Returning Customer %: Repeat Buyer Order Share

The percentage of total orders placed by customers who have purchased before.

Formula

Returning Customer % = ( RC Orders ÷ Total Orders ) × 100

Formula Components

Metric	Definition
RC Orders	Orders placed by customers with at least one prior purchase
Total Orders	Complete count of all orders in the period
customer_type = returning_customer	Filter applied to identify repeat buyers

Metadata
Type	Percentage
Data Source	Shopify
Aggregation	Ratio

Example

Your store processed 2,450 orders in March with 1,470 from returning customers:

Customer Type	Orders	Share
Returning Customers	1,470	60%
New Customers	980	40%

How It Works

Shopify tracks whether each customer has previous orders. Returning Customer % divides orders from customers with at least one prior purchase by total orders. A high rate signals strong customer loyalty and retention.

When to Use

Scenario	Action
Measuring retention success	Higher % indicates loyal customers placing repeat orders
Evaluating LTV potential	Strong repeat rates suggest healthy customer lifetime value
Seasonal trend analysis	Compare % across periods to spot retention changes
Balancing acquisition vs retention	Use alongside New Customer % for complete picture

Metric	Relationship
New Customer %	The inverse (100% − Returning Customer %)
Orders	Total orders (the denominator)
Returning Customers	Distinct repeat buyers
Returning Customer Gross Revenue	Revenue from repeat buyers

See all Customers metrics →

New Customer %NC Gross Rate

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​Formula

​Formula Components

​Example

​How It Works

​When to Use

​Related Metrics

Formula

Formula Components

Example

How It Works

When to Use

Related Metrics