Purchase Frequency Calculator

Twelve months is the standard window — long enough to capture seasonal buyers and full replenishment cycles, short enough to reflect the current business. Shorter windows systematically understate frequency because customers acquired late in the window have had no time to reorder. Whatever window you choose, count orders and unique customers over exactly the same dates.

General retail commonly lands between 1.2 and 2 orders per customer per year, reflecting a large base of one-time buyers. Consumables, supplements, beauty and pet categories run 3–6, and subscription models push into double digits. A frequency very close to 1.0 signals a one-and-done business — lifetime value there is really just first-order value.

Time your prompts to the product’s natural cycle: replenishment reminders shortly before the product runs out, post-purchase flows introducing complementary items, and a subscribe-and-save option for anything consumed on a schedule. The second order is the hinge — customers who buy twice are far more likely to buy a third time, so concentrate effort on converting one-time buyers.

It is a direct multiplier: LTV = average order value × purchase frequency × years retained × margin. Moving frequency from 1.8 to 2.2 lifts LTV by 22% with no change in pricing or retention — and unlike acquisition-driven growth, the extra orders arrive at near-zero marketing cost. Small frequency gains often outperform large increases in ad spend.