Retention metrics measure your product's ability to keep users coming back over time. These metrics tell you whether users find ongoing value in your product or abandon it after initial use.

While acquisition and engagement metrics focus on bringing users in and measuring their activity, retention metrics reveal your product's long-term viability. High retention correlates with sustainable growth and profitability, making these metrics critical for product managers to track.

Key retention metrics include:

• Retention rate: Percentage of users who remain active after a specific period
• Churn rate: Percentage of users who stop using your product in a given timeframe
• Customer lifetime value (CLV): Total revenue generated by a typical customer
• Net revenue retention: How revenue from existing customers changes over time
• Renewal rate: Percentage of subscription customers who renew (for SaaS)
• Repeat purchase rate: How often customers make additional purchases

Retention metrics vary by industry and business model. For subscription businesses, monthly retention is standard, while e-commerce might focus on quarterly or annual repeat purchase rates.