Why abandoned cart emails are outdated in 2025

🚫 Stop sending Abandoned Cart and Abandoned Checkout emails. Well, at least stop sending the generic "you forgot something" emails. Let’s be honest—no one forgets they had a product in their cart. And your customers aren’t “lost.” They’re unconvinced. Here’s what’s actually happening 👇 🛒 Abandoned Checkout It’s not distraction. It’s hesitation. → Shipping takes too long → They got cold feet → The total cost scared them What to do instead: ✅ Send reviews from customers who hesitated but loved it ✅ Be clear about delivery times ✅ Ease their doubt, don’t guilt them ⏳ Winbacks They didn’t “forget” about you. They either didn’t feel the product’s impact or can’t justify the repurchase. What to do instead: ✅ Show what’s new since they left ✅ Introduce products better suited to their needs ✅ Send a real email from the founder asking how it went 👀 Abandoned Site or Cart It’s not that they weren’t interested. They just didn’t get it. What to do instead: ✅ Educate them—show benefits, not just features ✅ Use social proof to bridge the trust gap ✅ Simplify the next step Stop sending emails that sound like templates. Start sending emails that sound like they were written by someone who actually wants the customer to come back.

🛒 “𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴?” – 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗘𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 In its latest annual report for 2024, the DPA of Hesse discusses the legality of promotional emails to online shoppers who abandon their carts. Studies show that the abandonment rate for online purchases ranges from 65 to over 80 % depending on the sector. The DPA reports a high number of complaints associated with emails that companies send to re-engage shoppers who have left items in their carts without completing checkout. According to the DPA, this type of promotional emails is considered advertising and (usually) no contract relationship exists between the company and the customer. 𝗜𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲: 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 In all complaints received, there was no prior existing customer relationship and none of the data subjects had given their consent to data processing. Therefore, sending promotional emails to these individuals was not legally permissible under the GDPR. Since the transaction is not finalized, there is no actual contract, despite the fact that customers had provided their email address during the initiated ordering process. Therefore, such reminders constitute advertising and are only permissible with explicit consent in accordance with Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR in conjunction with Section 7 UWG (Unfair Competition Act; transposition of Art. 13 ePrivacy Directive). The wording must clearly indicate that the person is agreeing to the collection and processing of their data. Simply entering an email address during an online ordering process does not suffice. The assertion that these emails are pre-contractual measures and that the processing can be based on Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR is also legally unfounded. After the order process has been cancelled, promotional emails can no longer be justified as pre-contractual measures. 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 A different situation arises if the data subject has logged in with their account - so existing customers are affected. However, even in this case, additional UWG requirements (based on Art. 13 (2) ePrivacy Directive) apply: only advertising for similar products and services is allowed, there must be no customer objection, and information on the right to object must be provided in every email. In all cases reported to the DPA, the controllers were reprimanded (Art. 58 (2) (b) GDPR). Full text of the annual report is available here (in German): https://lnkd.in/dvrF6R29 #privacy #marketing #dataprotection #DSGVO #GDPR

I don’t know about you, but cart abandonment emails don’t cut it for me anymore. I know I left something in my cart. I left it there deliberately. I was either unsure about the product, too scared to pull the trigger, or couldn’t justify the price yet. “You left something in your cart!” emails don’t typically solve any of these problems for me. But you know what does? Having an actual person to help. Here are two clienteling approaches our top-performing brands use: 1️⃣ The in-store invite They use Endear to identify local “cart-abandoners” (this number would surprise you!). Then they send something like: "Hey! I noticed you left [item] in your cart. We actually have it in stock at our [location] store, just 3 miles from you. Want me to set up a fitting room so you can see it in person?” 2️⃣ Expert guidance For everyone else, they lead with expertise: "Hi there! I'm [name], and I noticed you were checking out [item]. I've been with [brand] for X years and know our products inside and out. Any questions I can answer to help you decide?” This kind of outreach is a GAME CHANGER, and it’s still wayyy underutilized.

Everybody’s sending abandoned cart emails—and that’s the problem. We’ve all seen them. You leave something in your cart, and within minutes, you get an email or SMS reminder. “Hi [First Name], you left this item in your cart! Don’t miss out!” Sound familiar? I used to think that was enough too. I’d set up abandoned cart flows with personalized touches—name, product details, maybe even a discount code—and call it a day. But here’s what happened: Customers would still abandon their carts without saying why. The rare few who replied had to wait for customer support to respond. By the time we got back to them, they’d lost interest, forgotten, or moved on. It felt like I was checking the box but still leaving conversions on the table. Here are 3 mistakes I made (and how I’d fix them today): 1️⃣ Mistake: Assuming abandoned cart reminders were enough. A basic “You left this behind” doesn’t solve the customer’s problem. *Fix*: Turn it into a conversation. Ask them why they didn’t complete their order. You might uncover objections you never even thought about. 2️⃣ Mistake: Relying on slow customer support to handle replies. When customers replied to cart reminders, their concerns went to a support queue, taking hours or even days to resolve. *Fix*: Use AI to respond instantly. Whether it’s answering a question about shipping or offering a personalized discount, fast responses keep customers engaged. 3️⃣ Mistake: Failing to close the loop. Even when we addressed their concerns, we often forgot to make it easy for them to finish their purchase. *Fix*: Always send a direct link back to their cart after resolving objections. Don’t make them search for it. --- What changed everything for me and my clients was automating the process with an AI Android. Instead of just reminding customers about their cart, it starts a real conversation. It asks why they didn’t check out, handles objections, offers solutions, and sends the link to complete the purchase—all in real time, automatically. --- If you’re still relying on basic abandoned cart emails, you’re missing out on easy wins. Every other brand is sending the same kind of abandon cart email and SMS, this is your chance to personalise the process and stand out. It’s time to go beyond reminders and start recovering those lost sales. DM me if you want to me a demo of our Abandon Cart AI Android.