Improving the Shopping Cart Experience

Aug 14, 2025

A well-designed shopping cart is the cornerstone of a successful eCommerce journey, acting as a transactional tool and a decision-making hub where shoppers evaluate options, compare products and finalize purchases. Like a physical dressing room, users rely on the cart to “try on” choices test combinations, review prices, and assess value before committing. However, poor design choices and friction-filled experiences often derail this process, leading to rampant cart abandonment and lost revenue.

In This Article:

Why Shopping Carts Fail
Building a Seamless Shopping Cart Experience
Redesigning Shopping Cart Experience
WireFrame Design
References

Why Shopping Carts Fail

Research by the Nielsen Norman Group (NNG) underscores critical flaws in current cart designs. Shoppers frequently struggle with incomplete product details (e.g., missing size charts or material descriptions), difficulty editing quantities, and cumbersome item removal processes. These frustrations mirror findings from Baymard Institute, which reports that 69.82% of online carts are abandoned, often due to avoidable issues like unexpected costs, account creation demands, or lengthy checkout flows.

The modern retail landscape demands more than functionality it requires memorable experiences. For instance, Foot Locker’s augmented reality (AR) scavenger hunt, “The Hunt,” transformed the cart from a static list into an interactive playground, allowing users to engage with products in a gamified environment. This aligns with Adobe’s insights on experience-driven commerce, where emotional connections and immersive interactions drive loyalty. Yet, most carts remain utilitarian, failing to replicate the excitement of in-store browsing.

Building a Seamless Shopping Cart Experience

Drawing insights from the Nielsen Norman Group (NNG), Baymard Institute, and innovations like Keep’s OneCart, the following strategy outlines actionable steps to transform the shopping cart into a conversion-driving tool.

1. Prioritize Transparency in Pricing and Processes

Problem: Hidden costs and unclear pricing are among the top reasons for cart abandonment.

Solution:

Upfront Cost Breakdown: Display a detailed cost summary in the cart, including subtotal, discounts, taxes, and shipping fees. This aligns with Baymard’s research, which highlights that users abandon carts when costs are revealed too late.
Dynamic Shipping Calculator: Integrate a ZIP code-based shipping estimator directly in the cart, allowing users to calculate delivery costs before proceeding to checkout.
Price-Match Guarantees: Offer real-time price comparisons or discounts to reassure users they’re getting the best deal, reducing hesitation and fostering trust.

Innovation: By embedding cost transparency into the cart interface, businesses can eliminate “sticker shock” and build confidence in purchasing decisions.

2. Simplify and Streamline the Checkout Process

Problem: Complex, multi-step checkouts frustrate users and lead to abandonment.

Solution:

One-Page Checkout: Combine all checkout steps (shipping, payment, and review) into a single, scrollable page. This reduces cognitive load and speeds up the process, as recommended by NNG.
Guest Checkout Option: Allow users to complete purchases without mandatory account creation. According to Baymard, 34% of users abandon carts when forced to create an account.
Digital Wallet Integration: Enable one-tap payments through Apple Pay, Google Wallet, or PayPal to minimize friction and cater to mobile-first users.

Innovation: A simplified, guest-friendly checkout process reduces barriers to purchase, especially for first-time or hesitant shoppers.

4. Enable Cross-Store Convenience with Universal Cart Functionality

Problem: Users often juggle multiple carts across different retailers, leading to decision fatigue and abandonment.

Solution:

Save for Later: Allow users to move items to a wishlist without deleting them, enabling them to return to their selections later.
Cross-Store Checkout: Implement a universal cart feature, similar to Keep’s OneCart, which allows users to shop across multiple partner stores and checkout with a single transaction.
Sync Across Devices: Enable users to access their cart seamlessly across desktop, mobile, and tablet, ensuring a consistent experience.

Innovation: A universal cart reduces friction for multi-store shoppers, streamlining the journey from browsing to purchasing.

Redesigning Shopping Cart Experience

Transparent Cost Breakdown

Feature: A sticky sidebar displays a detailed cost summary, including subtotal, discounts, taxes, and shipping fees.
Creativity: The sidebar updates dynamically as users modify their cart, ensuring real-time transparency.
Practicality: This feature directly addresses Baymard’s findings on hidden costs, reducing abandonment due to unexpected fees.

Universal Cart Integration

Feature: A “Saved from Other Stores” section shows items added via partner retailers (e.g., through Keep’s OneCart API).
Creativity: This cross-store functionality simplifies multi-retailer shopping, a common pain point for users.
Practicality: By enabling seamless cross-store checkouts, this feature reduces friction and encourages larger purchases.

Simplified One-Page Checkout

Feature: A scrollable, one-page checkout combines shipping, payment, and review steps.
Creativity: The design eliminates multi-page forms, creating a smoother, faster checkout experience.
Practicality: This aligns with NNG’s recommendations for reducing cognitive load and streamlining the purchase process.