> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.upstackdata.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# New Customer Purchases: First-Time Buyer Conversions

> Track purchases from first-time buyers in your Shopify store. Measure customer acquisition performance, CAC, and new customer conversion trends.

<Tip>
  New Customer Purchases counts the total number of orders placed by first-time buyers — customers who have never purchased from your Shopify store before.
</Tip>

## Formula

<Info>
  **New Customer Purchases** = **COUNT** ( Orders ) **WHERE** customer\_type = new\_customer
</Info>

### Formula Components

| Metric                                                                                            | Definition                                                   |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Orders**                                                                                        | Individual purchase transactions from your Shopify store     |
| [**customer\_type = new\_customer**](/data-dictionary/measures-and-dimensions#visitor-dimensions) | Filters to orders from customers making their first purchase |

| Metadata        |                                                              |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Type**        | Number                                                       |
| **Data Source** | [Upstack Pixel](/pixel), [Shopify](/sources/catalog/shopify) |
| **Aggregation** | Count                                                        |

***

## Example

Your Shopify store received **1,247 orders** in January. Of those, **412 were New Customer Purchases** — first-time buyers who had never ordered before.

| Period   | Total Orders | New Customer Purchases | NC Rate |
| -------- | ------------ | ---------------------- | ------- |
| January  | 1,247        | 412                    | 33%     |
| February | 1,089        | 389                    | 36%     |
| March    | 1,456        | 521                    | 36%     |

***

## How It Works

Upstack identifies new customers by checking purchase history against your Shopify order data. When a customer places an order and has no prior transactions in your store, that order counts as a New Customer Purchase. This attribution persists across sessions and devices through Upstack's identity resolution.

***

## When to Use

| Scenario                              | Action                                                                            |
| ------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Measuring acquisition campaigns       | Compare New Customer Purchases before and after launching acquisition-focused ads |
| Evaluating prospecting vs retargeting | Track ratio of new vs returning customer purchases by channel                     |
| Forecasting growth                    | Project customer base expansion using new customer conversion trends              |
| Calculating customer acquisition cost | Divide acquisition spend by New Customer Purchases to find CAC                    |

***

## Related Metrics

| Metric                                                                   | Relationship                                     |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------ |
| [New Customer Revenue](/reference/metrics/funnel/conversions/nc-revenue) | Revenue generated from these purchases           |
| [New Customer AOV](/reference/metrics/funnel/conversions/nc-aov)         | Average order value for first-time buyers        |
| [Total Orders](/reference/metrics/orders/counts/orders)                  | All orders including new and returning customers |
| [New Customers](/reference/metrics/orders/customers/new-customers)       | Unique count of first-time buyers                |

[See all Conversion metrics →](/reference/metrics/funnel/conversions)