low hassle version

Posted by: Jack on September 19, 2002 01:33 AM

 

Trolley abandonment may also be a political act.

As part of a campaign against Asylum Seeker Food Vouchers (I hasten to add we were campaigning to get rid of the vouchers and replace them with cash) a dozen of us we go into a supermarket, each with a trolley. We would then tootle around the supermarket filling our trolleys up with items that Asylum Seekers weren't allowed to buy with their vouchers. These were 'luxury items' like childrens toys, shoes, socks, underwear, baby milk and nappies.

Once all of the items had gone through the checkout we would refuse to pay and then do our best to embaress the Manager and explain the issue to other shoppers.

Oh, and if you're interested, Tony Blair was forced to drop the voucher scheme.

I'm sure that there is already somebody out there who is organising 'virtual trolley abandonement' protests.

Posted by: Mac on September 19, 2002 04:12 AM

 

I've started to see sites that have a separate "Lists" function where you can make a note of items you are thinking of buying. (http://www.officedepot.com is one of these).

This is a great way for the user to organize their things and, I would imagine, a nice way for Office Depot to at least get some sort of control over the "abandonment" issue.

As the consumer, I like it because I have to get purchases approved if it isn't the usual bunch of stuff, so I can put it on my list and just have someone login as me and look at it. It's much better than a URL - as you know some of those shopping cart URLs can be nightmares.

Posted by: Lydia on September 19, 2002 12:00 PM

 

And the Amazon wish list is great for this. I just wish mine wasn't so big...

Posted by: Alan Fisher on September 19, 2002 12:05 PM

 

This author is confusing the true nature of a shopping cart. Just because research has shown that users use the cart a certain way does not mean that that is the way we should be considering future design.

The wish list or versions similar should be made some sort of standard. Remember users still have security and privacy fears around the shopping cart and we should be making the purchase process as clean and simple as possible.

Posted by: JB on September 19, 2002 12:30 PM

 

We need more shopping cart theft. I would like a 'shop' button on my toolbar that pulls up all the items in all the carts from all the web sites my browser has visited. It would be extremely useful in determining what my wife is getting me for my birthday.

Posted by: Jack on September 19, 2002 01:10 PM

 

Amazon.com, despite their investment in usability, has a sad flaw in their "wish list". Like many others, my wish list has grown to multiple pages. This includes books and music. Unfortunately, Amazon has no mechanism for viewing only books, only music, only software, etc.

Hey, I found a fault with Amazon! Woohoo!

(I'm recovering from a flu, so pardon any meaningless rambling.)

Posted by: MadMan on September 19, 2002 01:32 PM

 

That's not a flaw, it's a feature... a feature you should let them know about. 8^)

Posted by: boysen on September 19, 2002 01:50 PM

 

amazon let's me look by books or software or dvd.

Maybe Jeff just doesn't like you MadMAn.

Posted by: Mick on September 19, 2002 01:51 PM

 

wow, bad english on my part and not very helpful post either, lets try that again:

Before the first item of your wishlist there is a dropdown list that's labeled "Sort By:".

Still, I'd ask Jeff whay he's so mad at you.

Posted by: mick on September 19, 2002 01:54 PM

 

Well, has anyone asked what shopping cart contents are? I saw a focus group once where a respondent said the really cool thing about shopping on the internet was that you could put things back on the shelves easily if the total purchase was greater than you thought, and because of the anonymity of the process, no one would see you do it and think you were being cheap (unlike in the real world, where those behind you in the line may not only think you're too poor, but also may harumph over the delays you cause them.)

Users may only regard the shopping cart as part of a tentative process, and the $ totals the proces provides are clearer than what they get in the 'wish list' process.

It's all part of smelling the fruit.

Posted by: Frank on September 19, 2002 11:45 PM

 

Mick,

Amazon.COM allows you to sort by type of product. For some reason, Amazon.CO.UK doesn't. Bloody discrimination, that's what I call it.

Posted by: Alan Fisher on September 20, 2002 07:30 AM

 

At least you can get "The West Wing" on DVD.

Posted by: Frank on September 20, 2002 07:48 AM

 

E-Retailers treat shopping cart abandonment as a Bad Thing, the underlying assumption seems to be everyone who selects and item for a shopping cart should buy it, therefore it's a lost sale if a cart is abandoned. Maybe, maybe not.

I go to stores, pick things up to look at them, put them down, and walk out. What's the data on shoppers who go into stores and leave with nothing? Shopping Cart Abandonment due to bad site design and poor process = Bad Thing. Shopping Cart Abandonment because I just decided no to buy today = life in retailing.

Posted by: mcw on September 20, 2002 11:37 AM

 

That's a really good point, mcw.

Posted by: Lydia on September 20, 2002 12:18 PM

 

One of my maxims regarding web usage statistics is that they rarely answer questions, but rather provide data so you can ask more informed questions. Example:

Question #1: What % of people abandon carts?
Example Answer #1: 56%

Question #2: Why do people abandon carts?
Example Answer #2: For many reasons including usability issues and that they are using it as a wish list, not intending to actually purchase?

Question #3: What percentage of people abandon carts due to usability issues?

Question #4: What can we learn from what people put in their carts?

It's like an onion - you keep peeling away, and it just stinks.

Posted by: Lyle - Usability Guru on September 20, 2002 12:21 PM