Sticker shock is the major cause of shopping cart abandonment: Forrester

Sticker shock rather than a poor site design or checkout process may be the major cause of shopping cart abandonment, a key component of web analytics programs, according to a new report from Forrester Research.

A majority of cart abandoners (57%) said they left products in shopping carts because they didn?t want to pay for shipping charges, Forrester said. 48% said they didn?t complete the purchase online because the total cost?product costs, shipping, handling or taxes?was more than expected.

Online browsing also plays a role in shopping cart abandonment, with 41% of cart abandoners leaving items they were researching or holding to purchase later, Forrester found.

Web buyers that abandon shopping carts online also feel more comfortable making purchases offline?65% of their spending occurs in stores. But even though they prefer to shop offline, cart-abandoning web buyers say they purchase products in whichever channel has the lowest prices, Forrester said.

?Retailers can optimize checkout processes and paths to purchase all they want, but unless they?re willing to play the low-price game, consumers will continue to abandon shopping carts,? Forrester says.

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