Among the main problems an eCommerce store faces is definitely that of shopping cart abandonment. A topic we have already addressed on this blog, including providing some useful tips for increasing conversions.
But how has consumer approach to the checkout phase changed in recent years? This is revealed by data from the latest Research conducted by the Baymard Institute. We analyzed and compared them for you.
A look back
In 2021, the average online shopping cart abandonment rate, according to Baymard Institute data, was 69.8 percent. Thus, 7 out of 10 users did not get to complete the transaction after adding products to their cart.
Among the main reasons for abandonment were: high shipping costs (55%), site’s requirement to open an account (34%), check-out process too long or complicated (26%), site deemed unreliable for entering credit card information (17%), website crashes (17%), and, finally, insufficient payment options (6%).
Why eShoppers abandon at checkout
The 2022 data
Unfortunately, although eCommerce has continued its growth and more and more users are placing their trust in this mode of shopping, the numbers have not improved much: in 2022 the average shopping cart abandonment rate was 68.8 percent, just one percentage point lower than the previous year. This means that still today 2 out of 3 users choose to abandon theirs in their virtual shopping cart, without completing the purchase.
Looking, but not buying
A choice that, as the Report notes, can be attributed in part to a natural way in which users browse eCommerce sites. In fact, as the Baymard Institute explains, “These are users window shopping, comparing prices, saving items for later, and exploring gift options” without really intending to complete purchases.
In fact, 58.8 percent of U.S. online shoppers surveyed say they abandoned their shopping carts because “I was just browsing/not ready to buy.” Nothing different from what regularly happens with traditional shopping, then, where before proceeding with a purchase very often one crosses the thresholds of several stores before finding the perfect product one was looking for. Look, but don’t buy. An old mantra that seems to apply to online shopping as well.
The main reasons for abandonment at checkout
However, not all abandonments, of course, are dictated by a simple desire to “browse” in search of some bargain. Compared to the previous Research, in fact, it turns out that shipping-related costs, considered too high by users, are still the main reason for cart abandonment, although the percentage has dropped from 55 percent in 2021 to 48 percent in 2022.
In second position, with 24%, we find the requirement by eCommerce sites to create a personal account in order to finalize the purchase. In 2021 the percentage was 34%.
The third position, as well as the first, is related to the shipping of orders. In fact, 22% of users believe that the time for delivery is too slow.
This is followed by a lack of trust in the website (18%, +1% over 2021) that leads users to not want to enter their credit card information; a checkout process that is considered too long or complex (17% vs. 26% in 2021); and the inability to calculate the total cost of the order (e.g. including taxes) for 16% of users; site errors and crashes (13% vs. 17% in 2021); lack of a satisfactory return policy (12%); scarcity of payment methods (9%, up from 6% in 2021); and, finally, credit card rejection (4%).
How to solve the issues
As noted by the Baymard Institute, a better checkout design can, in itself, increase the average conversion rate by 35 percent; but we can’t help but notice that combining the first and third most frequent causes of cart abandonment, 70 percent of the abandonments are related to the issue of shipping, which is deemed too expensive or slow. Problem that GEL Proximity can help solve.
Alternative modes of delivery to traditional Home Delivery, such as Locker and Pickup Points, in fact, make it possible to reduce costs and delivery time. As recently revealed by the B2c eCommerce Observatory of the Politecnico di Milano, in fact, comparing Home Delivery and Out Of Home in an urban context and in a more rural context it turns out that thanks to Parcel Lockers it is possible to save in terms of euros per delivery up to 60 percent in the case of an urban context and up to 65 percent in the case of a more rural context. Also benefiting is the environment: in fact, looking at CO2 emissions, with Parcel Locker it is possible to save up to 73% in urban and up to 76% in non-urban contexts, as long as the customer does not move away from what is the route he or she would normally have traveled.
In other words, as we like to repeat, logistics plays a key role in eCommerce, even at the checkout stage.
If you are an eCommerce manager and would like to integrate tens of thousands of already active Lockers and Pickup Points throughout the country and internationally to your online store, you can contact us here.
