Cart abandonment is a sale that stops one step before payment. The shopper picked an item, added it to the cart and left. It happens far more often than most store owners think. Here we line up the most solid data available, separate the causes you can fix at checkout from the ones that start earlier, and look at what a fashion store can do.
How many carts are abandoned?
Seven in ten, on average. Baymard Institute collected 50 studies and calculated an average cart abandonment rate of 70.22%.
That number needs context. Shoppers use the cart as a wish list, a reminder or a way to compare prices. Part of every abandoned cart is just how people shop online.
Why do shoppers abandon their carts?
Baymard asked US online shoppers directly. The top answer, given by 42% of those who abandoned a cart, was “I was just browsing, not ready to buy.”
Set that group aside and these are the reasons that remain.
| Reason for abandonment | Share |
|---|---|
| Extra costs too high (shipping, tax, fees) | 40% |
| Delivery was too slow | 20% |
| Didn’t trust the site with card details | 19% |
| Site required an account | 18% |
| Checkout too long or complicated | 17% |
| Site errors or crashes | 17% |
| Returns policy not satisfactory | 13% |
| Couldn’t see the total cost up front | 12% |
Source. Baymard Institute, survey of US online shoppers, multiple answers allowed.
Almost all of these are checkout problems. Clear shipping costs from the product page, guest checkout, fewer form fields, more payment options. If you have never audited your checkout, start there.
What about “how will it look on me”?
It isn’t on Baymard’s list, because the survey covers every category. In fashion, though, doubt about the item matters, and returns show it.
Rithum’s 2025 Global Returns & Profit Impact Report, a survey of more than 6,000 consumers in North America and Europe, found that 33% had returned products that didn’t match their online description or images. 68% returned clothing or footwear in the past year, and 36% admit to buying several items on purpose to try them at home and send the rest back.
That same uncertainty, before the purchase, can leave a cart sitting. No study measures how much of the 42% “not ready to buy” comes from doubt about the item. That is our reading, and anyone who has worked a fashion sales floor will recognize it.
One caveat. Rithum lists poor fit as the top reason for returns. That is a sizing problem, solved with accurate size charts and measurements, and it is a separate topic.
Does too much choice stop people from buying?
Sometimes, and research explains when. A meta-analysis in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, covering 99 observations and more than 7,000 people, found that large assortments lead shoppers to put off the decision under four conditions. The task is hard, the options are complex, the shopper is unsure what they want, and they want to decide quickly.
A fashion store often has all four. Hundreds of items, outfits to imagine, a specific occasion and little time. In a physical store, that is what a sales associate is for.
What can a fashion store do?
Work in two steps.
First, checkout. Clear costs, guest checkout, a simple returns policy that is easy to find.
Then, the doubt before the cart.
- Suggest complete outfits for an occasion instead of single items.
- Narrow the choice by budget, colors and style.
- Show the outfit on the shopper before they buy, so the image online and the item that arrives look alike.
The evidence on that last point is still thin. In a study commissioned by Snap and Publicis Media of 4,028 shoppers, 80% said they felt more confident about purchases after using augmented reality tools. These are self-reported answers from 2022, gathered for companies that sell those tools. They point in a direction, nothing more.
Where to start
Fix checkout first, then look at where your shoppers hesitate. If they message you asking “does this go with that” or “what should I wear to a wedding,” that doubt exists in your store too.
That is why we built Camille. She is an AI personal shopper who works in your store, suggests complete outfits from your catalog only, based on occasion, budget, colors and body shape, and at the end shows them on the shopper with virtual try-on. You can test her privately on your own catalog first.
Install Camille free on Shopify or try her on our demo store.
FAQ
What is the average cart abandonment rate?
70.22%, according to the average of 50 studies compiled by Baymard Institute.
What is the most common reason for cart abandonment?
“Just browsing,” given by 42% of shoppers in Baymard’s survey. Among the reasons a store can fix, extra costs come first at 40%.
How do you reduce cart abandonment in fashion ecommerce?
Simplify checkout and make costs and returns clear. Then help shoppers decide before the cart, with targeted outfit suggestions and a way to see the item on themselves.
Paolo is CEO of Instamark S.r.l. and founder of Camille, the app that brings an AI personal shopper to fashion ecommerce stores. He writes about technology, conversion and tools that help stores sell more online.