The percentage of total orders placed by first-time customers.
| Metric | Definition |
|---|
| NC Orders | Orders placed by first-time buyers |
| Total Orders | Complete count of all orders in the period |
| customer_type = new_customer | Filter applied to identify first-time buyers |
| Metadata | |
|---|
| Type | Percentage |
| Data Source | Shopify |
| Aggregation | Ratio |
Example
Your store processed 2,450 orders in March with 980 from first-time buyers:
| Customer Type | Orders | Share |
|---|
| New Customers | 980 | 40% |
| Returning Customers | 1,470 | 60% |
How It Works
Shopify tracks whether each customer has previous orders. New Customer % divides orders from customers with no prior purchase history by total orders. This ratio reveals your acquisition vs retention balance.
When to Use
| Scenario | Action |
|---|
| Evaluating acquisition efforts | Higher % indicates successful new customer acquisition |
| Assessing retention health | Lower % suggests strong repeat purchase behavior |
| Seasonal trend analysis | Compare % across periods to spot shifting customer mix |
| Marketing strategy alignment | Balance acquisition spend against retention initiatives |
| Metric | Relationship |
|---|
| Returning Customer % | The inverse (100% − New Customer %) |
| Orders | Total orders (the denominator) |
| New Customers | Distinct first-time buyers |
| New Customer Gross Revenue | Revenue from first-time buyers |
