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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.saletides.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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The problem with averages

Your overall repeat rate is 25%. Is that good or bad? Getting better or worse? Are customers you acquired last year more loyal than those from two years ago? Averages hide the answer. Cohort analysis reveals it.

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What is a cohort?

A cohort is a group of customers who share a common starting point — typically the month they made their first purchase.
Cohort retention heatmap
By tracking what each group does over time, you can see whether retention is improving, which acquisition periods produced your best customers, and exactly when customers tend to stop buying.

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How to read a cohort heatmap

SaleTides displays cohort data as a color-coded table: 
           Month 0  Month 1  Month 2  Month 3  Month 6
Jan 2024    100%     32%      18%      12%       9%
Feb 2024    100%     29%      17%      11%       —
Mar 2024    100%     35%      20%       —        —

Rows

Each row is one cohort — customers who first purchased in that month

Columns

Each column is months since their first purchase

Color

Darker = higher retention. Lighter = more customers have dropped off
The diagonal edge of the table (bottom-right) represents the most recent data — these cells fill in as time passes.

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What cohort analysis reveals

Compare the Month 3 column across rows. If each new row is darker than the previous one, your retention is improving — customers acquired recently are staying longer than those acquired earlier.
Look across any row. The drop-off between Month 0 → Month 1 is usually the steepest. If you can improve that single transition, you’ll have a disproportionate impact on overall LTV.
Find the row with the darkest shading in later columns. That cohort has the best long-term retention — worth investigating what was different about that period (campaign, product launch, promotion, etc.).
The LTV cohort tracks cumulative revenue per customer over time. At Month 12, you’ll see the average total spend per customer acquired in each period — the number that tells you how much you can afford to spend on acquisition.

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Cohort reports in SaleTides

Retention Cohorts

What % of each cohort returns to buy again month by month

LTV & AOV by Cohort

Cumulative revenue per customer and AOV progression over time

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What good retention looks like

There is no universal benchmark — it varies heavily by product type, price point, and purchase frequency. Use these as rough guides only.
Retention at Month 3Assessment
Under 10%Below average — focus on post-purchase engagement
10–20%Average for most ecommerce stores
20–30%Good — strong repeat purchase culture
30%+Excellent — high customer loyalty
Subscription businesses should expect much higher retention (80%+ at Month 3 is typical for healthy SaaS).