The Secrets Behind Germany’s, U.S.’s, and UK’s High Conversion Rates in Fashion

Found the ultimate deal on that one product you've been waiting for and just couldn't resist buying it? Then you have successfully been converted from a browsing user to an actual customer. 

Depending on the different markets and segments, the progression of users through the conversion funnel varies. In the case of the United States, for example, we can see a much higher add-to-cart rate than in markets like Germany. But both still result in a similar conversion rate. 

German Fashion Market Surprises with High Conversion Rate Despite Low Add-to-Cart Rate 

Fashion has become the largest eCommerce category in the global market, with annual global revenues of US$1.2 trillion in 2023. The top eCommerce country markets for Fashion include China, the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany.  

Generally, the U.S. Fashion eCommerce market is the largest Fashion market after China (US$639.5 billion), with revenues of US$214.8 billion in 2023. In addition to its size, the market stands out for its larger conversion funnel than the global one. In particular, the add-to-cart and cart abandonment rates are high at 13.6% and 10.6%, respectively, compared to 12.3% and 9.8% globally. U.S. users are more likely to add items to their shopping carts – contrary to German or UK users. 

The German market generated revenues of US$27.7 billion in 2023. The market's conversion funnel is characterized by a rather low add-to-cart rate (10.9%) and cart abandonment rate (7.9%) compared to the global market. A similar trend can be seen in the UK conversion funnel, with an 11.5% add-to-cart rate and an 8.3% cart abandonment rate. In general, we see here that people are less likely to add a product to their cart than globally and in the U.S. Possible reasons could be a more appealing website design or an easier way to add products to the cart in the U.S. 

U.S. Fashion Market Funnel Scores Above Average Across the Board 

Looking at the conversion rate - the more important value in the funnel - the U.S., UK and German markets are again similar. With values ranging from 3% to 3.2%, all three markets are above the global average of 2.5%. Even though these fashion markets are much more diverse in terms of add-to-cart and cart abandonment rates. 

What exactly does this mean? The conversion rates suggest that German and UK shoppers are more decisive and intentional when shopping. On the other hand, online stores in the UK and Germany may have a more efficient payment and checkout process, leading to a higher conversion rate in relation to their add-to-cart rate than in the U.S. 

The reasons for high cart abandonment rates vary. One could be the lower purchase intent of U.S. shoppers compared to other markets. U.S. shoppers could be more likely to add items on a casual basis, without making a commitment, to for example secure an outfit or to compare the product with other retailers' prices. Other reasons may include concerns about payment security, additional fees or limited payment options. All in all, the different circumstances in each country's eCommerce market influence the respective conversion funnels and explain the differences in the markets.