What this dashboard shows
The New vs. Returning Customers dashboard breaks down your store's performance by customer type — separating first-time buyers from repeat purchasers. This distinction is one of the most important in e-commerce analytics, because the economics of acquiring a new customer are very different from retaining an existing one.
You can access this dashboard from the main Store Performance page (where it appears as a summary section) or navigate to the full report at Customers > New vs. Returning in the sidebar.
Key metrics compared
Each metric is shown side-by-side for new and returning customers, making it easy to compare:
Metric | New Customers | Returning Customers |
Revenue | Total revenue from first-time buyers | Total revenue from repeat buyers |
Orders | Number of orders from first-time buyers | Number of orders from repeat buyers |
Customer Count | Number of unique first-time buyers | Number of unique repeat buyers |
AOV | Average order value for new customers | Average order value for returning customers |
ARPU | Revenue per new customer | Revenue per returning customer |
Percentage splits are also shown for revenue, orders, and customer count — so you can see what proportion of your business comes from each group.
How to read the trend charts
The dashboard includes trend charts that plot new and returning metrics over time. Here is what to look for:
Healthy growth: Both new and returning customer revenue are increasing, with the returning share gradually growing as your customer base matures.
Acquisition-dependent: If new customer revenue dominates (over 70-80%), your business relies heavily on continuous ad spend. Focus on improving retention.
Retention-strong: If returning customer revenue is a large share, your retention is working well. Consider investing more in acquisition to grow faster.
Warning sign: Returning customer revenue or count is declining period over period. This may indicate product quality issues, poor post-purchase experience, or increased competition.
How to use this dashboard
Benchmark your split: Check the revenue split between new and returning customers. Most healthy DTC brands aim for 30-50% of revenue from returning customers, though this varies by product category and business stage.
Compare AOV: Returning customers typically have a higher AOV than new customers. If not, consider whether your product recommendations, loyalty programs, or email flows need improvement.
Track over time: Use the date comparison feature to see if your returning customer percentage is trending upward month over month. This is a strong indicator of improving customer loyalty.
Validate acquisition campaigns: After a major ad campaign or sale, check whether the new customer count spiked. Then monitor those customers in subsequent periods to see if they return.
Tips and best practices
A first-time buyer is defined based on their entire Shopify order history — not just the selected date range. Even if you select the last 7 days, Datadrew checks whether the customer has any prior orders in your store's history.
Use this dashboard alongside the RFM Segmentation report for even deeper customer insights. RFM tells you which returning customers are champions versus which ones are at risk.
If your new customer ARPU is close to your customer acquisition cost (CAC), you are breaking even on first purchase. That is normal for many DTC brands — profitability comes from repeat purchases.
Export the data table to CSV for further analysis or to share with your team.
Need help?
If you have questions about the New vs. Returning Customers dashboard, reach out to us at support@datadrew.io or use the in-app chat widget.
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