Abandoned cart recovery is one of the highest-ROI marketing automations in ecommerce — recovering 5–15% of abandoned checkouts with a well-configured flow. WooCommerce stores typically use a plugin (CartFlows, Recover WooCommerce Cart Abandonment) for this. Shopify has native abandoned checkout emails plus deep integrations with Klaviyo and other platforms that offer more sophisticated flows. Setting these up on day one of migration directly protects revenue.

Shopify's native abandoned checkout emails

Shopify sends automatic abandoned checkout emails to customers who:

Reached the checkout (entered their email address), then left without completing payment
Are sent one email, 10 hours after abandonment (default timing; configurable)
Settings: Shopify admin → Marketing → Automations → Abandoned checkout

The native email includes the cart contents and a link back to the checkout. It's simple but works. Enable it on day one as a baseline — it requires no configuration beyond enabling.

Klaviyo abandoned cart flow

Klaviyo is the most popular email marketing platform for Shopify stores and offers a more sophisticated abandoned cart sequence:

Multiple emails: Email 1 (1 hour after), Email 2 (24 hours after), Email 3 (72 hours after) — each with different messaging
Email 1: gentle reminder, no discount
Email 2: create urgency ("Only X left in stock" if inventory allows) or social proof
Email 3: discount code offer (optional — only if needed; many recover without discount)
Split testing: A/B test subject lines, send times, discount offers
Real-time cart data synced from Shopify: Klaviyo knows exactly which products were in the cart

SMS abandoned cart recovery

SMS recovery has higher open rates than email (typically 90%+ open rate vs 30–40% for email):

Only send to customers who have explicitly consented to SMS marketing
Platforms: Klaviyo (email + SMS in one platform), Omnisend, Postscript, Attentive
UK regulations: must comply with PECR — explicit consent required for marketing SMS
SMS recovery messages should be brief: "Hi [Name], you left something in your cart. Complete your order: [link]"
Discount in SMS: use carefully — discount in SMS can train customers to abandon on purpose

Exit-intent capture

Exit-intent popups appear when a visitor's cursor moves toward closing the browser tab — an opportunity to capture email or offer an incentive before they leave:

Apps: Privy, OptiMonk, Sleeknote — all have Shopify integrations
Typical offer: "Get 10% off your first order — enter your email" or "Unlock free shipping"
Captured email feeds into abandoned cart flow if they then add to cart and leave
Exit-intent popups increase the pool of "known" cart abandoners that email flows can reach

Browser push notifications

Browser push notifications (appear as system notifications on desktop/mobile) can recover abandons from anonymous visitors who haven't provided an email:

Apps: PushOwl, Firepush
Opt-in rate is typically 5–15% of site visitors (lower than email but captures anonymous users)
Push notification for abandoned cart: shows product image, price, and "Complete purchase" CTA
More intrusive than email — use sparingly (1 push notification, not a sequence)

Discount strategy

The discount decision in abandoned cart recovery is commercially important:

Sending an immediate discount trains customers to abandon deliberately to receive it — avoid discounts in Email 1
Many stores successfully recover 8–12% of abandoned carts with zero-discount emails (urgency and reminders only)
If using a discount, Email 3 (72 hours+) is the appropriate place — only for customers who haven't responded to two non-discount messages
Time-limited discount: "Your 10% code expires in 24 hours" creates genuine urgency

Post-migration abandoned cart checklist

Shopify native abandoned checkout email enabled (immediate baseline)
Klaviyo or Omnisend connected to Shopify; abandoned cart flow created
Flow: 3-email sequence (1h, 24h, 72h) with escalating urgency/incentive
SMS recovery: only for opted-in SMS subscribers; PECR consent in place
Exit-intent popup: configured with email capture and incentive
Flow tested: place an abandoned checkout and verify all emails arrive
Discount strategy decided: discount in Email 3 only, or no discount at all
Unsubscribe link present in all abandoned cart emails (legal requirement)

Shopify abandoned cart recovery after migrating from WooCommerce (2026)