Cart abandonment rates have fallen slightly in the first half of this year but remain high, with more than seven in ten (72%) abandoning purchases, according to a new report.
Abandonment rates had previously risen in the last two half-year periods but the 72% rate is higher than the first half of 2024.
The study found that purchase decisions were being made faster, however, with session duration declining to 4 minutes and 20 seconds. That compares to 4 minutes and 55 seconds in the second half of 2023.
Of those who abandon their cart, the study found most drop off due to inactivity rather than actively closing the window. The second highest dropoff rates come from users clicking the back button and closing the window, suggesting that users may have multiple tabs open and be comparing offers or products.
The need to reduce friction
Optimisation of sites and improved checkouts, including one click payments and Buy Now, Pay Later options, are said to be contributing to the reduced abandonment rates.
Pop up discounts are often used to convince shoppers to complete the purchase with a 5% discount the most common, followed by a 10% discount.
Julian Craemer, founder and CEO of uptain, which carried out the research, said that although the slight decrease in abandonment rates was encouraging the problem of cart abandonment remains a significant loss of sales. “Purchases often fail due to seemingly minor issues like a lengthy checkout, lack of clarity, or distractions during the process. Since user interest is already there, it’s worth addressing these specific points.”
The study looked at visitor data from more than 1,500 online stores.
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