Detailed analysis of cart abandonment rates across devices, the real causes behind abandoned carts, and proven strategies to recover lost revenue
How Baymard Institute quantified cart abandonment using multiple research methods
This analysis draws on research from the Baymard Institute, the leading authority on e-commerce checkout usability. Their work synthesises 49 independent studies to establish reliable benchmarks across the industry.
Baymard uses a multi-method approach: quantitative analytics from thousands of sites, surveys with real shoppers, and direct usability testing to understand why people abandon their carts.
Meta-analysis of 49 studies covering abandonment rates, device-specific behaviour, and primary causes
Meta-analysis of 49 studies tracking cart abandonment across e-commerce sites globally. This represents the average abandonment rate across all devices and industries.
Aggregate analysis of cart abandonment data from 49 different studies covering thousands of e-commerce websites. Data is weighted by study size and recency, and updated quarterly with the latest research.
Mobile users abandon carts at significantly higher rates than desktop or tablet users. Mobile devices account for 59% of e-commerce traffic, making this a critical issue.
Cross-study analysis comparing mobile (85.65%), tablet (80.74%), and desktop (73.76%) abandonment rates across the same e-commerce sites.
The number one reason for cart abandonment. Unexpected shipping costs, taxes, and fees revealed at checkout cause nearly half of all abandonments.
Survey data from 5,000+ online shoppers asked why they abandoned their most recent cart. Responses were categorised and ranked by frequency, then cross-validated with analytics data showing exit points.
The second most common abandonment reason. Forcing users to create accounts before checkout significantly increases friction and drives people away.
User survey data combined with A/B testing results from sites offering guest checkout vs mandatory accounts. Measured abandonment rate differences and tracked exit points.
Confusing or lengthy checkout flows cause significant abandonment. Each additional form field and checkout step increases the chance people will give up.
Usability testing with 200+ participants completing checkout flows on 50 major e-commerce sites. Researchers tracked confusion points, time to complete, and what triggered abandonment.
Customers abandon carts when their preferred payment method is unavailable. This is particularly critical for international e-commerce and mobile commerce.
Survey of 8,000+ shoppers about payment preferences and abandonment reasons. Data was correlated with analytics showing exit points after payment method selection.
Meta-analysis of 49 studies tracking cart abandonment across e-commerce sites globally. This represents the average abandonment rate across all devices and industries.
Aggregate analysis of cart abandonment data from 49 different studies covering thousands of e-commerce websites. Data is weighted by study size and recency, and updated quarterly with the latest research.
Mobile users abandon carts at significantly higher rates than desktop or tablet users. Mobile devices account for 59% of e-commerce traffic, making this a critical issue.
Cross-study analysis comparing mobile (85.65%), tablet (80.74%), and desktop (73.76%) abandonment rates across the same e-commerce sites.
The number one reason for cart abandonment. Unexpected shipping costs, taxes, and fees revealed at checkout cause nearly half of all abandonments.
Survey data from 5,000+ online shoppers asked why they abandoned their most recent cart. Responses were categorised and ranked by frequency, then cross-validated with analytics data showing exit points.
The second most common abandonment reason. Forcing users to create accounts before checkout significantly increases friction and drives people away.
User survey data combined with A/B testing results from sites offering guest checkout vs mandatory accounts. Measured abandonment rate differences and tracked exit points.
Confusing or lengthy checkout flows cause significant abandonment. Each additional form field and checkout step increases the chance people will give up.
Usability testing with 200+ participants completing checkout flows on 50 major e-commerce sites. Researchers tracked confusion points, time to complete, and what triggered abandonment.
Customers abandon carts when their preferred payment method is unavailable. This is particularly critical for international e-commerce and mobile commerce.
Survey of 8,000+ shoppers about payment preferences and abandonment reasons. Data was correlated with analytics showing exit points after payment method selection.
Analysis of abandonment rates, mobile behaviour, and the top friction points in checkout
Cart abandonment research reveals patterns that affect conversion rates across the e-commerce industry.
The global average sits at 70.19%. Roughly 7 out of 10 shoppers who add items to their cart never complete the purchase. That's a massive opportunity cost for online businesses.
Mobile devices show significantly higher abandonment at 85.65% compared to desktop (73.76%) and tablet (80.74%). Given mobile accounts for 59% of e-commerce traffic in 2025, fixing mobile checkout is essential for revenue.
The research shows a clear hierarchy of what drives people away:
With a 70.19% abandonment rate, online stores are haemorrhaging potential revenue. For every £100,000 in completed sales, roughly £236,000 in cart value gets abandoned. Across the industry, that's billions in lost revenue annually.
The 11.89 percentage point gap between mobile (85.65%) and desktop (73.76%) abandonment reveals fundamental problems in mobile checkout experiences. Small screens, awkward form entry, and performance issues all compound to create friction.
Cart abandonment emails achieve 41.8% open rates and 10.7% conversion rates. Many abandoned carts represent genuine purchase intent, not just casual browsing. Real opportunity for recovery through email campaigns and retargeting.
What these findings mean for your business and technical implementation priorities
These findings affect how you should prioritise e-commerce development and optimisation work.
With 70.19% average abandonment, reducing this rate by even 5 percentage points means substantial revenue gains. For a site generating £1M annually, cutting abandonment from 70% to 65% translates to roughly £167,000 in additional revenue. No increase in traffic acquisition costs needed.
The 85.65% mobile abandonment rate makes mobile checkout optimisation your top priority. Given 59% of traffic comes from mobile, fixing mobile checkout affects most of your potential customers.
With 48% of abandonment caused by unexpected costs, you need to:
The 26% abandonment rate from mandatory account creation makes guest checkout a must. Best practice: offer account creation after purchase completion, using the order data you've already collected.
With 22% abandoning due to payment method unavailability, you need multiple options. Priority payment methods:
The 17% abandonment from complex checkout tells you to:
Based on this research, technical teams should prioritise:
The research suggests high-impact tests:
For businesses serving international customers:
Based on this research:
This research is thorough, but keep in mind:
Apply these insights to reduce cart abandonment and increase your conversion rates
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