Cart abandonment metrics are critical performance indicators for e-commerce operators. While abandonment itself is unavoidable, understanding its dimensions allows digital marketers, analysts, and store owners to optimize revenue recovery, prioritize UX investments, and refine marketing attribution. This article unpacks the cart metrics that matter and provides actionable benchmarks to evaluate your checkout funnel. Once these metrics are understood, we’ll also explore how solutions—such as Wallid—can support your optimization efforts.
Cart abandonment rate alone doesn't tell the full story—other metrics like recovery and exit rate matter too.
Device type and acquisition channel significantly influence abandonment behavior and should be segmented.
Checkout and cart page exits are measurable indicators of user friction.
Recovery strategies such as automated follow-ups and intent-based segmentation can reclaim lost revenue.
Wallid helps visualize and act on these abandonment metrics through behavioral tracking and re-engagement tools.
Key Cart Abandonment Metrics to Track
1. Cart Creation Rate
This measures how well your site drives intent. A high session count with a low cart creation rate signals disconnect between browsing and product confidence.
Formula:
Cart Creation Rate = (Carts Created / Total Sessions) × 100
Track this rate across acquisition channels to identify underperforming traffic sources or landing pages.
2. Cart Abandonment Rate
This is your macro conversion signal, indicating how many users start the process but leave before purchasing.
Monitor this to benchmark the ROI of your retargeting and automation strategies.
Cart Abandonment Benchmarks
According to Baymard Institute, the average cart abandonment rate is around 70.19%, but interpretation depends on context:
Platform
Average Cart Abandonment Rate
Desktop
66.1%
Mobile
80.6%
Tablet
73.1%
Comparing your performance by device and channel will help you identify gaps and opportunities.
Comparing your performance by device and channel will help you identify gaps and opportunities.
Visualizing and Acting on Metrics
Once you have a clear picture of your abandonment metrics, tools like Wallid can help you move from insight to action:
Behavioral Tracking: Monitor cart and checkout abandonment in real time across all devices.
Segmentation: Break down abandonment data by user cohort, traffic source, and product type.
Automated Recovery: Deploy dynamic emails, SMS, or WhatsApp messages based on user behavior.
Exit Intent Engagement: Use prompt-based engagement to retain users before they leave.
Funnel Reporting: Identify bottlenecks in the user journey with visual dashboards.
By combining detailed metrics with Wallid’s automation and personalization tools, you can create recovery strategies tailored to user behavior and intent.
Speakable Summary
This article explains key cart abandonment metrics like cart creation rate, checkout abandonment, and recovery rate. It helps eCommerce teams measure performance and benchmark against industry standards to reduce drop-off and optimize conversion.
FAQ
What is cart abandonment rate?
Cart abandonment rate is the percentage of shoppers who add items to their cart but leave the site without completing a purchase.
What is a good cart abandonment rate?
A good cart abandonment rate is typically below 60%. Rates above 70% suggest there may be issues in your checkout experience.
Why is my cart abandonment rate so high?
High abandonment rates can stem from unexpected costs, poor mobile optimization, long forms, or lack of trust in the checkout process.
How do I calculate cart abandonment rate?
Use the formula: (1 - (Completed Purchases ÷ Carts Created)) × 100. This gives you the percentage of lost sales after items are added to the cart.
What is checkout abandonment vs. cart abandonment?
Cart abandonment refers to users who add items to their cart but don’t initiate checkout. Checkout abandonment focuses on users who start checkout but don’t complete the purchase.
What is cart recovery rate?
Cart recovery rate is the percentage of abandoned carts that are converted into completed purchases through re-engagement tactics like email or SMS follow-ups.
Can tools like Wallid help reduce abandonment?
Yes. Wallid tracks real-time abandonment behavior, identifies drop-off points, and automates recovery flows to help reclaim revenue.
Expert Note:
Written by a Wallid Content Intern specializing in cart abandonment analytics and checkout behavior. This article is part of Wallid’s educational series on tracking and optimizing eCommerce performance through actionable metrics.