How to Measure Ecommerce Retention Rate in 2025

When you’re running an ecommerce store, getting new customers feels like the goal. But the real money? That comes from getting people to come back.

That’s what ecommerce retention is all about. And if you’re not tracking your ecommerce retention rate, you’re basically flying blind.

Let’s fix that.

Wait, What Is Ecommerce Retention Rate?

Let’s keep it simple:
Ecommerce retention rate tells you how many of your customers actually come back and buy again.

Imagine 100 people placed an order last month. If 25 of them came back this month and made another purchase, your ecommerce retention rate is 25%.

It’s a number that shows how sticky your business really is.

Why You Should Even Care About Retention in the First Place

We get it—there’s always a shiny new marketing channel promising more new customers. But here’s why retention matters more in 2025 than ever:

• Acquiring new customers costs 5–7x more than keeping existing ones

• Repeat customers spend more (often 2–3x more than first-timers)

• It’s predictable — better retention = more stable growth

If you’re constantly chasing new buyers and ignoring your existing ones, your growth will always feel… fragile.

A strong ecommerce retention system turns first-time buyers into your best long-term customers.

How to Measure Your Ecommerce Retention Rate (The Right Way)

Alright, let’s talk numbers. Here's how to actually calculate your ecommerce retention rate.

Step 1: Pick a Timeframe

Most stores measure retention monthly or quarterly. For this example, we’ll use a 30-day period.

Step 2: Get Your Customer Numbers

You’ll need two numbers:

• Total customers at the start of the month

• Customers who returned and bought again during that month

Formula:

Example:

Let’s say on January 1, you had 500 customers.
By January 31, 125 of those same people made another purchase.

Your ecommerce retention rate = (125 ÷ 500) × 100 = 25%

That’s it. Simple, but powerful.

But What If I Use Shopify or Another Platform?

If you’re on Shopify, Klaviyo, or a similar tool, chances are it gives you customer analytics.
But here's the thing: those tools often blur the numbers or use their own definitions.

To really understand your ecommerce retention, go into your customer reports and filter by:

• Repeat purchases

• First-order vs second-order behavior

• Time between purchases

You’ll get a much clearer picture that way.

Or—if you want to skip all that—Evolvoom.io tracks your retention rate for you and improves it by having smart conversations with past buyers. (More on that in a sec.)

How to Know If Your Retention Rate Is “Good” or Not

There’s no one-size-fits-all, but here are some rough benchmarks:

So if you're hitting 25%+, you're doing well.
If it's below 15% time to take a closer look.

Either way, the ecommerce retention rate is something you can (and should) improve.

What Affects Your Ecommerce Retention Rate?

Your retention isn’t just a number—it reflects how customers feel after they buy. If they ghost you after one order, here’s why that might be happening:

• Your product didn’t meet expectations

• There was no follow-up

• They forgot about you (yep, it happens)

• You treated everyone like a lead, not a person

Retention isn't about tricks. It's about building trust after the sale.

How to Improve Retention (And Make the Number Go Up)

You’re probably thinking, “Okay, cool. But how do I actually make my retention rate better?”

Here’s the low-lift approach that works in 2025:

Start With a Simple Check-In

No promo. No pitch. Just a quick “Hey, did everything arrive okay?”
You’d be shocked how effective that is.

Follow Up at Smart Intervals

The best retention doesn’t feel like marketing. It feels like support.
Try:

• 7 days after delivery: check-in

• 30 days later: recommendation or review request

• 60–90 days later: new product drop or offer

Automate It—But Make It Feel Human

Here’s where Evolvoom.io comes in.
It sends real-sounding messages over email or SMS that actually feel like someone from your team is reaching out. Not a bot. Not a template.

Customers respond. They re-engage.
And guess what? Your ecommerce retention rate starts climbing.

A Few Other Metrics to Watch Alongside Retention

If you’re digging into retention, you might also want to track:

• Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): Total revenue per customer

• Repeat Purchase Rate: % of customers who bought more than once

• Time Between Orders: Shows how often customers return

Tracking these together paints a full picture of how well you're keeping people around.

Your Business Grows Depends on Retention Rate

Getting more customers is fun.
But keeping the ones you’ve got? That’s where the profit lives.

And the best part? Measuring your ecommerce retention rate isn’t hard.

It’s just overlooked.

Start tracking it. Watch it closely.
And if you want an easier way to improve it, let AI do the follow-up for you.

👉 Try Evolvoom’s AI Retention Assistant

It’s like hiring a customer rep who never sleeps—and never forgets to check in.