What is a lapsed customer?

A lapsed customer is someone who has bought from you before but hasn't placed an order for longer than you'd normally expect.

How to find them in WooCommerce

"Lapsed" needs a definition you choose, usually two parts: how many orders they placed before, and how long it's been since the last one. A sensible cut-off is a bit more than your usual gap between orders. If most repeat customers reorder within 60 days, 120 days without an order is a fair signal.

WooCommerce has no lapsed-customer report, but the Customers report (WooCommerce › Customers) gets you there. Its advanced filters include orders count and last active date. Filter for customers with 2 or more orders and a last active date before your cut-off, and you have your list. You can export it with the Download button for an email campaign.

A worked example

Say you run a coffee store where regulars reorder about every 30 days. You define lapsed as "at least 3 orders, none in the last 90 days". The filtered Customers report shows 140 people. They were among your most loyal buyers, and they've gone quiet.

Why it matters

Lapsed customers already know and trusted your store, so they're often easier to win back than strangers are to win over. A short, personal email or a reason to return (new stock, a restock of a favorite) is a common first step. A growing lapsed count can also flag a problem with price, quality or delivery. Askshelf's lapsed-customer lookup counts how many customers placed at least N orders but none since a date; it gives counts only, not names. See how to find customers who stopped buying and how long customers take to order again, plus repeat purchase rate.