Subscription retailers and meal kit brands are the most aggressive in responding to abandoned carts. New research by Decodo found that they typically send the first reminder email within 30 to 90 minutes, with the first discount – often as much as 40-65% – landing within hours.
Multiple sources indicate that the average cart abandonment rate in the UK and the Europe exceeds 70% – meaning billions in lost revenue to British and European retailers. The typical response is to send reminders followed by discounts – and Decodo’s research looked into how effective these are across multiple sectors.
The most – and least – aggressive sectors
Their study tracked 1,500 products across 120 retailers in more than 40 countries throughout 2025, analysing when brands send reminder emails, introduce discounts, and escalate offers after a shopper abandons their cart. As well as subscription retailers and meal kit brands, fast fashion is also highly reactive to the issue of abandoned carts, typically offering 10-15% off or free shipping within four to 12 hours. In contrast, luxury retailers rarely discount at all, limiting their contact to reminders or perhaps free shipping.
Gabriele Vitke, product marketing team lead at Decodo, said: “The discount is rarely a creative decision anymore. In most retail categories, it’s a predictable system built around timing, margins, and consumer behaviour. Once shoppers understand the pattern, they can often anticipate when the best offer will arrive.”
What this means for retailers
The company points out that the fact that retailers follow the same cadence means that the discount itself is no longer the main differentiator, and the opportunity lies in adapting recovery flows based on basket size, customer LTV, and acquisition source.
As abandonment rates remain stubbornly high, retailers are doubling down on ever-faster, ever-deeper incentives to win shoppers back. But with discount timing now highly predictable, the real competitive advantage is shifting away from blanket offers and toward smarter, more personalised recovery strategies that treat every abandoned cart differently.
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