Repeat purchase rate.

Worked example

1,000 unique customers, 250 of whom purchased more than once. Repeat purchase rate = 250 / 1,000 = 25%; 750 bought once. With 1,500 orders in the period, purchase frequency = 1,500 / 1,000 = 1.5. The 750 one-time customers account for 750 orders, so the repeat customers placed 750 orders between them: 750 / 250 = 3 each.

How it works

Shopify defines repeat customer rate as the percentage of customers who purchased more than once in a period: (customers who purchased more than once / unique customers) x 100. The same article gives purchase frequency = orders placed / unique customers for the same period.

Choose one time window and keep it. A rate over 12 months will be higher than over one month because customers have more time to come back.

Orders per repeat customer assumes every one-time customer placed exactly one order, so repeat customers placed the remaining orders: (orders - one-time customers) / repeat customers.

Inputs are checked for consistency: orders must be at least unique customers plus repeat customers, since every repeat customer placed two or more.

Sources and basis (opened 2026-10-18): 14 Customer Retention Strategies for Ecommerce - Shopify. The repeat customer rate and purchase frequency formulas are from the Shopify page. Orders per repeat customer is arithmetic on your inputs.

Inputs are user-entered figures. Results are planning estimates, not financial advice or a forecast of future performance. Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or stored.

FAQ

How do you calculate repeat purchase rate?

Divide the customers who purchased more than once by your unique customers in the same period and multiply by 100. 250 of 1,000 is 25%.

Is repeat purchase rate the same as retention rate?

No. Repeat rate looks at customers who bought more than once in a period. Retention rate looks at how many customers you had at the start who are still customers at the end. Use the customer retention rate calculator for that.

What time window should I use?

Any, as long as you use it consistently. Longer windows give higher rates, so compare like with like.

What is a good repeat purchase rate?

This page does not publish industry benchmarks. Compare the result with your own earlier periods and segments. Product type changes it a lot: a consumable and a sofa have very different natural repurchase cycles.