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The average value of a customer’s first order at full price: products only, before discounts, shipping, tax or refunds.

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Formula

New Customer Gross AOV = New Customer Gross Revenue ÷ New Customer Orders

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Formula Components

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How It Works

Upstack marks each Shopify customer’s earliest non-cancelled order as their new-customer order. For each of those orders it multiplies every line item’s price by its quantity and adds them up. That’s gross revenue: the cart at full price. New Customer Gross AOV is the average of that across all first orders in the period. What’s left out matters as much as what’s in:
  • Discounts aren’t subtracted. A first order with a 20% welcome code counts at its full-price value.
  • Shipping and tax aren’t included, unless your store’s prices already include tax.
  • Refunds aren’t subtracted.
Because each customer has exactly one new-customer order, this is also gross first-order revenue per new customer. Multiply it by New Customers and you get New Customer Gross Revenue.

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Example

A coffee brand adds a $64 starter kit to its landing pages in March to lift first orders above single bags. Gross AOV rose $10.00, but Net AOV rose $7.60, because the kit launched with a bigger first-order discount. The kit worked. Gross AOV shows what shoppers put in the cart, and Net AOV shows how much of that lift the store kept.

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How to Interpret It

A rising value means first-time buyers are putting more in the cart at full price: bundles, kits, higher prices, or a shift in which channels bring new customers. Check New Customer Units Per Order to see whether it’s more items or pricier ones. A falling value often follows an entry offer like samples or a low-priced trial. That’s not a problem if those customers come back, which the lifetime value metrics will show. Read it with Net AOV. The gap between this metric and New Customer Net AOV is mostly your welcome discount. A widening gap means you’re paying more to get the same cart. Compare with repeat buyers. Returning Customer Gross AOV shows whether customers buy bigger or smaller carts once they know you. Use both to set free-shipping thresholds that first-time buyers can reach. A common misreading is using it as revenue you keep. It’s list-price value. Use Net AOV for that.

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Why It Can Differ From Other AOV Figures

If you compare with an AOV from another tool, check what that figure includes. Upstack’s Gross AOV leaves out shipping, tax and discounts. New Customer Total AOV uses the full order total instead, and New Customer Net AOV subtracts discounts and refunds. Upstack also decides which orders are first orders from the orders it has received for your store.

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FAQ

No. It uses full line-item prices. Discounts are subtracted in New Customer Net AOV.
Both. Each new customer has exactly one new-customer order, so the two counts are the same.
No, unless your store’s prices include tax. For an AOV with shipping and tax, use New Customer Total AOV.
See all AOV metrics →