Case study
Homewares CRO case study: sending Add to Cart straight to the cart lifted conversions 26.9%
This homewares CRO case study covers the first test Convertica ran for a UK tableware store on Shopify. It tested one small change: when a shopper clicks Add to Cart, take them straight to the cart. The test ran for 19 days on mobile and desktop.
Homewares CRO case study at a glance
| Client | A UK homewares store on Shopify selling a small range of high quality tableware, shipping worldwide (name not published) |
|---|---|
| Vertical | eCommerce, homewares |
| Goal | Less friction between choosing a product and checking out |
| Page tested | Product pages (the Add to Cart action) |
| Change tested | Send the shopper to the cart after Add to Cart |
| Test | A/B test on mobile and desktop, 19 days, 98% significance |
+26.9%
Conversions, overall, with the winner rolled out to mobile users, 19-day A/B test
Source: UK homewares store on Shopify, winner rolled out to mobile only, as stated in the original case study
Who was the client?
The client was a UK homewares store built on Shopify, selling a small selection of high quality tableware. It ships worldwide. To keep prices competitive, it works with a few reliable sellers and ships directly from the manufacturers. This was the first test Convertica ran for the store, and the original case study does not name it.
What was slowing shoppers down?
The store's data showed that most shoppers bought only one product per visit. Yet when a shopper clicked Add to Cart, the store did not take them to the cart. To buy, they then had to open the cart themselves: an extra step that did nothing for someone who had already chosen the one item they came for.
The store did have a Buy Now button that skipped the cart. But shoppers who clicked Add to Cart instead were left one step further from checkout than they needed to be.
What was the hypothesis?
The hypothesis was that redirecting shoppers to the cart when they click Add to Cart would create less friction in the checkout process, because most people buy only one product per visit. For a single-item shopper, the cart is the next step anyway. Taking them there automatically should mean fewer abandoned purchases.
The condition matters as much as the idea. This test only makes sense when, looking over the data, the average items per order is one or close to one. On a store where shoppers fill a basket, sending them to the cart after every item would interrupt them instead.
What changed?
One behavior changed, on mobile and desktop: what happens after a shopper clicks Add to Cart.
| Shopper action | Control (original) | Test version |
|---|---|---|
| Clicks Add to Cart | Not taken to the cart | Goes straight to the cart |
| Clicks Buy Now | Unchanged | Unchanged |
| Steps from Add to Cart to the cart | The shopper opens the cart | None |
The original case study has no screenshots. The change is a behavior rather than a new design, so there is no new layout to show.
How was the test run?
The homewares test was an A/B test of the redirect against the original behavior, run on mobile and desktop and read separately for each. It ran for 19 days, until it reached 98% statistical significance. The measures were the conversion rate and revenue per visitor.
| Test type | A/B test, redirect to cart vs the original behavior |
|---|---|
| Devices | Mobile and desktop, reported separately |
| Duration | 19 days |
| Significance reached | 98% |
| Measures | Conversion rate and revenue per visitor |
| Traffic split and sample size | Not published in the original case study |
What were the results?
The redirect won on mobile and did nothing on desktop. Mobile shoppers converted at a 47.7% higher rate, and revenue per mobile visitor rose 71.4%. Desktop showed no increase in conversions. With the winning version rolled out to mobile users only, the overall increase in conversions from the test was 26.9%.
+47.7%
Conversion rate, mobile, 19-day A/B test
Source: UK homewares store on Shopify, A/B test, mobile, 98% significance
+71.4%
Revenue per visitor, mobile, 19-day A/B test
Source: UK homewares store on Shopify, A/B test, mobile, 98% significance
+26.9%
Conversions, overall, with the winner rolled out to mobile users, 19-day A/B test
Source: UK homewares store on Shopify, winner rolled out to mobile only, as stated in the original case study
The original case study does not publish how the 26.9% overall figure was calculated, or the share of traffic on each device. It is shown here as stated.
Why roll out on mobile only?
Because only mobile improved. Convertica rolled the winner out to a version of the site that only mobile users would see, and kept the original behavior on desktop. Rolling a change out where it won, and nowhere else, keeps the gain without taking on risk where the test showed no benefit.
The original case study does not explain why desktop did not respond. A likely reason is the screen. On a phone, the cart icon is small and opening it is a deliberate step, so taking the shopper there saves real effort. On desktop, the cart usually sits in plain view in the header, so the redirect saves little.
Should Add to Cart send shoppers straight to the cart?
Add to Cart should send shoppers straight to the cart only when most orders contain a single item, and only after a test confirms it. For a one-item shopper the redirect removes a step; for a shopper building a basket it adds one. Check your data, test the redirect, and read mobile and desktop separately. For what the cart itself should show once shoppers arrive, see these shopping cart best practices.
- Check average items per order. This is the condition the whole test rests on. If it is one, or close to one, the redirect is worth testing.
- Check how shoppers use Buy Now. If you have one, see how many shoppers use it and how many still click Add to Cart.
- Test the redirect against your current behavior. Keep everything else on the product page the same.
- Read mobile and desktop on their own. Here the result was strong on mobile and flat on desktop. A blended figure would have hidden that.
- Roll out only where it won. A device-specific rollout is a normal, sensible outcome.
- Watch average order value. A redirect can discourage extra items. In a store where most orders already have one, that cost is small, but measure it.
One newer check applies to the cart as well: can an AI shopping agent add a product and reach checkout on your store? A flow that depends on scripts, pop-up carts or unlabeled buttons can be hard for an agent to follow. Agent readiness is one of the eight checks in Convertica's free CRO audit.
For another test that won on one device only, read the reviews section case study. For more ways to increase Shopify conversion rate, see the 12-step guide. To plan your own test, the A/B test sample size calculator shows how much traffic you need, and the statistical significance calculator checks a result.
Homewares CRO case study FAQ
What did the homewares CRO case study test?
It tested redirecting shoppers to the cart as soon as they clicked Add to Cart on a UK homewares store's product pages, on mobile and desktop. In the original version, adding an item did not take shoppers to the cart. The store already had a separate Buy Now button, which stayed in place.
How much did conversions increase in the homewares test?
On mobile, the conversion rate rose 47.7% and revenue per visitor rose 71.4% in a 19-day test that reached 98% statistical significance. Desktop showed no increase in conversions. With the winning version rolled out to mobile users only, the overall increase in conversions from the test was 26.9%.
Should Add to Cart go straight to the cart?
Only if most of your shoppers buy one item per order. Redirecting to the cart removes a step for a single-item buyer but adds one for a shopper who wants to keep browsing. Check your average items per order first: this test worked because it was one, or close to one. Then test it.
Why did the redirect work on mobile but not desktop?
The original case study does not say. A likely reason is that finding and opening the cart takes more effort on a small screen, so removing that step helps mobile shoppers more. On desktop, the cart is usually visible in the header and one click away, so the redirect saves less.
How was the 26.9% overall figure calculated?
The original case study states that rolling the winner out to mobile users only gave an overall increase in conversions of 26.9%. It does not publish the calculation or the mobile and desktop traffic shares behind it, so this page shows the figure as stated.
Can Convertica run this kind of test on my store?
Convertica starts with the free CRO audit, an app that checks your page for people and for AI agents while you watch. After it, CRO advisory, led personally by founder Kurt Philip with Convertica's CRO team, then gives you ongoing direction on what to fix and what to test while your team builds the changes. Or, with full implementation, Convertica's team builds the fixes from your audit. Both are priced after your audit.