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 October 2023 was 7.7%. In other words, out of every 100 visits to an online store that month, just under eight resulted in users adding items to their check-out carts. This is slightly higher than the previous month, whose rate registered at 7.62%. It is also higher than the average so far this year, which is currently at 7.63%. 

In the period from November 2022 to October 2023, the two months with the highest rates are November 2022 and December 2022, at 9.3% and 8.41%, respectively. 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 $936.3 billion in 2022, a record high. 

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January 2023 saw the lowest rates. That month, just 7.24% of visitors to all online stores worldwide added items to their shopping carts.

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 October 2023, online stores in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region had a rate of 7.72%. This was slightly lower than shops in the Americas, which had a rate of 7.99%. 

In Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), rates were notably lower, at 4.41%.

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 October 2023, rates were the highest for desktops, at 8.94%. 

In comparison, rates for tablet devices were slightly lower, at 8.25%. Mobile phones had the lowest rates, with 7.28%.

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