4.6.6.2 - How to Read Basic 30/60/90-Day Cohort Reports (Difficulty: Beginner | Path: Launch)

Lesson Summary

How to Read Basic 30/60/90-Day Cohort Reports (Beginner)

What is it?

A 'cohort' is just a fancy word for a group of people who did the same thing at the same time. A 'cohort report' (found in Shopify Analytics) groups all the customers who made their *first* purchase in a specific month (e.g., 'January Cohort') and tracks their behavior over time. It answers the question: 'Of all the new customers we got in January, what percentage came back and bought again in February (30 days), March (60 days), and April (90 days)?'

Why is it important?

This report is the ultimate test of your product and brand. It shows you if your customer loyalty is getting better or worse. For example, if your January cohort had a 10% repeat rate after 60 days, but your March cohort (after you launched a new product and improved your packaging) had a 20% repeat rate, that's hard proof your changes are working.

How to Read It:

1. In Shopify, go to `Analytics` > `Reports` and find the 'Customer retention' or 'Cohort analysis' report.
2. You'll see a table. The rows are the cohorts (e.g., Jan 2025, Feb 2025). The columns are the months *after* their first purchase (Month 1, Month 2, etc.).
3. Look at the 'Jan 2025' row. In the 'Month 1' column, you might see '8%'. This means 8% of all customers who first bought in January came back and bought again in February.

✅ Do's and ❌ Don'ts

• Do: Look for trends. Is the percentage in 'Month 1' getting higher for newer cohorts? That's a great sign.
• Don't: Get lost in the individual numbers. Focus on the big picture. Your goal is to see the percentages *increase* over time.
• Do: Use this report to see the impact of your retention efforts (like a new email flow or loyalty program).