Why customers abandon their carts: causes and practical fixes
The customer places products in the cart and then leaves without buying. This is not the exception, but the rule. The Baymard Institute combines the results of dozens of studies and arrives at an average of roughly 70% of carts abandoned globally. ECDB estimates that the rate in the Egyptian market in 2025 is higher (about 80%), with an add-to-cart rate of roughly 10%. These are modeled estimates, not official figures. Some of these carts cannot be saved because their owners were just browsing, but a large share of them is a preventable loss.
Why do they leave? What the research says
According to Baymard's 2025 research, after excluding those who were "just browsing", these are the top reasons. They are global results, so test them on your store before generalizing.
High extra costs (shipping and fees) at checkout
About 39%.
Slow delivery
About 21%.
Security concerns
About 19%.
Requiring the customer to create an account
About 19%.
Other reasons also appear, such as complex forms and site errors
Nine practical fixes
Show the shipping cost early
Calculate shipping on the product or cart page as soon as the governorate is chosen. A surprise at the last step kills the order.
Allow guest checkout
Make the account optional after ordering. In Egypt and the Gulf, a mobile number with an OTP verification code is enough.
Show the delivery time
"Within 2 to 4 days" next to the buy button is better than silence.
Build trust at checkout
Payment method logos, a clear return policy, real contact details, and the company's registration number and address.
Offer the payment methods your customers use
Cash on delivery, card, wallet, and installments.
Shorten the form
Remove unnecessary fields, enable autofill, use dropdowns for governorate and city, and a numeric keypad for the phone field.
Validate errors gently
Show a clear Arabic message next to the wrong field, and do not erase what the customer typed.
Design mobile-first
Test checkout on a real phone over a normal network: button size, RTL direction, loading speed.
Don't make the coupon field too prominent
A visible discount field prompts the customer to leave the page in search of a code. Make it expandable with one tap.
Recovering abandoned carts
Send a reminder after a short while
Then another after a day, and no more than that.
Use WhatsApp, email or notifications only with the customer's prior consent to be contacted
Include the product image and a link that takes the customer straight back to their cart
Don't always lead with a discount
Some customers need an answer to a question, not a financial incentive.
How to measure
Map the conversion funnel step by step: product view, add to cart, checkout start, order completion. Where do you lose the largest share? Fix that step first, and change one thing at a time to see its impact. Note that the definition of "abandoned cart" varies between tools, so do not compare your number with figures from another tool without checking.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good abandonment rate?
It varies by sector; everyday goods are usually lower than fashion and travel. What matters most is comparing against yourself over time.
Are WhatsApp reminders appropriate?
Yes, if you have explicit consent and they are few and useful. Spammy messages hurt trust.
Is mandatory sign-up necessary to collect data?
You can collect guest data with their order, and offer account creation after purchase instead of requiring it beforehand.
Sources
Baymard Institute
Cart abandonment rate statistics.
ECDB
E-commerce in Egypt (2025 estimates).
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