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When you're scaling an e-commerce business, it's easy to focus on acquisition. New ads, new channels, new customers. But based on our research, you may be leaving money on the table if you’re not thinking about the people who’ve already bought from you.
What Percentage of E-Commerce Sales Come From Repeat Buyers?
We surveyed 100 e-commerce stores and found something consistent across industries, verticals, and store sizes:
40.9% of revenue comes from returning customers.
That means nearly half of all purchases are made by people who already trust the brand. Depending on the industry, it’s likely even higher for established stores with solid customer retention programs.
Returning Customers Are Key to Sustainable E-Commerce Growth
There are plenty of reasons to double down on retention, but here are three you can’t ignore:
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Higher AOV: Returning customers tend to spend more than new ones. They trust your product, know your brand, and are more likely to buy bundles or premium items.
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Lower CAC: You've already paid to acquire them once. Every repeat purchase improves your return on ad spend.
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Stronger LTV: The more often customers return, the more value you get from every acquisition channel.
What Retention Metrics Can You Track With ThoughtMetric?
ThoughtMetric helps e-commerce marketers get clear, product-level insights that make it easy to design retention campaigns that actually work. Here’s how:
See which products keep customers coming back
Want to know which products bring people back? The Product Attribution Dashboard shows you new vs. returning revenue by SKU, so you can plug high-retention products right into your campaigns.
Want to know which products bring people back? The Product Attribution Dashboard shows you new vs. returning revenue by SKU, so you can plug high-retention products right into your campaigns.
Analyze Retention by Channel, Campaign, Ad Set, and Ad
ThoughtMetric lets you dive deep into performance at every level. Identify which channels, campaigns, ad sets, or individual creatives are driving repeat purchases, so you can optimize for long-term growth.
Final Thoughts
Customer acquisition might get all the attention, but retention is where long-term growth happens. With 40.9% of revenue coming from returning customers, the smartest brands aren’t just tracking the first sale. They’re optimizing for the second, third, and beyond.
ThoughtMetric gives you the tools to understand what’s driving repeat purchases, which products lead to higher lifetime value, and how every campaign impacts retention. When you can see what’s working, you can scale it with confidence.
Ready to unlock deeper insights and build a smarter retention strategy?
Book a demo and see how ThoughtMetric can help you grow revenue from the customers who already love what you sell.
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