Definition
Cart abandonment happens when a shopper adds at least one product to their cart and leaves without buying. It's measured as the cart abandonment rate.
Formula
Cart abandonment rate = (carts created − carts that became orders) ÷ carts created × 100.
Common causes
- Unexpected costs at checkout, especially shipping and taxes.
- Being asked to create an account before buying.
- A long or confusing checkout.
- Comparison shopping: the cart used as a wishlist.
How to measure it
Send Product added to cart, Checkout started and Order placed events with a cart_id. A funnel across them shows where shoppers leave, and a breakdown by device or source shows for whom. See ecommerce metrics.