Abandoned cart recovery is the practice of contacting shoppers who put products in an online cart or basket but left before completing the purchase. The follow-up is typically an automated email or SMS reminding them of what they left behind.
It works by capturing the shopper's email address or phone number, often at login or checkout, and detecting that a cart has sat idle for a set time. The ecommerce platform or marketing tool then sends a reminder, commonly one to three messages over a few days, and stops once the person buys.
Retailers use it for fashion, homewares and gifts, while hospitality venues use similar reminders for unfinished online orders or bookings. Messages can include the product image, a link straight back to the cart and, sometimes, a small incentive. Many shoppers leave for ordinary reasons such as comparing prices or being interrupted, so a simple reminder recovers some sales.
Check consent first. In Australia, marketing messages need consent and an unsubscribe option under the Spam Act, so confirm your platform handles this. Avoid discounting by default, because it teaches customers to abandon carts on purpose. Test timing and wording, and measure recovered revenue against sales that would have happened anyway.
Because the shopper has already shown intent, this is one of the more practical automations an online store can switch on. RetailCare sets up eCommerce stores and marketing automation, including cart follow-up.