• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, Yesterday

Consumers are hipper to the ways of marketing than you might think: They have figured out that there is a predictable pattern to cart abandonment emails. 

Most brands rely on automated workflows instead of spontaneous offers. And discounts are proffered accordingly, according to a study released this week by Decodo. 

Case in point: subscription and meal kit brands. Their pattern is to send their first reminder within 30 to 90 minutes of abandonment, and hours later graduate to  discounts running from 40% to 65%. Their discount reminders continue relentlessly from seven days to the final/last chance offer at 30 days. 

But shoppers cannot expect such breaks in other categories. Luxury retailers rarely discount at all, usually limiting emails to reminders of free shipping. As for timing, they send their first reminder in 24-48 hours, and that’s usually it. 

Beauty and cosmetics marketers send their first reminder in one to two hours, and offer their first discount in around 24. The typical offer would be 10%-15%, plus a sample bundle. Their final chance occurs in three to five days. 

Fast-fashion brands send their first reminder in 30-60 minutes, with the first discount landing in four-12 hours. The typical offer is 10%-15% off, or free shipping. The last chance is in 24-72 hours. 

Electronics/big box firms blast reminders in one to three hours, with the first discount going out in 48-72 hours, if at all, the typical offer being dollars off or financing. The last chance is in seven to 10 days.

Mid-market apparel merchants typically send a reminder in one hour, blasting their first discount in 24-48 hours, from 25%-20% off.

The home and furniture category reaches out in one to three hours, with the first discount—10% plus free delivery—in 24-48 hours. The final chance is in seven to 14 days. 

Travel marketers send reminders in minutes, and provide the first discount offer in 15 minutes to 24 hours. The average is 5%-15% off, or price held. The final chance is in 24-72 hours.

One outlier in this study is marketplaces: Their reminders are rarely by email. Their offers may appear in price-drop alerts. 

Decodo tracked 1,500 products from 120 retailers in over 40 countries throughout 2025. It found, among other things, that competitors in the same category tend to follow near-identical schedules.

What’s all this mean for consumers?

“The discount is rarely a creative decision anymore. In most retail categories, it’s a predictable system built around timing, margins, and consumer behavior,” says Gabriele Vitke, product marketing team lead at Decodo, in a statement. “Once shoppers understand the pattern, they can often anticipate when the best offer will arrive.”