E-commerce checkout behavior - statistics & facts

What drives consumers towards checkout?

There are a plethora of incentives for buying online among internet users across the globe. Some of the most common reasons consumers choose to buy online are being able to shop at any time and the convenience of doing it from home. Other factors include coupons and discounts, being able to read reviews by other customers, and most notably, free delivery options. On the other hand, some drawbacks can cause individuals to leave their online shopping basket before completing the purchase. The number one reason consumers in the United States abandon their carts during the checkout process is that extra costs – such as delivery, fees, and taxes – are higher than anticipated. Many shoppers would also pull out once they realized they needed to create an account to proceed with the order or when the estimated delivery time was too long.

Abandonment vs. conversion

In the age of online shopping, retaining consumers' attention and interest is one of the main challenges e-retailers face. And while many visitors are just browsing with no particular intention to buy anything, a large share of conversion loss is attributable to online shopping cart abandonment. Globally, about seven in ten digital shopping carts are abandoned before the transaction can come to a close. The abandonment rate was also typically steeper for industries like travel and luxury compared to others such as groceries. Likewise, online conversion rates are generally higher in segments related to fast-moving consumer goods, as opposed to big-ticket purchases involving large items like furniture.

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