One major aspect of running an online business is the monitoring of ecommerce key performance indicators (KPIs). In doing so, you’re able to track your performance and understand what areas of your business require more work and what’s doing well. 

Bounce rates and order values aside, one of the most important KPIs to track is the add-to-cart rate. Knowing what’s considered a realistic target to aim for requires answering the question: What is a good add-to-cart rate in ecommerce?

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Average monthly add-to-cart rates

According to the latest data, the average add-to-cart rate of ecommerce stores worldwide in January 2024 was 6.95%. In other words, out of every 100 visits to an online store that month, just under seven resulted in users adding items to their check-out carts. This is a 0.66 percentage point fall from the previous month and marks the lowest rate in at least 12 months. 

In the period from February 2023 to January 2024, the month with the highest add-to-cart rate is November 2023. This should come as no surprise, as the year-end winter season is one of the biggest shopping events of the year. In fact, total holiday retail sales in the United States hit $966.6 billion in 2023, a record high. A month later, this fell to 7.61%.

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Add-to-cart rate by region

Not all ecommerce shoppers have the same purchasing habits, as seen in the differing add-to-cart rates from region to region. In January 2024, online stores in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region had a rate of 7.57%. This was slightly higher than shops in the Americas, which had a rate of 7.17%. 

In Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), rates were notably lower, at 6.59%.

Add-to-cart rate by device

The add-to-cart rate in ecommerce can also vary according to the devices online shoppers use. Across tablets, mobile phones, and desktops in January 2024, rates were the highest for desktops, at 8.11%. It marks the second successive month that add-to-cart rates on desktops have fallen. After hitting 10.17% in November 2023 (the highest rate registered in the past 12 months), it fell to 9.46% the following month.

In comparison, rates for tablet devices were slightly lower, at 7.36%. Mobile phones had the lowest rates, with 6.59%.

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