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E-Commerce Dictionary

Shopping Cart

Definition

Software used in e-commerce to assist people making purchases online.

Deep Dive

A shopping cart is an e-commerce software application that allows customers to accumulate a list of items they wish to purchase from an online store. Functioning as the virtual equivalent of a physical shopping trolley, it enables users to add products, adjust quantities, remove items, and view a running subtotal before proceeding to the checkout process. This critical component of any online retail website provides a user-friendly interface for managing potential purchases and reviewing selections prior to commitment.

Examples & Use Cases

  • 1A customer browses a fashion website, adding a dress, shoes, and a handbag to their shopping cart before reviewing their selections and initiating checkout.
  • 2An online grocery store allows users to save their shopping cart for future visits, making it easy to reorder staple items or create recurring delivery schedules.
  • 3An e-commerce platform sends an email reminder to a user who abandoned their shopping cart, prompting them to complete their purchase.

Related Terms

Checkout ProcessConversion Rate Optimization (CRO)Payment GatewayE-commerce Platform

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