Despite advancements in eCommerce platforms and AI tools, shopping cart bailout rates in 2025 remain similar to those from 2017. In 2017, desktop bailouts were at 74% and mobile at 84%. In 2025, desktop bailout rates are around 70–73%, while mobile bailout rates increased slightly to 85–86%!
Retailers need to respect the fact that consumers have unlimited flexibility to engage with content when they are information gathering and selecting products.
Once they reach the cart and checkout, the experience becomes this fixed, clunky, arduous, linear process that can be confusing on mobile devices.
And don't think shorter checkout journeys will help. Research also proves shorter checkouts are more confusing on mobile devices (see above 2025 data).
Cart and checkout experiences need to be designed to persuade people to remain engaged all the way to the point of confirming an order.
Do consumers still want to purchase online?
When Retail Executives see the above data, the biggest question that arises is, are consumers still wanting to purchase online?
The answer is a resounding "YES"!
Buying online remains strong in 2025. Global data confirms that consumers are still shopping online in record numbers. Still, their expectations and spending behaviour have evolved toward convenience, trust, ease of engagement with an online retailer (great experiences) and value-focused purchasing.
Global Online Shopping Demand
In 2025, there are approximately 2.77 billion global online shoppers, representing about one-third of the world’s population, a 2.2% increase from last year. Online spending accounts for about 21% of total retail purchases worldwide, the highest to date and projected to rise further through 2027.
Global retail eCommerce sales are forecast to exceed 4.3 trillion USD this year and could approach 4.9 trillion USD by 2030. This signals that the overall buyer appetite for online shopping continues to expand worldwide.
Behavior and Motivations Behind the Demand
Shoppers have not lost interest in buying online, but they are more selective and intentional about purchases. Reports from McKinsey, DHL, and Finch Market show that 2025’s typical consumer is more informed, discerning, and demands frictionless experiences.
Retail sector conversion averages remain between 2–4% which has also remained at the same level for quite some time.
Consumers are still buying online enthusiastically, but their pathway to checkout is more demanding, sophisticated, and more fragmented than ever.
So What Now?
QUICK TIP #1! Do not accept the "out of the box" checkout flow from eCommerce Platforms.
QUICK TIP #2! Collaborate with an eCommerce specialist who knows how to massage checkout journeys to become a conversion machine!
The irony is, the recommendations to reduce bailout rates in my research paper in 2017 STILL remain relevant today!
Enjoy!
This article was as tagged as Best Practice , eCommerce Consulting , eCommerce Conversion Rate Optimisation , UX Design