37 Shopping Cart Abandonment Statistics To Know

In 2022, shopping cart abandonment statistics show that approximately 71.4% of online shopping carts are abandoned (across the Americas) before purchase due to extra costs, complicated checkouts, and account creation requirements. This is a big deal, as it is popularly reported that ecommerce stores lose $18 billion in sales revenue each year because of cart abandonment.

We’ve gathered a list of 37 shopping cart abandonment statistics to help you better understand your online customers’ turnoffs and increase sales.

Average Shopping Cart Abandonment Rates

1. The global shopping cart abandonment rate is 71%

Around the world, the Asia Pacific region (APAC) has the highest cart abandonment rate at 80.72%, followed by Americas (71.4%), and Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) at 68.83%. Baymard Institute collected 46 different studies on online shopping cart abandonment and averaged it at a similar 69.8%.

2. More than 75% of cart abandonment happens on mobile

XP² findings show that mobile has been responsible for 76.3% of cart abandonments. Desktop accounts for 61.5% while tablet represents 62.6%.

3. Holiday season has lower cart abandonment rates

According to SaleCycle, gift-giving events like Christmas and Black Friday sales contribute to lower abandonment rates and higher traffic volumes in November and December. This indicates consumers want to complete their purchases before the sales expire.

During the holidays, it’s important to add extra incentives to get shoppers to buy, such as guaranteed shipping or free gift wrapping. Extra touches can be the difference between an abandoned cart and a closed deal. See our Black Friday and Cyber Monday strategies for more tips.

Reasons Shoppers Abandon Carts

4. 58.6% of US online shoppers abandon their carts because they were not ready to buy

The latest study by Baymard Institute shows that nearly 59% of cart abandonment rates are due to customers just browsing or not being ready to buy.

5. Nearly half of customers say unexpected costs are the reason for shopping cart abandonment

When you segment online shoppers who are not ready to buy and just identify other reasons for cart abandonment, 48% of customers cite extra costs as their primary reason for abandoning shopping carts, with shipping as a primary driver of those costs.

Free shipping, in fact, is the expected norm in modern-day shopping because of marketplaces like Amazon; almost 75% of consumers deem free shipping essential to making a purchase, according to Shopify’s Future of Retail 2022 report.

However, it can be challenging for small businesses to absorb this cost even if offering free shipping is undoubtedly doable. Retail experts advise ecommerce retailers to bundle the shipping cost into the retail product price. And, if stores can’t lower costs, they suggest fully disclosing them on the product page.

6. Three of the top five reasons for cart abandonment center around convenience

Customers are looking for convenience when shopping online. In fact, 83% of shoppers in a 2020 survey placed more importance on convenience than they did five years earlier.

It is not surprising that in Baymard’s 2022 list of reasons customers abandon their carts, three convenience-related issues made the top five—long delivery timeframes, a complicated checkout process, and being required to create an account.

One way to make sure your customers have a hassle-free shopping experience is to ask why they are abandoning their carts. Kaumudi Tiwari, product marketer at Zonka Feedback, recommends setting up a way for customers to provide feedback via your website: “Display a pop-up where visitors navigate away from the checkout screen, including a simple question asking something like, ‘Did you face any issues while making a purchase?’ Survey reports will help you analyze and plan the changes you should make to reduce cart abandonment.”

For tips on collecting customer feedback, we offer several templates in our guide to customer satisfaction surveys.

7. 9 out of 10 shoppers will abandon a site if it is too slow

Website speed is a significant factor in shopping cart abandonment. A YOTTAA study in 2020 reported that 90% of shoppers would leave a site if it takes too long to load, with 57% likely to buy from a similar retailer instead and 21% never coming back.

Every second counts—a one-second page load improvement delivers a 5.7% increase in conversion.

8. The average checkout flow has about 12 form fields—about half as many fields as recommended

About 17% of shoppers have abandoned a cart because the checkout process is too long or convoluted. The average checkout flow has 11.8 form elements—that’s a whole lot of data input. According to Baymard, the ideal checkout has seven to eight form fields—about half what the average shopper has to go through.

When building your checkout flow, include only what’s needed to complete the transaction. It’s also a good idea to use an ecommerce platform like Shopify that allows for customer profiles with saved payment information to make future checkouts faster and easier.

9. Almost 20% abandon carts because of issues with site security

Aside from website issues, 18% of shoppers abandon their shopping carts if they don’t trust the ecommerce platform’s security. A major red flag for them is a missing SSL certificate on an online store. However, missing images, no user reviews, and an outdated layout design also raise suspicion.

Fortunately, you can increase trust with shoppers by displaying your security seals prominently on your homepage and on product pages. Add product reviews, link user-generated content (social proof), and display your business contact information (such as an email, phone number, and location).

10. More than 10% of shoppers don’t proceed with their checkouts because of unsatisfactory return policies

A generous returns policy is important for online shoppers. About 12% don’t finish their online purchases if a return policy isn’t clearly displayed or unsatisfactory on an online store. However, up to 66% of shoppers say that they would spend more with a generous return policy.

11. More than 15% of online shoppers dislike unclear pricing

Unclear pricing or not being able to see the total purchase cost upfront also leads to shopping cart abandonment, with 16% of shoppers saying that they likely won’t push through with their purchase if they don’t see the full product price, including shipping and other fees, before checkout.

12. The lack of a variety of payment options can lead to higher cart abandonment rates

Payment methods in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, expanded to include more options for shoppers, including Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL). Approximately 9% of shoppers abandon their carts when they see that their preferred payment method is not offered during online checkout.

Digital wallets have become increasingly popular, proven by a decline in credit card usage during the last holiday season—with more consumers paying via mobile wallet and consumer financing options than ever before.

Effects of Cart Abandonment

13. Ecommerce brands lose $18 billion in sales due to cart abandonment

Although slightly dated, a frequently referenced stat from Forrester Research says that shopping cart abandonment causes online businesses to lose as much as $18 billion in yearly sales revenue, with the loss estimated to reach up to $4 trillion worth of merchandise in succeeding years.

14. 26% of shoppers buy the same product from a competitor after cart abandonment

According to a survey from Royal Mail in 2020, a quarter of shoppers usually purchase the same item with a different online retailer when they abandon their carts from an online store.

15. 30% of online shoppers purchase the same product at a later date after cart abandonment

The good news is that nearly a third of online shoppers come back to purchase what was in their abandoned carts at a later date. The catch is ensuring that they come back sooner. Cart recovery emails increase the chances of these shoppers converting.

Industry-specific Shopping Cart Abandonment Rates

16. Travel companies have the most abandoned carts

The travel industry has among the highest cart abandonment rates, as there is typically more abandonment on booking sites than even retail websites. SaleCycle data records it at 87.08%.

Flights and holiday bookings are significant purchases and often expensive, so many consumers spend time researching the best deals. They tend to mock-book several times, often across different sites, before finally nailing a final booking date. The complexity of the booking process can be another reason for abandonment. Booking for travel requires plenty of steps and time, so many shoppers bail out before completing the process.

Interestingly, 87% of those who abandon their cart the first time are likely to consider returning to their booking, with 33% of them likely to return the same day. This is a huge advantage if travel websites make it easier for customers to check out. Enable saving cookies on browsers so customers can check out the same deal they first browsed or send a cart recovery email a few hours after the cart is abandoned.

17. The automotive industry also suffers from high abandonment rates

According to SaleCycle, cart abandonment rates are also high for the automotive industry (85.97%). This is likely similar to the challenges travel companies face, where consumers use pricing as part of their research and planning process and don’t always have a high intent to convert.

Consider integrating third-party booking tools onto your website to make it easier for users to check out. You might also consider some sort of email capture so you can build and nurture relationships and stay top of mind when customers are ready to commit.

18. Fashion, consumer, and luxury have the highest retail abandonment rates

Luxury websites experience the highest potential loss of sales from cart abandonment in the retail sector with a rate of nearly 88%, ahead of adjacent categories like consumer clothing stores (82%) and fashion sites (85%), reports SaleCycle.

19. Consumer goods have the lowest average shopping cart abandonment rate at just under 50%

Of the eight industry categories evaluated by Dynamic Yield, consumer goods, with a 48.61% cat abandonment rate, performed the best.

Mobile Cart Abandonment Statistics

20. Most shopping carts are abandoned on mobile phones

An analysis from Kibo Commerce found that mobile’s average cart abandonment rate came in at 81% in the fourth quarter of 2021—down slightly from the first quarter. Desktops performed the best in terms of cart abandonment, with 70.5% of transactions abandoned.

21. Mobile sales now make up the majority of ecommerce

Mobile devices have seen a giant leap in sales in recent years. In 2021, mobile sales made up 56% of all ecommerce revenue.

Though mobile sales have overtaken desktop as the leader in ecommerce revenue, mobile still lags behind desktop in conversion rates and average order value.

22. Online shoppers make larger purchases on desktop

While mobile traffic dominates overall at 70%, desktop has a stronger positive correlation (0.65) with average order value than mobile. Online shoppers may prefer to use their mobile devices to browse products but complete purchases on their desktops, especially for bigger ticket purchases.

Employ checkout technology that allows users to log in and save their carts. This way, they can move seamlessly between devices to perform the tasks they want.

23. The mcommerce gap has shrunk from 49% to 16%

The difference between mobile’s large share of ecommerce traffic and lower share of ecommerce sales is known as the mcommerce gap. In 2017, comScore’s Mobile Hierarchy report showed a 49% mcommerce gap. According to Wolfgang Digital’s 2020 data, the mcommerce gap had dropped to 16%.

Although the number is heading in the right direction, the existence of a gap means there is still work for ecommerce companies to improve their mobile buying experience. The top reasons for this gap include confusing navigation, unclear product details, inability to open several tabs to compare item details and prices, and difficulty checking out.

24. More than half of retailers aren’t prepared to support mobile sales

Retailers are still struggling to keep up with mobile technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), chatbots, and augmented or virtual reality. And, as of 2020, 54% of retailers were still ill-prepared to support consumer demands for mobile sales.

Only 37% of retailers had integrated mobile into their buyer experience journey (buying, communicating, and in-store interactions), and about 25% admitted they were still in the early stages or have no mobile strategy at all.

25. Mobile users won’t download retail apps due to data security concerns

Mobile retail apps were created to provide convenience to consumers who prefer shopping on their smartphones. However, security concerns, particularly around data privacy, make consumers wary. Some 57% of respondents in a 2021 Wyng report said they refused to download ecommerce apps to avoid sharing personal data.

26. The PayPal Verified seal is the most trustworthy security seal

Research shows that the more familiar a trust symbol is, the higher its perceived security. While 42% of the respondents say they are most familiar with the Visa-Mastercard seal, more consumers trust a PayPal seal. One in four survey respondents said that PayPal gave them the best sense of security, and PayPal was the most chosen seal in every age bracket.

Consider adding a trusted merchant account or payment processor to your online store or app and incorporating their security symbols on your site and checkout pages. Here are some resources to get you started:

• Best Payment Gateways
• Best Ways to Accept Recurring Payments
• Best Merchant Services for Small Businesses

Abandoned Cart Email Statistics

27. Cart abandonment emails have a 45% open rate

Of all cart abandonment emails sent, about 45% are opened. Half of the users who open a cart abandonment email will engage, and 21% will click through. Meanwhile, about half of the click-throughs result in a purchase.

Keep these statistics in mind when building your automated emails and sequences. Make the copy crystal clear, and always include an easy-to-see call to action (CTA) so users know exactly how and where to click to get one step closer to making a purchase.

28. Nearly 40% of abandoned cart emails recover sales

According to Omnisend’s E-commerce Statistics Report on the first half of 2021, abandoned cart emails were among the highest converting automated marketing messages at 39.7%, second to welcome messages (52.9%)

29. More than a third of product abandonment emails get opened

According to the same Omnisend report, product abandonment emails have a 35% open rate, with browse abandonment and post-purchase emails just slightly higher with more than 36% open rate each. Order/ship confirmation emails had the highest open rate—56.71%. These numbers indicate that consumers are more likely to open (and read) relevant messages.

Cart Abandonment & Retargeting Ads

30. 25% of consumers appreciate being reminded of products they browsed

Retargeting, which is sending ads based on a consumer’s previous actions, can lift ad engagement rates significantly (several sources say up to 400%), so be bold. A quarter of consumers say they actually like seeing retargeted ads because they are reminded of what they had previously been looking for.

31. Personalized retargeted ads can generate 1,300% ROI

Brands that personalize their retargeted ads based on consumer behavior can see very strong return on investment (ROI) in their campaigns (one oft-cited case study of luxury watch retailer Watchfinder showed a 1,300% ROI).

This means you should consider sending retargeted ads that showcase the same products that customers previously added to their shopping carts but failed to buy. Statistics show it is more likely to turn into sales compared to displaying a generic retargeted ad that just promotes your company.

32. 70% of website visitors are likely to convert when retargeted with display ads

Consumers are 70% more likely to convert because of retargeting. Facebook and the Google Display Network are recommended retargeting platforms because of their massive reach. Facebook has 2.91 billion monthly active users, and the Google Display Network reaches a huge 90% of all internet users.

33. Facebook ads can provide at least a 3% conversion rate

Facebook is one of the most effective retargeting platforms. Shoppers who spend more time engaging with your business on Facebook will be more likely to purchase. According to Wolfgang Digital, 3% of users who “like” your post will convert into paid customers, followed by 4% who share, 4.67% who leave a reaction, and 4.91% who comment. By the time your audience contacts you via Messenger, the conversion rate increases to 9.95%.

This illustrates why ecommerce businesses should make an effort to become more active on social media. Posting pictures of new products and providing updates that keep prospects and customers interested are great ways to start.

COVID-19 Cart Abandonment Statistics

34. COVID-19 decreased cart abandonment rates

Cart abandonment rates dropped across industries (except, unsurprisingly, travel) when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Lower abandonment rates can reflect increased demand for specific products or services and a stronger intent to buy. In general, cart abandonment rates fell about 9 points.

35. Cart abandonment rates plummeted for grocery products during the pandemic

SaleCycle’s research showed that the groceries category was the biggest beneficiary of this abandonment rate trend. By the first few months of 2021, the rate had dropped to 61.13%—from 83.97% in 2020. As people settled into their “new normal” in a COVID economy, their shopping habits adjusted accordingly.

Interestingly, even in 2022, grocery abandonment rates have continued to decrease by over 11% from the previous year. Cart abandonments have improved as shoppers got used to shopping online and eased into this convenient way of shopping.

36. 60% of Gen Z online shoppers had less patience in buying online, leading to cart abandonment

In 2021, just under 60% of Gen Z online shoppers in the US reported they became less loyal to brands since the COVID-19 crisis began. Moreover, over 60% of them said they had less patience for poorly functioning websites when buying online, leading many to abandon their purchase or leave a negative review.

37. Abandonment rates in the Gardening & DIY and Sports & Outdoor sectors decrease with ease in restrictions

In 2021, abandonment rates in the Gardening and DIY sector decreased by 10%, while Sports and Outdoor were down 9%. More people were making use of their gardens and outdoor spaces.

There was a consumer behavior change in 2022 as more people can enjoy the outdoors after restrictions eased up. The most recent SaleCycle 2022 report shows that the abandonment rates for these sectors have continued to decrease (Gardening and DIY at 79.23% and Sports and Outdoor at 70.30%).

Ways to Prevent Shopping Cart Abandonment

Shopping cart abandonment continues to pose significant challenges for online businesses.

While we’ve introduced you to the data that affects this consumer behavior, giving actionable tips on preventing cart abandonment is better. Here are some ways you can prevent cart abandonment from happening in your online store.

Offer Free Shipping

Since 48% of online shoppers cite extra cost as their top reason for abandoning carts, offering free shipping can help improve conversion. Another thing you can do is to make sure that there are no hidden costs that customers will only see at the point of payment.

Have a Guest Checkout

Allowing for guest checkout is a quick way to improve your conversion rate. Remember that 31% of online shoppers abandon their carts because they are forced to create an account.

Perform Email Recovery & Ad Retargeting

Email and ad retargeting are the best solutions for recovering lost sales from cart abandonment. They leverage customer information to create strategies to reach out and lead customers back to your site to finalize their purchases.

Personalize Your Cart Abandonment Emails

Personalization can be as simple as using the shopper’s name in the subject line and email copy. You can also take advantage of information like birthdays, location, and even when you send the email to improve personalization. These small changes have proven to create a significant impact on recovering lost sales. People tend to buy more if they can connect with the brand or product more personally.

Examples of compelling subject lines for cart abandonment emails

Short and straightforward subject lines are the most effective:

• “15% Off purchase”
• “Cart left”
• “$20 Off cart”
• “Items left”
• “Still shopping?”

The most common characteristics these subject lines share are that they’re short, simple, and provoke curiosity from their recipients. With these results in mind, ecommerce business owners should consider implementing this strategy into their email campaigns.

Improve the Mobile Experience

One way to lower cart abandonment rates is to pay special attention to the mobile experience. This includes everything from researching and browsing through purchasing. You can also speed up the mobile purchasing experience by offering one-click checkout options with Apple Pay, Google Pay, Fast, or Shop Pay. Most major ecommerce platforms, including Shopify, provide options for speedy checkout in addition to site templates and themes that are optimized for mobile devices.

Bottom Line

Simply put, ecommerce websites that fail to convert visitors into customers will not earn any money. Therefore, it is crucial to understand what discourages your prospects from completing a sale. Consider the shopping cart abandonment statistics we discussed in the article when coming up with your online sales strategy.

Want to learn more about shoppers’ online buying habits? Read our online shopping statistics and payment industry trends for small businesses.