The Repeat Purchase Rate (RPR) is a critical e-commerce metric that measures the percentage of your customer base that has made more than one purchase within a specific timeframe. It is one of the most accurate indicators of customer loyalty and product-market fit.
The Repeat Purchase Rate Formula
Repeat Purchase Rate = (Number of Returning Customers / Total Unique Customers) × 100
How to Interpret Your Results
20% – 30%: Standard for most healthy e-commerce businesses.
Above 35%: Excellent retention; suggests high customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.
Below 15%: May indicate issues with product quality, customer service, or that you are in a "one-and-done" industry (like selling mattresses or high-end furniture).
Practical Example
Imagine your online store had 2,000 unique customers over the last 12 months. Out of those, 500 customers came back to place a second, third, or fourth order. Your calculation would be:
(500 / 2,000) * 100 = 25%
This means a quarter of your customers are loyal repeat buyers, which is significantly cheaper than acquiring brand-new customers through paid advertising.
function calculateRPR() {
var total = parseFloat(document.getElementById('totalCustomers').value);
var returning = parseFloat(document.getElementById('returningCustomers').value);
var resultBox = document.getElementById('rpr-result-box');
var display = document.getElementById('rpr-display');
var interpretation = document.getElementById('rpr-interpretation');
if (isNaN(total) || isNaN(returning)) {
alert("Please enter valid numbers for both fields.");
return;
}
if (total total) {
alert("Returning customers cannot exceed the total number of unique customers.");
return;
}
var rpr = (returning / total) * 100;
display.innerHTML = rpr.toFixed(2) + "%";
resultBox.style.display = "block";
var text = "";
if (rpr = 15 && rpr < 30) {
text = "Good job! You have a healthy base of loyal customers.";
} else {
text = "Exceptional! Your brand loyalty is significantly higher than industry averages.";
}
interpretation.innerHTML = text;
}