8 Best eCommerce Abandoned Cart Email Optimisations & Strategies (2025)

💬 Recouping customers from abandoning their cart can really impact businesses doing serious transaction volume in a positive way (and vice versa when there are leaks) - and this basically applies to all types of eCommerce businesses (even small online stores) during really peak selling periods like Black Friday/Cyber Weekend and Christmas.

This is where optimising and testing cart abandonment emails/sequences can play a big role in winning back customers (both new and existing).

Experiments, tactics and cart abandonment email optimisations that can win back customers (and improve CRO for more revenue)

💬 I've put together a checklist of abandonment email tactics that have worked from first-hand experience, as well as what I've seen from key brands you probably know of.

Goes without saying, but ensure to have the most important attributes related to the purchase and customer details clear. 

Ensure to have the customer’s name in subject line, and even the header/body of the email. 

Additionally, make it clear the products they’ve left (in the cart) - highlight the price, order volume, and totals. 

Then, add in other key elements like clear CTA, and other conversion elements - which I mention in the below checklist points.

Bonus: love the fact in this example from Huckberry, where they’ve included a “more good stuff” section - good cross-selling exposure, which isn’t distracting from the core email.

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This is particularly important for first-time purchasers who have potentially abandoned due to price or they might be researching/browsing through other sites/competitors who may have a similar product they’re looking for - (although do remember, people can abandon for various reasons). 

You can highlight USPs related to: 

• Specific product categories (which you can possibly even make dynamic - although bit of setup work. Maybe do just for top sellers)
• Business-level USPs (Australia-made for instance)
• And even the likes of offer and delivery (free shipping, etc)

And this certainly applies with those who are existing customers and bought before. If you know this, potentially consider testing different messaging. 

Particularly for first-time customers, the goal should be a streamline purchase to selling and a well-optimised site, but you do need to highlight trust factors (i.e. social proof) to accelerate trust, credibility and confidence levels to purchase. 

The same goes for emails within an abandoned cart sequence - just small elements such as 3rd-party review embeds, reviews from happy customers, UGC (say from Instagram), etc - can help with getting customers across the line. 

With the above components and areas being implemented and tested, another key factor to help get customers across the line is having offers/incentives. 

Typically, most brands do an ‘offer-wide’ abandoned cart sequence, but there’s certainly opportunities to do personalised dynamic emails based on what’s in the cart - and that’s through attributes. 

For example, if you know there’s X amount in the cart (AOV level), potentially you can automate a tailored offer for this. 

Or perhaps, do tailored offers for certain products (or categories). 

This is certainly worth thinking about more if you experience high-volume of abandons (because this works better for larger companies with scale).

Many brands follow the same ‘format’ when it comes to abandoned emails - so why not try stand out and add some personality/flavour which is ‘fun’?

This email from Rudy’s is a great example (we all experience it, right?) :)

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Highlighting personality (with some fun copy) does a long way to be remembered against other brands.

Oh, and how good is this example from 'Sometimes Always' (brilliant).

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As part of your cart abandoned sequence during busy seasonal/campaign periods (for example, Black Friday/Cyber Weekend and Christmas), then consider a ‘custom’ sequence to get visitors/customers across the line. 

This is particularly a good point to consider (and have seen numerous brands do this) during really busy periods, where everyone's competing for attention and shouting to the rooftop with various offers. 

Check out below the abandoned email example from Grove Collaborative.

If you run a loyalty/rewards program, something to consider is how to tie both an ‘incentive’ and a way to encourage abandoned customers that they can get awesome value and perks (like points) if they complete their purchase. 

Love what Fabletics have done here in this reference - “there’s an offer waiting for you…”

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Just like you see with CRO with product pages and overall website elements, the same goes with email - and this can (and should) apply to abandon sequence emails. 

Based on attributes and what’s been setup, you can customise what you say and highlight (like I have mentioned above). 

However, these elements should be incorporated regardless if you have a basic or advanced setup: 

• Include free shipping offer (like a threshold) to remind users they can save on shipping fees (which can be a key factor)
• Highlight and remind visitors/customers they can can transact with BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) as a payment method (especially needed for expensive/high-value items)
• Include trust badges/icons where required (again, important for higher-priced transactions)
• And add some FOMO-based messaging - good example below from Chatters.

These combined with a great incentive/offer and personalised attributes should help improve conversions.

What are some awesome and top-rated (in your view) cart abandonment emails?

I've already shared a few top references above through this checklist, but here are three more I personally quite like, and I've jotted down reasons as to why. :)

Example #1

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• Awesome and beautifully-designed email from the brand, Grove Collective - structure from top to bottom is superb. 
• This is a great baseline for an offer (being “free gift set”) for an abandonment sequence. 
• Clear USP/standards section and socials in footer.
• Links to other relevant categories/areas.

Example #2

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• Love this from Chatters - simple and really effective to communicate a level of ‘FOMO’ with a catchy headline. 
• Free shipping (Free orders over $75+) grey headline bar - perfect to sit at the top and is clear when people open
• Added personalised first name 
• Product attributes and hyperlinks to each item
• USPs and BNPL option as a reminder (Klarna)

Example #3

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• Great example reference from Pulp & Press - well laid out and love key elements included - such as the headline (like it!), the “you might also like…” cross-selling section, and ‘Earn Rewards’ section (another softer hook).