Abandoned cart recovery — Remind shoppers what they left, and answer what stopped them
Abandoned cart recovery sends a reminder to shoppers who added items to their cart and left without paying. The message shows what they left and links back to the saved cart. Replies with questions about sizing, shipping or stock go to a person or a website assistant.
By Julia Ja, Owner
Cart reminder · email
Wed 10:05 pmStore (automated): You left a dome tent and 2 sleeping pads in your cart. Shipping options and our returns policy are below. Your saved cart: [link]
Shopper: Does the tent fit four people?
Store (automated): Thanks, your question is with our team, and your cart stays saved.
Why it matters
The problem it solves
Many shoppers add items to a cart and leave before paying. Some got distracted, some were comparing prices, and some had a question nobody answered.
Most stores send one generic email, if any. It may not show what was left or answer common worries, and it often hands a discount to people who would have bought anyway.
Baymard Institute puts the average documented online cart abandonment rate at 70.22%, across 50 studies.
Example · illustrative
An online outdoor gear store on a weeknight
- At 9:20 pm a shopper adds a tent and two sleeping pads to her cart, then closes the tab at the shipping step.
- Later that evening she gets an email showing the items, the shipping options and the returns policy, with a link to the saved cart.
- She replies to ask whether the tent fits four people.
- The next morning a staff member answers with the floor size, and she completes the order from the link.
How it works
How abandoned cart recovery works
- Starts whenA shopper with a known email or phone number leaves checkout without paying
- 1Step 1Wait a littleA short delay gives shoppers time to finish on their own before any message goes out.
- 2Step 2Send the reminderAn email or text shows the items left in the cart and links to the saved cart.
- 3Step 3Follow upOne or two later messages can answer common worries, like shipping cost, returns or sizing.
- A person decidesDecide on offersThe owner decides whether a discount is ever used, and for which products or customers.
- 5Step 5Stop on purchaseMessages stop as soon as the order is placed, on any channel.
Before · by hand
- Abandoned carts show up in the store admin, but nobody follows up.
- The store's default email is generic and never changed.
- Shoppers with a question have no easy way to ask it.
- Discounts go to everyone, including people who would have bought anyway.
With abandoned cart recovery
- Each abandoned cart gets a reminder that shows the items.
- Follow-ups answer the common reasons people hesitate.
- Replies reach a person or the website assistant.
- Offers go out only where the owner chooses.
What we build
The parts of abandoned cart recovery
Your systems
- Shopify
- WooCommerce
- Klaviyo
- Mailchimp
- Stripe
- Twilio
What we build
1Checkout tracking
Connects to the store, booking or signup system to see started checkouts with a known email or phone.
2Saved cart link
A link that reopens the exact cart, with items, sizes and quantities kept.
3Follow-up series
One reminder and up to two follow-ups, each answering a common worry such as shipping, returns or sizing.
4Offer rules
Optional discounts limited to the products and customers the owner chooses, off by default.
5Stop and reply handling
Messages stop when an order is placed on any channel, and replies go to a person or the website assistant.
Your team decides
- The owner decides on any discount and which products it covers.
- Staff answer the shopper questions that reminders bring in.
Industries it fits
What abandoned cart recovery looks like in each industry
Retail & ecommerce
Shopify or WooCommerce carts trigger a Klaviyo email with product photos and a link to the saved cart. Items that sold out since are left out, so the shopper isn't sent back to an empty page.
Everything for retail & ecommerceYour industry isn’t listed, or works differently? Describe it and get an answer in a minute.
Getting started
What you need first
We go through these with you in the audit, before anything is built.
Before we start
5 things to have ready- An online store, booking or signup system that records started checkouts with contact details.
- Marketing consent captured at checkout, where your area requires it.
- An email or text tool, or permission to add one.
- A decision on discounts: whether to use them, on what, and for whom.
- Someone to answer the shopper questions that come back.
How a rollout runs
- 1Check the checkout dataWe confirm which checkouts capture an email or phone, and whether consent is recorded.
- 2Find what stops peopleWe read common questions and support emails to choose what each follow-up should answer.
- 3Build and connectWe set up the saved cart links, the message series and the stop rules in your store and email tools.
- 4Test real checkoutsWe abandon test carts on desktop and phone, then check every message, link and stop rule.
- 5Launch and compareMessages go live, and we compare recovered orders with and without each follow-up or offer.
What to measure
How to know it's working
Weekly report · abandoned cart recovery
IllustrationAbandoned checkouts with contact details
Only these can be reached. A low share points to the checkout form.
Orders recovered after a reminder
The main outcome, counted only when the order follows a message.
Discounts given on recovered orders
Shows whether offers are needed, or reminders alone do the job.
Replies with questions
Questions that repeat are worth answering on the product page itself.
Unsubscribes after reminders
A rise means the series is too frequent or too pushy.
We measure the baseline before building, so the change can be compared afterwards.
When it’s not a fit
- It only reaches shoppers who gave an email or phone. Anonymous visitors can't be reminded.
- If people leave because of a surprise shipping cost or a broken checkout, fix that first. Reminders won't overcome it.
- A discount in every reminder can teach shoppers to leave carts on purpose.
- Texts need clear marketing consent. Check what your checkout collects before adding SMS.
Tool or custom build
Do you need a custom build?
Option A · a ready-made tool
An off-the-shelf tool may be enough
Shopify has built-in abandoned checkout emails, and Klaviyo and Omnisend offer cart flows with product images and texts. For most stores on one platform, these are the right place to start.
Option B · built around your systems
When a custom build is worth it
A custom build makes sense for B2B portals, or booking and registration systems without built-in recovery. It also fits when replies should reach a sales rep or website assistant.
Not sure which fits?
What it typically costs
Typical ranges as of October 2026. Not a quote.
Ready-made tool, set up by us
An existing platform on your own account, configured for your business.
- Setup, one timepaid to Lorryn
- $750–$1,500
- Tool subscriptionpaid to the provider
- $15–$75 / month
Fits when your process matches what the platform already does.
Custom build
Built around how you work, with no platform subscription. You own it.
- Build, one timebasic version to full version
- $2,000–$5,000
- Running costshosting and usage, on your accounts
- ~$10–$40 / month
Fits when your systems, rules or exceptions don't match a ready tool.
Optional Automation Care: $125 · $250 · $375 / month
1, 2 or 3 hours of support a month, with monitoring and alerts included. Without it, you run it yourself after handover.
Typically works with Shopify, WooCommerce, Klaviyo, Mailchimp.
Booking into or writing to your field-service, practice or shop software adds up to $500 to the ready-made tool (often a built-in feature) and $500–$1,500 to a custom build.
Your price depends on volume, the systems involved and how many exceptions need a person. Our team confirms a fixed price before any work starts.
Proof and who stays in charge
Who does what
The automation does the routine steps. A person makes the call.
- 1Wait a littleAutomated
- 2Send the reminderAutomated
- 3Follow upAutomated
- 4Decide on offersA person
- 5Stop on purchaseAutomated
Consent and privacy
Reminders go only to shoppers who gave their email or phone and agreed to marketing where required, with an easy way to opt out. Payment details stay with the payment processor.
FAQ
Questions about abandoned cart recovery
Shopify has a basic abandoned checkout email. We can build on it with texts, product-specific follow-ups and answers to common questions.
No. Discounts stay off unless you turn them on, and you choose the products and customers they apply to.
Recovery only works for shoppers the store can contact, such as those who entered an email at checkout or are logged in.
Yes. Any checkout, booking or registration that was started and not finished can trigger a reminder.
Yes, to shoppers who agreed to texts. Email and text both stop once the order is placed.
Sold-out items are left out of the reminder, or the message suggests a replacement you chose.
Yes, when the store knows the shopper's language or runs a Spanish version of the site.
Cart and contact data stay in your store and email tools. Payment details stay with the payment processor.
Related use cases
Often built together
- Calls & leadsInstant lead responseReplies to new web, ad and lead-site inquiries right away by text or email, with a next step.
- Calls & leadsWebsite chat assistantAnswers visitor questions from your own content, captures leads and bookings, and hands off when unsure.
- Customer communicationWin-back campaignsFinds customers who haven't returned and sends them a message based on their history.
Want abandoned cart recovery for your business?
Pick the step that suits you. Every path starts with how the work runs today, and we'll say honestly whether it's worth automating.
- Right now · any hour
Ask Lorryn AI
Describe your process and get a first answer in a minute: what to automate, what it connects to, and a rough estimate.
- Free · 15 or 30 minutes
Talk to our team
Bring one process to a video call. Leave knowing whether it’s worth automating and how.
- Free · 6 of 15 spots left
Get a free written plan
Free for businesses with 3 or more employees, while spots last (normally $250).
Claim a free audit9 of 15 claimed