Are abandoned cart emails GDPR compliant?

Abandoned cart emails are a significant remarketing tool in eCommerce, contributing to substantial revenue by re-engaging customers who leave their shopping carts without completing purchases. However, with the enforcement of GDPR, businesses must navigate new rules requiring explicit user consent for such communications to avoid hefty fines and reputational damage. GDPR mandates that consent be "free, specific, informed, and unambiguous," and businesses must clearly communicate how they will use personal data, including email addresses, for marketing purposes. Under GDPR, legitimate interest can sometimes justify sending abandoned cart emails without explicit consent, provided there is a reasonable expectation that the recipient would be interested in the content and an opt-out mechanism is included. Snowplow, a behavioral data analytics tool, aids compliance by meticulously organizing data and ensuring that all user interactions are tracked with consent, thus allowing businesses to maintain GDPR compliance while optimizing email remarketing strategies.