Saved-basket pop-up for returning visitors: +3% reach basket
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsA pop-up reminding returning desktop visitors of the items still in their basket lifted the share of users reaching the basket page by over 3% and order confirmation by over 2.5%.
The Pets at Home digital team ran this three-week A/B test, published as a VWO case study.
- Users reaching the basket page: up by more than 3%.
- Users reaching the order confirmation page: up by more than 2.5%. This is the closest measure to completed orders.
- The source describes the result as significant but gives no confidence level.
The change
Variant greets returning visitors with a pop-up of their saved basket items.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
Returning desktop visitors who had left items in their basket got no reminder when they came back to the site.
Variant
On returning, these visitors saw a pop-up listing the items saved in their basket, prompting them to view it.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Returning visitors may have forgotten what they left behind; the pop-up brings it back to mind.
- Showing the actual items is more persuasive than a generic reminder.
- It shortens the path back to checkout for people who were already close to buying.
Caveats: The test covered desktop only and ran for three weeks, with about half of eligible traffic in the variant. No sample size or confidence level was shared.
Who ran it
Pets at Home ran this test for Pets at Home and published the results (VWO case study). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on Pets at Home →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we show returning visitors the items still in their basket, then more will reach checkout and buy because we remind them of a purchase they had already started.
- Primary metric
- Orders per returning visitor with a saved basket
- Guardrails
- Pop-up close rate
- Bounce rate of returning visitors
- Revenue per visitor
- Who should test it
- Stores with lots of returning visitors and baskets that persist between sessions, such as repeat-purchase categories. It will matter less if few shoppers leave items behind or if baskets clear between visits.
Questions
Should I remind returning visitors about their cart?
This test suggests it helps, at least on desktop.
Showing the actual items moved more people to the basket and to a completed order.
Is a pop-up better than an email reminder?
They work at different moments. The pop-up reaches people who are already back on the site, while email brings people back who haven't returned.
Does this work on mobile?
This test only covered desktop. The Pets at Home team said they planned to test it on mobile next, where pop-ups can feel more intrusive.
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