An abandoned cart is one a shopper adds items to and then leaves without completing the order. Stores often separate it from an abandoned checkout, where the shopper started checking out and entered contact details before leaving.
Abandonment is normal: people compare prices, get distracted or were never ready to buy. But each abandoned cart is a sale that came close, which makes these shoppers some of the cheapest to win back.
- Fix the causes: show shipping costs early, offer the payment methods your customers expect, allow guest checkout and keep checkout fast.
- Send a reminder flow: a first email within hours, then one or two follow-ups that answer objections or add proof.
- Retarget: show retargeting ads featuring the products left behind.
Shopify can send an abandoned checkout email automatically, and email tools let you build longer flows with several messages.
Common mistakes: leading every reminder with a discount, which teaches shoppers to abandon on purpose, and sending too many messages. In the SellWinners Email Library you can filter for abandoned cart emails and read how other brands write them.