Why do people fill a cart and leave?
If you run an online store, this statistic will surprise you: the average cart abandonment rate is around 70%. That means seven out of ten shoppers add items to their cart and then leave without checking out.
The reasons vary — shipping costs higher than expected, a checkout that feels too complicated, or simply closing the tab with a "I'll buy it later" thought. The good news is that these shoppers already showed buying intent, so a gentle nudge often brings them back.
Practical ways to reduce abandonment
- Show shipping costs early. A surprise delivery fee at the final step is the biggest cause of abandonment. Display it on the product or cart page.
- Allow guest checkout. Forcing account creation makes many shoppers give up. Let them pay with just an email address.
- Shorten the checkout. The more fields to fill, the more drop-offs. Adding Apple Pay or Google Pay lets customers finish in a couple of taps.
Bring them back with recovery emails
Your most effective tool is the abandoned cart email. If a shopper left their email behind, send automated messages — "You left something in your cart" after an hour, then "Check out before it sells out" the next day. Adding a small discount code or free shipping can lift conversions significantly.
In Australia, pairing this with SMS and web push notifications improves reach even further. Just remember to only message customers who've opted in to marketing.
PICKTECH sets up automated cart recovery and easy checkout for Korean-owned online stores across Australia. If you'd like to recover sales you've been missing, feel free to get in touch.