Every year, billions of euros are lost in eCommerce for one simple reason: the customer adds products to the cart… but doesn’t complete the purchase.
In our article 3 Tools to Recover Abandoned Carts, we showed how to automate follow-up and recover sales after the customer has left. But what if you could prevent that abandonment from happening in the first place?
Below, we explain the most common causes of cart abandonment and the smartest strategies to recover lost sales without hurting your margins.
Why do abandoned carts happen?
Although it may seem like the customer simply “left,” there’s usually an underlying reason. Some of the most frequent are:
1. Unexpected costs at checkout
Shipping fees or taxes shown only at the last step create frustration. Many customers abandon the cart as soon as they see them.
2. Lack of urgency or motivation
If there’s no clear reason to buy now (limited stock, free shipping, a gift...), customers often think: “I’ll come back later.” And often, they don’t.
3. Lack of trust or clarity
If the cart doesn’t convey trust (e.g., delivery times, return policies, secure payment badges), customers hesitate.
4. Long or confusing checkout process
Too many steps, long forms, or unclear carts make customers drop off out of fatigue or lack of time.
5. External distractions
Sometimes it’s not your store, it’s real life. A call, a tab switch, a distraction. But without follow-up, that sale is lost.
How to recover abandoned carts smartly
The key isn’t to push harder but to act smarter. Here are effective strategies to recover abandoned carts, without sounding desperate:
1. Act within the cart itself
The best way to prevent abandonment is to act before it happens. Add elements that reinforce the decision to buy:
- Free shipping thresholds with a visual progress bar
- Clear return and exchange guarantees
- Urgency messages (“Only a few left in stock”)
- Visible rewards for completing the purchase
2. Strategic abandoned cart emails
Don’t just send “Come back!” emails. Provide real value:
- Reminder + incentive (“You're still eligible for free shipping”)
- Emotional tone (“Did you love these products?”)
- Social proof (“This item has over 1,000 5-star reviews”)
- Timed offer (“Only available until midnight tonight”)
3. Smart cart messages before abandonment
Did you know many abandonments can be prevented by showing key benefits just before checkout?
Use cart announcements to highlight:
- Active perks (“Your order includes a free gift”)
- Trust messages (“100% secure payment with SSL encryption”)
- Fast delivery or quality guarantees
This can be the difference between clicking “Pay” or closing the tab.
4. Simplify and guide the experience
A Shopify cart should be fast, clear, and friction-free. Remove unnecessary fields, add progress indicators, and make important information visible. You can also enhance the experience with value-added features, without overwhelming the customer.
5. Follow up, but Respectfully
Use emails, SMS, or push notifications to remind customers about their cart, but be thoughtful:
- Don’t send more than 2–3 reminders
- Don’t rely solely on discounts, alternate with urgency or added value
- Respect the customer’s timing. Don’t force the conversion
This improves retention and reduces the bounce rate.
How to implement these strategies in Shopify with Planet
Everything mentioned in this article, from highlighting benefits in the cart to reducing friction and reinforcing the purchase decision, might sound complex to implement. But the good news is: that you don’t need to code or install multiple apps.
With Planet, you can apply all these strategies to your Shopify cart in minutes, from a single dashboard:
Progress bar to unlock rewards
Motivate customers to complete their order by showing how close they are to unlocking free shipping, a gift, or an exclusive offer.
Ideal for increasing AOV without aggressive discounts.
Upsells to increase AOV before checkout
Suggest complementary products defined in Shopify, no need to build manual rules.
Grow your average order value naturally and without disrupting the experience.
Strategic cart announcements
Reinforce the purchase with messages like:
- “Ships in 24/48h,” “Easy returns,” or “100% secure payment.”
- Remove doubts and create urgency right before checkout.
Visible coupons, only when It makes sense
Show the coupon field only when there’s an active promotion.
Avoid customers leaving the cart to hunt for discount codes elsewhere.
Additional notes that build trust
Let customers communicate with you, about special requests, sensitive deliveries, gift messages…
Improve the experience, reduce returns, and create an emotional connection.
Don’t let your Shopify cart be a forgotten step, make it work for you.
With Planet, you can turn your cart into a powerful conversion tool: Show messages that persuade, upsells that boost AOV, and benefits that motivate customers to complete their orders.
Install it in minutes, no code needed, and start reducing cart abandonment today.