How to Reduce Cart Abandonment with Gift Options in 2025

Cart abandonment is the silent killer of ecommerce revenue. With an average abandonment rate of 70.19% across all industries, most Shopify stores are watching potential customers walk away without completing their purchase.

But here's something most merchants don't realize: a significant portion of abandoned carts come from gift buyers—shoppers who are purchasing for someone else and encounter friction when the store doesn't accommodate their gifting needs.

Why Gift Buyers Abandon Their Carts

Gift buyers have unique needs that standard checkout flows often fail to address:

1. No Way to Add a Personal Message

When buying a gift, customers want to include a heartfelt note. If your store doesn't offer this option, they may leave to find a competitor that does—or abandon the purchase entirely to buy something locally instead.

2. Fear of Prices Being Visible

Nothing ruins a gift faster than the recipient seeing the price tag. Gift buyers worry about invoices and packing slips revealing costs, causing hesitation at checkout.

3. Lack of Gift Presentation Options

Sending a gift in a plain brown box feels impersonal. Without gift wrapping or premium packaging options, gift buyers may look elsewhere.

4. Shipping to a Different Address

Some checkout flows make it confusing to ship to a different address than the billing address, creating unnecessary friction for gift orders.

The Gift-Enabled Checkout: A Conversion Multiplier

Stores that optimize for gift buyers see dramatic improvements in their conversion rates. Here's what the data shows:

7 Gift-Focused Strategies to Reduce Cart Abandonment

1. Add a Prominent "This is a Gift" Checkbox

Make it immediately obvious that your store accommodates gift purchases. Add a clear checkbox on product pages and in the cart that reveals gift options when selected:

• Gift message field
• Gift wrapping options
• Price hiding confirmation
• Delivery date scheduling

2. Guarantee Price Hiding

Address the number-one concern of gift buyers head-on. Display a clear message like: "Gift orders are shipped without prices or invoices—guaranteed."

This simple reassurance can be the difference between a completed purchase and an abandoned cart.

3. Offer Multiple Gift Wrapping Tiers

Give customers options that fit their budget and occasion:

• Basic gift wrap: Free or $3-5 (tissue paper, ribbon)
• Premium gift wrap: $8-12 (quality paper, bow, gift box)
• Luxury presentation: $15-25 (premium box, ribbons, tissue)

4. Provide Gift Message Templates

Decision fatigue kills conversions. Reduce friction by offering pre-written templates that customers can customize:

• "Happy Birthday! Wishing you a wonderful day!"
• "Congratulations! So proud of you!"
• "Thinking of you and sending love."
• "Thank you for everything you do!"

5. Enable Scheduled Delivery

Gift buyers often purchase in advance but want delivery on a specific date. Offer delivery date scheduling so customers know their gift will arrive exactly when intended.

6. Send Gift Receipt Separately

Offer an option to email the gift receipt to the buyer while sending a price-free notification to the recipient. This builds confidence that the recipient won't see the cost.

7. Use Cart Abandonment Emails with Gift Messaging

Customize your abandonment recovery emails for gift buyers. If someone selected "this is a gift" before leaving, remind them:

• Their personalized gift message is saved
• Gift wrapping is available
• Delivery can be scheduled for their occasion

Implementing Gift Options on Your Shopify Store

The fastest way to add comprehensive gift options to your store is with a dedicated app like WithGifted. Here's how it addresses each abandonment trigger:

Measuring Your Gift Option Impact

After implementing gift options, track these metrics to measure success:

• Overall cart abandonment rate: Compare before and after implementing gift options
• Gift order percentage: What portion of orders use gift messaging?
• Gift vs. non-gift conversion rates: Are gift-enabled sessions converting better?
• Peak season performance: Track during holidays, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day
• Recovery email performance: Are gift-specific abandonment emails working?

Real Results: Gift Options in Action

A specialty tea company implemented WithGifted and tracked their results over three months:

Start Reducing Abandonment Today

Every day without gift options is a day of lost revenue. Gift buyers are ready to spend—often more than regular customers—but they need the right tools to complete their purchase with confidence.

Don't let your checkout experience be the reason they leave. Implement gift messaging, gift wrapping, and price hiding today, and watch your cart abandonment rate drop.