
The Contrast Between Volume and Efficiency
The fashion industry has emerged as the leading segment within the retail market, with yearly earnings of $1.2 trillion in 2023. The robust markets consist of China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
The United States, with revenues of $214.8 billion in 2023, represents the second-largest fashion market after China ($639.5 billion). The American market features above-average values across the entire conversion funnel. The add-to-cart rate reaches 13.6% and the cart abandonment rate 10.6%, significantly exceeding global averages of 12.3% and 9.8%.
Germany and Britain
In contrast, the German market, which generated revenues of $27.7 billion in 2023, shows lower add-to-cart rates (10.9%) and cart abandonment rates (7.9%) compared to the global average. A similar trend is seen in the United Kingdom with an add-to-cart rate of 11.5% and cart abandonment rate of 8.3%.
Interestingly, despite these differences in customer behavior, all three markets achieve similar conversion rates ranging from 3.0% to 3.2%, exceeding the global average of 2.5%.

Source: ECDB
What’s the Reason Behind These Variations?
German and British consumers seem to engage in shopping with determination and focus as they tend to add items to their carts with a clear intent of making a purchase.
On the other hand, consumers in the United States might place products in their online shopping carts casually. For instance, to “save” a particular outfit or check prices against those offered by different stores.
Issues like worries about payment, unforeseen charges, or restricted payment methods could also play a role in people leaving their carts without making a purchase.
The variations observed within shopping habits underscore the significance of customizing approaches to suit markets. American online stores may find it advantageous to streamline the checkout procedure, while German and British online stores could concentrate on boosting the rates of adding products to the cart.
The variations in conversion strategies in markets stem from social and economic influences as well as cultural elements impacting consumer actions significantly. Knowing the traditions and shopping habits plays a role in effectively expanding globally.
Conclusion
While customer journeys may vary across marketplaces when it comes to the conversion funnel process, the ultimate outcome—the conversion rate—appears consistent across them all, indicating that achieving success within e-commerce can be approached through different strategies and methods.