If you’ve worked in email long enough, you already know that the real week doesn’t start on Monday. It starts the moment a client says, “Can we hop on a quick call?” And if you’ve really been around long enough, you know the only thing “quick” about that call is how quickly you realize something is very, very broken.
That particular Monday, the espresso hadn’t even kicked in when a client popped onto Zoom, wearing the expression of someone who’d watched their Shopify dashboard spiritually betray them.
“Something’s off,” they said, leaning toward the screen like the pixels could help. “People add to cart. They start checkout. Then, they just vanish. Our funnel isn’t funnelling.”
I love that line, albeit I don’t love living through it.
While they walked me through their analytics, I was already running through the mental punch list: slow mobile pages? Clunky checkout flow? A coupon code that only applies on alternate Tuesdays?
But the more I listened, the clearer it became: nothing was technically broken, people just didn’t feel like completing the marathon from inbox to product page to cart to checkout.
They weren’t abandoning the brand, nor were they abandoning the journey.
“Okay,” I finally said. “What if the problem isn’t the website? What if the problem is that they shouldn’t have to leave the email in the first place?”
You could hear the pause. Thick and delicious.
“Wait, inside the email?”
Yes. Exactly that.
And that’s when the call shifted into that slow, dawning, wide-eyed moment marketers get when they realize something obvious has been hiding in plain sight; the inbox doesn’t have to be an invitation when it can very well be the destination.
So, if you’re a marketer, an ecommerce operator, or just someone who’s tired of watching revenue slip out at the checkout stage, buckle up.
Decoding the big why ~ Why shoppable emails matter right now?
Let’s begin with addressing the million-dollar question, “Why are shoppable emails suddenly becoming such a big deal?”
Well, there could be two things;
1. People are sick of friction.
Bounce rates on mobile web are brutal. Every additional step kills conversions.
2. Inbox behavior has changed.
Between AMP for Email, interactive elements, and real-time personalization, email is no longer just a broadcast channel; it’s becoming a micro-digital environment of its own
Combine the two, and you get the perfect storm for something game-changing; emails that let you browse, select variants, view inventory, and even checkout without ever opening a browser tab.
You may think of it like taking your store and stuffing it neatly inside a customer’s Gmail, Yahoo, or Apple Mail experience.
But a quick clarifier first ~ what is a shoppable email exactly?
Well, here’s the simplest way to put it:
A shoppable email is an email where users can interact with products, scroll through a carousel, select colors/sizes, add items to the cart, or even complete a purchase directly within the email.
Depending on the tech behind it (AMP, interactive HTML, or email-to-cart integrations), users can typically:
~ Explore product options
~ Select variants
~ Add items to a cart
~ See live inventory updates
~ Apply promo codes
~ Complete checkout seamlessly
This is already used by brands leveraging technologies like:
~ AMP for Email (interactive components like carousels, forms, live data)
~ RCS-based email-like messaging
~ Email-to-cart integrations (Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce plug-ins)
~ Interactive HTML fallback designs
And no, AMP emails are not supported everywhere. But Gmail and Yahoo, which represent a huge chunk of ecommerce audiences, do support it. And fallback HTML still provides a greatly improved experience.
The point isn’t perfection; in fact, it is reducing friction where it hurts the most.
Let’s talk numbers!
Look, shoppable email isn’t a magic wand. It won’t suddenly convince Karen, who’s been opening your emails for three years without buying a single thing, to check out finally.
But here’s what it will do, it will obliterate the exact conversion killer that haunts every email marketer’s dreams.
Post. Click. Friction.
(aka the silent assassin of your beautifully crafted campaigns)
And because you know I don’t deal in “gurus on LinkedIn said so,” let’s talk real data, fresh, verified, no unicorns harmed.
Seventy. Percent.
That’s how many carts get abandoned across the internet right now.
Not my opinion, Baymard Institute, the checkout usability gods, say so.
(70.22% to be exact.)
Source: Baymard Institute ~ Cart Abandonment Rate
Which means, for every 10 people who lovingly hand-pick items and whisper “maybe today’s the day”…
seven get lost somewhere between your ‘Add to Cart’ button and your checkout page.
And it’s not because humans suddenly hate buying things.
It’s because the checkout experience is basically an obstacle course designed by someone who hates money:
~ forms that never end
~ surprise shipping fees
~ slow mobile pages
~ log-in walls
Also, “why is this loading like it’s 2011 Wi-Fi??”
Baymard’s research spells this out very clearly.
Shoppable email exists to bypass all this chaos. It doesn’t make people shop more, it just stops you from making it annoyingly hard.
Understanding the magic ingredient ~ Frictionless shopping
So, let’s picture a scenario you might have already experienced,
You see a product in an email.
You click.
A browser tab opens.
It loads slowly.
Your network flickers.
You’re asked to accept cookies.
Another popup blocks the screen.
Finally, you get to the product page.
If your customer is still around at this point, you should probably send them a badge of honor.
Here’s what happens in a shoppable email instead:
You see a product carousel – You swipe
You tap on Green – The variant updates instantly
You select Large – Live inventory updates
You tap “Add to Cart” – It’s in
You tap “Checkout” – Voila! You’re done
All inside the inbox. No clicks, interest, or sale lost.
But, is it just another email trend?!
Some things in the email world vanish as quickly as they appear, remember those endless GIF-only emails? Or the “every subject line needs an emoji” era?
Shoppable emails aren’t one of those passing obsessions.
Here’s why they’re here to stay:
1. Email is becoming an app platform not just a message inbox
AMP components make email feel like a mini-web app. Once users get used to interactivity, static emails feel kinda prehistoric.
2. Mobile shopping habits demand fewer steps
Most mobile journeys have 6–20 friction points, while shoppable emails condense that down to 1–3.
3. Privacy rules are changing everything
With limited cross-app tracking, brands need higher-intent actions inside their owned channels. Email is perfect for this.
4. Consumers want convenience, not choices
Decision fatigue is real. Shoppable emails put only the products (and variants) users care about right in front of them.
5. It plays perfectly with personalization
You know that pair of shoes your subscriber looked at last week?
You may send a shoppable email where they see that exact product in their size with inventory updated in real time, with one-click add-to-cart.
That’s not marketing, that’s magic.
Some real-world use cases that might be criminally underrated
Here are use cases where shoppable emails are pure gold and yet many brands still aren’t using them.
1. New product drops
Show multiple variants, allow subscribers to pick their size/color, view stock levels, and add to cart without leaving the inbox.
2. Abandoned-cart recovery
The user can complete the purchase right inside the email, and this alone is a revenue machine.
3. Back-in-stock notifications
Let customers buy instantly before inventory evaporates again.
4. Personalized recommendations
Show products based on past purchases or browsing behavior, with built-in add-to-cart functionality.
5. Subscription renewals
Perfect for DTC brands. And a “renew subscription” button that opens a full checkout inside the email? Chef’s kiss.
6. Flash sales or limited-time offers
When time is limited, friction is fatal.
Shoppable emails help you steer clear of it.
7. Wishlist nudges
Allow users to buy wishlist items without jumping through hoops.
These use cases work because they make email feel like a personal shopping assistant, not an ad.
But hey, shoppable emails aren’t all rosy!
Since, we love keeping it real, here’s to exploring the downside of this;
1. AMP support isn’t universal
Gmail and Yahoo support it. Outlook & Apple Mail doesn’t.
But that’s okay because:
These two (Gmail & Yahoo) make up a massive chunk of ecommerce email audiences.
Fallback HTML still performs better than static emails alone.
2. Implementation takes development effort
You can’t slap “AMP” on an email like a sticker.
You need JSON endpoints, proper caching, secure forms, error handling and testing across clients.
It’s not rocket science, but it needs a grown-up dev setup.
3. Analytics get trickier
Click-tracking behaves differently in interactive emails. You need a slightly more thoughtful measurement approach.
4. Compliance matters
AMP emails require domain verification and HTTPS everywhere.
Are these dealbreakers? Well, not even close. They’re just the entry price of innovation and for the payoff, it’s worth every penny.
The road ahead
On that note, if your “sent” emails are not actually getting “seen”, you might wanna read ~ How to Stop Emails from Going to Promotions in Gmail.
Naina Sandhir
