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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryRetail Media & CommerceCart Abandonment Rate

Retail Media & Commerce

Cart Abandonment Rate

The percentage of shoppers who add items to an online cart but leave without completing the purchase.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

Cart abandonment rate is the percentage of online shoppers who add items to a cart but leave without completing the purchase. It is calculated by dividing abandoned carts by all carts created. Common causes include unexpected shipping costs, forced account creation and complicated checkouts, and retailers often recover sales with reminder emails or retargeting.