What is repeat purchase rate?

A worked example

In the last 12 months, 5,000 people bought from a shop; 1,100 of them bought at least twice. Repeat purchase rate = 1,100 ÷ 5,000 = 22%.

The window matters. The same shop measured over 30 days might show 4%, because most second orders come weeks or months later. Choose a window that matches how often your product is bought: coffee beans monthly, furniture yearly.

Why it matters

As acquisition gets more expensive, repeat customers carry the business: they cost nothing to acquire again and often have a higher AOV. Lifetime value is mostly a function of how many times people come back. Useful cuts:

• By first product — which products turn buyers into regulars.
• By acquisition channel — discount-driven channels often produce one-time buyers.
• Time to second order — tells you when to send the reminder.

Repeat rate in TapCub

In TapCub's commerce measures, repeat rate is the share of buyers with two or more orders in the selected range, computed from the orders built from your purchase event. It sits next to GMV, AOV, buyers and paying rate, and can be split by any dimension. For time to second order, use an interval analysis between the first and second purchase; conversion milestones can also track "second purchase" as its own step.

Common mistakes

• Comparing windows. A 90-day rate and a 12-month rate are not comparable.
• Guest checkouts. Without a stable customer ID, the same person ordering twice looks like two customers.
• Ignoring cohort age. Customers who first bought last week have had no time to return yet.

Related guides: Ecommerce KPIs and Retention Metrics.