Understanding and Improving Repeat Purchase Rate
Repeat purchase rate is one of the most powerful levers in eCommerce. Learn how to measure it, benchmark it, and systematically improve it with AskBiz.
Why repeat purchase rate is the most important eCommerce metric
Acquiring a new customer costs 5–7× more than selling to an existing one. A business with a 30% repeat purchase rate is fundamentally different from one with a 10% rate — it requires less marketing spend to grow, has more predictable revenue, and builds higher LTV without increasing acquisition costs.
Repeat purchase rate is defined as the percentage of customers who make more than one purchase in a given period.
Repeat Purchase Rate = Customers who bought more than once ÷ Total unique customers × 100
Go to Customers → Retention → Repeat Purchase Rate in AskBiz.
Benchmarks by business type
Repeat purchase rates vary significantly by business model and category:
| Business type | Typical repeat rate (12-month) |
|---|---|
| Consumables / FMCG | 40–60% |
| Beauty & personal care | 30–50% |
| Fashion & apparel | 20–35% |
| Home & garden | 15–25% |
| Electronics | 10–15% |
| Subscription (all categories) | 60–80% |
If your repeat rate is below the lower end of your category benchmark, retention is a meaningful problem and improving it should be a top priority.
Analysing repeat purchase timing
The key to improving repeat purchase rate is understanding when customers naturally come back — and contacting them slightly before that window closes.
AskBiz generates a Repeat Purchase Timing Analysis (in Customers → Retention → Purchase Timing) that shows the distribution of days between first and second purchase for all customers who made a repeat purchase.
For example, if 60% of your repeat buyers made their second purchase within 45 days of their first, that is your optimal re-engagement window. Any customer who has not bought again by day 45 is at risk of churning — trigger a re-engagement campaign at day 35, before churn becomes likely.
Strategies to increase repeat purchase rate
Post-purchase email sequence: The most reliable driver of repeat purchases. A well-designed post-purchase email sequence (delivery confirmation → product tips/how-to → replenishment reminder → related product recommendation) drives 15–25% repeat purchase rate uplift.
Replenishment reminders: For consumable products (supplements, coffee, skincare), a timed replenishment email ('You are probably running low on X — order now') is highly effective. AskBiz tracks order dates and can trigger replenishment reminders automatically.
Loyalty programme: Offering points or cashback on repeat purchases increases purchase frequency. AskBiz tracks loyalty programme data from Smile.io and LoyaltyLion integrations.
Subscription option: Converting one-time buyers to subscribers is the highest-impact retention lever. Even a 10% subscription conversion rate significantly changes retention economics.
Tracking repeat purchase rate over time
Set repeat purchase rate as a KPI in AskBiz so you can track whether your retention efforts are working:
1. Go to Intelligence → KPI Tracker → Add KPI
2. Select Metric: Repeat Purchase Rate
3. Set a target (e.g. 'Increase from 18% to 25% by December 2025')
4. Set review frequency: monthly
AskBiz will include repeat purchase rate progress in your Daily Brief and alert you if the metric moves significantly in either direction.