7 Shopify retargeting strategies to recover lost sales

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Shoppers who browse but leave your store without buying probably make up a significant portion of your traffic. Call it hesitancy, comparison shopping, or forgetfulness — either way, Shopify retargeting helps recover those lost sales.

Retargeting puts your brand and products in front of unconverted visitors in email, SMS, push notifications, and ads on platforms like Facebook and Google.

Even better, you can combine these channels to cover multiple touchpoints in your customer journey, and it’s easier than you think with the right Shopify apps.

Keep reading to discover how Shopify retargeting works and the best strategies and apps to re-engage lost customers.

What is Shopify retargeting?

Retargeting is a marketing strategy that re-engages visitors who have interacted with your store — like viewing a product or adding to their cart — but left without purchasing. It catches them later in ads, emails, and SMS, with reminders for items they viewed to bring them back.

The touchpoints you can cover depend on whether your visitor is a contact (which allows for email and text messages) or a passive browser (direct communication is out, but you can still retarget using ads).

How does retargeting differ from standard ads? Standard ads target everyone everywhere, hoping someone might care about your products. Retargeting reminds warm prospects of more relevant channels about products they lare looking at.

Thanks to pre-engagement, Shopify retargeting warm prospects can lead to higher conversions and sales and lower customer acquisition costs compared to cold targeting.

Why retargeting is essential for Shopify stores

The more places your store shows up where prospects spend time, the more sales you’ll generate. That principle guides all the top Shopify stores, and retargeting is perfect for covering multiple channels.

For instance, ads can appear on the websites your buyers frequent and on the social media platforms where they scroll endlessly. Meanwhile, your offers, reminders, and re-engagement emails can reach them anywhere.

Here’s why Shopify retargeting is crucial to your success:

Abandoned cart recovery

Abandoned cart retargeting captures sales moments before they slip away. One in every two people who click automated welcome and abandoned cart emails makes a purchase. 

Email sequences and display ads create multiple touchpoints that guide hesitant shoppers back to checkout. Remember — your best prospects are those who have already discovered products but need final nudges to buy.

Strengthening brand recall

Some prospects need multiple interactions before making purchase decisions. Retargeting on Shopify keeps your products visible across platforms while competitors fight for attention. 

Consistent messaging builds brand familiarity and keeps you top of mind during the extended consideration phase that defines modern shopping behavior.

Maximizing return on investment

Retargeting can deliver higher click-through rates than standard display advertising. Conversion rates increase because you’re reaching interested prospects, not random internet users. 

Lower cost per acquisition means higher profits from every advertising dollar spent. You can use those savings to prioritize additional warm traffic over expensive cold outreach efforts.

Gaining a competitive advantage

Some businesses focus solely on acquiring new customers while neglecting to retarget prospects who have already visited them and shown buying intent. 

A better follow-up strategy could help you steal these customers. A well-timed special offer email, text message, or ad can sway buyers to your store. Consider it the final touchpoint that tips the purchasing decision in your favor.

How retargeting works on Shopify

Shopify retargeting requires setting up pixels and flows with several systems to capture browsing activity, email signups, and checkout abandonment. These then power different retargeting channels, such as ads, emails, and SMS.

For example, when visitors abandon their cart, an automated flow triggers a cart abandonment email. If you have the Facebook pixel installed on your store, visitors will see ads for the same products they viewed if they visit Facebook.

Here’s a closer look at how retargeting works on Shopify:

Email retargeting flows

Email retargeting sends messages to customers who share their addresses in signup forms or checkout attempts.

You can send strategic sequences combining product reminders, social proof, and exclusive offers to guide hesitant shoppers back to purchase.

The most effective retargeting emails include:

• Abandoned cart email: Triggers when someone adds products but leaves without purchasing
• Abandoned checkout email: Reaches customers who entered shipping information but didn’t complete payment
• Browse abandonment email: Targets visitors who viewed products but didn’t add anything to their cart

Here’s an example of a cart abandonment flow:

SMS retargeting power

Shopify SMS retargeting works like email but with 160-character messages for mobile-first engagement. Time-sensitive promotions, flash sales, and exclusive member offers work particularly well.

Omnisend research found that automated SMS accounted for 18% of orders while making up just 9% of all sends in 2024. Examples of SMS retargeting include:

• Abandoned cart SMS: Works alongside email sequences to create multi-channel touchpoints
• Browse abandonment texts: Follows up after email reminders with shorter, mobile-focused messages
• Checkout recovery SMS: Adds urgency to email campaigns with instant delivery notifications

Ad retargeting mechanics

Facebook and Google ads reach the visitors who didn’t share contact information during their initial visit to your Shopify store. Pixels installed on your store track visitor behavior, creating custom audiences for each platform.

The optimal platforms for retargeting depend on where your customers spend time and are more receptive to ads. Popular options include:

• Facebook retargeting: Collects browsing data to show dynamic ads featuring products customers viewed across social feeds
• Google retargeting: Displays your ads on millions of websites through the display network, plus search results

7 best Shopify retargeting strategies

Your retargeting strategy should cover the channels where your customers spend time and receive communications to maximize recovery potential. 

Consider these strategies to recover lost sales and build stronger customer relationships:

1. Use cart abandonment emails to win back shoppers

Cart abandonment emails target visitors who added products to their cart but didn’t proceed to checkout. To maintain momentum, set up sequences with appropriate delays, such as within one hour of abandonment.

Email sequences typically include:

• First reminder with a gentle nudge
• Second email after 24 hours with urgency or discount
• Final attempt after three days with a stronger incentive

The sequence stops automatically once customers complete their order. Exit conditions ensure people don’t receive unnecessary emails after purchasing.

2. Send browse abandonment emails based on viewed products

Browse abandonment emails reach visitors who view products without adding them to their carts. Unlike cart abandonment emails, these emails target the briefest visitors who checked your store but didn’t engage deeper.

These emails work best when:

• Triggering after product page views
• Targeting one-time visitors who need encouragement
• Setting frequency limits (10-15 days) to avoid overwhelming loyal customers
• Including products from viewed collections with compelling offers

Browse abandonment can’t capture specific products like cart abandonment, but targets based on page categories visited.

3. Retarget with SMS for quick re-engagement

SMS retargeting can be a standalone channel or integrated within automation flows to cover additional touchpoints. In Omnisend, you can add SMS blocks to any workflow, combining them with email and push notifications for multi-channel sequences.

SMS is highly effective for:

• Time-sensitive offers delivered in 160 characters max
• Instant delivery of reminders
• Links leading to personalized cart pages
• Flash sales and urgent promotions

SMS requires phone numbers and opt-in permissions to comply with regulations. When customers lack SMS permission, you can enable the “Pass non-opted-in contacts” setting to move them to the next workflow step.

4. Launch retargeting ads on Facebook, Instagram, and Google

Facebook, Instagram, and Google retargeting use custom audiences created from your customer segments. Omnisend syncs contact lists automatically every five to 15 minutes, eliminating manual CSV uploads.

Retargeting setup involves:

• Creating Facebook Custom Audiences from Omnisend segments
• Targeting based on shopping behavior and engagement data
• Setting dynamic audiences that remove customers after purchase
• Expanding reach with Instagram integration

The Facebook pixel tracks anonymous website behavior, while email lists identify customers for precise targeting across both platforms.

5. Use web push notifications for time-sensitive offers

Push notifications instantly deliver short messages with images to subscribers’ internet browsers. They appear even when customers aren’t browsing your site, making them ideal for urgent communications.

Push notification requirements include:

• HTTPS website and browser permissions from visitors
• Compatible browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Opera)
• Quick setup through store settings
• 24-hour expiration for unopened browsers

Add push notifications to automation workflows alongside email and SMS. Omnisend’s Standard and Pro plans include unlimited push sends.

6. Personalize retargeting based on customer segments

Segmentation divides customers into groups based on shopping behavior, engagement levels, channel and subscription status, anniversaries, and more. You can retarget these segments with personalized offers that are more likely to convert.

Segmentation strategies include:

• Demographics
• Cart value segments for different discount approaches
• VIP customer-exclusive offers
• New vs. returning customer paths

Trigger filters ensure workflows activate only when customers meet conditions, such as cart totals above specific amounts or items from collections.

7. Offer dynamic product recommendations in retargeting emails

Product recommendations display relevant items in abandonment emails. Since manually adding these to every email is impossible, Omnisend can automatically show products similar to past purchases and recently viewed items to increase relevance.

Recommendation types include:

• Products similar to past purchases for cross-selling
• Recently viewed items to re-engage browsers
• Best-selling products as fallback options
• Recently added products for discovery

You decide what product types the Product Recommender item shows. However, not all email marketing tools offer this feature. Check to see if they do before investing time in onboarding.

Best Shopify retargeting apps and software

These are the best Shopify apps for retargeting:

1. Omnisend — for email, SMS & push retargeting automation

Omnisend is the best Shopify retargeting app for email, SMS, and push notifications. It lets you build automated flows for cart, checkout, and browse abandonment using any combination of channels to cover your entire customer journey.

If you use Facebook and Google ads, Omnisend saves time and effort by syncing customer segments to Facebook Custom Audiences and Google Ads Customer Match lists, automatically updating them with fresh retargeting data.

Features

• Multi-channel retargeting: Reach customers via email, SMS, and push
• Pre-built workflows: Build retargeting automations in minutes using flow templates
• Connect to ad platforms: Retarget cart abandoners with Facebook and Google ads
• List-building tools: Publish conversion-winning forms and landing pages to grow subscribers
• Popups: Engage visitors with exit intent popups, including the Wheel of Fortune
• Personalized recommendations: In addition to retargeting the products visitors view, you can show similar products in emails to improve discovery

Pricing

• Free: 250 contacts, 500 emails, and 500 web push notifications/month (includes all standard features)
• Standard: $16/month for 500 contacts, up to 6,000 emails/month, and unlimited web push notifications
• Pro: $59/month for 2,500 contacts, unlimited emails, and bonus SMS credits equal to the price of your monthly plan

Why choose it?

Choose Omnisend to own your email, SMS, and push notification retargeting flows and link customer segments to Facebook and Google ads. It’s an intuitive, affordable omnichannel tool for Shopify stores of all sizes.

2. Ako Marketing — for loyalty-based ad retargeting

Ako combines loyalty programs and ad automation to reward loyal customers and retarget non-buyers. You build points-based VIP tiers, automate retargeting ads for Facebook and Google, and track everything through its CRM dashboard.

Features

• Loyalty program: Reward points for purchases, referrals, reviews, birthdays, and logins
• VIP tiers: Create unlimited membership levels with automatic discounts and perks
• Retargeting ads: Optimize Facebook and Google retargeting campaigns for better conversions — supports Facebook sequential ads and lets you segment Shopify customers into Facebook/Google audiences
• Instagram DM campaigns: Auto-respond to comments with shoppable messages
• One-click redemption: Apply points without manual codes during the checkout process
• CRM intelligence: Track customer behavior, ad performance, and business insights in one dashboard

Pricing

• Free: No monthly fee, includes basic customer accounts and Facebook product feeds
• Gold: $29/month for 200 orders, includes loyalty program, retargeting ads, and Instagram automation
• Platinum: $49/month for 600 orders, adds unlimited VIP tiers and Shopify POS integration
• Advanced: $199/month for 3,000 orders/month, adds point redemption with specific products

Why choose it?

Choose Ako if you want loyalty programs and retargeting ads in one app. Most competing apps lack the one-click point redemption and Instagram comment automation features.

3. AdRoll — for web & social ad retargeting at scale

AdRoll retargets website visitors across millions of sites using machine learning to bring them back for repeat purchases. The app combines display ads, social campaigns, and email automation in one platform, focusing on customers who’ve already shown interest.

Features

• Cross-platform retargeting: Show dynamic ads on websites, mobile apps, and social platforms
• Multi-channel automation: Run coordinated campaigns across display ads, social media, and email
• Ad credit rewards: Create ad credit programs for customers to earn monthly credits toward ad spend, typically up to 50% back
• Machine learning optimization: AI-powered bidding engine places optimal bids for higher conversion rates
• Social ad creation: Build ads on TikTok, Meta, and Pinterest from one dashboard
• Performance analytics: Track return on ad spend (ROAS) with cross-channel attribution and benchmarking tools

Pricing

• Free: Access to display, native, and video ads, but requires a $5/day minimum ad budget
• Marketing & Ads+ 1: $40/month for stores with up to 1000 visitors/month
• Marketing & Ads+ 2: $80/month for stores with up to 5,000 visitors/month

Why choose it?

Choose AdRoll if you want a Shopify retargeting app that handles display and social retargeting with built-in ad credits. The machine learning optimization and dynamic product ads work well for stores wanting automated, personalized campaigns.

Why retargeting is the future of Shopify growth

Using retargeting on Shopify turns window shoppers into customers by keeping your products visible across every touchpoint. Unlike ads that target cold audiences, retargeting builds relationships with people who already know your brand.

You should invest in retargeting because it costs less than acquiring new customers and can generate higher returns. Your email list and customer data are valuable assets from which you can continually extract value.

Take the next step with Omnisend and create automated flows that target cart abandoners, casual browsers, and email subscribers who have yet to purchase.

Shopify retargeting FAQs