Returning customer COGS as a share of their net revenue—shows the true cost ratio after discounts and refunds.
| Metric | Definition |
|---|
| Returning Customer COGS | Cost of goods sold for repeat buyer orders |
| Returning Customer Net Revenue | Net revenue from returning customers after discounts and refunds |
| Metadata | |
|---|
| Type | Percentage |
| Data Source | Shopify, Upstack Costs |
| Aggregation | Ratio |
Example
Your returning customers generated $65,100 in net revenue with $24,680 in product costs:
| Segment | COGS | Net Revenue | COGS/Net Rate |
|---|
| Returning Customers | $24,680 | $65,100 | 37.9% |
| New Customers | $18,340 | $42,400 | 43.3% |
How It Works
This metric divides Returning Customer COGS by Returning Customer Net Revenue. It’s typically higher than the gross rate because discounts and refunds reduce the denominator. Use this for true profitability analysis of your repeat buyer segment.
When to Use
| Scenario | Action |
|---|
| True retention profitability | See COGS burden after adjustments |
| LTV accuracy | Use net-based rates for lifetime value |
| Loyalty program impact | Compare before/after loyalty discounts |
| Segment benchmarking | Compare to NC rate for insights |
| Metric | Relationship |
|---|
| Returning Customer COGS | Numerator—product costs |
| Returning Customer Net Revenue | Denominator—after-adjustment revenue |
| COGS Net Rate | All-customer comparison |
| New Customer COGS Net Rate | First-time buyer comparison |
