30% of those lost checkouts—without discounts or desperation.

In this guide, we’ll break down:

• How abandoned cart emails work 
• What kind of ROI you can expect 
• Real examples from brands using this strategy 
• Tips to write sequences that convert (not annoy)

What Are Abandoned Cart Emails?

 

These are automated emails triggered when a customer adds items to their cart but doesn’t complete checkout. The goal is to:

• Remind them 
• Reassure them 
• Bring them back to buy 

Timing and copy are everything. Done right, these emails become one of the highest-earning flows in e-commerce.

What’s the Average ROI?

At Retain Marketing, we’ve seen abandoned cart flows generate:

• 15–30% recovery rates 
• Between $5K to $20K/month, depending on list size + traffic volume 

As much as £910 from one campaign to just 7,600 subscribers
(see the case study here)

 

A 3-Email Flow That Converts

Here’s a simple framework we use for our clients:

📨 Email 1: Reminder (Sent after 1–2 hours)

• Subject: “Did something distract you?” 
• Copy: Friendly reminder + product image + no pushiness 

🧠 Email 2: Objection Handler (Sent after 24 hours)

• Subject: “Still thinking it over?” 
• Copy: Answer common doubts (shipping, fit, refund policy, etc.) 
• Optional: Include a client review 

🔥 Email 3: Scarcity or Offer (Sent after 48–72 hours)

• Subject: “We saved your cart (but not forever)” 
• Copy: Introduce urgency or small incentive (if relevant)

 

Why Most Brands Get This Wrong

 

• They send just one email and stop 
• They offer discounts too early 
• They don’t speak to buyer hesitation 
• They reuse generic copy that feels robotic 

Your emails should feel like a helpful human—not a system.

 

Real Results

One of our clients, Jubilee Scents, ran a version of this and saw:

• £910.24 in revenue from a single abandoned cart send 
• With just 20 orders

→ That’s the power of relevance, timing, and segmentation.

 

Want Us to Build It for You?

We create high-performing abandoned cart flows (and much more) for ecommerce and service brands on a monthly retainer.

✅ Strategy
✅ Copy
✅ Design
✅ A/B Testing
✅ Platform Management
✅ Analytics

💡 Want to estimate your potential ROI?
Use our Email ROI Calculator or book a free strategy call.

 

TL;DR: How to Recover 15–30% of Lost Sales with Abandoned Cart Emails

 

• Ecommerce brands typically recover 15–30% of abandoned carts with a well-timed 3-email sequence.

• A strong abandoned cart flow includes:

  1. Reminder email (1–2 hrs after)

  2. Objection handling (24 hrs after)

  3. Urgency or offer (48–72 hrs after)

• Real results: Jubilee Scents made £910.24 from a single send to 7,680 subscribers.

• Retain Marketing sets up these flows on retainer, including copy, testing, segmentation, and platform management.

Common Prompts This Blog Answers

 

• How many sales can you recover with abandoned cart emails?

• What’s the best abandoned cart email sequence in 2025?

• How do you structure abandoned cart flows for Shopify or Klaviyo?

• What open and conversion rates are normal for abandoned cart emails?