Factors Influencing Cart Abandonment in the Online Shopping Process

This paper presents a model of why and how cart abandonment occurs in the online shopping process. An online survey of 210 people was conducted via the online shopping website of a communication company in China. The results demonstrate that cart abandonment was directly and positively influenced by organization and research of the products within the cart as well as by comparison with external websites, and was directly and negatively influenced by payment intention. Both perceived cost and perceived risk had an indirect effect on cart abandonment through the mediator of organization and research of products within the cart. Perceived transaction inconvenience did not influence cart abandonment either directly or indirectly. The results imply that cart abandonment is dependent on the shopping processes, and that organization and research of products within the cart is a key variable that impacts cart abandonment.