How to Reclaim Lost Sales with Abandoned Cart Emails (+Examples)

A customer fills up their online cart and then—poof—they ghost you without checking out. If you run an e-commerce store, know that this happened to an average of 76.72% of carts in April 2025.

As normal as it sounds, abandoned carts are too lucrative a revenue opportunity to ignore. Luckily, they are recoverable. And it’s the abandoned cart email sequences, done right, that can help in this regard. We know it from our experience of working with over 5000+ clients in the last decade.

Now, cart recovery emails can’t hypnotize all cart abandoners to checkout and magically double sales. Some never had an intent to buy, and that’s okay. But there are some who are hesitant and need some reassurance before buying. So, it’s worth reminding cart abandoners to reconsider.

Let’s begin with understanding the vital components of abandoned cart emails. Post that, we will check out some interesting examples from brands to sharpen your cart abandonment email strategy.

9 Key elements of a great abandoned cart email

Let’s call these cart abandoners, checkout quitters – the site visitors who left behind their shopping carts without completing the purchase. The reason they abandoned the cart could be anything, from getting distracted by a funny cat video to a sudden existential crisis. 

But the outcome for you is one—lost revenue. 

An abandoned cart email is an email that you send to these checkout quitters to re-engage them. To gently remind them about the items they thought of buying but changed their mind. To convince them to return and make the purchase. 

There can be one-off cart abandonment emails or triggered emails for abandoned carts through automation. 

But do abandoned cart campaigns help make you money? Klaviyo says they do. 

The 2024 Klaviyo Benchmark Report says that abandoned cart emails are the most effective automated emails for getting people to buy. They mint the highest average revenue per recipient ($3.65) compared to all other automated email flows. Plus, they sport the highest conversion rate (3.33%). 

That’s a pretty good omen to understand what an effective abandoned cart campaign would look like. 

1. Hard-to-miss subject line

As in, clear, concrete, and something that draws readers in. 

Personalize them with the customer’s name, past browsing behavior, and the products they left in the cart. 

Just reminding them about left-at-checkout items isn’t enough. You need to rewire their beliefs—make a sale. So, paint the picture of what is instead of what isn’t. Help them imagine the pros of owning the product, not just the regret of missing out. 

Be clear. Be vivid. Be positively specific.

Like this:

• Ready to make it yours, Alex?
• The denim shirt in your cart is almost gone!
• Oooh, good choice! We set it aside for you…
• Don’t let free shipping go to waste!
• Your basket is having abandonment issues…

2. Brilliant copywriting

While other best practices work like a charm, it’s the solid copywriting that separates the brands that recover their lost sales with email from those who just look good, trying.

It’s the difference between: 

“They had compatibility issues,” and “He was a morning person. She thought brunch was a scam.”

Get the difference? One makes you nod. The other makes you feel. That’s exactly how you want your abandoned cart email copy to work. 

Clevr Blends knows this too well: 

Image Source: Email Love

As Clevr illustrates, make the copy persuasive as hell. But welcoming and without sounding aggressive. 

A basic trick to do that is to keep it simple and show your brand personality inside and out. If humor is your brand character, make sure the body copy latches onto it. Be bold. Be witty. Be visceral. 

Here’s how that looks in action:

Subject: Uh-oh, [First Name]—your cart is giving us puppy eyes 🛒
Body copy:
Hey [First Name],
We noticed you left something behind. (Don’t worry, we’re not mad—just a little heartbroken.)
Your cart’s been refreshing its inbox, hoping you’ll come back. It even wrote a haiku about you:
Forgotten treasures
Longing for a checkout click
[Brand Name] misses you
Ready to make things right? Click below to rescue your cart from eternal loneliness (and snag your [Product Name] before someone else does).
[Complete My Order]
Still not sure? Our team of highly trained squirrels is standing by to answer your questions, fetch snacks, or just cheer you on.
See you soon (we hope!),
The [Brand Name] Team

3. Incentive that feels like a gift

Convert reluctant abandoners into buyers with incentives. 

Ideally, incentives should reduce the friction that holds shoppers from buying from you. Is it product price, cost of shipping, or something else? Offer free shipping, discount codes, and limited-time offers accordingly. Or, enhance the effectiveness of the discount by making it time-bound. 

Can’t offer free shipping to everyone? That’s okay. Offer on select orders that exceed a certain amount. 

Image Source: RGE

Even better. Recommend products they could add to their carts to avail of free shipping. 

But refrain from overusing discount codes for every cart recovery email. Especially for not-so-high-value carts. To make more economical decisions, segment your audience. This will help you craft incentives based on the basket value and restrict lost margins.

4. Show what they left behind

Effective abandoned cart campaigns never assume shoppers remember what they left behind. It tells. And routes them to your online store. 

A plain list of items sure works, but not as much as a visual reminder. That’s why savvy retailers go with the “What’s in your cart” section. Create well-designed cart previews dressed up with product images, names, prices, and direct links back to the items. 

As in:

Image Source: Email Love

5. Social proof

One big reason people abandon their carts? Uncertainty. Maybe they’re wondering if the product is worth it. You’ve shown the best product on the planet. But if no one’s making the case for it, shoppers won’t take the plunge. 

So, sprinkle some social proof in your abandoned cart emails. 

• Customer reviews
• User-generated content
• “10,000+ happy customers” stats
• Those five-star ratings you’ve been collecting

Take a look at this email from The Good Patch.

Image Source: Email Love 

6. Personalized content

Punching in the customer’s name in the subject line and displaying abandoned items was just the beginning of email personalization. That’s the bare essentials now. You can do better. Hyper-relevant better. 

To make your abandoned cart emails feel like they were handcrafted, use different bits of data you already have. 

As in:

• If a shopper has a big-ticket cart, offer them a special discount or free shipping. For carts below the target amount,  promise them a giveaway if they complete their purchase.

Here’s an example:

• Check out their browsing and purchase history to suggest complementary or similar products in your abandoned cart email. 
• See if the customer is part of your rewards program, and check their points balance. Encourage them to use their rewards on the cart items.
• Use different messaging for first-time abandoners versus returning customers.

7. CTA as clear as the day

Skip the vague “Learn more” and be direct. Make it big. Make it bold. Make it obvious what happens when they click. Are they heading to checkout? Say that. Or back to their cart? Say that then. Bonus points if your CTA matches your tone of voice. 

A few faves that work:

• Return to Cart
• Take Another Look
• Shop Now
• Reclaim My Cart 
• View Bag 
• Check Out With 15% Off 

8. Alternative product recommendations

Not every cart abandonment means they weren’t interested. Maybe the product wasn’t the problem. Could’ve been the color. The price. Or the features. 

If they didn’t check out, show them what else is out there.

Deck your cart recovery emails with related products, bestsellers, or customer-approved favorites that match their browsing history. Highlight options that are popular, well-reviewed, or frequently bought together. 

Image Source: Email Love

9. ‘Just enough’ urgency

Indecisive shoppers sometimes need a push to hit “checkout.” A little reminder about the item they loved? It’s not on hold in the warehouse. If they wait too long, someone else might grab it.

Image Source: RGE

That’s why a hint of urgency is an essential component of a cart abandonment email. It lets your customers decide, but clarifies that hesitation could cost them.

You could say:

• Only 5 left in stock
• Almost sold out
• This offer ends soon
• Or include a countdown timer to show how long the deal lasts

What not to do? Funny business. False scarcity. Fake urgency. 

Authentic urgency helps customers make decisions. But if nothing’s actually selling out or there’s no real deadline, skip the urgency tactic altogether. Saying something’s almost gone when it’s not breaks trust—that’s hard to take back. 

Now that you’re equipped with the best practices and ready to ace your cart abandonment emails, let’s explore some standout examples for a dose of inspiration.

Inspirational abandoned cart email examples

1. Beast

Image Source: Email Love

Ever received a salesy abandoned cart email that shouts FOMO? Annoying right? We rarely click through such emails. Luckily, more brands are becoming aware of it, including Beast. 

Beast nails the art of driving urgency without implicitly saying it. Notice the “Why wait’ and lifestyle appeal?

Next, the brand takes a different approach than dropping a coupon. It emphasizes quality. The tone is calm, confident, and value-driven. It seems to understand that cart abandonment often buds from doubt and addresses it with a smart use of social proof.

Look closely and you’ll realize that super-specific customer reviews make conversation to resolve shopper concerns. Without the brand having to say a word.

And the minimalist email design. Ample white space, clean fonts, and pops of yellow for CTAs mirror the brand’s positioning and reiterate the product’s value.

All in all, a fine example of best practices for abandoned cart emails that you can easily model for your brand. 

2. Sonos

How do you recover lost sales when scarcity isn’t an issue? One approach is to de-risk like Sonos. The brand adopts a refined and customer-first approach in this abandoned cart email.

What’s not happening here? Luring abandoners with product discounts. 

Instead, Sonos recovers lost sales by offering transparency, support, and low-risk buying options—ideal for a premium product.

At the very top, Sonos addresses a common hesitation: shipping fees. Next, Klarna integration provides a flexible payment option, removing price-related friction. 

Then, instead of pushing a sale, Sonos leans into its risk-free trial, handling multiple buyer objections. 

Lastly, many shoppers abandon their carts because they have questions, especially when buying complex or expensive products. Sonos anticipates this with a dedicated Help section. A rare but impactful tactic of bringing the support into the cart recovery email. 

Image Source: RGE

There is a lot to learn from Sono’s abandoned cart email. Customer-first mindset. Overcoming objections. Making prospects feel supported throughout their decision-making journey.

3. Bite

An equally, if not more, compelling way to send customers back to their carts is a clean design and clever messaging. Bite does it well.

The brand playfully opens with “Waiting for a sign?” and hooks the reader. Followed by the supporting CTA—“THIS IS IT”. The clever copywriting keeps the tone bold and confident, in line with the brand’s quirky yet assertive voice. 

The email invites you to complete the purchase with a 10 percent discount coupon code highlighted with a bright green background. At the bottom, Bite tries to increase the average cart value by recommending images of related products. 

Image Source: Email Love

The subtle rotating ribbon with terms like “Clean Ingredients,” “Cruelty-Free,” and “Plastic-Free” reminds of Bite’s values—a powerful motivator for their eco-conscious audience.

If you, too, are about minimalism, try simplifying your abandoned cart emails as Bite does. Notice how the email is visually airy and easy to read. 

Bite’s abandoned cart email isn’t groundbreaking. But it’s a strong reminder that simple, well-executed tactics never go out of style. 

A Simple 3-Email Abandoned Cart Sequence (Using All 9 Key Elements)

Email 1: The Friendly Reminder (Sent within 1–2 hours)

 Prompt the shopper to return and complete their purchase while it’s still fresh.

Key elements used:
Hard-to-miss subject line
Brilliant copywriting
Show what they left behind
Clear CTA
Personalized content

Example:

• Subject Line: Your cart is waiting for you
• Body:
  • Address the user by name.
  • Remind them what they left in the cart with product images.
  • Keep the copy casual, friendly, and conversational: “Looks like you found something awesome. Let’s make it yours!”

Add a bright, clear CTA button: “Complete Your Purchase”

Email 2: The Reassurance Email (Sent 24 hours later)

Ease doubts, overcome objections, and lock in trust.

Key elements used:
Personalized content
Copywriting that addresses concerns
Alternative product recommendations
Just enough urgency
Clear CTA

Example:

• Subject Line: “Not quite sure? Here’s some help.”
• Body:
  • Mention flexible return policy or customer reviews to address hesitation.
  • Offer similar product recommendations in case they weren’t sold on the original one.
  • Add subtle urgency with a copy like “It’s not too late to feel good. You can still enjoy 15% off your first purchase with code ABCXYZ15–but it won’t last long.”
  • Keep CTA button clear: “Shop Now”
    

Email 3: The Final Nudge (Sent 48–72 hours later)

Create FOMO or offer an incentive to drive conversion.

Key elements used:
Incentive that feels like a gift
Strong copywriting
Hard-to-miss subject line
Clear CTA
Just enough urgency

Example:

• Subject Line: “A little gift to complete your order 🎁 (Ends tonight!)”
• Body:
  • Lead with a small discount or free shipping offer.
    
  • Frame it as a gift, not a pushy discount: “We’d love to see this item in your hands—here’s 10% off, just for you.”
  • Set in urgency. 
  • Finish with one final CTA: “Redeem Your Offer”
    

Next Steps…

Now that you understand what makes an abandoned cart email effective, it’s time to research more. If you’re still looking for answers to how to reduce cart abandonment, data can point you in the right direction. Check out our blog post on 40+ Abandoned Cart Email Rates for E-commerce. It’s packed with valuable insights to help you identify trends and take action where it counts.