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Shopping Cart Abandonment in Ecommerce 
-The Ultimate Guide
June 24,2020 13 min read Shyam Ravishankar
Digital Marketing Manager
What is Shopping Cart Abandonment?
Shopping Cart Abandonment is when a high-intent shopper visits an eCommerce 
website, adds at least one or more products to the shopping cart, and proceeds to exit 
the website without completing the purchase. Products that are added to the 
shopping cart but are not purchased are considered to be “abandoned” by the 
shopper.
Shopping cart abandonment has absolutely nothing to do with the visibility of the 
website or the offers run in the advertisements. So this cart abandonment problem 
cannot be solved by giving away more freebies. This requires a careful analysis of 
why exactly users are bouncing away from the website despite clearly liking the 
products.
88% of Web buyers say that they have abandoned an online shopping cart 
without completing a transaction.
- Forrester
How to Calculate the Shopping Cart Abandonment Rate?
Ecommerce cart abandonment rate can be calculated and monitored by ecommerce 
retailers to understand specific reasons for increase/decrease in revenue. This helps 
in understanding the percentage of purchase intent showcased by the visitors of the 
site, who don’t buy even after having items in the cart.
Shopping cart abandonment rate = [ 1- (total no. of completed purchases/number of 
carts created) ] x 100%
Cart Abandonment Rate is calculated by dividing the total number of completed 
purchases by the number of shopping carts created. Subtract the result from one and 
then multiply by 100 for the abandonment rate.
Why is Shopping Cart Abandonment a problem for retailers?
With the whole retail apocalypse theory falling flat and the “resurrection” of brick and 
mortar retail, it’s finally understood and widely accepted that it’s no longer a fight 
between retail and eCommerce.
Instead, it is all about customer experience at each and every touchpoint, be it online 
or offline, eCommerce is no longer the juggernaut that retail has to fear.
Instead, while we have seen legacy retailers who ruled the market slip and fall like 
Sears, Toys R Us after failing to adapt to changing expectations, we have also seen 
several eCommerce companies fold.
Physical stores and eCommerce websites have their own pros and cons. For instance, 
eCommerce offers people the convenience of sitting at home and shopping without 
having to move at all.
However, retail offers a physical experience that eCommerce websites can never 
replicate. Sephora Studio, Nike’s experience store, Lululemon’s Mindfulosophy are 
examples of very successful shopping experiences that have won over famously-fickle 
millennial shoppers.
When you actually talk to consumers, they still want to shop by touching and 
trying on. They still want to connect, to step into space, and feel something.
- Forbes
Ecommerce websites, however, have one unique problem that retailers typically 
never face. This is called shopping cart abandonment.
How Shopping Cart Abandonment impact E-commerce?
Retailers were reported to have lost a whopping $4.6 trillion to abandoned 
merchandise in ecommerce shopping carts according to Business Insider. 
Abandoned carts have a huge impact on the turnover of the company. These are 
shoppers who were interested in the product and yet abandoned their cart due to 
certain reasons; most of which are avoidable with the right strategies.
Reasons for Shopping Cart Abandonment in E-commerce
To understand why shoppers abandon their carts, we need to deep-dive into what 
these shoppers do on the website.
Retailers need to differentiate between shoppers who come in with an intent to buy 
and those who are there to window shop only.
High-intent shoppers usually know what they are looking for, if not at the product 
level, at least at the category level. They typically add products to wishlists and 
shopping carts to shortlist them.
REASONS FOR 
SHOPPING CART 
ABANDONMENT
The average fort size for fashion eCommerce retoiters is 
3,74 products per order*
This means that the average shopper is interested In 
more than one item at a time. But why does this same 
shopper bounce from the website without completing 
the purchase?
SMALLER THE SCREEN, BIGGER THE PROBLEM
Desktops draw in the user's attention to one 
task whereas various apps on mobile phones 
keep sending interesting push notifications 
which in turn distract the shopper from 
completing the purchase.
JUS! L(JOKING'RESEARCHING
Most shoppers on a website are Just browsing 
through and are not particularly interested in 
making a purchase on the same day. While this 
seems unavoidable, a groat experience can 
ensure that they come back to complete their 
purchase later.
OTHER COMMON ISSUES
High additional costs [usually shipping and 
taxes), a long and complicated checkout 
process with multiple pop-up windows or a 
cumbersome interface, and the fear of the 
product looking different from the 
picture/description.
'Slot from di^itoJ commerce 360
^* Vue.ai
Reasons for shopping cart abandonment
Shoppers who add products to the cart can be broadly categorized into those who 
complete the checkout and those who don’t. When we look at the cart itself, we see 
the following.
The average cart size for fashion eCommerce retailers is 1.74 products per order. 
-Digital Commerce 360
This means that the average shopper is interested in more than one item at a time. 
But why does this same shopper bounce from the website without completing the 
purchase? To answer this question, it is important to understand shoppers and the 
reasons why they abandon their carts.
The device shoppers use may lead to cart abandonment as shown below.
The smaller the screen, the bigger the problem.
•    Desktop... 73.1% average shopping cart abandonment rate.
•    Tablet... 80.7% average shopping cart abandonment rate.
•    Mobile...85.6% average shopping cart abandonment rate.
Part of the problem is rooted in technology. There could be little or no optimization for 
mobile.
-Forbes
This is also due to the inherent nature of the device. Desktops draw in the user’s 
attention to one task whereas various apps on mobile phones keep sending 
interesting push notifications which in turn distract the shopper from completing the 
purchase.
Mobile phones are also most commonly used to browse for items while on-the-move 
or in-between other tasks. This means, the shopper had no intent to purchase in the 
first place and this might make it difficult to convert the shopper.
Here are some other reasons for shoppers abandoning their carts
- SalesCycle
This shows that most of the shoppers who abandon their carts on a website are just 
browsing through and are not particularly interested in purchasing on the same day.
This seems to be the biggest reason for cart abandonment. While this seems 
unavoidable, a great experience can ensure that they come back to complete their 
purchase later.
Apart from technology limitations, many other reasons contribute to a shopper not 
completing their purchase. A few other common reasons for cart abandonment are 
high hidden costs which aren’t mentioned upfront(usually shipping and taxes), a 
long and complicated checkout flow with multiple pop-up windows or a 
cumbersome interface, and the fear of the product looking different from the 
picture/description.
9 Proven Ways to Avoid Shopping Cart Abandonment in E-
commerce
Simple tips to avoid shopping cart abandonment
1. Need for speed!
24% of customers cite “Website Crashed” and 15% cite “Website Timed Out” as 
reasons that they didn’t complete a purchase.
- Shopify
In this fast-paced era with an element of impatience, where people exit a website if it 
takes more than a few seconds to load, the key to reducing shopping cart 
abandonment is to ensure that the website or app interface provides an experience as 
seamless and painless as possible.
This means, using techniques like lazy loading to keep load times as low as possible. 
Keep testing the speed of the website after each update. This is especially important 
because shoppers remember the sites that give them a bad experience very well.
2.    Go Mobile
Approximately 4 billion people own a mobile phone. Of that number, 25 per cent of them 
use it as their sole method of accessing the Internet.
-Retail Dive
Since younger shoppers are increasingly using their mobile phones to shop, a 
streamlined, attractive mobile interface of the website is vital to getting more online 
sales traction. If the interface is haphazard and not user-friendly, then this, combined 
with the usual distractions (calls, messages, social media..etc) will lead to increased 
cart abandonment rate.
Mobile-friendly websites were great but it is time to upgrade to a mobile-optimized 
or a responsive website. In fact, the best way to capture the millennial market would 
be to have a native mobile app developed for both Android and iOS as no website 
compares to a native app in terms of ease of use and navigation.
This has been proven time and again by some of the world’s biggest retailers like 
Amazon, eBay, Groupon, H&M, etc.
3.    Keep the checkout short and sweet
More than a third (35%) are turned off of a brand by just one bad experience, so getting 
the user experience right is of paramount importance.
- Biz Report
With an abundance of eCommerce websites providing shoppers with more choices 
than ever before, shoppers tend to lean towards the ones with easier checkout flows.
The minute they encounter a lot of pop-up windows or multiple confirmations for the 
same action, they are going to exit to find a website with an easier interface. Same 
way, if they find a website with an enhanced UX, that brand is going to earn their 
loyalty.
87% of online shoppers said they would abandon their shopping carts during checkout if 
the process was too difficult. And on top of that, 55% admitted they would abandon 
their carts and never return to the retailer’s site.
-    Retail Dive
Shoppers don’t like filling up registration forms, verifying email IDs and phone 
numbers, and entering their billing and payment details but this is necessary for 
every eCommerce website.
A simpler way to do this would be to allow shoppers to register with their social 
media accounts. Simple steps like this can go a long way in avoiding shopping cart 
abandonment
The cart page must appear uncluttered and present a clear picture of the chosen 
products. Prominent details on the page must include a breakdown of the price in 
terms of cost, shipping, and taxes, information on the return/exchange policy, and 
delivery.
A well-designed checkout process and - crucially - one which works well on mobile as 
well as desktop is vital.
-    SalesCycle
Traditional eCommerce websites can take a leaf out of Amazon’s handbook by 
facilitating a one-click order process. The social media app, Instagram recently 
launched a new feature that allows potential shoppers to click on a picture with the 
outfit they like and purchase it directly through the app without visiting the actual 
website. This says a lot about how much modern shoppers value a quick, 
efficient shopping experience.
4. Eliminate uncertainty:
One of the major complaints of online shopping is the difference between the real 
product and its online description or product images. This can be reduced by realistic 
product photography, incorporating more detailed, catchy product 
descriptions, and by including videos of the product that show a more realistic image 
of the product and its attributes.
The importance of keeping all descriptions honest and as real as possible cannot be 
stressed enough. Heavily-edited photos are a big no in an age where shoppers value 
credibility over everything else.
In the eyes of the digital consumer, a product is only as good as the information 
associated with it.
-    RetailDIVE
Fashion websites need to stop using flat lay images and ghost mannequins. On-model 
fashion imagery can improve conversion rates considerably. And it is not enough to 
have a model of just one body type and skin colour.
Shoppers today want to know how the dress will look on their skin tone and body 
type. But photoshoots with multiple models are bound to cost a lot of money. This is 
where AI can help. An on-model fashion imagery generator can save costs, increase 
the number of conversions and save a lot of time.
5.    Keep all prices transparent
63% of abandoned carts are due to unexpected costs such as shipping at checkout. 
-Statista
Most websites show one cost in advertisements or even on the PDP (Product 
Description Page) and then increase costs in the cart. This makes shoppers wary of 
the sudden increase in price. The easiest way to avoid shopping cart abandonment is 
to make sure all costs (including shipping and taxes) are clearly indicated in the 
product description page.
This ensures that people don’t bounce from the checkout page seeing a jump in the 
total cost. One thing websites can do is to build the tax in within the product cost, and 
mention the cut-off rate for free shipping and delivery (if it exists) at the home page 
or the product pages. This will ensure transparency and credibility.
The good news is that 58% of shoppers say they’d add items to their cart to qualify for 
free delivery -Retail Dive
6.    Peer Pressure
The best person to convince a shopper is another shopper. A simple message like 
“3000 shoppers bought the same product this month” can go a long way to reassure 
shoppers that they have made the right decision. When shoppers feel that they’ve got 
the best deal for their price, they are positively inclined to go through with the 
purchase.
A website can also assure them of this by including information about savings, 
shopper ratings, and reviews for each product page which is a great way to foster 
trust.
Social proof is another way to improve credibility and boost checkout rates, There 
are several tools that allow companies to display social media posts on the website. 
This shows shoppers what other people think of the website and the product, 
providing social proof to nudge the shopper to checkout.
7. Returns
One of the greatest advantages of eCommerce is their ability to offer doorstep 
return/exchange facility. An efficient policy supporting this needs to be clearly 
placed on the checkout page to offer reassurance to the shopper. Free returns 
allow shoppers to buy items without any worry and doubt.
- SalesCycle
8.    Style it up!
Another effective element to include in the shopping cart abandonment page is 
styling recommendations based on the products in the cart. When a shopper sees 
accessories to complete the look, it inspires her to visualize the outfit and encourages 
her to add those accessories to her cart or at the very least, purchase the clothes to 
be styled with similar accessories she already owns. This increases the size of the 
cart and provides a great experience
9.    Multiple Payment Options:
With the abundance of payment options available, retailers need to offer multiple 
payment gateways including region-specific payment options, and the option to 
remember their payment details. New payment partners may also offer special deals 
and cashback schemes enticing the shoppers to complete their purchase.
Cart Recovery: What to do with abandoned carts?
Source: Bl Intelligence
While the strategies mentioned above would certainly reduce shopping cart 
abandonment rates, it is impossible to make it zero. This makes it imperative for 
retailers to keep some checks in place to recover these abandoned carts.
NO MATTER what you do, the shopping cart abandonment rate will never be zero.
There will always be extenuating circumstances that drive a consumer to abandon a 
sale, whether it is an offline distraction or a text from a friend.’
-    Retail Dive
Cart recovery is surprisingly easy and can save a lot of money for eCommerce 
websites. The cost of recovering a cart is typically much less than the cost of acquiring 
a new shopper. This is also because the company knows exactly what the shopper is 
looking for and can offer personalized deals.
Companies have to make major improvements in how they engage with their customers 
by developing more relevant, personalized engagement, within a single channel or 
across channels, based on a customer’s behavioral cues. Those signals can be basic, such 
as “cart abandoned” or “browsed but didn’t buy,” or more nuanced, such as activity by 
segment and time of day, gleaned from mining customer data. In effect, these signals 
become triggers that invoke an action. A decisioning engine develops a set of triggers 
and outcomes based on signals and actions the company takes in response.
-    McKinsey
Using cookie-based retargeting can easily bring back shoppers. This retains the 
contents of their carts for a longer period of time. Combined with personalized 
advertisement, this is bound to bring the shopper back to complete their purchase.
“Retargeting generates greater online sales by keeping your brand front and center 
and bringing “window shoppers” back when they’re ready to buy.”
-AdRoll
But what is a tried and tested way to recover abandoned carts?
The easiest way to lead shoppers back to the website is by sending them an app 
notification or an email reminding them that they’ve left their cart without 
completing the purchase.
62% of retailers send cart-abandonment emails - Digital Commerce
Cart abandonment emails are simple and the ROI is incredibly high.
Nearly half of all abandoned cart emails are opened and over a third of clicks lead to 
purchases back on site.
-Shopifyl
How to write a perfect Abandoned Cart Email?
Here are the 5 basic rules for a successful cart recovery email
1)    Picture of the products in the cart
2)    Ratings/Reviews of the products by other shoppers
3)    Return/exchange policy information
4)    Complete price of the product including shipping charges
5)    A clear call-to-action button that links to the cart
But shoppers get emails from multiple websites every single day. How can retailers 
make their emails stand out?
An Al-powered shopping cart abandonment tool that recommends visually similar 
products and styling suggestions personalized by understanding each shopper’s 
visual style can power compelling cart abandonment emails that make cart 
recovery a habit. These emails add value to shoppers and one open can lead
to shoppers opening every subsequent email as the content is completely 
personalized. This not only recovers the cart but also tells the shopper that the 
retailer understands them.
1.    Keep the subject line interesting and fresh
An office worker receives around 121 emails a day on average. The average open rate 
is 16%. This means, only around 20 emails are opened daily. This makes it all the 
more important for the subject line of an abandonment mail to be interesting and 
fresh. This makes the user get curious and open the mail which is the first win for a 
shopping cart abandonment email.
2.    Show visually similar products in the email
Once a shopper opens the email, they need to be enticed to go back and complete the 
purchase. While the shopper may have liked that particular item which is in the cart, 
they may have liked the style. A “You may also like” section can go a long way in this 
case. This gives the shopper different choices which are visually similar to the 
product in the cart, allowing them to pick another piece similar to what they had 
browsed.
3. Inspire your shoppers with different ways to style the outfit
There are times when a shopper won’t know what to pair with an outfit and will end 
up abandoning the cart because of this. Personalizing styling options based on the 
shopper’s style profile can prove to be the catalyst that converts the shopper. The 
same top can be styled in several different ways as shown below. An email with 
different styling options can not only help recover the cart but also increase the size 
of the cart.
4. Give small discounts on the products in the cart
Instead of having large discounts on various products on the website, having a small, 
personalized discount will go a long way in converting shoppers. As the items are 
already in the cart, shoppers don’t have to be convinced about the value of the 
product. They just need a small nudge and even a small discount can provide just 
that.
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Conclusion
Ecommerce shopping cart abandonment is a problem that has been plaguing 
eCommerce retailers from the outset. A combination of strategies that work best for 
your business will allow you to attain the two-fold goal of preventing mass cart 
abandonment and converting shoppers who abandon carts into loyal customers. One 
thing is for sure, there is good money in recovering abandoned carts!
General FAQ
What is Digital Cart Abandonment?
Shopping cart abandonment is an “ecommerce” term used when a high-intent 
shopper visits an ecommerce website, adds at least one or more products to the 
shopping cart, and proceeds to exit the website without completing the purchase. 
Products that are added to the shopping cart but are not purchased are considered to 
be “abandoned” by the shopper.
What is Cart Abandonment Rate? and How to Calculate it?
Cart abandonment rate is calculated and monitored by ecommerce retailers to 
understand specific reasons for increase/decrease in revenue. This helps in 
understanding the percentage of purchase intent showcased by the visitors of the 
site, who don’t buy even after having items in the cart.
Shopping Cart Abandonment Rate is calculated by -
Shopping cart abandonment rate = [ 1- (total no. of completed purchases/number of 
carts created) ] x 100%
Why is Digital Cart Abandonment a problem for retailers?
Shopping cart abandonment is a problem for retailers due to multiple reasons. 
Loading up carts and abandoning them can result in product unavailability for 
genuine customers and will therefore result in loss of revenue. High rates of cart 
abandonment will require a change in marketing and pricing strategies which will be 
capital and labour intensive. Customers who add products to their cart and abandon 
them put great strain on servers which in turn slows down the site and gives genuine 
customers a poor UX.
How to Avoid Shopping Cart Abandonment?
You can avoid the shopping cart abandonment in your ecommerce website by 
following these simple steps
1)    Make your website load faster.
2)    Go Mobile.
3)    Keep the checkout short and sweet.
4)    Eliminate uncertainty.
5)    Keep all prices transparent.
6)    Peer Pressure.
7)    Offer efficient Return/Exchange Policy.
8)    Use Personalized / styling recommendations.(personalization engine)
9)    Multiple Payment options.
CART ABANDONMENT CART ABANDONMENT EMAILS ECOMMERCE CART ABANDONMENT    SHOPPING CART
SHOPPING CART ABANDONMENT
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